Submit your health and fitness tips for the chance to be featured in our 2023 New Year’s plan!

My weight increased over many years. I have now been on my journey for 24 weeks and have lost weight consistently every week, slowly but surely. I have lost 32lb, not by fad dieting but by calorie deficit hitting a protein, fibre, water and walking goal every day. I eat 1700 calories a day and make sure I walk or move to get to over 15000 steps a day. I weigh every morning and write it down. For women I think daily weighing helps you to understand how your body weighs at different times of the month and also helps us to know our body’s reaction to what we eat. I started my journey at nearly 16 stone and 2300 calories and am now just under 13 and a half stone and 1700 calories. I will continue until the rest of my weight shifts, I am determined. Using MFP helps me enormously with my journey and also your stories. Keep going everyone. You know you can do this!!

I have had many years of up and down weight loss and gain. I've used every excuse and most "programs" out there. As a licensed therapist, certified personal trainer, and nutrition coach, I know exactly what to do and what my problem is. The lack of self-commitment and self-sabotage is something I am working through. I can help everyone else, but I put myself last when it comes to myself. That is no more. I have children I want to see me as a positive and healthy example, children I want to be there for as they grow, and now, I have a wedding for which I want to look good in the dress.

What I am doing is taking it one day at a time. Stick to the basics every day... sleep... water... eat enough of the right foods... and get in the movement I can do. With my busy schedule professionally and educationally, and being a mom to 5 - I am focusing on just doing the next right thing.

I am taking measurements and pictures, not so much relying on the scale's progress, although I will weigh in frequently because if I gain, I reflect on the day before.

I am ridding as much negativity off my social media as possible and specifically subscribing to those that are positive, inspiring, and can teach me something.

I am choosing goal outfits in each size under me. I am currently in a 2X reasonably. I am choosing something in 1X, XL, L, and M. I will have a pair of jeans in each size (18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8). I will have a dressy outfit or two or three that I will try on as I lose inches to see how it starts to fit as I get healthier. I will wear these outfits on vacation we are going on in Feb 2024.

I am also going to get rid of the "fat clothes" as I lose weight because, to me, keeping them is keeping that reservation I will need them again. Instead, I will donate them as I get to the next size.

I will use all the different resources I have available - gym membership, home workout equipment, free apps on my phone, travel workout equipment, and my own body. I will dedicate 5-10 minutes daily to get intentional fitness in.

I am committing to drinking water like it's my career, placing boundaries for myself and others so I can put myself first for just a few minutes each day, and allowing myself to love myself as I deserve.

Most importantly, I no longer have a "final goal." I'm committed to just losing 1 pound at a time. My long-term goal is to find happiness within myself, not a number on the scale. My goal is to feel good in my clothes, to have better numbers each time I get a physical and blood draw done at my doctor's office, and to find that healthy relationship with a healthy lifestyle.

I'm at the beginning of my journey yet again; I've tried Keto, fasting, HCG and even one peptide CJC Iperellium that gave me a free ambulance trip and an overnight hospital stay because of an anaphylaxis reaction.

As you can imagine, I didn't have the time or energy to try again, so I sought Specialist help. My gut health was way off track, with pain and bloating; I was constantly getting colds and had low energy, And I felt down about being 2 to 3 sizes bigger than I used to be. I decided to see a gastroenterologist and then a dietitian he works with, as my weight and energy levels were out of control. After two months of appointments, he was pocking and probing me and having every test under the sun, which included day surgery to check that nothing sinister was happening. Fast forward to the testing results; I'm now on week TWO of LOW FODMAP, using the Monash University App for reference and exercise. Using My Fitness Pal allows me to log my food and keeps me accountable. I have also been taking Morning Complete by ActivateMe; it does help reduce the bloatedness and doesn't give any reactions.

I need help with self-discipline and consistency, and I'm working on it. I'm terrible with kicking back a few nights in the week with a Gin and Mineral water or 8!!! But each time I fall off the wagon, I jump back in and do my 6 to 8-km walk the next day with no remorse, get on with it.
With the guidance of a specialist, I feel more supported professionally, allowing me to keep on track. Hopefully, the self-sabotage and old habits will subside now that I have a clear direction on what to do.

I am confident that in 2022, stepping into 2023, I'll be lighter and fitter and have much more energy.

My goal is to increase the walks and daily activities to an average of 12km from 8 km; I do a work-week hustle with a friend who has an insane consistent amount of steps of up to 94,000 in a work week. I constantly eat her dust, but one day, I'll catch her off guard and WIN and be a real challenge to her. I also started Intermittent running on the treadmill a couple of days a week, as my energy levels have improved. As I'm carrying too much weight, I'm being conscientious with my ankles and feet, but I managed to run for 1 min every 4 mins for an hour which I haven't done since 2015! EG: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60, so a total of 12 mins. Even If I have the energy to do more, I won't because I'm at the beginning of a lifelong journey, and I understand it is essential to stay safe and consistent.
The next step is to re-introduce more yoga and resistance exercises.

I hope sharing my journey has helped someone else; I highly recommend that if you are struggling, stop trying self-help and over-the-counter supplements, shakes, etc. It is a waste of time and money to treat yourself blindly. Get some professional MEDICAL advice. Only then, with the results, can you act accordingly to create your 2.0 version of yourself for 2023.

I'm a 62 year old female on psychiatric medicines (all of which cause weight gain and also make weight extremely hard to lose). I am now nine lbs. overweight and gaining fast.

I am 5 ft. 8.5 in. with a history of being 208 lbs. (obese). I lost 60 lbs. calorie counting with MyFitnessPal.com seven years ago. I have put 20 lbs. back on since quitting the calorie counting with MyFitnessPal.com. As of yesterday, I have restarted the calorie counting. So far so good. I am in losing mode again.

Another thing I have been doing since long before day one (for the last 17 years), is a regular, consistent yoga practice. It keeps me fit, toned, strong, limber, and feeling and appearing young. I simply can't say enough good things about it.

Because of yoga, back when I was obese, I felt good about my body and my appearance because of all the things I knew my body could do. Yoga makes you feel good about yourself. In spite of your size.

God bless.

hi just learning how to read report calories remaining what does that mean daily

Hello all, I have tried various ways of weight loss- but recommend sticking to the basics & see what works for you best.

I try a 10K walk 3 days a week- and stick with a OMAD 20:4 food plan.

The only way you can do good for your body and mind and stick to your plan- is Pre-Prep your meals.

What has worked for me- is thinking about my food plate. Visual satisfaction of what you plate. Respect that one meal, that is nourishing your mind and body. I stay away from your PHONES/ WORK DESK and take my time to eat.

If it's an OMAD plan, take your time and eat right and well. Thats what keeps you fuller and satisfied for longer.

1. Be Consistent
2. Find a Group to be consistent with! I would be lost without my 5% Challenge Teams!
3. Eat good quality protein with breakfast
4. Get the required daily fiber throughout the day
5. I march in place for 10 minutes as soon as I get out of bed. This sets the pace for the day. I learned a long time ago that if I sit early in the day I want to sit all day. If I move early in the day I move more throughout the day.
6. BE CONSISTENT!!

- Set weekly goals .
- Take your measurements every week .
- Baby steps will make you reach your goal easier .
- Don't rush yourself .
- Take a pic at the first day of the month , and a pic at the end of the month .
- Don't set an unrealistic goal, such as losing 10 kg per month .
- Don't ban yourself of a type food nutrients or food you love, just take it as a part from your calories .

Plan and prepare your meals ahead of time and limit yourself to 1-2 healthy meals a day (High protein/low carb whole foods) and don't snack between meals. When you feel a little hunger and it's not time to eat, get busy and do something you're passionate about to distract yourself from eating.

deadlythesaurus wrote: »

Water is the secret to enjoying favorites in moderation (which is the key to making long-term changes you can live with). I'd always think, "Who are these aliens from the future who can eat six M&Ms or ten chips, and just STOP?!! If I could do that, I wouldn't be overweight in the first place.

Turns out, if you make yourself drink half a glass of water after each one, you won't need to "make" yourself stop at six pieces - you'll want to. And slowing things down gives you time to realize, "Hey, these are good, but they're not life-changingly good. It's just candy." (The real beauty of it is, you're nailing water goals at the same time.)

BOTTOM LINE: Eat what you want...just make a (water-)drinking game out of it first!

Bad idea. Your body can only deal with about 2-3 cups of water per hour. If you drink more than that, you could throw up or get really sick and die.

We have a group at work that are walking virtually from the Alamo in Texas to Homer Alaska a distance of over 5,000 miles. Not a direct line kind of zig-zags to national parks during the trip. Everyone records their steps on a fit-bit or fitness watch. Since September1 we have logged a combined 4,000,000 steps. Amazingly it has become a very intense competition and has shown some great successes. We have historic walkers at 500+ miles and never walkers breaking the 100 mile barrier. We have a weekly scheduled Skype meeting to encourage and poke fun at each other. Just added an incentive to recognize other types of exercise with a gold star attached to step total records. 3 / 20 minute alternate exercises, Yoga, strength, running, hiking etc... a week earns a gold star. Starting in January you get a gold star for 1.5 - 2 lb. weight loss a week.

Find your WHY. It helps keep me on track throughout the mountainous journey towards long term health..
Remember your WHY.

Determine what a calorie deficit is for you:

1. Look at the past week of logging foods and deterime how many calories you average per day. ( you can add up 7 days of total calories then divide it by 7. This is your average daily calorie intake)

2.Start off by removing 300 calories per day. This will remove 2100 calories from your weekly intake ( like an entire day worth).

3. Stick with this new deficit for a week and monitor your weightloss.

4. Adjust as needed. (Deficits will change as you lose weight because your daily intake will change).

5. Repeat this process until you reach your weight loss goal. You got this💪🏽