How it's done, tips from me to you

I totally agree with the whole moderation verses a full cheat day..Im glad to see others here agree as well..Good luck!!!

this will be loooong, bear with me. I encourage other sucess stories (Tam, FC, Kerri...et all) to give their stories or tips as well.


I wanted to write a post on some of the combined knowledge that we have learned by being on MFP. Becoming healthy isn't easy for most of us. And along the way we hear rumors, myths, and plain lies about how to lose weight. We so desparately want to lose that we listen to almost any crazy, extreme, and odd diet around, usually having limited or initial sucess followed by long term failure, and sometimes permenant medical conditions.

So with that said, here's my little diatribe on how to think about the notion of becoming healthy.

This is all my opinion, take it for what it's worth, but know that I have done extensive research on the subject of the carbohydrate metabolism, weight loss, cardio and weight training exercise, and nutrition. That doesn't mean I'm THE expert on any of it. It just means I have facts, clinical trials, and empirical evidence to back up my prepositions.

First thing you need to focus on when you are attempting to lose weight and become more healthy is your attitude. Asking yourself WHY you are overweight is far more important than people think. Many many people bury their emotions and use food as a crutch. Until you solve your emotional issues, you will NEVER EVER be able to consistantly stay at a healthy weight. Losing weight without finding out why is like treating the infection from an open wound, without ever closing up the wound itself. You don't need to solve all these underlying issues (although that would obviously help), but you do need to recognize them and see them for what they are. A key way to help do this is to carry a diary. Every time you eat, write down what you are thinking about. It doesn't matter if it's food related or not, you can figure that stuff out later.

Second thing to focus on is where you are with regards to weight. Are you morbidly obese, obese, overweight, a healthy weight, or underweight. Each of these areas has a different requirement for calories in vs calories out as well as types, amount, and levels of activity (I.E. cardio, weight training, intervals, isometrics, plyometrics...etc). Once you figure out where you are, you can find out (either by asking people on here, or seeing a CERTIFIED personal trainer) what you need to be doing in order to get where you want to be. So many people on here try to eat less then they should. There are some very good posts on here about exercise calories and the metabolism. You should make sure you have a thorough understanding of where your body's internal chemistry is before you start trying to do any caloric deficit stuff. Go to the main message page and look at the Sticky notes at the top of the General topic, read those posts, they will really help you have a better understanding of all this.

Third thing to focus on is your nutrition. Calories in vs Calories out is great, it's a start. But really, eating the right amount of calories is 1/2 the battle. if you eat the right amount of calories every day but it's in Twinkies, well... guess what, you aren't making it very easy on yourself, and you'll probably fail. The nutrition pyramid WORKS people. No need for nutrient restrictive diets, or some weird detox to get your body healthy, eating a good, balanced healthy diet, slightly taylored to a deficit, works just fine.

Fourth thing (and I find this vital). Don't expect miracles! You don't drop 50 lbs in 3 months normally. And no, pills won't do it either. Until they find a pill that allows you to store undigested calories, boost your metabolism, and stimulate muscle growth while blocking fat absorbtion with no side effects and can be taken for life, then a pill isn't the answer. Be sure to check your facts. If a pill claims something like this, look for clinical trials by 3rd party groups, look for empirical evidence by government sponsored trials, and look for FDA (in the US) approval, if they have none of it, toss the pill, it's a scam.

Fifth thing, do your research. There are a TON of great sites out there that have lots of good info. Before you decide on an approach, see what the facts are. Some great basic sites are the following.


WebMD : http://www.webmd.com

the presidents fitness pages : http://www.fitness.gov/

the Mayo Clinic : http://www.mayoclinic.com

and for those who can read medical documentation

new england Journal of Medicine (pay) : http://content.nejm.org/

American journal of clinical nutrition : http://www.ajcn.org/

I hope this helps some people. Best luck to you all.

-Banks