Making friends through fitness

Hi!

You don't need a schedule. You can eat whenever. You can even eat WHATEVER, you just have to not eat HOWEVER MUCH. It helps to be mindful of what you're eating in part to assure you get appropriate nutrition, and also because some foods are likely to fill you up for longer. Food that leaves you hungry again soon means more struggle later, especially if that is a high-calorie food.

One key to success is developing habits you can keep doing indefinitely, even after you get the weight off. Don't take on unsustainable practices during weight loss; they backfire. If you manage to suffer through them, you won't be able to keep them up indefinitely once you get to your goal weight.

Speaking of goals, the first step is setting goals. What goals have you set that you will hold yourself accountable to?

You can succeed as long as you stick to it!

The best few tips I can think of for making this the LAST time and being successful are:

• Plan to go slow. If you are trying to lose weight, remember you didn't gain it in a month or a year; take the slow route to help assure success. Then it will be easier to maintain when you reach goal.
• Don't plan any strategies you aren't willing to continue indefinitely. Only do things that are sustainable in the long run.
• Plan on having a reasonable calorie deficit, on average, each week. Best if you can manage a small deficit each day, but if you miss a day, don't fret. Just keep going forward. Stick to it.
• Yeah, that's it's own point: STICK TO IT!
• Set reasonable but challenging goals. Set long-term and short term goals. What are some specific goals you have set for yourself?
• Check in often. Don't stress if the scale is up for the day. Look over the long term trend; weight loss is not linear. You'll have up and down days. Over time, if you maintain a deficit, you'll trend down.
• Exercise is very healthy for fitness. It can contribute to a calorie deficit and aid in weight management. You still must manage your food intake to assure a calorie deficit. Logging your food and your activity in MFP will help you get an idea how to slowly adjust your target for success.