Self discipline

Believe it or not, I lost 60 pounds with MFP and didn't change my diet that much. I knew that if I took on completely different eating habits by changing my diet, I probably wouldn't stick with it, and would just gain all the weight back. The key for me was to carefully track frequency, quantity, and portion sizes.

I also made subtle changes that make a huge difference. For instance, if I need a quick meal and stop by fast food, I'll pick up a single Double Bacon Cheeseburger from Burger King (370 cal), but skip the fries and soda, opting for water (or a diet soda, if I'd like). Another quick tip at BK: the Whopper Jr. is about 250 calories if you tell them to hold the mayo.

That leads to my next series of tips:

1. Forgo the cheese. A single slice of cheddar carries about 80 calories. If you go to a Subway-type restaurant, they'll put 2-4 slices of that on a sandwich. 320 calories in cheese?! Yikes!

2. Substitute the mayo. Low-fat Hellman's Mayo is only 15 calories per tablespoon. I'll have Jimmy Johns hold the mayo on my carryout, and then put my own on at home. Plus, on a sandwich, I can't tell the taste difference between full-flavor and low-fat.

3. Own your own calorie intake. Remember that everyone's body is different. MFP does a great job giving a baseline, but if you're not losing weight at the calorie intake it suggests, that means you're either overestimating your exercise burn, or you're underestimating your intake. Adjust accordingly. If you're 100% accurate with your records and still not losing weight, it means your body is like mine - slow metabolism. Eat less.

4. Get used to feeling hungry. Society has taught us that the instant we feel hungry, we should eat. It sucks, but I've trained myself that feeling hungry is NOT a bad thing. I'm always slightly hungry, and, for me, the hardest part of losing weight is the self-control that comes from saying, "It's okay that I feel hungry. My next meal is just a few hours away."

5. MFP doesn't need to be perfect, it's an estimate. Let's say you go to a friend's house for dinner and they make homemade tacos. Well, you can probably bet their tacos are healthier than say, Taco Bell's. So, why not use Taco Bell's calorie counts to record your dinner? This technique works for pretty much anything. Do a search in MFP for what you're eating (ex. meatloaf) and pick something that sounds like it'd be close in calories (or, if you want to really work yourself, pick a MFP choice that sounds even higher than what you're eating), and then use that. Restaurants like TGIFriday's, Jack in the Box, and other chains are notoriously unhealthy, so using their calorie counts for homecooked meals (or food that isn't exact) was my approach. That way, I could still eat what I wanted even if the exact thing wasn't in MFP.

6. Best for last - Don't make excuses! I used to use all of the following excuses (and more):

• Bigger men (or women) just run in my family. It's genetic.
• I work out seven days a week, I should get to eat what I want to.
• My metabolism is just slower/faster than others.
• Muscle weighs more than fat (I found out this long-held adage actually ISN'T true)

It took me awhile to realize that excuses are useless. Even if everyone believes your excuse, is that going to make you thinner and healthier? No. I no longer make excuses. Plus, I try to encourage and motivate others when they tell me, "I wish I could lose weight like you did, but... [insert excuse here]."

REMEMBER: IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN DO IT! We're here for you!