Well for me, a low calorie and low fat lifestyle is really working for me. Also, not having any soda anymore. How about everyone else, what is working for you?
Loosely calorie counting (I get 2200 per day for now) but paying attention to my body. I used to eat when I was happy, sad, mad, bored, sleepy, excited, you get the picture. Now I only eat when I'm physically hungry. And for now, it's working. To be tweaked in the future, but it's baby steps for now.
Counting cals all the way! I lost well on Nutrisystem in the begining and then did a Nutrisystem like plan which was low cal but not counting and that work good too, but really counting and being accountable has really opened my eyes to what a lifestyle change this all is and the weight has just been melting away. It have really helped with my binging issues as well. I love it!
Well I lost 130 pounds. I weigh in my 160's now, I'm a male. I am not losing anymore. I am staying at this weight. When I was overweight my normal daily routine went like this:
Everyday I had fast food. It was not unusual to go to McDonalds for lunch, get a supersize meal, then go to burger king for dinner and get a whopper value meal. I also ate whole bags of candy (the 1lb bags), and probably six to 12 cans of pop EVERYDAY. Also, ate twinkies, donuts, etc. If there were donuts in the house I'd eat like four or five easily. Also I never exercised. Sometimes I would eat then go right to bed. Get up at night and eat something then go back to bed. I probably ate over 4,000 calories per day.
Now I eat about 2,000 cals per day, vegetables, fruit, no pop, only water, and exercise everday for an hour. I started my weight loss four years ago. Have not walked inside a fast food restaurant, nor have my lips touched a burger since. Don't plan on it, either. I love my new life. Plus, all that candy is gross! I used to love those cherry/strawberry starbursts..why eat those when I can eat a real cherry or real strawberry which taste like 1000 times better and have a huge nutritional value?
So far, I'm doing well counting calories, usually between 1300-1600 and NEVER under 1200 or over 1800. I get a "treat" or something whenever I want it as long as it fits into my daily plan, though I try not to eat just those skinny cows. I am also counting fat, just to make sure I'm not eating too much. I eat more veg than I used to and trying to increase it even more by trying different ways to cook things I haven't liked before. I think it's working for me because of the built in flexibility. I would never make it on a strict plan.
I also do some kinds of activity every day. Bicycle riding suits me best and I am now at approx 5-6 miles a day on the flat, a bit less if it's hillwork. If the weather is awful, then I walk. I can't usually walk more than a few blocks yet, but it seems to be improving over time. Sometimes I just walk around a couple of blocks and then maybe do it again later the same day. I do steep stairs about once a week, dance videos a little bit sometimes and use the mini trampoline sometimes, but all of those things are usually just add ons becuase I'm not very fit and have a bulging disc.
So far, I think I'm doing okay. I'm not very patient, but I'm trying.
Calorie counting with a tendency towards whole foods - lean meats, low fat dairy, LOTS of veggies, a little fruit, carefully measured whole grains and starches and healthy fats. (I weigh and measure everything, but I'm esp. careful with the grains and starches and have mini portions of those, but don't feel good if eliminate them completely).
1200-1500 calories a day, and trying to fit in 30-60 minutes of moderate activity everyday, although I'm still getting my groove back on that after being taken out of commission by a really bad cold for a couple of weeks (which I think is trying to stage an encore right now).
I do have ocassional treats and I make room for them in my calories, but I don't set aside 100 calories a day or anything like that. When I have them, I want them to be real TREATS - something rare and special that I can really appreciate.
I'm not a speed demon in terms of how fast the weight is coming off, but I'm happy with what I eat and how I feel, and slow but steady loss is fine by me.
I'm a little different -- I'm eating a high-fat diet, with moderate protein and low-carbs -- sticking pretty much to veggies, meats, eggs and a little cheese and yogurt. Added fats are organic butter and olive oil. This is a whole foods diet, I don't eat much of anything processed (however I don't go crazy over this).
I track both my calories and carbs in CalorieKing. I am so happy this (mostly) keeps my hunger under control. I was on WW years ago and was hungry all the time and just couldn't sustain it (WW was different back then, don't know how it is now). My bloodwork is fabulous on this plan, my doctor can't believe it. He is very happy.
Calorie counting. I try to get 40% of my calories from protein. I do cardio 90 minutes a day, seven days a week.
What works for me is obsessive planning and Staying On Plan. Once a month I have an "indulgence meal", but the rule is that I have to eat only what I can eat in one sitting (no leftovers or doggy bags). Besides that, I stay on plan every single day, and even that is really "on plan", carefully calculated not to affect my weight loss.
I cut out soda and chips. These had turned into staples in my house, so we put a ban on buying them for the house, and I don't buy them at all. I also have cut out McD's, which I was eating a lot, and have stopped having caffeine. The first few days of no caffeine brought some serious headaches, so I upped my water intake and have stuck to drinking several cups a day. This has led to some decent weight loss in the past couple of weeks. I also try to watch my portions, and eat as slowly as I can make myself (I'm a seriously fast eater, it's terrible), so I'll be more likely to realize when I'm full. My reasoning for the small portions is that if I'm still hungry twenty minutes after supper, I can eat more food. But starting with a small portion seems to work well.
I'm trying to fit in some exercise each day, without necessarily having to go to the gym, although I try to get a couple gym sessions in each week, because I like weight training.
WW points system here. I try to keep the fat low and work hard to eat more whole foods and less processed stuff. I'm also drinking at least 64 ozs. of water a day...but I'm not opposed to a diet coke or two if my water is still good.
I am trying to only eat when I am hungry. I also converted to vegan a couple of months ago, which has made me feel so much better. My only issue now is night munching, which I think I have under control. We will see.............;-)
Calorie counting I love it because it means I can eat anything in moderation. I've tried the cutting out foods totally thing but failed each time. Now I have that slice of cake or few pieces of candy as long as I make sure it fits into my calorie allottment for the day. It's great! I cut out soda completely and avoid bread on weekdays because it's my trigger food. So it's a special treat on weekends I plan my entire week on a Sunday night and record everything. It's worked amazingly and I've never felt better!
Exercise is a major part of my life too. I absolutely love it. It's usually 5 times a week at 2 hours a time (3 hours on the 2 days I have a stretch class). That's weight training and cardio each time with HIIT incorporated 2-3 times a week. It sounds like a lot but I have an excess supply of energy and need to channel it somewhere!
South Beach (lots of veggies, lean meats and whole grains) and regular exercise is working great for me. My body responds well to SBD. I've been losing steadily since I started in October and I love how great I feel.
I loosely count calories and walk a lot. I lost less weight when I closely counted my calories so I decided to be less strict and it's working for right now. I think I get bigger zig zags that way, because when I pay close attention to calories I get obsessed.
What Works For You?
