Question, How did you lose your weight?

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  • peggym4640
    peggym4640 Posts: 156 Member
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    Crafty_camper123 wrote: »
    I have started, and started over many times. But this time I made it stick. I'm 5'3 (F) and went from 155 to 135 since January. Things that worked for me:


    - I started SLOW. I started my just being aware of how much I was eating, and just trying to eat a little less. A few weeks later, I incorporated calorie counting but ate what it my MFP stats told me was maintenance. A few weeks after that, I cut it back. I tried setting it to lose 2 lbs. a week, but never could reach that goal without being overly hungry. So I reassessed and set it to 1lbs a week. Once I got in the habit of eating less, then I added exercise. My previous failures were because I started too much too soon.
    - I had specific goals in mind. I wanted to be able to hike this year without wanting to keel over. So I based my fitness goals around that. Also I had a goal to try and work out once a week (or more) every week. I picked once a week, because no matter how insane my life is, I can fit in 1 30 minute work out most weeks. Not ideal according to most statistics. But it was more then I was doing, and it was something I could sustain. Think about what is important to you. And make a goal to get there. Set a deadline. Have mini check in goals along the way.
    - Expect set backs and embrace them. So you polished off an entire bag of chips when you were only planning on eating a handful? (We've all been there. ) Instead of thinking "Welp, diet's shot! It's over" Plan to eat better the next day. You may even ask why it happened to better plan to avoid it next time. I have a weekly calorie goal for this reason. I can either bank calories to save up for a special treat. Or decide I want treat now, and cut it back a bit for a few days.
    - Embrace refeeds and diet breaks. If you find that it's getting tougher and tougher to stick to plan, it may be time to eat at maintenance for a week or two. There's nothing wrong with needing to eat at maintenance for a while. For me, it seemed to reset the hunger hormones, and probably reduce stress. After a week or 2 week long refeed, I was able to get back to my weight loss goal without feeling as hungry and deprived.


    I'm sure there's more, but I already have a wall of text here. lol. Best of luck to you!

    ^^^ Truth for me, too. Started by exercising and trying to fit in more healthy foods. I've never cut anything out but soon found myself eating less of the foods that didn't feel as good and eating more foods that did feel good. I started tracking my calories and eating smaller portions. I started walking more and gradually increased my other exercise as well. I've lost 30+ pounds and have had good success and it is maintainable.

    Good luck!!!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,127 Member
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    I set up my MFP profile, got a calorie goal, ate back all my exercise calories (didn't change my exercise routine), monitored for a few weeks, then adjusted to a healthy loss rate (I was losing way too fast on MFP's estimate). In a bit less than a year, I lost 50+ pounds at age 59-60 (while hypothyroid). 2+ years later, I'm still at a healthy weight.

    This was (and is) my eating plan, with the mistakes and false starts left out:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    I've done different things at different times, but every diet works on the basis of a calorie deficit, so then it really just becomes a matter of personal preference.
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    edited September 2018
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    I've lost 50 lbs. so far and it took me about a year to do it. My starting weight was 237, and I've been fluctuating between 184-90 for the last 2 months. My goal weight is 137. I'm halfway there.

    I lost about 25 lbs. in the first 3-4 months, losing 2lbs. per week. . I have basically been maintaining for the last 3-4 months even though I was logging on MFP. I wasn't weighing my food for the last few months and also was only trying to lose 1 lb. a week, so I think the inaccuracies caught up with me. Anyway, I continue to count calories and log on MFP and exercise. I also weigh once a week, unless I am out of town and can't, but I go no more than 2 weeks without weighing myself. I reset my goals last week to lose 1.5 lbs. per week, because I had been going back to old habits eating junk food because March-July were pretty stressful--I basically wasted about 300-500 calories per day on junk, and that is not how I want to eat eventually. I know that at my goal weight I will need to eat 1600 calories net to maintain it so I need to learn to eat better--less junk food and lots of fruits, vegetables.

    It's bizarre but when I have less calories to eat (rather than 1550, I'm at 1290 now and overall this week I've stuck to my calorie goal) I will pay more attention to my meals and make sure that I am eating well since the food needs to keep me satisfied and with high energy.

    Even though my loss is slow, I want to develop good habits and have it be sustainable. I am really happy with the loss so far. The 50 lbs. loss has completely changed my look as well as my physical fitness and health. 18 months ago I thought I was just going to be fat and sick from then on. I was having digestive issues, knee problems, my blood sugar was borderline pre-diabetic, I was shuffling out of bed. I'm 52 btw.
  • anl90
    anl90 Posts: 928 Member
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    Since really trying to lose weight a few months ago, I have lost about 20 lbs. Honestly? I just make sure I am eating less than I was (typically I eat healthy as well, but I don't completely deprive myself of some guilty pleasures), and I walk every day. I am trying to get back on this path, but when I am regularly doing these things I steadily lose weight. Best of your luck on your journey, and if you would like a new friend feel free to add me! :)
  • SteamPug
    SteamPug Posts: 262 Member
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    Honestly? I got bored of doing it slowly and crash dieted on low calorie for a few months and have been successfully mainining since. It’s not something I’d recommend, but I’ve always been very all or nothing.
  • mrk34
    mrk34 Posts: 227 Member
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    I follow the basic formula for weigh loss. I consume fewer calories than I burn and it really works for me. My solution is to eat food that has a lower calorie density and a high volume of nutrition. I base my food intake around vegetables, fruits, skinless grilled chicken breast, fish and whole-grain breads (one toast a day). I eat plenty of low-calorie fresh vegetables (except corn and potatoes) and fresh low-sugar fruits to help me feel full. I realized that my approach actually allows unlimited consumption of fresh, non-starchy vegetables and fresh low-sugar fruits. They will fill me up without giving me a lot of calories. The key is to eat foods that will fill you up without eating a large amount of calories.

    I start my day off with a good breakfast. Breakfast helps me prevent hunger later on. This jump-starts my metabolism and sets my body in the fat-burning state. The protein consumption, when eaten as part of the daily first meal, reduces my appetite throughout the day. It is important for me to stick with protein breakfast option. Initially, it was a little challenging, because proteins are usually not a part of typical "breakfast foods".
    I quickly discovered the benefits of eating fiber and proteins. They make me feel satisfied for a longer amount of time without having to eat more. Therefore, I make sure to combine high-fiber foods with lean protein at every meal. The combination of the fiber and the protein helps keep me feeling full longer.

    I figured out that the strongest forces that could derail my weight loss efforts were my appetite and the feeling of hunger. I learned how to eat for fullness and I control my appetite by eating lots of fresh vegetables and fresh fruits combined with small amounts of lean proteins. Feeling full longer happens when I eat proteins, high-fiber veggies, fruits, and whole grains. Vegetables and fruits provide me with enough fiber, which in combination with proteins practically assure that I don’t feel any hunger.

    Once I started eating in this way I was able to control physical hunger. The fact that I eliminated hunger between meals was one of the two crucial elements of my approach.

    No single approach, formula, or plan for weight loss can work perfectly for every person.

    Approach described above worked for me. I lost 91 pounds. 46 pounds in six months of 2010, 35 pounds in 2011 and 10 pounds in 2012.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
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    Counting calories, and exercise, and looking at the whole situation by the week not the day. Counting calories allows me to adjust what I eat to make healthier choices, seeing which foods don't give me protein, or aren't that filling, which generally end up being carbohydrates. Looking at the whole calorie deficit on a weekly basis allows me to so-called cheat, if I go out to dinner or have a few drinks one night a week it's not going to do damage to my entire diet. I do use the process of banking a calorie deficit. If I'm just sitting around the house I stay at a lower calorie level then on days that I work out. Then by the end of the week I can probably go over my maintenance even by 500 calories which is 1000 calories if I include the natural diet deficit of 500 calories. Which allows for pretty decent meal and a few drinks. Therefore I don't feel like I'm restricting myself too much.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    I started counting calories with this app and began more vigorous exercise. I had been dabbling in treadmill walking and yoga, but started couch25k and 30 day shred to amp it up. I lost close to 40 lbs before slowly adding a few lbs back and progressive strength training. Calorie deficit is all that's needed to lose weight, but I wanted to be fit and strong as well.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    edited September 2018
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    For me, it is about portion control more than anything else. I still eat plenty of carbs and an occasional treat. I had to eliminate certain foods from my diet that I have little self control with, for example, chips with dip and ice cream. I measure and weigh nearly everything unless I am at a restaurant and it isn't possible. I dont eat at restaurants much and found that when I do, even if I use the calorie counts on the menu, my weight will be off. It helps to plan out meals in advance. Sometimes I go over my daily calories, and it is ok. In the past, I would let one bad day derail me for a week. Now, when I do go over it is only to maintenance level and the next day I am back on track.

    I dont eat a lot of high calorie foods like cheese or red meat. I also dont eat many nuts. My breakfast is usually eggs with a TINY bit of avocado and it keeps me full for hours. Some days I eat only 2 larger meals since I prefer that to 3 small meals. I am at 1400 calories a day and dont have much room for error. Dinner could be anything. I use more chicken, shrimp, fish, turkey and vegetarian meat substitutes now instead of beef and lamb that I grew up eating.

    I do work out, but not a lot. Since I am in a calorie deficit, I dont have a lot of energy for long workouts. I will do 20-30 minutes of weights and/or cardio a couple times a week and maybe one 2 hour hike a week. Weight loss for me is more about diet. I only exercise to try to maintain muscle and not become *skinny fat*.

    I have several friends and coworkers who swear that you must cut carbs to lose weight. They say fruit is bad because it has sugar. Absolutely false. Some days, I eat 80% carbs and I still lose weight.

    Lastly, sleep is very important. I get 8-9 hours a night. The body doesnt function well with less. Some people are getting by on 5-6 hours and that is not good. It raises your cortisol level and appetite. I also believe getting less sleep ages the body faster. When I am fatigued, I am more apt to make bad choices.
  • tuolon
    tuolon Posts: 107 Member
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    I started slow with exercise. I began my journey with exercising 15 minutes a day. Now, I exercise a lot at a slow pace. For example, I now swim for an hour at a slow pace and do water aerobics for 45 minutes in one day. And, some days I add in walking. I exercise maybe 2 hours a day at a slow pace. I find that exercise curbs my appetite to appopriate portions. And, with exercise, I feel yucky eating a lot of junk food, so I only eat a little of it.

    I used to track my food and it stressed me out. I used to eliminate certain foods and that also stressed me out. I found the only thing that keeps me on track is exercise.

    I was 175 and I am down to 150 lbs. My belly has shrunk so I think a lot of my weight is muscle. This works for me. I feel healthier and that is all that matters.

    Disclaimer: I have been doing this for a year now, since August last year. I am still at 150 lbs, but people say that I was at my heaviest for years, so it will take years to get it off and keep it off. Only time will tell if I am successful.
  • sgriska
    sgriska Posts: 109 Member
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    I’ve tried all kinds of things over the years — Weight Watchers, the Cambridge (pre-Slim Fast meal replacement shake plan), low carb, etc. The only one that absolutely didn’t work for me was Weight Watchers — I consistently gain on their plans because their calorie counts are just too high for me. Besides, I hate the thought of paying somebody and supporting the “Diet Industry” for something I can manage myself. So, I’m just counting calories, and it’s working just fine — down ~125 lbs in the last 11 months or so. Feel like I can maintain this forever.

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