For those who've lost 50lbs or more

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.