How to stay on track
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I use my FitBit and my Motiv Ring to track exercise and calories burned. I log in every day. Sometimes I go over, sometimes I am a little under, but I have maintained within a couple of pounds for over four years now. I attempted on my own for a couple of months, but without the FitBit or Motiv Ring, I have nearly always gained a couple pounds more than I wanted to and then lost it again when I went back to the fitness electronics! I am terrible at estimating what I burn, so I rely very heavily on my "toys."1
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MerryMavis1 wrote: »I've figured out a realistic, long term plan for myself. I'm very 'seasonal' in my weight management-spring/summer I'm much more focused and then during the fall/winter I allow myself wiggle room since my schedule is very hectic. I've built in a small weight gain during those months and then I lean back out during the summer.
Have you actually had success with this approach? It's a classic yoyo pattern, which is what led to my failures. Wiggle room with an allowed weight gain was my downfall. That's one reason why I decided to set a cap this time and goal is to stay below it. If I want wiggle room, I have to lose more to get it, not give myself permission to gain above it. My goal is to never have a BMI of 25 or more ever again. Losing to BMI 22 and then allowing a creep up to 24 might be okay, but I would worry about my old habits.2 -
CarvedTones wrote: »MerryMavis1 wrote: »I've figured out a realistic, long term plan for myself. I'm very 'seasonal' in my weight management-spring/summer I'm much more focused and then during the fall/winter I allow myself wiggle room since my schedule is very hectic. I've built in a small weight gain during those months and then I lean back out during the summer.
Have you actually had success with this approach? It's a classic yoyo pattern, which is what led to my failures. Wiggle room with an allowed weight gain was my downfall. That's one reason why I decided to set a cap this time and goal is to stay below it. If I want wiggle room, I have to lose more to get it, not give myself permission to gain above it. My goal is to never have a BMI of 25 or more ever again. Losing to BMI 22 and then allowing a creep up to 24 might be okay, but I would worry about my old habits.
I've been maintaining for 5 years now, following this pattern. I let myself fluctuate between a bmi of 19.9 and 21.8, so I still run a pretty tight ship (my starting bmi, before my weight loss phase, was around a 28). This past winter I only got up to a bmi of 21.5, even with allowing myself to stop tracking calorie intake and being more relaxed about food.
I can see how this would not work for everyone, but for me it's been a good approach to maintenance.2 -
Log all my food.
Be vigilant about having good food in the house so I never have to make poor decisions.
Last thing at night I'll jot down the "ideal" meal plan for the next day based on what I have. I may not always stick to it but having the mindset and the framework laid down helps a lot.
Work out a lot.
Be active/busy as possible outside of working out.0 -
Almost 3 years here. Log daily. Weigh daily. Same breakfast and lunch almost daily, when not traveling. Wear a Fitbit but just for tracking steps. Workout 5x/week, including Pilates weekly and probably a long walk or bike ride in there, too. Staying on track has become as much of a habit as things like brushing my teeth, or reading before bed.0
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It helps me to have fitness goals to replace weight loss goals.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Maintenance for 5 years. Healthy habits are in place. I also enjoy the way I eat and regular exercise, so it's not a terribly big deal. I eat a very wide variety of foods and I'm a good cook, so I know how to make nutritious delicious as well.
I'm also not terribly fond of many of the things that many people seem to want to eat a lot of like fast food, sweets, etc. I had McDonald's a couple of weekends ago on a road trip as my options were really limited...hadn't had it in years. About an hour later I had to stop at a rest stop...that *kitten* literally went right through me.
My biggest indulgences are pizza (Friday nights with the fam) and pub grub which I eat maybe once per month.
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Daily weigh in - keep an eye on trends.
Don't think of any food as off limits, but I do limit the calorie dense ones.
Get some exercise in every day.3 -
I try to track all the things I ate even if it's terrible for me, I drink all the water I can deal with, and I get motivation from Pinterest.1
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My daily morning walk / run keeps me focused. I use the time to think through the day's food and fitness plan and troubleshoot any problem food situations I may have encountered the day before. This reaffirms my resolve every day.3
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I stay on track by always having a goal. Short and long term. I keep a picture on my phone and dresser of myself at my highest weight. I log all my food, prep for most days, I do have some fun days, Weigh 6 days a week and trend it in 2 apps, exercise daily, continue to learn about weight management and nutrition, AND THE BIG ONE! If I regain my weight, I know it will be a gastric bypass for me! This is my one and done. Hopeful losing no more than 5 regained pounds past my goals. I actually undershot my target while trying to find maintenance calories.2
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