[Big Fat Rooster]

Those of you who have a handle on losing weight and keeping it off have a lot to share with others. I thought I would start a thread on those, asking you to share your best with us. Please list some of your best here for others to use if they can. Of course, not everything fits every one, and those reading the posts I suggest you take the best and can the rest

I will start out with a few

There are many many "diets," every time you go into the supermarket there are magazines touting new miracle diet plans. In my opinion, there is not one of a thousand which is worth reading. I have seen plans which say you can eat all the fat you want to but not eat such and such, or eat only one thing all you want, or eat nothing but salad which result in feeling starved all the time. The bottom line is this, no matter what else. If you take in less calories than you need for maintenance you will lose weight. Stay up with how many calories you take in over all in the week, it is not necessary to eat under every single meal or day. But make sure it stays under by the end of each week. Myself, I try to keep it under every day, but not every meal. I do not do hunger, life is too short for that, and yes, it is too short to spend it fat also I eat when I feel need to, and try not otherwise. Remember, thirst can be felt as hunger, often a drink of water then occupying yourself with something else will make the hunger feeling disappear. But do not allow yourself to eat less than your body needs, walk the tightrope a bit. By not having a diet chiseled out in stone one has a lot more leeway and no need for guilt of having "gone off the diet." Guilt will add pounds in a hurry

Tip 2 I have a list of foods I like that are good for me and the calories in the portion size I use. For any meal (any time I eat) I grab one or more and select what I want (for myself usually around 300 calories)

This is a small portion of my list:

one half can pinto beans 180
one cup of mixed fresh fruit 100

4 oz grilled salmon 240 I eat one of these
half an avacado 160 three each day for
1/2 cup mixed nuts 203 the omega acids
4 oz bass or halibut 120

4 oz grilled chicken 240
4 oz grilled lean beef 240
4 oz halibut or seabass 120


1/2 can black eyed peas 150
1 orange 60

These are some of my favorites, use your own, but a list written on a handy card sure helps get a meal ready in a hurry

[Justwant2Bhealthy]

#1 -- make up your own plan for both food and fitness; do what suits you best not anyone else.

#2 -- eat what you like/love; make your plan up out of your favorites or you wont stick with it.

#3 -- find an exercise you can do: I am doing walking and find that is the best one for me becuz I don't hurt myself this way. I go slow and focus on the time I am active, rather than the distance.

#4 -- push yourself to improve a little more each week or month. If it is walking: go a little further each time.

#5 -- when you slip up, learn from it; and look for strategies to do better next time (esp if it was emotion or stress related).

#6 -- plan ahead and have the right foods in your home at all times. KEEP THE JUNK OUT OF YOUR HOUSE. If you do this, you will go off plan less often.

#7 -- KEEP GOING even if you make a mistake (big or small); that is key in my books. Forgive yourself and move on to the next snack, next meal, and next day.


-- baby carrots for snacking
-- apples and fruit for snacks
-- fruit for dessert
-- cereal & fruit; or egg & toast with fruit for breakfast
-- sandwich with salad veggies or salad; OR with soup for lunch
-- lean meat with salad or veggies for dinner (plus one serving of any favorite complex carb)
-- fiber cereal for emergency hunger urges (better to have a cup of cereal than a bag of junkies)
-- almonds or unshelled sunflower seeds for snacks

I have read dozens, perhaps 100s of success stories here and on Huffington Post. They seem to have one common thread: lifestyle changes not diet.

Eating better/ exercising more.

I like what Mark Bittman said, eat 'real food'. If your great grandparents couldn't buy it, try not to buy it. I know this is not always possible.

One person put it great, don't buy anything in a supermarket isle. Usually the produce/meats/dairy is on the outside.

I am trying to do low carb, and learn from Paleo as much as I can. But I am far from how some people incorporate Paleo. But how that translates to me is this: fresh food as much as possible. Veggies, fruits, lean meats, and I have cut down dramtically on grains and startchy vegetables. Have virtually elminated bread/pasta/potatoes.

And I was a french fry fantatic. Hard to get to 340 without that. I remearkably do not miss them.

Bottomline for me: unprocessed food as much as possible, stay away from breads/pastas/potatoes even if the breads and pasta is whole grain (still a ton of carbs) which sets my whole body up to store fat and be hungry way too quickly.

[IanG]

I think Justwant2Bhealthy has cracked it.

[Allimac1]

I have discovered Green Tea - I'm trying to drink about 3 cups before lunch time and definitely feeling the effects - if nothing else I'm going to the toilet a lot!

I'm on week 4 of a fitness challenge with my local gym, doing kettlebells, boxercise, spinning - upping the exercise and limiting carb intake is working for me and I am feeling great. I am down about 8 lbs but the inch loss feels like more than 8 lbs if you know what I mean. I'm eating a lot of fruit and veg, having cereal for breakfast and a wholemeal pitta for lunch but no bread/pasta/potatoes. If I feel peckish I'm having a few almonds or low fat yoghurt ...

[AnnRue]

I have millions of tips but I will give you just one.

WATER. I have discovered that drinking water keeps me from binging. If you feel like you want to binge... drink 4 glasses asap. It will kill the binge. Also I think it has helped keep my cholesterol down.

[tefrey]

1. The most important thing for diets is to remember that everyone is different and just because something worked for your friend (or your sister, or your boss) doesn't mean it will work for you. Listen to your body and choose a plan that is sustainable for you. Choose one with a mix of foods you enjoy and that keep you feeling full and that the method of tracking matches your lifestyle.

2. Enlist your family and friends to help. You will have more success if the people in your life are supportive and know how to help.

3. Come up with some ways to keep you focused when things get tough. Make a scrapbook with before and after photos. Keep a journal with all the reasons you want to lose weight, even the silly ones. Track your measurements. Pay attention to how your clothes fit (or don't fit). Some people make a piece of jewelry or a key chain with beads representing the milestones they have met. If you start to feel discouraged, take a few moments to look through your motivators and you should get your inspiration back!

4. Don't try to do it all at once but plan to do it all eventually. Small changes can add up and it's better to do what you can now, then plan to do it all at some later date that never comes. Once you see some success, I guarantee that you will feel motivated to make more changes.

5. Choose some inspiring mini goals. These could be weight loss, health, clothing size, or exercise targets (or maybe some of each!). Preferably, you should always be on the verge of a mini goal victory. Mini goal help keep the momentum high, especially if your final goal will take months or years to reach.

6. Treat yourself! Not everyone agrees with this one, but I believe it's important to commemorate your victories as you go along. Most of us have been taught to celebrate with food and I think it's important to learn to celebrate in other ways.

7. Be gentle with yourself. There will always be slip ups, but how you react to them will determine whether they are a minor blip soon to forgotten or a catastrophe. If you beat yourself up, you won't recover. Forgive yourself and stay motivated!

[bSpring3]

When it comes to grabbing something to eat....be it a meal or a treat....I sometimes ask myself if I'm really hungry. I've been able to put down the junk more if I give a little reflection on why I'm eating. That said, I don't starve myself.

I try to go to the gym fairly regularly. I find when I'm exercising I want to eat less food but better food.

I agree on the low carb. I recently got some whole wheat pasta, which is not something I eat often. I have trained myself about something called portion size. A bag meant for 8 servings should not be eaten in one or two sittings, for example.

Just watch the little things, and eventually it all comes together.

[Fiona W]

I'm big into writing, so here's some writing-related tips:
—post to 3 Fat Chicks every day, if you can possibly swing it
—send emails or letters to family & friends w/ your general plan, an updated picture, your weight ticker, whatever you're willing to reveal; keep sending 'em
—make a list of all the things you can do while waiting for a craving to pass; keep the list somewhere handy
—keep a journal where you write down your thoughts & feelings as you pass through different stages in the process: it can be a paper & pen journal, or just a file on your computer, but the point is to have a place where you can be uninhibited in congratulating yourself, loving yourself, analyzing what went wrong if you slip up, and where you confess absolutely everything and forgive yourself, too!

Best of luck to everyone!! =grin=

[xRiotGirl]

Originally Posted by AnnRue

I have millions of tips but I will give you just one.

WATER. I have discovered that drinking water keeps me from binging. If you feel like you want to binge... drink 4 glasses asap. It will kill the binge. Also I think it has helped keep my cholesterol down.

Bingo! This is my #1 strategy!