[barbernotamagician]

Ive been reading bios and ladies there are some awesome weight loss! I am so proud of ya! What are somethings that you do that seemed to help? Drinking water? exercise? how often?what kind? how long? (ve been going to kickboxing 1-2 week and it makes me tired lol maybe its the 100 pds extra I carry lol)

How long till you seen some sort of a result?

[synger]

I started out (not even a month ago) just trying to be aware of what I ate and how much, and walking the halls at work for at least 15 minutes (usually more like 2 sets of 15-20 minutes).

I felt results after only a few days. I felt more energetic, more aware of the strength and vitality of my body, and more determined that I could make the changes I needed to do to allow my body to slim down and strengthen itself. Then I added weight lifting and video tapes a couple times a week (on top of the walking).

I started tracking everything I eat and every exercise I do (including gardening and housecleaning) in Fitday.com. That allows me to see where my calories are coming from and what my portions really are.

I've lost 10 pounds so far.

Things that have really helped me:

• Learning about and eating smaller portions. Palm of the hand for meat sizes. Fist for "carb" sizes. Dividing my food when I first get it in a restaurant and saying "I'll only eat that much." That way I don't feel deprived, but I don't overeat, either.
  
• Eating more often, so I'm not as hungry. I eat two "minimeals" in the morning, then lunch. Then a mid-afternoon snack. Then early evening snack when I get home. Then a light dinner.
  
• Eating lean protein with each meal. Satisfies me longer.
  
• Incorporating "do-able" exercise into my normal routine. If I rely only on "working out" I burn out. Instead, I focus on including more activity into my daily life: walking the halls at work, climbing a set of stairs, parking farther away from stores, taking Gem for a walk, etc. Then, the "workouts" are icing on the cake. (so to speak /grin)
  
• Support, Journalling, and Research: This board is a great resource for support. I check it out every day, and a couple others, too. I read as much as I can about changing one's way of life, and that encourages me. I write down things that strike me as I'm changing my life, and those things that encourage me.
  
• Realistic Goals: I want to be thin NOW. But that's not going to happen. It's taken me almost 30 years to get this heavy. It's not gonna come off overnight. Slow and steady wins the race. I am trying to focus on the small goals and successes, not the end result. If I look too far down the road, I get discourages. So I just look at the next step on the path. And the next. And the next.
  

[barbernotamagician]

thanks for all the great ideas. I will definately put them in my journal for help.

[Jo]

• Exercise - I find that if I can fit in 1/2 hour or so of aerobics in the morning (usually low impact, like walking), it tends to help keep my blood sugar more stable throughout the day (not as much hunger/cravings)
  
• Water - It helps me feel fuller, plus it's supposed to help reduce swelling
  
• Journalling - Right now, I just write down what I eat and when I eat it. It really helps keep me focused, plus it requires me to track my portion sizes

[bella23]

The best thing for me to to get in

TONS OF WATER!!!

Drink till you think you'll burst!!

Bella23

The best thing I've learned is not letting a "bad breakfast" or a "bad snack" ruin the whole day. Just because you have a donut at 9 a.m. doesn't mean the next twelve hours of your life must be a free-for-all..... I'm still having kind of a hard time with this one though. Also, coming here. That's been the biggest help ever. Have a nice day. -Apryl

[looosingit]

For me there are a few keys:

- mini meals...I eat 5 small meals daily (breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack, dinner)

- taking weight loss in steps. I don't think that I would have been successful if I had tried to change all of my habits in the first week. I took the first step - watching what I eat, 2nd step - getting lots of water, step 3 - exercise....etc....whatever works for you.

- go easy on yourself...don't beat yourself up if you slip up every now and again. Plenty of healthy people eat unhealthy things every now and again. Like Apryl said...."don't let it ruin your day"...get right back to healthy eating

- make it about a healthy life style rather than loosing weight. The scale is mean and plays tricks...it doesn't always move when it should. You know when you have had a good week...don't let the scale tell you!

Good question! I am interested to hear all of the tips from all of the ladies and gents on this site! There is so much helpful information to be had!

Kris
261-188-155

[barbernotamagician]

great ideas and lots to keep me on my goal!! I'm going to like being part of this family

[Br00klyn]

WATER!! and lots of it... (I'm still getting used to this one!)

When you have a craving, find something healthy for what your craving: For example : if sweet, have some fruit or jello
if salty - have some pickles...

I'm finding it hard to accept the "don't let it ruin your day" attitude but I have to... Otherwise, you just fall off the wagon completely.

[mthrgoos68]

For me, the part that has made this the most effective is to design a plan that really works for me. I know that if I don't work in something sweet every day, then I'm not going to stay OP. I have to have a swee of some kind to look forward to every day, so I've designed it into my plan.

Tons of water, I drink 6 quarts every day.

Definitely exercise! Find something you like to do and do it. Don't be afraid to change your workout routine, or to add new things to it. I used to be afraid to try the Elliptical machine, but now I do 30 minutes on it every day and it's my favorite machine right now.

Come here often for support and to give support. It really does make a difference!