How did YOU do it???

I really just started not too long ago. I find people who are heavier tend to lose more quickly than those who are 20-30lbs overweight. I had to change my diet drastically after being hospitalized with gallstone pancreatitis a month ago. I now eat very clean (no processed, no excess sugar). I have been forced to eat very low fat so I mostly stick to fruit, veggies, fish and water.
For exercise (upon recommendation from my cardiologist) I walk 4-5km/3-5 days a week. That's pretty much it. I have been thinking about doing the C25K once I get some more weight off (and get the ok from my doctor). I am going in for surgery on Friday to have my gallbladder removed so will have to take it easy for a couple of weeks. I think it's going to drive me crazy because I am kind of addicted to walking!

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I joined MFP mainly for my family but I can tell you what has worked for me (over the years). I've always been between 165-175 lbs. since high school. The most important thing is your diet. Eating clean, lots of lean meats, veggies, fruits. Avoid anything out of a bag or box (except cereal) and lessen your sweetened drinks.

Second, I've always been a runner. I saw C25K mentioned and I highly recommend it. Think about it: when was the last time you saw an overweight runner? They are always burning more calories than they expend because it takes a lot of calories to run! I've done 5k's, 8k's, 10k's, a half and full marathon and I assure you if you train for one you will lose weight. I would burn sometimes 1,000+ calories in a day for a 10 mile run!!

Lastly, let me mention determination. You have to be determined to reach your goals. No one told me at mile 23 of the marathon it was going to be that hard (well they did but you have to experience it) and you have two choices...quit or go forward. You need that "voice", whatever it is inside, that you are going to succeed no matter what. It especially comes in handy when you have to make a decision between dessert which will put you over or not

So that's pretty much it. Watch what you eat and move, move, move. I also throw in circuit training, weights, I've run the Warrior Dash twice - I love a challenge.

I'm 51 and I started this because of my daughter's encouragement since what I was doing wasn't working for me any more. I was basically skipping supper and eating salads all week and lots of junk on the weekend. I usually could lose the few pounds I gained on the weekend by eating the salads but my metabolism starting slowing down and I wasn't able to lose the extra pounds the way I had in the past so I decided to give this a try

Started Feb 27 at 146 pounds eating 1000 calories a day (becasue I was used to skipping meals is why I started at 1000)

5/25/12 I was down to 128.8

5/25/12 I increased my calories to 1100 a day

6/8/12 I was down to 126.4

6/8/12 I increased my calories to 1200 a day

and I am losing yet again (today I weighed 125.2). I have been keeping a journal on my progress that is why I can put the actual dates and numbers here for you.

Hope this helps

I don't need to lose any more so what I am trying to do now is upping my calorie intake to a maintenance level. So every 2 weeks I'm adding another 100 calories a day more til I quit losing.

The only exercise I do is walking about 25 minutes a day 4 times a week. I have also started jumping rope for about 2 minutes. I am now trying to do lunges to try and tone up some.

I started just walking. The first day, I went @ 1/2mi and wanted to die. Gradually added time, now I even jog a little. Cleaned up my diet. No sugary drinks, fast food or very much white stuff. I did not give up anything I couldn't live w/o (chocolate-yum). I didn't do insane workouts that I couldn't keep up forever. I do cardio 5 days a week and lift 3 days (not heavy, too old for that).Planning what I eat is key for me. Seeing the calories in print really helped, too. Had a huge plateau at one time. I found out I was kidding myself about how much food I was eating. Mfp really helped w/ that. Got a heart rate monitor, to be more sure of calories burned. Wish there was a magic bullet, but is is just hard work & dedication. Good luck in your journey

Start weight 260
Todays weight 210
4.5 months into this diet

All I did was decrease my calorie intake from (insert really high number here) to 900 calories/day. After two months of this I upped this to 1250 calories/day.

On average I'm losing about 2 pounds a week now. I haven't been doing any exercise except for riding my bike once a week (about 10 miles).

All I did was buy lean cuisines and try to eat the majority of my calories during breakfest/lunch. I do eat dinner but never more than 300 calories. For me, I think the lean cuisines worked (mostly due to portion control). For snacks and such I eat baby carrots and celery.

It's all about calories in/calories out. I honestly don't think anything else matters.

Best of luck to you,
Greg

I've mostly followed MFP's guidelines. I lost about 30 pounds on a similar site before coming here. Right now I'm eating 1700 calories, for a 1 pound a week loss. I'm eat a mostly vegan low-fat diet, and walk for a minimum 50-60 minutes on my treadmill every day. I only eat back a portion of my exercise calories because I think the treadmill overestimates the calories burned.

start 275 currently 227. i eat only about 1200 calories a day. i know that is pretty low but i'm still losing weight and i haven't been hungry. chicken,eggs,romaine,broccoli. No soda or sweet drinks at all. just water. I walk a lot also,but for me it's been more about eating less than exercising to lose the weight. I'm working out for my health and fitness but the weight loss part has been about the food i eat more than anything. Since i was 275, the weight came off quicker early when i cut back the calories. I don't track my protein/fat/carb ratios too closely. I try not to eat any processed food. Good luck and i hope you find what works for you. Everybody has a different way that works for them

SW: 150.5 CW: 142.5 GW: 135

I have been doing the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution since April 1st. I am on week 11 out of 13 (it's a 90 day program) and have had success with it. I've lost 8 lbs and almost 24 inches! I have gotten a lot stronger and have been eating a lot healthier. For the past 2 weeks I have been upping my calories because I wasn't eating enough. My goal was set at 1200 a day, but after doing her workout and then going on the treadmill (walk/jog for 30 min), I realized I needed to eat more! I eat back some of my exercise calories too. I also read something on one of these forums about zig zagging your calories, so I am attempting to do that too! Some days I eat more, some days I eat less! I don't feel hungry and I have a good amount of energy. I also do not feel exhausted since I began this so I know it's helped relieve a lot of stress! Message me if you like!

I net around 1500-1600 calories a day-mostly good stuff (fruits, veggies, chicken, fish, yogurt, oatmeal) but a fair dose of crap as well. I run 5 days a week (about 5-6hrs total per week). I was netting 1200 calories for a few months, but I just need more food than that. I'm happier, as are all the people around me, now that I'm netting 1500. I've consistently lost about .5-1% of my body weight per week (as an average) and am waiting patiently for my first plateau to arrive. I started at 233, now at 167. I'm 5' 4".