Share your best tips to lose weight!

[HeydyF]

Hi everybody! 

I think that there are many ways to lose weight, but not all of them work for all of us, since we all have different metabolism and there are some methods that will motivate us more to get the desired weight and maintain it.

When I started to think "Hey, I wanna be in good shape and become more active", the first thing I thought was that I have to take away sugars, bread, and specially trans fat meals, so I decided to take them off at once, instead of going slowly, (for me, it was a huge mistake ) 'cause then I realized that I was starving and I started to eat like crazy and then I regretted it a lot 😞 

So then I decided to slowly reduce my intake at every meal. Then I started to jump the rope and then I tried the running (which I adore and I became addicted to) and I have to say that the exercise reduced my anxiety about food and eating healthy became in something normal and necessary. And now I really enjoy and it finally became a lifestyle.

  

So I would like to know your story, what did you try and how did you do to lose weight and maintain it when you get the desired one. Share your tips, what worked for you and what gave you the best results! 😉

Keep it up! 

[A_Lurker]

Such a complicated question with tons of answers.  The reality is that what works for person A may not work for person B.  We are all unique individuals, and everyone is going to have different results.  Here are my thoughts.

Food - eat less than you were before you start to lose weight. 

Usually what I recommend to people is that they find a new, healthier way, of eating.  I'm not a fan of specific diets no matter what they are.  If you can handle the concept of calorie counting, do it religiously for a couple of weeks before you start to diet.  Get a true baseline of what you eat on a daily basis.  Write it all down (or record it online) and once those couple of weeks are past take a true critical eye to your intake.  Are there areas where you could save some calories without too much pain (liquid calories are sometimes easy to drop and you see a big difference).  Then, depending on how much weight you need to lose make a plan.  The more you need to lose the higher a deficit you can pick, although try not to start with too high of a deficit.  If you need to clean up your diet there are a couple of basics:  less processed foods, more fruits and veggies, leaner cuts of meats (unless you're vegetarian/vegan) and healthier fats.  The more you cook/prepare on your own the easier it should be to control your intake.  Oh, and it goes without saying that if there is something you love, love, love - figure out a way to fit it in.

Exercise - move a little more than you did yesterday. 

Don't expect to go from zero to full tilt right away.  It's a good way to burn yourself out, or injure yourself.  Cardio is good for the heart, strength training is good for the body.  Find something of each that you enjoy doing as this means there's a better chance that you will keep it up.

[Majka]

Hi Heydy! That's amazing that you are now eating healthily and running!!!!  Very happy for you! 🙂 🙂  This is just wonderful!

For me, I lose weight exclusively through exercise and I eat at least 1200 calories a day.  I do the math of how many calories I burn off using online calculators like shapesense.com and I guess I could use Fitbit too to calculate it.  In October for 3 weeks I was eating a lot, like 2000-3000 calories a day and I should have gained 4.65 lb but my weight didn't go up because I burned that off through exercise.  Now my weight is 88 lb and it's probably gonna go back to its steady state of 86 by Christmas.  I bring that up to illustrate that you can definitely maintain any weight that you want to by doing the math.

Like you said you can eat so-called unhealthy foods (of course not too often would be best) in moderation.  Another "strategy" I have is that I don't respond to hunger.  I eat when and how much I'm supposed to, period.  But if I do emotional eating which does happen to me sometimes a few times a month, I burn it off via exercise.  With that said I usually just sit through the negative emotions since food only makes you feel better for a few minutes.

[AuroraKat]

Not sure why my post was removed. If there's an issue with what I posted, please let me know. Here it is again.

Let yourself have your favorite foods. Find ways to incorporate them into your meal plan, whatever it may be. Losing weight is taxing both physically and mentally. It helps a lot if you can have your favorite treats once in a while. You are in control, not the food - you can easily plan virtually anything into your plan without sacrificing progress. 

Strength Training. Making weight training part of your life will help tremendously. You will conserve lean body mass and increase your resting metabolism. Your body will look and feel differently at your goal weight - it will be leaner and stronger. Fair warning - with a good strength training regimen, the scale will move slightly slower. But, that is a good thing. You are losing more fat  than someone who does not strength train. 

 Find an activity that keeps you active more often. You will still lose weight without exercise, provided you are following a proper meal plan. However, regular exercise has tremendous benefits. I am not going to list it all here, since I assume those who own a Fitbit already realize this. For me personally, exercise has always been a huge mental boost. I am less anxious when I exercise. I have a more positive attitude and generally feel more balanced and at peace with myself. Exercising will also help you love and appreciate your body more, no matter what weight you are at. 

Consult a nutrition professional. I wouldn't say that this is pivotal for successful weight loss, since so much information is available online. But, it always helps talking with someone who can tailor a plan specifically to your needs. A good nutritionist will help you create a plan that is sustainable and safe. He/she will be aware of latest research to help you make better choices. Even though I chose to make a career in a different field, I wouldn't be where I am if I didn't have my degree and extensive research background in Nutritional Sciences. My plan is safe, easy, manageable, satisfying and lets me lose ~2lbs per week because I tailored it to my specific needs based on both long-standing and recent research. So, if you are able and your insurance covers a nutritionist, I highly recommend at least two consultations (there's a lot of paperwork involved - you'll have to come back at least once to have it all analyzed). 

[MediaMan]

I just reached a major milestone on my way to my goal. as of Dec. 10th, 2016 I have lost 50 pounds!

When I started 2 years ago I really didn't believe I could do it (I was all in to do the work), but I had been so over weight for 30 years. It took 2 years almost to the day. There were some plateaus, and even some setbacks, but perseverance, and slow and steady can win the race. I still have 17 pounds to go to reach my goal weight of 185. I am excited and and working to have these last pounds off in 3 months.

Everybody eats, works, thinks, and exercises differently, so what I did to to loose weight may not be for you. But for those who are interested. I do the following:

I cut out all products containing Corn Syrup, Nitrites, and Nitrates. You gotta read labels! I reduced my intake of products containing sugar. No milk (no ice cream). No soy. No sodas (diet is as bad as regular). No potatoes, and almost no bread. I greatly reduced my wheat and other starch intake. No products with the work 'diet' or 'low calorie' as a main feature on the packaging. I buy certified organic foods whenever possible.

I do not restrict any types of meats or vegetables. So, bacon, eggs, sausage, steaks, etc. are all on my ok list. Meats with fat are not bad. Salads with balsamic vinegar or steamed veggies with a little butter with dinner. I eat lots of raw veggies for snacks, carrots, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, etc. I also will have almonds, pistachios, or cashews for snacks.

I ALWAYS have a breakfast! I drink a protein shake blended with frozen fruit every morning, no exceptions. I eat 4-6 times a day (small meals or snacks) and never after 8PM. My lunch is typically larger than my dinner. I haven't counted calories in a long time, but I would say I am taking in about ~1,800 to ~2,200 a day. I am a techie, so I was into calculating calorie intake for my first couple months.

I try to drink lots of water daily. I don't like drinking water, cold tap or filtered water. So, I solved that by getting a SodaStream system to make my own 'Perrier' sparkling water. Sometimes I flavor it with lemon or orange.

The first two months were when I had to focus the most and be diligent about reducing portion sizes. Combining that with eating slower, having more meals a day, and my stomach shrinking a bit, after that I no longer felt like I was denying myself food. I was not hungry after meals any longer, in fact I could reduce portion sizes again because I felt full before I had finished the plate.

I take a lot of daily supplements. The ones that I think are applicable, are a pro-biotic (live multi-culture), omega-3 Krill oil, garcinia cambogia (find high quality, there's lots of junk out there).

I really think my weight loss is as much about what I don't eat any more, and when I eat (never after 8PM), as anything else. I don't ever feel like I have starved myself. If I get an hunger urge, I have a small snack and sparkling water.

Have you noticed that I haven't mentioned exercise yet. I did not start an exercise regimen until I hit a plateau 2 months ago. I was stuck at 210 for about a month, so I added 30 minutes of treadmill walking (3 mph) 2-3 times a week. So for the majority of the 2 years I did not have an exercise regimen. I walked and biked, occasionally. I moved to be with my new wife Alison (our 1st anniversary in less than two weeks!), so there was a lot of box lifting for a couple months last year.

I wanted to post this for those who are skeptical about their ability to make their weight loss goals happen. I was really skeptical, so If I can do it, you can do it. Find what works for you and stick with it, for the long term. Fast weight loss is not permanent weight loss. I think your body needs to see the new lower weight as normal. If you loose it too fast, I think you're more likely to put it back on.

I don't think what I have been doing is dieting. It has been a lifestyle change, and it takes time for the changes you make to become 'normal' again. Don't sweat the plateaus and small setbacks, that's normal. Just focus on the good food habits you've setup and try to do a little more each day (activities, walking, etc.), add the exercise when you need it (plateaus). If you can make exercise a regular thing, all the better, you'll probably get to your goal faster than I am.

With all this said, I am no expert, this is just what is working for me. I get a lot of encouragement from my family and friends (a big help to keep me focused). So if you're trying to lose some weight, I encourage you to keep at it a day at a time. And if your here, thanks for reading (writing this was cathartic for me).

All my best to you, and happy holidays!

[SantiR]

I just try to be active. Being sedentary will increase your weight, I have noticed. So, the more you move the better! 

[PurplePanda79]

I'm using  MyFitness Pal to track all my calories, that has been  ahuge help. My fitbit helps me track my activity and sleep. I kno sleep is important so I am trying hard to make sure I get plenty of rest each day. I work 3rd shift so it is very challanging at times. I have my calories set to 1200 a day, I usually get closer to 1000.

As I track calories I am also trying to watch what I eat. I want to make healthier choices so I watch the nutrients and carbs too. MyFitnessPal is great for learning what is a good option or not.

I try to meet my goal for active minutes and walk some each hour at work. I sit at a desk most of the night. So far I have lost a bit of weight and have started to feel a lot better.

[A_Lurker]

@PurplePanda79- 1000 calories a day is pretty low.  Eating too little can affect you in various ways.  Normally it is recommended that you don't eat less than your BMR each day.  To determine what that is there are a number of different tools online.  One is here:  http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/

[PurplePanda79]

Well I had tried higher numbers with no results, in fact I gained 15 lbs. I
talked to other people on MyFitnessPal and according to MFP 1000/1200 is ok
for females. Soon as i lowered my calories to 1200 I started losing. I
could probably eat a bit more, like 1350. But I'm happy with what I'm
eating right now. I love eating out so every week or 2 I eat out and go
over my calories that day.

Currently my main focus is choosing better foods. Once I'm better at that I
might raise my daily calories a little bit. I'm the only person in my
family who really cares about eating healthy so it's very hard.

[HeydyF]

@A_Lurker, I agree! I'm not a big fan of diet neither. I think that it is better if you make some changes to your meals and reduce the trans fat. And regarding exercise, we have to start from something little and be increasing the effort day after day. Cardio is perfect to start losing weight. 

@Majka, thanks for that my friend!  When you get to your desired weight, maintain it is also kinda difficult but with the time, you get used to eat healthy and exercise. Then (happened to me) you might become addict to it. 

@AuroraKat! Great tips my friend! pretty useful if you are thinking to start a plan to lose weight. 

That's the key! try to be more active @SantiR!

@MediaMan, thanks for sharing your story here! Seems pretty similar to some things that I tried and worked for me. 

Keep sharing your thoughts! 

[elle22]

I managed to loss all the (stress) weight I had gained during an awful job situation, all 35 lbs of it, by following a (primarily) plant based diet, with added lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish, as little red meat as possible).   I started each morning with a smoothie:  unsweetened vanilla almond milk, spinach, ginger, berries, banana, cinnemon, vanilla, unsweetened cocoa powder and either a table spoon of almond butter or a scoop of Trader Joe's hemp protein powder.   Lunch was usually a salad with a splash of dressing (oil and vinegar) and sometimes sliced diced turkey.   Dinner was a green salad or a baked potato and corn on the cob if I couldn't look at greens anymore.    Shrimp cocktail helps too.   My only cheating was an occasional beer or glass of wine.    I got down to 123 lbs, still 25 lbs over my lowest weight ever but pretty good for my 5 foot height.  Then I relaxed a bit and gained back a tiny bit over 1 pound a year for the next 8 years for a total of 132 lbs.    Now I want to take corrective action, if I gain 1 pound a year for the rest of my life I'll be in serious trouble!      I'm back to a focus on veggies now.  BUT I just read this!   Dark chocolate? Peanut butter? Cream? No bread. Sounds like a plan worth trying!    Has anyone had any experience with this?   I will try it out and let you know how it goes.  Happy New Year everyone!
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/article/2016/01/05/obesity-diets/

[A_Lurker]

@elle22- here's my thoughts - forget any kind of diet and find a way of eating that you feel you can maintain for the rest of your life.  You can probably lose a quick amount of (mostly) water weight changing your diet to a low-carb diet, but if you don't maintain it you'll likely just gain it back.  You likely don't need to make a lot of changes to lose those slow gains.  You could possibly cut a few hundred calories a day out of your diet and increase your exercise a bit.

[elle22]

I can actually maintain the plant based diet for the rest of my life!  I don't mind it.  When I reach goal weight I just add in a few more Heinekins, a little whole wheat bread (Ezediel whole grain is good) and meat once a week.   I didn't mention exercise  because of course that's a given, this is a Fitbit site!

[A_Lurker]

@elle22- so if you're happy with your current plan then just stick to it.  Track a little to keep yourself honest (not too high, not too low) and just watch the slacking off when you reach your goal weight.  I had a family doctor tell me recently that my weight loss was too fast.  My first thought was that he was nuts, but I think I'm coming to understand his point.  Making slow, maintainable changes is probably the best way to reach your goal and then maintain it.  Doing something too extreme (or too far off your normal) almost certainly feels like a recipe for disaster when you stop.

[elle22]

Thanks, makes sense!

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