What have you learned from your weight loss journey?

carrie3101

carrie3101

New member
Hey guys,
I have tried dieting for a long time, and it's never worked, I always gain back more weight that I lose. There are so many success stories on this site. And I was wondering if you could dispense some of your wisdom to people like me. What have you learned as you lost weight? What kept you going? I have a lot of weight to lose, and I would LOVE to hear from people with 100+ weight loss, they are my heroes! I appreciate your advice! :bigear:
 
Hi,

I have not lost 100 pounds, but I'm about halfway there.

For me I first had to be honest with myself. Realize it was my fault for eating anything and everything I wanted and never exercising. Knowing how much I weigh and what I should weigh and knowing yes, I did really need to lose THAT much. I think doing this part is essential.

As far as losing weight, I started small and worked my way up in both eating better foods and exercising. One of the biggest things I've learned is to keep getting back on the horse after you fall off. It will happen, and more than once. Just get back on when you can. Success is not an event, it's a process.

Get support from people and a place like this board. It will require effort.

I also educated myself on exercise and nutrition. I read the South Beach diet and while I don't follow that diet, I learned a lot of valuable things. I think this is very helpful.

Good luck.
 
I'm down almost 200... it can be done if you want to do it...
1. Everything counts... if i bite it - write it
2. No deprivation - no elimination of food groups, if I want it - I make it work
3. No excuses not to exercise - plus it allows me to eat more
4. Just take it day by day and never lose sight of the big picture (I'm not one of those mini goal people - that works for some - i found it frustrating...)
5. DO NOT OBSESS OVER THE SCALE NUMBER - Measurements are far more important.. the number on the scale is just a number.
6. Reasonable calories for your size - there is no such thing as one size fits all - forevery moment of this journey - just pay attention and make adjustments as you go - and always start at the high end of calories so youc an live within that range and make adjustments as you go.

and lastly, be ready to do it - know it's alifestyle change - not a diet -people have proven time and again that diets do not work long term...
 
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Plan ahead - I need to get myself back to it -but what saved me a lot at the beginning was the planning - I knew when i did my grocery shopping -what i was going to eat that week - breakfasts are pretty consistent always the same few things, dinners I'd get creative - healthy doesn't mean bland..

Learn to cook, if you don't already -there are a ton of resouorces on the web to teach you - as stated above -healthy doesn't mean boring or bland...

Mals get real tip to herself... Get over yourself - yesterday is done -doesnt matter if you lost 10 lbs, gained 5lbs, ate a german chocolate cheesecake, had nothing but rabbit food all day, it's over - get over it - what you do today is the only thing that matters... Tomorrow worked for scarlett ohara but as I said elsewhere -you can't trust someone witha 16 inch waist - TODAY and what you're doing today is the key...
 
Good Tips, Maleficent...

Also... I'd say this was my biggest downfall of all time... If you have a cheat day, don't do it again!!!

The way I fell off Atkins nearly a year ago was from one cheat day. I figured, 'well, I ate all this yesterday, so one more day won't hurt me. I'll just start again tomorrow' then the next day I'd say the same thing, then it would be a week that I'd cheated, then 2 weeks, and finally I would just say 'Oh I have the rest of my life to get slim... I'm gonna have fun and eat what I want!' ... The cold hard truth is, sometimes a piece of pizza DOES seem better then the want to be thin. You've just gotta tell yourself it isn't... Your mindset might flip-flop from 'I'm going to discipline myself and get thin' to 'I'm gonna be happy and carefree and eat delicious meals!' I know I was thinking that way maybe a only a week ago... But I just remind myself that if I hadn't fallen off one year ago from a cheat day, I'd be at my goal weight already. That's what you have to think about. ... Time really flies, and if you fall off, pretty soon a year will go by and you'll be bigger than you already were. So, if you have a cheat day, or a cheat weekend, do it with the intent of going back strict the next day!

Just my 2 cents...........

-N-
 
if Pizza is something that you enjoy -why deprive yourself of it -doesn't mean you should go out and eat an entire pie -but there's nothing wrong with a slice or two...

Thinking of this as a diet where things are restricted just set a person up to fail...
 
LandonsBaby said:
Isn't that the whole point of a cheat day?
Click to expand...

I'm sorry if I worded it a bit strange... I meant that it was fine to have a cheat day like that... But that if you do have a cheat day, not to continue to have them because 'I already cheated yesterday' I know it seems obvious, lol... But that was my downfall the first time.

-N-
 
you're right a lot of people fall into that spiral- i screwed up today -so why not keep up with the trend...

That's sort of where my yesterday is done -get over it and move on comes into play... the onyl day you can do something about is the present...
 
I haven't lost a huge amount of weight... I don't have a huge amount of weight to lose. I am a fluctuater however - 150ish-165ish. I'm in school so there a weeks where I exercise a lot and weeks when I don't even have enough time to breathe. Right now my goal is to be 150Lbs and just maintain it.
I think cheat days are a terrible idea - at least for me. It's too easy to slip into the "all or nothing" mentally, and before you know it 1 cheat day can turn into 2 or 3. If I want something really badly then I enjoy it but make other cutbacks in the day. And if I do really need a "cheat" I'll go out for dinner with my boyfriend and enjoy something rich. If I tell myself it's a "cheat day" though, I find I just want to eat everything.
 
Get rid of any clothes that are too big for you - even a little roomy - one ya know they don't look good... and you want absolutely no excuses to lapse back into your old habits because you have clothes that fit you.. Have them tailored, throw them out, recycle them, trade them, take them to a consignment shop but get rid of them - as long as you have a wardrobe that fits your current body (don't wait til you get to hat elusive goal before getting a new wardrobe) you will know immediately when you are backsliding.
 
maleficent said:
I'm down almost 200... it can be done if you want to do it...
1. Everything counts... if i bite it - write it
2. No deprivation - no elimination of food groups, if I want it - I make it work
3. No excuses not to exercise - plus it allows me to eat more
4. Just take it day by day and never lose sight of the big picture (I'm not one of those mini goal people - that works for some - i found it frustrating...)
5. DO NOT OBSESS OVER THE SCALE NUMBER - Measurements are far more important.. the number on the scale is just a number.
6. Reasonable calories for your size - there is no such thing as one size fits all - forevery moment of this journey - just pay attention and make adjustments as you go - and always start at the high end of calories so youc an live within that range and make adjustments as you go.

and lastly, be ready to do it - know it's alifestyle change - not a diet -people have proven time and again that diets do not work long term...
Click to expand...

you pretty much nailed it all in one post...

I like the I bite it I write it! hahaha

as far as myself for my 130 lbs weight loss I will never binge eat again. I will not drink I will not eat bad.. My ultimate goal is to never see over 185 lbs ever.
 
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