What has helped you the most?
nwoutdoorgrl
Posts: 168 Member
For those of you that have lost 10+ pounds, what helpful advice would you give? I’ve been struggling to lose weight. What’s the one (or few) thing that has helped you the most on your weight loss journey?
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Replies
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cutting out processed foods in all forms..and eating six times a day.8
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So far, calorie counting, I'm quite new to this again, I lost a few stone some years ago. For me, paying close attention and learning how caloric items are has been a revelation- I'm just trying to get the balance right each day. I have cut out sugar and all grains, primarily for health reasons, I never did eat much processed but I ate a lot of nuts, obliviously, so I have cut down on those and started walking, and having a half-hearted attempt at IF -although so far I haven't been too successful at it- I seem to blow it with a piece of fruit in the evenings. I definitely have days where I'm more hungry2
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Log, and be honest with your logging. That means weigh everything and reality check the calories you get from exercise. Find a way to be active every day that you enjoy. Only eat food you look forward to.15
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Weighing & logging everything, everyday. Gives me an accurate (as possible) account of calories in. With recorded "actual" weight loss.
I have successfully lost weight in the past, but every time, "life" happened & I always ended up regaining. This time is different because I now know "My maintenance" calorie range.
Consistent logging & calorie cycling, means I'm finally able to acheive maintenance. It only takes minutes out of my day, but the results are so important.
[For ref; 1,181 day streak of logging everything, everyday. 50 weight loss & successful maintenance for 2 years.]8 -
What has helped me most is going to make people on here crazy. SO here it goes. I weight myself every single day. I don't log my food or my exercise. I mainly come here to be social with people trying to do the same thing as me. It is a reminder to come here. That social media addiction we all have to come in and see a message from a person we will never met. That reminds me because I come in and check for the message, sometimes there is one sometimes there isn't one. Either way I am here and I remember why I am.
Yes I get on the scale everyday. Why? Not to see if I am heavier or lighter, but to see the other numbers. I have a smart scale and it tells me the percentages. And as long as my water is good and everything else is the same or better then I know I am doing the right thing and keep marching. I have not lost a lot of weight but I feel better and I am healthier. That is most important to me. Just like age is a just a number so is the one on the scale. I want health not the perfect weight. So those two things are what has helped me the most.3 -
Log your food every day. Even if over calories. Even when you forget and have to backtrack to estimate yesterday. Find a way to set small goals tied to the journey instead of the scale. (Example: For me it might be a goal to include a certain number of fruit or vegetable servings. Or it might be 30 minutes of activity.). Choose your goals to support your overall goal of losing weight. On an occasional day that I am over on calories, I still meet my daily goals. It helps me form a daily pattern of behavior toward my overall goal of losing weight and being physically fit. I’ve lost about 35-40 lbs so far.5
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For me...keeping some sort of diary or mental tally of what I ate, daily weighing and using a trend weight app, eating at least 20-40g protein at every meal or snack, cycling my calories throughout the week, regular exercise especially lifting weights.2
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So far I’ve lost 39lbs since February. Things that have helped me include:
Being honest with my logging (as a PP mentioned)
Using a food scale to weigh out my portions
Cutting out takeaway food
Setting mini goals
Weighing myself daily (this isn’t for everyone but I’ve found it helpful and I use a weight trending app)
Accepting that weight loss is a process and I won’t see results overnight
Taking progress photos - it’s helpful for me to have that visual reminder
Joining the Biggest Loser Challenge on MFP. I do my weekly weigh-ins and daily posts there which helps keep me accountable. The support and encouragement I receive from other MFPers has kept me going in the times I’ve felt like giving up.6 -
Food diary. A food diary is a set of things. It takes research, number crunching and a food scale. There’s a significant learning curve. There are a lot of gray areas and it takes time to find consistent ways to deal with those. We need to keep our food diary no matter what happens. Just logging the better days doesn’t help much. You will soon find that you have a better chance of hitting your number if you have a plan for the day.5
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Getting my brain in the right groove was my most important thing, and keeping my brain from going to a dark place keeps me going. And supplements, which I know is controversial, but I believe they helped me get out of my depression and anxiety.
Now, what helps are simple goals, like 250 steps minimum an hour, and 10,000 steps a day, and drinking water. And not being angry at myself when I occasionally through choose or fate, don't reach all the goals. I trust myself to know -- and act on -- what's best for me. And I trust myself to remember where I don't want to be again.4 -
Logging everything before I eat it, and weighing it on a food scale. Consistency in those two habits has helped me to be accurate and mindful in what I eat.5
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First, make sure you are doing this for you... Track every bite.1
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Accepting this was a forever thing. It's just the way it has to be for me to be successful. I can't be trusted not to log... my track record has proved that!
Death, taxes, and logging.3 -
Fasting...lost 10 pounds with about a 2-4% reduction in body fat.3
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This. The Myth Of Motivation And What You Need Instead https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818701/the-myth-of-motivation-and-what-you-need-instead/p1
All the food tips in the world won't do me *kitten*-all if I rely on soley motivation, because motivation is not consistent.1 -
Recognizing that what works for others won't necessarily work for me. Figure out how to consistently create a calorie deficit in way that fits your lifestyle fitness goals.1
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For me it has been exercise. Not because I burn the calories. It’s because I do something I love. Right now it’s swimming. Not swimming to burn calories, but for the joy of swimming. It keeps me from getting bored and snacking out of boredom. It allows me just enough time to plan and shop for healthy food, not enough time in the grocery store to linger in the cookie aisle. I have to hurry home so I can get to the pool.3
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Knowing that it's not all or nothing. I cut out zero food groups and I enjoy normal food. I just stay within my calories and work out and burn what I need to remain at my losing calories number.
Knowing that you can "screw up" one day and eat like a cow and make up for it the next couple of days. We are all human and making mistakes is part of it.5 -
grimendale wrote: »Logging everything before I eat it, and weighing it on a food scale. Consistency in those two habits has helped me to be accurate and mindful in what I eat.
This.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10697068/how-i-stopped-kidding-myself/p1
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jedoubleday wrote: »What has helped me most is going to make people on here crazy. SO here it goes. I weight myself every single day. I don't log my food or my exercise. I mainly come here to be social with people trying to do the same thing as me. It is a reminder to come here. That social media addiction we all have to come in and see a message from a person we will never met. That reminds me because I come in and check for the message, sometimes there is one sometimes there isn't one. Either way I am here and I remember why I am.
Yes I get on the scale everyday. Why? Not to see if I am heavier or lighter, but to see the other numbers. I have a smart scale and it tells me the percentages. And as long as my water is good and everything else is the same or better then I know I am doing the right thing and keep marching. I have not lost a lot of weight but I feel better and I am healthier. That is most important to me. Just like age is a just a number so is the one on the scale. I want health not the perfect weight. So those two things are what has helped me the most.
haha.. I love this ^^. I don't log calories either and I exercise because it makes sense. I eat six times a day and eat whole foods.. boom! all my weight came off after years of cico and struggling,,...so wonderful.
My husband weighs himself daily.. I wish I was that brave.. I can see why it is so helpful if it doesn't get in your head. I use my tight clothes to keep me on track. Thanks for sharing your tips.
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Logging into the food diary
Weighing daily. Weighing and measuring all foods.
Haven't had chinese food or pizza. Will eventually but not mentally strong enough yet.
Changing to plant based diet with seafood, eggs, cheese
Logging into No More Late Night Snacking thread. Keeps me out of the kitchen after dinner.
20 pounds down as of this morning. 😀3 -
rheddmobile wrote: »Log, and be honest with your logging. That means weigh everything and reality check the calories you get from exercise. Find a way to be active every day that you enjoy. Only eat food you look forward to.
I recently purchased a food scale & have realized how much more accurate it is. I read a few threads on the effectiveness of weighing your food when it comes to losing weight & I’m glad I finally got one.
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The vast importance of food scales aside, it's my opinion that the next most helpful thing is to figure out right off the bat what macros and what eating schedule will be best to control your appetite. Hunger is the enemy.
A few low cal, carb-heavy foods thru the day and one big meal at dinner has been the best way for me to manage my hunger. It's taken me a few weeks of experimenting to figure that out but it's very useful knowledge to have about myself.1 -
emmamcgarity wrote: »Log your food every day. Even if over calories. Even when you forget and have to backtrack to estimate yesterday. Find a way to set small goals tied to the journey instead of the scale. (Example: For me it might be a goal to include a certain number of fruit or vegetable servings. Or it might be 30 minutes of activity.). Choose your goals to support your overall goal of losing weight. On an occasional day that I am over on calories, I still meet my daily goals. It helps me form a daily pattern of behavior toward my overall goal of losing weight and being physically fit. I’ve lost about 35-40 lbs so far.
I’m a fan of making mini goals. When I look at the big picture (total amount of weight I’d like to lose), it seems overwhelming but what I do is focus on losing 5 pounds at a time as my goal. Seeing that I’ve lost 2 out of the 5 pounds opposed to 2 out of 30 pounds is much more encouraging to me.
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So far I’ve lost 39lbs since February. Things that have helped me include:
Being honest with my logging (as a PP mentioned)
Using a food scale to weigh out my portions
Cutting out takeaway food
Setting mini goals
Weighing myself daily (this isn’t for everyone but I’ve found it helpful and I use a weight trending app)
Accepting that weight loss is a process and I won’t see results overnight
Taking progress photos - it’s helpful for me to have that visual reminder
Joining the Biggest Loser Challenge on MFP. I do my weekly weigh-ins and daily posts there which helps keep me accountable. The support and encouragement I receive from other MFPers has kept me going in the times I’ve felt like giving up.
Really great tips & advice. Thank you!
It’s a helpful reminder for me that I didn’t gain weight overnight, therefore I won’t lose it overnight. It’s a process, a journey.
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MichelleMinn wrote: »Getting my brain in the right groove was my most important thing, and keeping my brain from going to a dark place keeps me going. And supplements, which I know is controversial, but I believe they helped me get out of my depression and anxiety.
Now, what helps are simple goals, like 250 steps minimum an hour, and 10,000 steps a day, and drinking water. And not being angry at myself when I occasionally through choose or fate, don't reach all the goals. I trust myself to know -- and act on -- what's best for me. And I trust myself to remember where I don't want to be again.
I like simple. When things are overly complicated, I tend to check out. A simple goal I’ve set is to drink plenty of water. At least half my body weight in ounces each day. I hadn’t been tracking my water when I first started using MFP but just started to & I have noticed that I am drinking more.
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First, make sure you are doing this for you... Track every bite.
Yes! I am definitely doing this for me. My husband doesn’t mind my weight too much but is supportive in my weight loss journey but I want to be the healthiest version of myself for me, first & foremost. I believe self-care is very important & I can’t give when I am not comfortable in my own skin, or don’t give to myself to be healthy, both physically & mentally. ❤️
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corinasue1143 wrote: »For me it has been exercise. Not because I burn the calories. It’s because I do something I love. Right now it’s swimming. Not swimming to burn calories, but for the joy of swimming. It keeps me from getting bored and snacking out of boredom. It allows me just enough time to plan and shop for healthy food, not enough time in the grocery store to linger in the cookie aisle. I have to hurry home so I can get to the pool.
I think it’s wonderful that you’ve found a form of exercise that you truly enjoy. Exercise in the past has always seemed like a chore to me but a handful of months ago, I discovered barre3 & absolutely love it! I loved it so much that I became a member at my local studio. I look forward to & am excited to go to my classes. Have you heard of barre3 before?
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amgreenwell wrote: »Knowing that it's not all or nothing. I cut out zero food groups and I enjoy normal food. I just stay within my calories and work out and burn what I need to remain at my losing calories number.
Knowing that you can "screw up" one day and eat like a cow and make up for it the next couple of days. We are all human and making mistakes is part of it.
Ohh I love this! This is a similar mindset that I am working towards & have started to shift from a fixed mindset. For right now, I don’t have any off limit foods, minus dairy/gluten/egg products (food allergies) but I allow myself sweets & carbs as long as I am within my calories. This works for me at the moment because I have binge eating tendencies & when I feel deprived, I will not eat, let’s say ice cream, for as long as I can & then when I have told myself that I can’t have it for so long, I end up eating a whole pint in one sitting. Same goes for any food I have told myself I can’t have or that it’s “bad”. Not labeling food as good or bad has helped my mindset.
Thank you so much for sharing. I found it really helpful!
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Two very important things:
1. Realizing that my issues during my gaining years weren't about the evils of food or even my "relationship with food" but really about my relationship with self and my willingness to knowingly, willingly choose behaviors and habits that I cognitively knew were terrible for my well-being. Working on the reason I was more willing to choose known poor behaviors than I was willing to make the equally, if not easier, choices to do good things for myself.
2. Recognizing that continually asking others for the answers gets you nowhere. In general, we all already have the knowledge we need to be successful in obtaining a healthy weight. Asking for "tips" today gets you very little new information compared to yesterday, or a week ago, or a week from now. The skeleton of the beast doesn't change. My impression is that we ask because we haven't accomplished #1 and thus, the easy healthy choices don't feel easy at all, and we're waiting for that one random person to give us the thing we've never heard before that will give us the excuse as to why it's not working so far... Whether that be because we just didn't have the right knowledge and tools yet, or because we had a sneaking [insert random medical issue] complication.
Nothing that I tell you about my actual habit changes will be helpful because they were constructed around MY issues. But, if you really want to know, my biggest changing factors:
1. Therapy
2. Body acceptance regardless of the scale, recognizing that I deserve love at all sizes I have existed in
3. Scheduled eating; otherwise I forgot more than remembered, I could not rely on hunger (still can't)
4. Not paying attention to the people on here telling me it was okay to eat more than a 1500 cut from TDEE because I was extremely obese. My best weight loss happened when I tracked honestly, ate accurately, and accepted that that meant I needed 4k+ calories a day many days.
5. Using movement and water rather than caffeine and snacks (other than what I needed for goals) to wake myself up during the work day.
I've lost half of the person I once was just about, 250lbs+ gone. The turning point where the numbers started going down was when I accepted the road I had to walk was completely my own and all I have in this world is the body in which I exist. A commitment to myself and who I chose to be; not who I believed I could be, not who I wanted to be, but who I CHOSE to be... that's what made the biggest difference.
Nowadays, I spend a lot of time telling people who ask me for the "secret" what's stopping them from using what it is they already know to make the choices they know they need to make. So what's stopping you?7
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