Looking for top 5 tips from all of you successful people...

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1. Schedule my workouts in a calendar.
2. Plan my meals for the day at least - if not for the week. Includes looking up menus at restaurants I may visit.
3. Make lunches (freeze of refrigerate) every Sunday.
4. Log EVERYTHING I eat.
5. Shop with a list.

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Thanks for all the tips everyone!

Fabulous topic and thanks for asking for everyone's top 5 - I'm def keeping this for future reference!!

My own No 1 tip is log "everything" - I find it helps me make healthier choices. :happy:

Good luck x

make friends with people you like interacting with on MFP.

stick to it.

do your best, and forgive yourself when you falter

keep trying on clothing that is just one size below where you are

add more exercise, and limit alcohol. (for me, even if I can "afford" a drink, calorically, if I do, I have a hard time losing.)

Keep your sense of humor and wits about you, dont fall for crazy claims

avoid trolls on the threads

Not much to add... lots of ways to do this. Be stubborn as hell. That would be my top tip. Don't let anything get in your way. Not weather, not other people, nothing but illness or injury can slow you down unless you let it!

I've lost 40 lbs. since August 2, and I've got lots of energy and great health. Here's what I've done:

Log everything. Everything. Always be aware of what you're consuming.

Exercise every single day. Nothing fancy required. Burn at least enough calories every day to erase one meal, then eat some or all back if you're hungry. Be disciplined about this. I've been walking, for instance. I walk at least 5 miles every day as fast as I can. Most days, I wind up doing 7 now. Today it was 16. I've found an app for my smartphone called Endomondo that's been tremendously helpful with this. It's free.

I've watched nutrients, not just calories. I get at least the minimum amount of the good stuff and half the bad or less. I go over a bit on sugar almost every day because I eat fruit (mostly kiwis and grapefruit) in the mornings before my walks. I don't sweat it; it's working.

Potassium. Potassium is the nutrient by which I measure all others. If I'm getting enough of that, it seems like everything else just falls into place. This has meant that potatoes and unsalted nuts have become staples of my diet. Fish (tilapia, flounder and cod) and white meat chicken have become major protein sources. Egg whites, nonfat yogurt, fat free milk, and an iron pill every morning, since I find that red meat doesn't fit well into my diet. Maybe once every couple of weeks I have 96/4 ground beef.

No eating out. You can never really know what you're eating if you don't know everything going into it.

Really, that's about all I've done. Good luck!

Awesome thread!

Here are my top 5)

1) Reward yourself for what you can control, not necessarily the pounds you see on the scale. I reward myself for exercising what I planned (or more) for the week, for running a 5K, for eating healthy at a party, etc. Weightloss is tricky, and a bad week on the scales can be defeating. I reward myself for what I can control 100%. And I try not to reward myself with food. I reward myself with a new book, nailpolish, headband, new workout videos, gear, etc.

2) If it's homemade, I can eat it. I try very hard to not eat sweets/desserts/puddings if they are in a restaurant or store. BUT, if I take the time to make it, I can eat it. I also have a plan to give half away if I make it. For example, I am making key lime bars right now, and I will cut up them up into bars later tonight and give half to a neighbor who gave us some clothes for our kids. I will freeze half the batch of muffins as soon as they cool off, or give them to friend who just had a baby.

3) Kind of goes along with #2-- try to make the healthiest possible version of what you are making. I make many of my desserts from Cook Yourself Thin, Cooking Light, or other sources that have make healtier versions of my treats. Then I don't feel so bad for having a brownie, cookie, or slice of dessert. I do the same with our meals--- cook slimmer versions than traditionally, and often add wayyyy more veggies than any recipe ever calls for.

4) Find an exercise you enjoy. Then do it as early in the day as possible. With a friend if you can.

5) Plan what you will eat if you go out. I plan for restaurants by looking up nutritional items online. Often I don't even open the menu because I know what I will be ordering before I've even left my house. If I'm going to a party, I bring something I know I can happily and healthily eat- a fruit plate, hummus and veggies, etc. Then I eat a few treats, but stick to the healtier stuff. If I can't bring something to the party, I eat before I go.

I have lost 37 lbs since January. I feel great and feel like I have all the tools necessary to be successful for the rest of my life.

just started this but I think i am doing good so here are my suggestions to help you. ***note i started 10 days ago at 200lbs now i am 189.5lbs!!!

1. Excersise!! i know easier said than done but you really dont have to do anything too intense! Simply Walk! start by walking 10 minutes a day every single day at the pace you are comfortable with. This way if you only do 10 minutes doing it each day instead of every other day will help you more. If you clean your house those are calories burned so use them.

2. Eat that Pizza!!! if you want that second slice of pizza then go for it!!!! But you need to look at how many calories you have left. If that pizza is 300 cals then burn off 300 cals BEFORE you eat it!! I find that if i want something really bad and I know if i eat it I will go over i chose to walk or do areobics to burn it off so that I CAN have it. You dont have to go without just make up for it. But dont jump in and eat alot and never do the excersise that s why i said excersise first. USE the things you love as a reward system. It works for me!!!!

3. Drink lots of water!! I personally hate water although I am beginning to appreciate it more! start by adding crystal light to your water it really doesnt taste bad if you get the right ones like rasberry white tea!

4. Take a photo or video of yourself! when i look in the mirror I think."hey I really dont look THAT bad" but after taking a photo of myself in my undies it really showed me how horrible I looked. So start with a pic of your front, back and side view. At the end of each week take the same photos wearing the same thing. If you are honest and do the work I PROMISE you will see a difference even if the scale doesnt show it!

5. Find a motivation!! If doing it for yourself doesnt work then think about your loved ones, if you have kids then do it for them. I grew up without a father or a mother because they both were very unhealthy (father died of a heart attack and mother died from lung cancer) I have a 5 year old son and I would never want him to live the life I did!!!!

6. What ever you do dont give up. Have faith in yourself! You CAN do it and we are here to help you!!!!! But we cant help if you dont try!!!!

I don't know that I have five tips to offer, but the one that has worked for me consistantly is to set FITNESS GOALS instead of just WEIGHT LOSS GOALS. In the course of meeting the fitness goals, the weight goals come along without the emotional distress I feel when I look at a beloved tray of warm, home-baked brownies and tell myself I cannot have them. It is easier for me to say that if I eat that, I cannot run when I want (stomach cramps) or it will be a nice dessert after I have hiked so many miles.

1. You have to get to the point that you are committed, once there things will get easier.
2. When your hungry exercise more if you think you want to eat more calories. I went from 30 minutes 5 days a week to at least 60 7 days a week, not because I have to...because I feel guilty if I don't and I push that much harder each time.
3. Lower your goals if they seem unattainable to closer more attainable goals, once you reach them you can extend them further.
4. Get LOTS of support the more friends you have the more accountable you will be with them...when you log your food log it all EVEN on bad days...yes we all have them. Open your diary for all to see it will also hold you more accountable.
5. Reach the the first 4 tips and you too will be successful!