For those who've lost 50lbs or more

I loved the post about not eating foods you don't like just because they are healthy. I hate cottage cheese but every diet magazine and programs like P90x always say to eat it. I have only lost 31 pounds, but consider it a huge milestone since i have only ever lost 5-10 pounds on any diet then quit. I think going into it witht he mind set that you are making a lifestyle change and not just 'dieting' is good. Eat healthy ( i cut out all fast foods and only eat it once every couple weeks now. Used to eat it every day), work out ( l am in love with zumba at my gym), drink lots of water. That is all i have changed and the weight is melting off. Good luck!

Hi there. I need some help. I want to lose at least 60lbs and need some help from those who have lost a good amount of weight. So please help me out.

What have you been eating?
What have you not been eating?
What exercises have you been doing?
Were you sedentary before?
Hell add whatever tips for success you have.

TIA

Well when I stick to my eating goals, I eat higher protein. Very little to no proccessed foods, low grains but not always. I work out abou 5X a week for usually 90- 120 min...doing cross training cardio HIIT, and strength training using free weights.. Yes I was sedetary in that I did not workout all the time however I was always busy and moving just not enough. Don't give up, find inspirational people to you and learn from their success. When you stumble, get up wipe yourself off and do it again. You will not do everything perfectly, forgive yourself and move on. Also find someone you can look up to in their workouts and try to beat their burn or learn from what they do ask question and read about a healthy lifestyle and not just from postings. Read articles from reputable sources and make baby steps, you try to change everything at once it is too hard.

What have you been eating?

Anything I want as long as it keeps me in daily target (plus any exercise cals earned) - you soon learn that to feel less hungry, you have to start switching out of the high cal, high fat foods into lower fat ones in order to get a decent portion size. A few foods which have really helped me - 40 g Special K with Red Berries + a chopped banana for breakfast; 2 poached eggs on (nimble) toast with HP sauce is a nice lower calorie option; tofu & veg stir fries.

What have you not been eating?

I cut diet fizzy drinks out altogether after experimenting and confirming that they make you crave food and sugar. Better to have water and you can still have sparkling water if you like the fizz. I also pretty much cut out alcohol unless a special occasion. I no longer eat nuts, avocado and cheese (all yummy but way to high in fat). I also noticed I seem to have switched quite a lot of my fruits into veg (used to eat loads of fruit and no veg before).

What exercises have you been doing?

I have a dog (good for exercise will power) so I walk him everyday. 2.5 mph and 1 to 2 x 1hr walks per day over flat / gently hilly terrain.

Were you sedentary before?

Yes I felt really heavy and breathless and had chronic anaemia so the thought of anything too exerting horrified me! I was however quite active round the house (cleaning, DIY) and gardening (raking leaves etc) and my dog's exercised increased shortly before I started which coincided with him no longer being a puppy/junior and being able to go for longer walks.
Hell add whatever tips for success you have.

Other tips: Drink plenty of water and have a glass before each meal, try not to watch telly or do anything else during meal times - focus & acknowledge the food your eating. Try to eat 3 regular meals and before 7pm if you can, Track no matter how bad a day you've had. In the first month, live in the "success stories" community thread for will power & motivation.

This is all the stuff that helped me - Good Luck!

I eliminated damn near all fast food. Period. Once in a great while I cannot avoid it, I choose healthier options like salads with a vinegar dressing, turkey burgers for example. I try to keep any meal out under 600cals. I used to be exclusively sedentary.

I stopped eating processed foods exclusively, I now have yogurts, oatmeal, wheat breads (5 ingredient kind), fruits, veggies, lean meats like chicken and fish. I cook with olive oil and measure everything. I make it a point to get quality over quantity. I chose to eat to live, not live to eat.

I havent touched a fry since summer.

I drink water way more than used too. There was a point in time, the only fluid I had was diet soda. Now, I have maybe a can or 3 a week.

I started walking at first. 3 miles a day, 1.5 to and 1.5 from. Then I added weight training 3x week. Once I got that going I added Yoga, Hapkido and later this spring I will add in Kayaking. I try to keep active when I have down time, but I also make a point to rest. When I notice my lifts declining, or remaining stagnant no matter how hard I push I take a longer break for recovery.

I make sure I have enough protein to support my muscles. 100g+

But basically, it's a lifestyle change for sure. But given the right foods in, at least in majority, the right amount exercise out regularly 3x week at least, lifting weights, listening to your body, sleep, water. You should be good. Be weiry of one size calorie limits. That crap only works for the sedentary. I had to get a Body Bugg to learn what I REALLY was doing in a day. That helped tremendously. That way I could adjust calories in based on my burns each day.

Hi there. I need some help. I want to lose at least 60lbs and need some help from those who have lost a good amount of weight. So please help me out.

What have you been eating?
What have you not been eating?
What exercises have you been doing?
Were you sedentary before?
Hell add whatever tips for success you have.

TIA

I have lost 90lbs. It has taken a little short of a year and Im still going. Id like to put it as plainly as possible and simplest as possible. I have failed so many times in the past because of "diet tips" on what to eat, what time, how much carbs, how much protein, how much fat, how much sodium etc... I have changed all that mind of thinking and I will tell you that for a REGULAR HUMAN BEING who is NOT an athlete or body builder or nutritionist, CALORIES is the only thing you should worry about to get the ball rolling.

Now before, I get flamed by other trainers and etc... I honestly believe in my heart, that monitoring your calorie intake and your calorie expenditure is THE most important thing on a diet. Not what time you eat and getting into the details of nutrition. Should someone get a good head start and EVENTUALLY want to head down the road of becoming more educated about food and nutrients and training, then that is a great thing. But for the average joe, cutting your calories drastically down is the simplest and most full proof way to lose weight and more importantly after that to keep it OFF!

MONITOR, MONITOR, MONITOR! Use MFP as your tool and when you have consumed your calories for the day, you are FINISHED! No matter what time. if you used it up at breakfast with pancakes and sausage, oh well, you have to find a way to make it through your day or try to budget your food better. Its a lifestyle and once you get in the habit of treating your food like your money, you will learn to BUDGET and trim where you can, just like money. Its real simple (the theory). EAT LESS, MOVE MORE. But its not simple to actually do it. I wish you luck, but it does work! All it is is TIME, it takes time, you will get there.

This is a very helpful post

bump for later!!!

Bump for later also

Hi I started May 2011 at 245 and have lost 65lbs am now 180 lbs.
1) What I've been eating: more veggies and adding in fruit- mostly berries but working on adding other fruits more often. I eat 1 plain instant oatmeal aprox. 5 mornings per week I add a fruit to it and sometimes add a couple walnuts. I've switched from fat free milk to Silk unsweetened almond milk- I really like it better than milk. I use 1 whole egg and 1 or 2 egg whites instead of 2 regular eggs. I use the 45 calorie sara lee bread and get the mission extra thin tortillias 2 are only 80 calories and I love tortillias. I eat more fish and skinless chicken and extra lean ground beef & turkey. More whole grains. I've learned that I really like lundberg organic brown rice cakes w/a tablespoon of fresh ground peanutbutter. I never used to be a fan of peanutbutter but now I really like it. I try to drink more water or calorie free drinks.
2) What have I not been eating: I used to eat pasta almost everyday. Pasta is something I try to stay away from only having it about once every 2 weeks because it is just to hard for me to stop eating it once I start and I can easily eat a pound of pasta loaded with cheese and ..... Oh yeah, I love cheese and bread/crackers so that is another thing that I try not to have very often. I do have fat free or reduced fat cheese regularly but the specialty cheeses are how I get into trouble. I tend to do a lot of entertaining of friends and family so after my parties I try to send pretty much all the leftovers home with my guest because I just don't want to be tempted and know that I will cave in and eat the icecream, brownies, bbq ribs etc. So I get it out of the house. I used to go to the all you could eat buffets but I only go to them once every few months now and do not make as many trips and try to make healthier choices while there. I have been enjoying a large cup of hot decaf tea in the evenings now instead of snacking on crap.
3) what exercise have I been doing: I joined a gym but I've done that many many times in the past and never went. This time I also bought 80 hours of personal training sessions. I use 1/2 hour two times per week. I love my trainer and she helps to hold me accountable and since I started going to the gym two times per week I've finally become comfortable there and go on my own a few more times per week. It took me about 7 months but I finally got to the point that I feel really bad if I go more than 1 day without exercising but it could be going for a hike with friends or a bike ride-not always the gym.
4)Was I sedentary: Yes! and I still am sedentary most of the time but during the time I am "getting my exercise" I work as hard as I can.
Additional information: My friends, family, coworkers, neighbors often comment on my weight loss and it gives me encouragement to keep going. I find low calorie and/or low fat ways to make the foods I love. There are lots of times that it seems I am stuck at a particular weight for too long and it seems it is always a mental thing-- they were like set points that I remember being at for years previously. Now I am stuck at 180 and that is what I weighed after my last child was born 21 years ago. I remember thinking then that I was so terribly fat and I was at that weight for years before it started creeping up even more. I went to try on clothes yesterday at a department store without any intention of actually purchasing any. The clothes I tried were all to big so I tried on smaller ones and they looked so flattering I ended up buy a few outfits. I used to dread trying on clothes but last night was one of the best experiences I've had. There have been lots of NSV that just seem to silly to post like I am able to sit with my feet flat on the floor and my behind on my heels with my knees by my chest- not a normal way to sit/crouch but in the past my legs and butt had so much fat that my butt never even came close to my heels. When I get discouraged about not losing weight fast enough my bff is always telling me "so what If you only loose one pound in 2, 3 or 4 weeks your going in the right direction" Which is true. I have to remind myself that slow and steady wins the race. I tried dieting for 25 years and it never came off fast enough and I always got discouraged so the One Main Thing I am doing different this time is: if I mess up and over eat I try to not let it bother me and get right back on track the following day. I try to remember this in my new life this is not a diet that I will stop once I get to my goal weight. Also, I try to track nearly everything I eat daily and track my exercise so I know where I am because often times I eat and forget I ate so I try and track right away.