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

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!

A lot of people have given great tips here so I'll just add ...
You have to find your why's?

1. Why are you reaching for that 2nd slice of pizza and cookies?
2. Why do you want to get healthy/lose weight?

Once your answer to #2 is bigger and way more important than the excuses you give for #1 ...then you'll be successful. Everything will fall into place. But you have to WANT to do it for yourself - not anyone else because those circumstances change/can change. But if you want to do it for YOU - if you've truly had enough and are fed up with being miserable/unhappy within your own skin -- can't take one more day of it -- then you'll do whatever it takes to change and change for life!
I'm really tired of women saying that they are "putting themselves last on the list" (I used to say this) -- stop saying it and do something about it. It's not healthy and it's not right. Make your health a priority and do it - don't just say it, live it.
Commit to it and tell yourself constantly "I will cannot and will NOT fail. I will do this and make it stick for life!"

Bump - thanks for the tips everybody. :flowerforyou:

As you can see, everyone has their own philosophy, and some people's are complete opposite than others - yet all have been successful.

My best advice would be to find what works for you and stick to it! The main key in this weight loss thing is consistency.

1) Do Strength Training AND cardio combined!!! You will lose more than if you just did cardio alone.
2) Log EVERYTHING
3) Cut out frozen meals and fast food
4) Buy a food scale and heart rate monitor with a chest strap
5) Workout at least 3 days a week and do not skip!

1) Eat

2) Back

3) Your

4) Exercise

5) Calories

Can you explain this to me?

BUMP. This is a great thread

1) Eat

2) Back

3) Your

4) Exercise

5) Calories

Can you explain this to me?

Follow the thread in my signature below.

1. Plan your weekly menu and buy all your food and prep your veggies ahead of time. Make hardboiled eggs ahead to take as a snack. Grill chicken ahead for lunches.

2. I eat 6 times per day (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack) about 1300-1600 cals total and this keeps me from getting hungry and binging. I know this way of eating isn't feasible for everyone but it's what works for me.

3. Don't get overwhelmed by exercise. I thought, oh i could never do 6 hours of exercise a week, that's insane. But once you get started, you will learn to love it and it gets much easier.

4. Don't be afraid to have treats and don't feel guilty. I got so used to a diet being a punishment. This is not a diet, and tell yourself that when you feel guilty having a treat. I have them when I want them. When you do that, you find you don't crave them as much as if it was forbidden.

5. Don't beat yourself up if you have a bad day or couple days. Every day is a new day, just get back on. When you ate bad all the time, 2 or 3 days of good eating a month didn't cancel out the bad eating. So now when you are eating well all the time, 2 or 3 days of going over your calories isn't going to change your lifestyle either.

1. Log all your food and drinks, even water, everyday
2. Exercise, pick something you like or can stand doing and do it at least 3-4 times a week.
3. Get a support system, people you can go to with your problems and successes that are there for you and encourage you
4. Reward yourself for reaching your goals, whatever they may be. Buy new clothes, go to the movies, get a fancy haircut, etc.
5. Believe in what you are doing. You have to want to be healthy and stay that way.

1. Don't keep junk in your house! This was key for me. When I stopped keeping the cookies, candies and sugary cereals in the house I became more successful. You can't eat what you don't have.

2. Exercise must be a priority. If you have time to watch a 30 minute show you have time to exercise. Most folks have DVR now so record your show if that is keeping you from working out. If it is lack of child care then find an activity that can include them such as walking, or riding bikes.

3. Plan your days menu the night before and stick to it! When you veer away from what you have planned is when you tend to go over your calorie goal.

4. Be selfish sometimes. Tell people no on occasion. We often commit to others but neglect ourselves in the process.

5. Don't wait until Monday to begin again when you mess up. Start at the very next bite you take. If we screw up on Tuesday and deem the week a failure until Monday think of all the missed opportunities to get back on track.

Good luck. You can do it but you really have to decide that you want to. Once you do you can commit fully to most of the time getting it right.

(I've lost 126 pounds and every day it is still hard but I always remember this quote, "Losing weight is hard. Being fat is harder."

I love this!!