How did you reach your goal weight?

newstart1988 · December 2016

How did you reach your goal weight? And how long did it take?

AdviDaddy · December 2016

I lost 44 lbs. Same old way - stay within calorie limit, and workout 3-4 times per week.

I am a vegetarian, & I usually end up eating more carbs, than fat & protein. I lift weights (60 mins/session), and do interval training (20-30 mins/session)

rhauser44 · December 2016

I lost my last 15 pounds over the past 8 months lifting weights 3x a week, and 1-2 cardio sessions on the days in between. I'm in my target weight range now and I'm closely tracking my calories vs. weight to determine where my average range of maintenance will land. Based on what I'm seeing, I found most of the calculators used for figuring maintenance calories figured my maintenance calories too high.

BTW,I'm 6'1", 169 lbs., and I I have a desk job. My new goals are to knock off another couple percent of body fat by re-comping.

LivingtheLeanDream · December 2016

Lost 22lbs in a year - took the slow and steady route and 4 years later I'm still keeping those unwanted pounds off. At 5ft 2 and active I lost steadily on 1800 cals approx 0.5lb a week.

Kristi26 · December 2016

I've lost 21 pounds and am nearly at my final goal now. I'm 36, 5'3", and 121 pounds. I did what everyone else here did. I ate the calories MFP recommended, increasing them slowly the last few weeks as I approach maintenance. I run 3-4 days a week, ~4 miles each time plus walking and either strength training or Pilates videos the other 3-4 days.

ETA: I've been at it 4-5 months now.

jenilla1 · December 2016

It's pretty basic. I found this site and followed it's very straight-forward and simple guidelines. I've never been interested in gimmicks, punishments or unhealthy rapid results, and had never attempted weight loss before I came here. This method is legit!

Not sure why people feel the need to make it harder than it needs to be, but so many people I know do. A lot of people get stuck in the old diet mentality and keep repeating the same bad mistakes over and over again. Some self-sabotage because they fear change. They may lose weight, but not be able to keep it off. That's where this seems different to me. It's a tool for teaching you healthy long-term habits, not just getting you to a goal and then...whatever, you're on your own...

First off, I made health and fitness a top priority in my life. If it isn't a priority, that means it's not important to you, and you probably won't stick with it. Then, I simply planned for this to be a life-long lifestyle change, not some temporary diet or some kind of means to an end. (My pursuit of health and fitness doesn't end until they put me in the ground. There's always something we can be doing to improve or maintain, even in old age.) I tracked my calories and exercise here, stayed under, at or near goal the vast majority of time, and practiced patience and perseverance. I eat whatever I want (with most of it being nutritious food) as long as it stays within calorie goal and if I want more, I exercise to earn it.

I've kept it off (maintained at goal) for almost 6 years now! (March will be 6 years and counting.) It's just such a simple habit now that takes so little effort at this point, like brushing my teeth every day. In fact, logging on MFP takes less time each day than checking my email. I could do this forever, and I've got no reason not to. Good luck!

UpEarly · December 2016

I hit my goal weight in May 2012 and have been there ever since.

It took me over a year to lose the 62 pounds.

All I did was walk more and make a -250/day calorie cut. I never felt hungry or deprived. Most days, I was still eating close to 2000 calories.

It was very easy, I just had to be patient and consistent.

Trina2040 · December 2016

I lost 48-50 lbs in 15 months (fluctuations). I'm 5'2.5" tall; 67 years old. Found MFP three years ago, counted my calories in - calories out by weighing/measuring everything with a food scale (calories in) and measuring my calories out using a Fitbit. In maintenance now for over a year and still logging, weighing, and wearing a Fitbit. I exercise 4 days a week.

JustSomeEm · December 2016

I reached my goal weight by logging my food and drink intake as honestly and accurately as I could, being kind to myself when I slipped up (but also accountable for my choices) and keeping at it. It took me over a year to lose 70 pounds, but it took me several years to creep UP 70 pounds, so I took it off much faster than I gained it.

starfruit132 · December 2016

Love this thread. Still in progress mode but nearing the goal. Like the simple approach and patience as key to success.

rainbow198 · December 2016

It took me 15 months to lose 80 pounds in 2012 - early 2013. I did it all on my own, eating regular food and without a gym membership.

I worked out about 5 days a week (power walking, weights and workout dvd's mostly) and I watched my calories.

I focused on my fitness and getting stronger and faster and increasing my endurance.

Also I learned a lot about the human body such as how the body processes different foods, the role of hunger hormones and the science behind fat loss etc.

I had to dig deep and figure out why I ate emotionally and I had to learn to deal with it to stop eating that way.

Consistency and planning both played a big role with my success. I pre-planned my workouts and meals so I knew what I was working on and eating a day in advance. It really helped me to stay on track.

2017 will be my 4th year of maintaining with no regain.

Taking the slow and steady approach really helped me to create healthy, sustainable habits which has made maintenance a breeze.

I still stay vigilant though with my workouts and food choices and I keep working hard everyday as if I am losing weight.

billglitch · December 2016

i am not to goal yet but i am eating LCHF and limiting my cals. I have lost 117 pounds in 11 months without exercise. About 20 pounds to go

stephenearllucas · December 2016

1. Determined goal weight of 186 (started at 262).

2. Decided to use BMR + 20% (i.e., "sedentary") as my daily calorie intake limit; so at the start I was at 2,727 daily limit.

3. Logged everything eaten or drunk that had calories.

4. Weighed daily and tracked weight with Trendweight.com app.

5. Exercised regularly and with increasing frequency and intensity as fitness improved; primarily elliptical, with machine weights added in April, and lots of walking.

6. Tracked progress with spreadsheet and adjusted calorie limit down on a daily basis as I lost weight; this meant 5-10 calorie reductions on a near daily basis, rather than sudden 100 calorie reductions every few weeks. This kept me from having sudden deprivements and also taught me how to make gradual nutrition changes to shave off calories. I ended the year at 2140 calories per day and hardly ever felt deprived.

7. Did not change food choices a lot--just ate less, but more nutritious dense foods (grilled chicken, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables). Much less fast food and soda; packed lunch for probably 98% of work days.

8. Ate dessert every night (100-300 calories) even if only one cookie. Usually logged dessert into MFP first thing in the morning so that I always had room for it.

9. Often prelogged whole days, especially vacations and weekends, to keep on track.

10. Ended up losing 78.6 pounds (1.53 per week) by the time vacation started 2 days ago. On the way now to surprise parents, sisters, and friends with the "30% less" version of me for Christmas.

Ho, ho, ho!

How did you reach your goal weight?

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