How do you lose weIght?

[daisybuchannan]

Take a realistic look at what you're eating. Not just the quality of food, but the quantity. Food is the best way to really make a difference in weight, fitness is so important but won't make the scale move without food changes.

Not everything has to be healthy 100% all the time (I say this after blizzard weekend- wine and snacks all weekend) but try a 90/10 approach.

I'd be happy to help with specific questions!

[pandora89]

The biggest thing that helped my weight loss was finding a workout I really enjoyed - to me that was barre. I loved going and didn't find it as a chore. I also threw in some running but did it outside and not on a treadmill.

I also didn't count calories but more used "portions". Kayla Itsines is an online personal trainer with e book workouts etc. I used her workouts a bit but she also had a nutrition guide/meal planning thing. It broke down how many "portions" for each category and I catered my meals to it. It was a lot of food, but a lot of healthy, nutritional food that kept my full so I didn't snack on junk. I lost about 25lbs this way.

[Lilac]

Over the summer I used the myfitnesspal app to track food and exercise. It really helped me realize which foods were terrible to eat when dieting and steered me towards the healthier, lower calorie options. Tracking exercise (and getting extra calories!) encouraged me to exercise more regularly.

[verycontrary247]

My biggest, BIGGEST factor for weight loss is portion control and meal planning.

I am bad at being accountable for what and how much I eat. It's especially hard for me to not finish food while eating out (which I do often), because I know I won't eat leftovers. So, first I have to track what I'm eating. Writing it down somehow makes me feel more guilty about eating crap. Like, id be embarrassed if someone looked at my food journal and saw that I had like 10 Oreos for breakfast.

Then I have to plan what I'm going to be eating ahead of time otherwise I go into hungry meltdown mode and binge eat bad food.

Both of the aforementioned things are a pain in the butt to do though, which is why I've gained a bunch of weight back.

[Deleted]

Try and limit/eliminate the calorie intake through liquids. Juices, milk, sodas, alcohol and substitute with water. 

Limit/eliminate breads, pastas, white potatoes, white rice.

Eat more fruit, veggies, nuts, eggs, meat. 

Eat less or no processed foods. 

[shopgirl07]

I don't lose weight very easily. I have to be very strict with amount of food I eat. I generally try to eat lots of veggies, lean proteins and lower carbs, but I don't worry too much about the breakdown because it's hard enough to lose weight as it is.

I can't keep any snack in the house. No crackers, sweets, chips, etc. Because if it's in the house, I'll eat it.

I also allow myself one day a week to not worry about what I eat. Usually that means going out to dinner or lunch or takeout and ordering whatever I want.

Lastly, the thing that's really helped me this time around is not getting on the scale. At all. Because it becomes an obsession for me and really affects my moods. Instead, I'm just going by how my clothes fit. So far, it's been working really well for me. I've lost about a size and a half and have been feeling really good. And if I have a week where I don't lose, or even gain a bit, I don't know it, so I haven't gotten discouraged.

[Deleted]

My biggest issue with weight is stress eating.

I have an emotional eating issue and I still haven't gotten a handle on it.

When my stress is low, my weight is better.

But when the stress is packed on, I stuff my face.

I need to read about stress eating and how to combat stress.

[atlas]

Honestly, I have no idea. I am very healthy (vegetarian so eat basically only veggies and whole grains) and an avid marathoner. I do Barre regularly and it kicks my ass. And I am still flubby and at least 30 pounds too heavy.

I think for most people focusing on eating whole, healthy, raw foods can be the game changer.

Cutting out alcohol can help a lot of people. Soda, if you drink it, can kill the weight loss too.

[pagas]

90% of my weight loss comes from eating right. Whenever I work out a ton, I eat a ton because I am so so so hungry.

[Deleted]

I have to cut carbs and eat lots of fat. Avocados, full fat Greek yogurt, etc. Something with every meal. It keeps me so full, and eating lots of fat is the only thing that keeps me from reaching for carbs.

As far as exercising, I did really well on a combo of hiit and weights. Don't laugh, but I did a combo of Chalean extreme and turbo fire. I lost 40 lbs in 5 months after I had Theo and I was doing these workouts.

And I REALLY need to get back on track, because I've gained so much weight in the past 11 months.

[miso]

Fewer carbs.

[cville]

I count calories. I've tried other options but it's the only one that works.

I also up my intake of apples and green salad since they're easy. And I add a lot of beans, eggs, peanut butter, cottage cheese and lentils to my diet. I always eat them anyway, but if I have more fatty protein I can control my outrageous obsession with useless but delicious white carbs.

I only have a pathetic half glass of wine.

It sucks. I'm doing it now and while I leave room for a couple Hershey kisses and a half glass of wine daily, I'd rather have cheese dip, two margaritas, and a giant slice of cake.

[rupertpenny]

Cutting carbs (less than 75 grams a day) used to work like a charm for me. But apparently having a kid has fucked up my metabolism and now nothing works

If you try tweaking your diet and nothing helps I'd encourage you to go to your doctor and see if there might be some other issue. Pregnancy made me hypothyroid and insulin resistant and my progesterone levels never came back up to normal, all of which can make it difficult to lose weight.

[rupertpenny]

miso what is your personal policy on legumes? What about root vegetables?

[cville]

Oh, and I bring breakfast and lunch to work every.single.day. Including a sweet snack/indulgence (like a couple Hershey kisses) so I'm not tempted.

[YahYahs]

Get on MyFitnessPal and track your eating. Use it as a guide to limit your calories, carbs, and sugars. Find substitutes for crappy foods. Allow yourself your favorite treats, but in moderation. Not a diet - try to change your mindset around food so that you find a plan you can stick with for the long haul.
Finding a good workout you can enjoy is good, too, but eating well is probably the biggest part.
I had great success with the 30-Day Shred because I could do it at home in under a half hour.

[Deleted]

Jan 24, 2016 19:57:03 GMT -5 cville said:

Oh, and I bring breakfast and lunch to work every.single.day. Including a sweet snack/indulgence (like a couple Hershey kisses) so I'm not tempted.

When I'm good like that with planning and portioning, I'm less likely to reach for bad choices.  WW was good for helping me with that.  But right now I should keep my mouth shut and listen to the advice here because I gained back the weight I lost on WW and I'm unmotivated.  Sigh.  

[atlas]

Jan 24, 2016 19:57:03 GMT -5 cville said:

Oh, and I bring breakfast and lunch to work every.single.day. Including a sweet snack/indulgence (like a couple Hershey kisses) so I'm not tempted.

I do this too. I allocate one dark chocolate PB cup from Trader Joe's a day. 67 cals. Makes my afternoon every time.

[meowmaps]

I'm doing WW online again and while I'm not thrilled by the changes, I find that I'm doing well on it. It used to be that if you exercised and entered your activity that you could put those points toward eating more that day. Not so anymore! That's a little tough because I'm definitely hungrier on days when I exercise.

Mostly, I've made small but important changes over the past couple of years. I stopped eating fast food altogether. I only drink a soda once in a while as a treat. I primarily drink water. I eat pasta very rarely but when I eat rice, it's brown rice and when I eat bread, it's low-calorie whole wheat bread. When I feel like I'm hungry at night I'll snack on "0 point" items like an apple or banana.

I've never enjoyed conventional exercise but over the past year I've committed to a routine of going to the gym 2-3 days a week. I typically do a few weights and then get on the stationary bike for 20 minutes. I figure I can do anything for 20 minutes and it really does fly by, especially since I'm usually watching Cupcake Wars or Chopped. In the warmer months I love going for walks because it's exercise but I get to be out in the sun and breathe fresh air so it doesn't feel like a chore.

ETA: For me, the WW program's greatest strength is that it controls my portions.  I was doing well on my own eating good foods and exercising but the weight was coming off really slowly.  Then I signed up for WW again and I realized I was eating too much.  

[Eagles]

Jan 24, 2016 19:41:44 GMT -5 milsaroo said:

Stock up on snacks! When I get hungry, I get hungry FAST. Bananas, apples, string cheese, almonds, etc. and I just started carrying almonds in my purse.

And stop eating before you get full. I'm notorious for eating waaaay too much.

Better snack options help me, because it keeps me from getting ravenous and stuffing my face with whatever is around. I carry Kind bars and almonds in my bag. Blue Diamond (I think?) makes 100 calorie snack packs. I have to cut the junk that's in the house, too, because I love cookies, cakes, brownies, candy, etc. If it's there, I'll eat it.

I do cut myself a break the week before my period, because I need a Three Musketeers sometimes to keep from killing someone.

[cookies]

Calorie counting works for me, but exercise keeps me motivated. Like if I'm exercising, my brain is in the game and I will make better food choices.

Eat at home/home cooked meals.

Fill up on veggies.

[Doggy Mommy]

I'm using the ultimate food value diary app. It's basically ww points plus. Here's what works for me... Loading up on 0 pt veggies, replacing many carbs with farbs (fake carbs) like spaghetti squash, tracking everything (those little bites here and there add up like crazy!!), eating out less and having a plan when we do eat out, and meal planning each week.

What doesn't work for me: eating more than a few weekly points. I just can't. I had 39 weekly pts left this week and gained half a pound. Eating exercise points. Nope, can't do it, I will gain if I do. Some of us just have crap bodies that like gaining weight. But the good news is i can eat a lot of healthy foods so I don't usually feel like I'm starving plus the healthy stuff makes me feel good.

Good luck!

[olive]

For me it's cutting out processed foods and most carbs (crackers, rice, potatoes, bread, refined sugar, etc).

I eat mostly vegetables, fruit, eggs, cheese, a few nuts, some beans.

Sadly, alcohol has to go if I'm going to lose weight. I can introduce it again in moderation when I'm maintaining but I generally only have it Friday and Saturday.

I always exercise quite a lot but if I'm not eating correctly and mindful of portions, I still gain.

Eta: I also eat a ton of lean meat. I've always got grilled chicken breast to snack on in the fridge. Between that and healthy fats, I can usually curb a carb craving and stay full.

Good luck.

[nicbreeful]

I've lost nearly 40 pounds cutting out carbs. I try to stay 50 grams and under.

After the first week, it's really not that bad.

[wildfloweragain]

Different things have been the trick at different stages of my life.
Currently, 40 yrs old and 3 kids, cutting out nearly all carbs and adding a ridiculous amount of protein did the trick, as well as walking my dog 2x/day. It finally kickstarted a 20 lb weight loss that I have been able to maintain even without the walking right now and adding back some whole grains.

This time, just cutting out junk didn't do it and I only drink water and the occasional wine.

In the past, my fitness pal worked. Running worked a few years ago.

Sent from my SM-G900V using proboards

[karenj]

I just started back to Weight Watcher's. I have substantial weight to lose. I have been a member before. I have been doing it for about 3 weeks now. I am enjoying the new program. Snacks are a lot higher in points, so that was a bummer. LOL. That's probably good, I am definitely making better choices.

[cabbagecabbage]

Tracking every bite with mfp worked better than upping my workouts. Portions are my downfall. I really won't lose unless I'm focused on my diet.

[WOUNDTIGHT]

I've lost a decent amount of weight (20lbs plus) twice in my life and neither time involved a trip to the gym or a stroll in the park. It's alllll about food. It's calorie counting, period.

For example- was addicted to having a jelly doughnut every morning with my iced coffee. I switched from cream and 2 sugars, to skim milk and no sugar coffee, and swapped my doughnut with a jelly donut hole instead. And on and on and on.

When I hit 1450 calories for the day, that was it until the morning. And it worked, well, both times.

[donutsmakemegonuts]

I lost 30 lbs this past year when I started running regularly (3x/wk). I didn't really modify my diet that much at first, but after the weight started coming off, it made me want to watch what I ate more. I drink more water now and I started bringing meals/snacks to work so I wouldn't be tempted. Also, I became more aware of when I was feeling full so I wouldn't overeat and feel uncomfortable.

In order to keep myself motivated to run, I sign up for a 5k every couple of months. I know I have something to "train" for, so I have to keep up my workouts. I just signed up for my first 10k this spring

[Gato]

I put $5 in a jar every day I decide not to eat my trigger food - chocolate.  Binging on chocolate always destroys any weight loss progress I make (see Christmas 2015).

So my hope is that I will both lose weight this year AND save enough for a new sofa.