What is your secret?
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I drink one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It helps me to not retain water and it helps to curb my hunger. I like that it's all natural and I can take it forever
I do not recommend anyone taking it though if they have acid reflux.
They also make Apple Cider Vinegar Pills ..... So you dont have to taste it.0 -
well said !!The only tip worth noting is to eat at a calorie deficit and exercise. And that's no secret at all. Yet so many ignore it and keep seeking more complicated and misguided approaches.
So why do over 90% of people who attempt to follow this tip fail?
90% fail? I'm a cynic and even I don't think it's that high. I think 100% who do it whole-heartedly will succeed, unless they have a medical impairment.
Whole heartedly is the key. It means being able to measure properly and accurately, and sticking to it over time. A lot of people are in denial about how much food they consume, or how many calories they burn while exercising. Or they try for 1 or 2 weeks and give up. Or restrict calories to an unsustainable level.
Do you think those of us who have had long-lasting success using tried and true methods are part of some special 10%?
Ok the problem with your "solution" as you described it, is that it forces people to ignore signals of hunger by their body and attempt to override them FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
No, it will cause your currently broken hunger signals to be fixed, probably in a short amount of time, and you will be cured for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. Logging food will be optional, because you will have built an intuition around eating.
Or you can continue making excuses, stay in denial, and keep searching for the magic cure.
No the reason people become obese is because of their choice of foods they eat, not the quantity. Quantity becomes an issue because their body doesn't know how to regulate food that it isn't designed to eat. If they attempt to alter only the quantity, then their body will relentlessly fight them until they give up.
Now if they change their diet, their body will learn how to regulate properly. If they don't change their diet, they will fail in the end.
This is sort of the message that's lost. Everyone thinks in terms of calories, not in terms of the quality of the food and how it will automatically take care of the calorie problem.0 -
I drink one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It helps me to not retain water and it helps to curb my hunger. I like that it's all natural and I can take it forever I do not recommend anyone taking it though if they have acid reflux.
They also make Apple Cider Vinegar Pills ..... So you dont have to taste it.
I wish I could have gotten this tidbit from you last year, when I drank a cup of that stuff and nearly passed out on the bed all nauseous =(
Yeah, I'm pretty good at doing dumb things, but I'm glad they come in pill form!0 -
You admit you eat a surplus, then fault the simple math of calories in vs calories out?The only tip worth noting is to eat at a calorie deficit and exercise. And that's no secret at all. Yet so many ignore it and keep seeking more complicated and misguided approaches.
So why do over 90% of people who attempt to follow this tip fail?
Because they don't stick with it. They give up. They have a bad day, turn it into a bad week, decide to start again "next month", etc. I tried for years to lose weight but it wasn't until I kept at it for several months that I finally succeeded.
This is the kind of response that frustrates me. Its as if the willpower to eat less is trivial.
I have an addiction to refined carbs. If I eat pizza for dinner, I will eat 3-4 slices and then be good for an hour or two. Then I feel the need to eat 2 more slices. So I end up eating 6 pieces at 350 pieces a pop after already eating 1500+ calories during the early part of the day. So I eat 3500 calories or more for all I know and don't burn that much. I have no willpower.
Yet at the same time, I exercise like a maniac. I am a long distance runner, and I will head to my gym at 9pm, do 30-45 mins of lifting and run 6-8 miles on the treadmill. I will do this 3-4 times a week and GAIN WEIGHT. My body wants to be overweight. The more I workout, the more I eat as long as I always have a caloric surplus, my body is happy.
Why do I have the willpower to work my tail off at the gym, but I don't have the willpower to put down a slice of pizza. Come on, there is something wrong with this picture.
For many people with a weight problem, moderation doesn't exist. I don't believe in portion control at all, but I do believe in cheat days, but the less frequent the better.
That's what's wrong with the picture.
Either do or don't do, but again, the process is not what failed; you failed.
And I have as well on this road to peak fitness.
You are seeking some key to staying motivated, and that's a whole different discussion.
I have an answer for that as well.
To see this through, look deep inside and answer for yourself:
Why do I want to be fit?
And attach great pleasure to that as you set this goal.
And then answer for yourself this:
Why don't I want to be fat?
Attach great pain to all the reasons you do not want to be fat.
Few people can actually do this which is why most people fail.
This is the key to internal motivation.0 -
This is the kind of response that frustrates me. Its as if the willpower to eat less is trivial.
I have an addiction to refined carbs. If I eat pizza for dinner, I will eat 3-4 slices and then be good for an hour or two. Then I feel the need to eat 2 more slices. So I end up eating 6 pieces at 350 pieces a pop after already eating 1500+ calories during the early part of the day. So I eat 3500 calories or more for all I know and don't burn that much. I have no willpower.
Yet at the same time, I exercise like a maniac. I am a long distance runner, and I will head to my gym at 9pm, do 30-45 mins of lifting and run 6-8 miles on the treadmill. I will do this 3-4 times a week and GAIN WEIGHT. My body wants to be overweight. The more I workout, the more I eat as long as I always have a caloric surplus, my body is happy.
Why do I have the willpower to work my tail off at the gym, but I don't have the willpower to put down a slice of pizza. Come on, there is something wrong with this picture.
For many people with a weight problem, moderation doesn't exist. I don't believe in portion control at all, but I do believe in cheat days, but the less frequent the better.
You're making so many excuses it's not even funny. If you eat 6 slices of pizza, it's your own damn fault. Nobody is forcing you to eat that much. Nobody is forcing you to make bad food choices.
That's pretty much what I thought. Here's an idea; don't buy a pizza. Sure, it will suck to start with but if you can't control yourself that's nobody's fault but your own.0 -
This is the kind of response that frustrates me. Its as if the willpower to eat less is trivial.
I have an addiction to refined carbs. If I eat pizza for dinner, I will eat 3-4 slices and then be good for an hour or two. Then I feel the need to eat 2 more slices. So I end up eating 6 pieces at 350 pieces a pop after already eating 1500+ calories during the early part of the day. So I eat 3500 calories or more for all I know and don't burn that much. I have no willpower.
Yet at the same time, I exercise like a maniac. I am a long distance runner, and I will head to my gym at 9pm, do 30-45 mins of lifting and run 6-8 miles on the treadmill. I will do this 3-4 times a week and GAIN WEIGHT. My body wants to be overweight. The more I workout, the more I eat as long as I always have a caloric surplus, my body is happy.
Why do I have the willpower to work my tail off at the gym, but I don't have the willpower to put down a slice of pizza. Come on, there is something wrong with this picture.
For many people with a weight problem, moderation doesn't exist. I don't believe in portion control at all, but I do believe in cheat days, but the less frequent the better.
You're making so many excuses it's not even funny. If you eat 6 slices of pizza, it's your own damn fault. Nobody is forcing you to eat that much. Nobody is forcing you to make bad food choices.
Good critical thinking skills. You totally missed the point.
Anyways I removed carbs (my weakness) from my diet, didn't count calories at all, and lost 15 lbs so far.0 -
lots of sex!0
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You admit you eat a surplus, then fault the simple math of calories in vs calories out?The only tip worth noting is to eat at a calorie deficit and exercise. And that's no secret at all. Yet so many ignore it and keep seeking more complicated and misguided approaches.
So why do over 90% of people who attempt to follow this tip fail?
Because they don't stick with it. They give up. They have a bad day, turn it into a bad week, decide to start again "next month", etc. I tried for years to lose weight but it wasn't until I kept at it for several months that I finally succeeded.
This is the kind of response that frustrates me. Its as if the willpower to eat less is trivial.
I have an addiction to refined carbs. If I eat pizza for dinner, I will eat 3-4 slices and then be good for an hour or two. Then I feel the need to eat 2 more slices. So I end up eating 6 pieces at 350 pieces a pop after already eating 1500+ calories during the early part of the day. So I eat 3500 calories or more for all I know and don't burn that much. I have no willpower.
Yet at the same time, I exercise like a maniac. I am a long distance runner, and I will head to my gym at 9pm, do 30-45 mins of lifting and run 6-8 miles on the treadmill. I will do this 3-4 times a week and GAIN WEIGHT. My body wants to be overweight. The more I workout, the more I eat as long as I always have a caloric surplus, my body is happy.
Why do I have the willpower to work my tail off at the gym, but I don't have the willpower to put down a slice of pizza. Come on, there is something wrong with this picture.
For many people with a weight problem, moderation doesn't exist. I don't believe in portion control at all, but I do believe in cheat days, but the less frequent the better.
That's what's wrong with the picture.
Either do or don't do, but again, the process is not what failed; you failed.
And I have as well on this road to peak fitness.
You are seeking some key to staying motivated, and that's a whole different discussion.
I have an answer for that as well.
To see this through, look deep inside and answer for yourself:
Why do I want to be fit?
And attach great pleasure to that as you set this goal.
And then answer for yourself this:
Why don't I want to be fat?
Attach great pain to all the reasons you do not want to be fat.
Few people can actually do this which is why most people fail.
This is the key to internal motivation.
Why is it that a simple point just flies over people's heads. The point is CALORIE INTAKE IS NOT ABOUT WILLPOWER AT ALL. It is FULLY CONTROLLED BY THE BODY. The body either gets it right, or it doesn't. If you try to defeat the caloric needs of your body, you will FAIL. You might success for a week, for a month, for a year, but in the end you will fail.
The body MUST know how to regulate its own caloric intake. I stopped being a failure as soon as I removed unnatural highly carbohydrate-dense foods. Foods that a caveman would never have eaten.0 -
YES, reading this, people who have been here on MFP for a while and stick with it, no problem. Once you figure out calories in and calories out, it is not that complicated, IF you can stick with honestly counting and staying within your target, anyone can lose weight and keep it off.
BUT 1/3 of the US is overweight and 1/3 of the US is obese. Other countries are better, but most seem to be aiming for the US statistics. This is a major problem.
AND reading some studies about weight loss, the statistics are dismal. Unless people, like on MFP, are self-motivated, losing weight is not easy, but keeping weight off is even harder. And also on MFP I see many comments about losing weight in the past on a diet, and then gaining the weight and even more back in no time.
SO, if you are motivated and can stick to counting calories and realize calories in and calories out is it, YES, nothing complicated, there is no secret in losing weight and keeping it off.
BUT for the 2/3 of the US that can't do that, and are looking for a magic weight loss pill, this is a major problem. And looking in the grocery store, what is available, what different food items costs and what people buy, I can see why. Pop is cheaper than juice. Twinkies are cheaper than apples, etc. Especially when you combine the cost of food with the lack of exercise. I am still amazed that you can get a cart to drive through Wall Mart/Sam's Club. This is intended for disabled people, but the people who use it are mostly very obese. You do not even have to walk through the store anymore. You can drive anywhere!
So, what to say to the 2/3 of the US that need help, are not using MFP or something similar and are looking for the magic thing to help them lose weight? No idea.0 -
grinch031, I think it's excellent that you have lost 15 lbs by identifying your Achilles heal (carbs), and cutting it out. I hope you can sustain this forever and live a healthy and prosperous life. And if for some reason you cannot sustain it, I hope you find a balance that you can sustain.
Please be aware, however, that your particular situation is an outlier. You are in the minority. It sucks that you had this additional handicap for whatever reason, but I'm glad you overcame it.0 -
You are tripping on the trees to see the forest. Or something like that. Weight loss *IS* a simple matter of generating a caloric deficit. Exercise is optional, though recommended....
I've lost sight of what point you are trying to make. Are you trying to suggest that if you eat junk food you will struggle? How much is too much? Is any junk food allowed?
I eat a fair amount of junk food. I'm not struggling with my weight whatsoever. I know I'm not a special case.
My point was that permanent weight loss is not a simple matter of generating a caloric deficit and exercise, it is a matter of correcting a problem in the body that is caused by an unnatural diet. I don't believe in calorie counting at all because it doesn't solve what I believe is the root of the problem.
This doesn't mean there aren't underlying root issues that cause overeating, poor nutrition, binge eating, etc. Most of the people on MFP trying to lose weight have other "issues" of one kind or another. And they may be related to eating. And those other issues should be addressed for sure. But you still need a calorie deficit for weight loss.
There are myriad reasons why an addict abuses substances. The "why" certainly needs to be addressed. But the addict needs to stop the substance abuse before any real success.
So yeah, the issues around eating behaviors need to be addressed. But to lose weight, you have to create a calorie deficit. These things are related, but very different ideas. It is entirely possible (though perhaps not likely) that someone arrives at MFP and does nothing else but eat less, creating a calorie deficit. They will lose weight. Now, if this person has a history of emotional eating, for example, or binge eating, then long-term success is highly unlikely unless some of the underlying issues are addressed.
Maybe that's where you are hedging your argument - the idea of "permanent" weight loss. If that's how you are looking at things, OK. But it's still possible to lose weight - even permanently - with nothing more than calorie deficit. Just like losing weight on only twinkies, it can be done, but it may not be very satisfying. Trust me, I am a huge fan of a holistic problem-solving approach. But I don't deny the simple math of calorie deficit.
Some people need to address the underlying issues first before they can see any success. Some need to lose some weight first before addressing the underlying issues. Both paths are necessary for long-term health. But make no mistake, they are different paths, that don't necessarily have to converge near the beginning. I do agree (if this is what you are saying), that eventually - for most people - they will have to converge at some point for permanent, healthy weight loss.0 -
Log everything. Absolutely everything even if you're way over.
Being accountabe has been all the difference in the world to me.0 -
Today i had beef jerky for breakfast, McDonald's for lunch, and Chicken nuggets for dinner. Now granted, right now I'm bulking so eating above maintenance but I ate similarly when I was losing. I ALSO had 3 servings for fruit and 2 of vegetables and plan to take my vitamins before bed. I can dead lift 145lbs (3 sets of 8) and snowboard all day without getting tired. I feel great, am rarely hungry or lethargic (unless my children keep me up all night).
Just because something works for you (or for me) doesn't mean it is necessary for everyone. The ONLY certainty of weight loss is a calorie deficit.0 -
grinch031, I think it's excellent that you have lost 15 lbs by identifying your Achilles heal (carbs), and cutting it out. I hope you can sustain this forever and live a healthy and prosperous life. And if for some reason you cannot sustain it, I hope you find a balance that you can sustain.
Please be aware, however, that your particular situation is an outlier. You are in the minority. It sucks that you had this additional handicap for whatever reason, but I'm glad you overcame it.
I don't think I'm an outlier at all. Hundreds of thousands of years humanity prove that counting calories is not important. That is because they didn't know what the hell a calorie was until people started gaining weight because of agricultural advancements.0 -
Lots of entertaining replies. :laugh:
The reason this thread generated so much snark is because there are no "secrets". All of these sort of one-liner tips like "eat clean", "drink more water", "no carbs after 6", while they may coincidentally help people lose weight, are largely useless. The only tip worth noting is to eat at a calorie deficit and exercise. And that's no secret at all. Yet so many ignore it and keep seeking more complicated and misguided approaches.
The more discourse we have on how to succeed at this, the more cloudy it gets.
This is quite correct.
The only other thing I would add is persistence. If you make bad choices one day, that's not the end of the world. Try to do better the next day - and as long as there are more "good" days you'll be fine. And don't expect results in 2 weeks, this is a process and it takes time.0 -
I know you all have those secret tips to lose weight?
Do you have any that's already not out there on the web- like: drink more water, eat clean and no eating after 6.00 pm?
Anything else?
i don't half *kitten* it. full commitment, total intensity, push my limits, burst through my pre-conceptions.0 -
Ignore the rudeness of others; they seem to have forgotten they were once new here and I am sure they all had questions that someone was kind enough to answer in a polite manner.
Welcome to the site. Some others have given you the best information possible with diet and exercise; eat good foods that fuel your body, eat enough to fuel your body, and use the fuel to move your body!
My "tip" however is to use this site to the fullest extent for your support system. Without the wonderful people I have "met" here I would not have lost 54lbs last year. I would have given up very early on and probably gained every ounce back. It's having a network of people you can share with that has made all the difference in the world to me personally.
:flowerforyou: Good luck!
Nicely said!:happy:0 -
I'm starting to think that success comes by not listening to most of the people on these boards. So many people sprout misinformation, convinced that it is fact (are you listening grinch?)
On the point you have been making, I think there is certainly a lot of merit in listening to your body and taking the time to understand what it does/does not respond well to. If you want to eat like a caveman, great. But please do not spout this as THE way to lose weight or be healthier. On that note, if you are against counting calories, wtf are you even here?
There are a number of people who are consumed by the 'current' way of eating (high sat fat, calorie dense low nutritional value foods). By allowing people to record their foods, this site empowers people. It shows them what they are eating, and in turn how to learn for themselves what they should and should not be consuming.
So there's the secret folks... hang on, there was no secret, just me bashing on someone... oh well, ummm, I'll say the secret is... empower yourself. Do some research on your own, use the tools and knowledge at your disposal through MFP, and don't do any fad that you won't be able to maintain for the long haul... wow, that was insightful...
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You are tripping on the trees to see the forest. Or something like that. Weight loss *IS* a simple matter of generating a caloric deficit. Exercise is optional, though recommended....
I've lost sight of what point you are trying to make. Are you trying to suggest that if you eat junk food you will struggle? How much is too much? Is any junk food allowed?
I eat a fair amount of junk food. I'm not struggling with my weight whatsoever. I know I'm not a special case.
My point was that permanent weight loss is not a simple matter of generating a caloric deficit and exercise, it is a matter of correcting a problem in the body that is caused by an unnatural diet. I don't believe in calorie counting at all because it doesn't solve what I believe is the root of the problem.
This doesn't mean there aren't underlying root issues that cause overeating, poor nutrition, binge eating, etc. Most of the people on MFP trying to lose weight have other "issues" of one kind or another. And they may be related to eating. And those other issues should be addressed for sure. But you still need a calorie deficit for weight loss.
There are myriad reasons why an addict abuses substances. The "why" certainly needs to be addressed. But the addict needs to stop the substance abuse before any real success.
So yeah, the issues around eating behaviors need to be addressed. But to lose weight, you have to create a calorie deficit. These things are related, but very different ideas. It is entirely possible (though perhaps not likely) that someone arrives at MFP and does nothing else but eat less, creating a calorie deficit. They will lose weight. Now, if this person has a history of emotional eating, for example, or binge eating, then long-term success is highly unlikely unless some of the underlying issues are addressed.
Maybe that's where you are hedging your argument - the idea of "permanent" weight loss. If that's how you are looking at things, OK. But it's still possible to lose weight - even permanently - with nothing more than calorie deficit. Just like losing weight on only twinkies, it can be done, but it may not be very satisfying. Trust me, I am a huge fan of a holistic problem-solving approach. But I don't deny the simple math of calorie deficit.
Some people need to address the underlying issues first before they can see any success. Some need to lose some weight first before addressing the underlying issues. Both paths are necessary for long-term health. But make no mistake, they are different paths, that don't necessarily have to converge near the beginning. I do agree (if this is what you are saying), that eventually - for most people - they will have to converge at some point for permanent, healthy weight loss.
Manually creating a caloric deficit is completely unnecessary because a properly nourished human body will automatically regulate its own caloric intake by suppressing hunger after enough calories have been consumed for its needs. If the person is overweight, the body will automatically create this deficit by simply forcing the person to eat less.0 -
Fun lighthearted thread diverted into serious debate... There are no secrets other than cals in v cals out- but it is fun to share tips on sustaining a lifestyle or program designed to address the basic math. I'm off to eat chips on the elliptical and have an after workout handful of chocolate.
Enjoy!!
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