Don't be put off by what everyone else seems to be doing, whether it's losing 5lb a week or eating an incredibly high level of protein. Learn from other people, but use only what works for you personally.
"You move less and eat more than you think you do." Facing up to reality is an eye-opener. No more excuses.
This is SO true! I threw a little inner temper tantrum when I started calorie counting again and realized how many calories were in so many of the foods I regularly ate. I had the same reaction when I realized how few net calories I burn through exercise. I've realized that ignoring the reality doesn't change it.
The best advice I ever saw on 3FC? Pretty much any post by Saef or Kaplods.
I'm a slow loser. It is what it is. So what? Maintaining even ONE lost pound is better than gaining. And accepting that the amount of work and angst it would take me to have the "perfect" body is just not worth it at this time in my life, so I need to accept the best body I can have while still living a sustainable lifestyle.
Best advice I've received - start today, right now. If you mess up, don't wait four days until Monday to start again or make it right. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and make better decisions NOW.
I cannot count how many times I slipped on a plan in the past and said, "Eh, screw it, I'll start again in a week or the 1st of next month." Then those days would get here, and I'd either "not be ready" or I'd mess up again and start the process over.
Avoid the all or nothing mentality i.e., either I'm eating healthy or I'm not, I'm not going to eat healthy while on vacation, I'll start tomorrow or next week...you get the picture
If you eat healthy most of the time you will develop life changing habits and be successful in your weight loss as well
I'm not an Oprah devotee, but I did watch one of her more recent weight loss episodes where she said, paraphrasing, that if there were a silver bullet, a magic pill, for weight loss - that she would have it. She would buy it, she would buy them all (because she could). The thing is, it doesn't exist. There is no magic cure. There is no short-cut. It doesn't exist.
So when I hear "new weight loss method!" - "new weight loss pill!" - "new diet and you will lose 10lbs per week!" -- I can laugh it off. I no longer believe in short-cuts to long-term, healthy, weight loss. It just doesn't exist.
This may not be the best weight loss advice I have ever heard, but it sure has made a big impact on me this summer. Eat Unprocessed Wheat Bran (I put 1 1/2 tbsp in each 6oz of yogurt I eat, usually first thing in the morning and then 1 more time during the day.)
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate you can't digest. This is great news for weight loss because it means fiber has no calories. One of the best sources of insoluble fiber is wheat bran.
Note: Wheat allergies are becoming more common. Rice bran will work as effectively as wheat bran.
There are so many good pieces of advice... it's really difficult to pick just one. I suppose the best overall piece of advice is something that could apply to more than just weight loss.
"Never give up."
And that's paraphrasing, because I read it all over the place on 3FC in various ways. In bits of encouragement, and butt-kicking, in hugs and nudges. Those little voices all over the forums saying "Don't look back. Just make steps forward. Even baby steps." Everyone here says it to everyone else each day. "Don't give up! Don't give in! This is worth it. Every day we're on plan is WORTH it."
The best weight-specific advice, though, has got to be every time I've read Kaplods' posts about how:
"Maintaining is succeeding. Slow weight loss is succeeding."
I cannot count the number of times that has helped me, because it leads me to so many other positive thoughts. The mere act of NOT returning to my highest weight is a success. I don't need to be at goal weight to be succeeding. Being here, in the present, and doing healthier things for myself is the goal.
Yes, I may want to lose more, and that's fine, but never returning to 300+ pounds is a darn huge success. I'm allowed to be proud of it and of all my progress along the way. I don't have to wait for a certain "goal" to feel proud and successful.
Only I define what success is to me in my life. And success, to me, is every single healthy step forward I make.
Im a person who eats when Im bored. Someone told me "When you think you might be hungry chew a piece of gum first". Ive noticed that after about 10 minutes of chewing, I dont feel hungry anymore.
- You can do anything for one day.
(Forget yesterday, forget tomorrow and and the weeks/months before and afterwards... you can do it today. Repeat as necessary.)
- Find a form of exercise you'll stick with. (It helps if you enjoy it.)
Just because your friend _____ goes running/hiking/biking/rock climbing/plays tennis etc, doesn't mean it's right for you. If you find you can stick with taking the stairs at work rather than the lift, or getting off the bus a stop or two earlier, or sticking to gym sessions x days per week, do it.
For me, it was walking around the common round the block from my house. Some people find this their idea of ****, and would rather play tennis or whatever.
- Don't despair when you "only" lose a pound/half a pound.
Ever put your small change in a jar, then take it to those machines at the shops? I put my coppers in a jar for an entire university semester, and ended up with just over £6. Little bits add up.
My recovering alcoholic friend, by example, showed me how important it is to take things day by day. Minute by minute if it's really bad. But the important thing was that no matter what, it all counted and so the "oh, I ate a cake today so I'm off the diet and forget about it, I can't do this" attitude was a poor one. No one ever got anywhere with that attitude.
The scale isn't everything. Ditch it whenever you want to. It's not going to care.
Don't fill your life with boring crap you don't care about because you "should" do this or that. It usually results from people-pleasing. Prioritize and always seek out your own joys. Follow your heart's desire. Follow your bliss. Whatever you want to call it.
Set out on this journey with self-love as the basis, not self-hate. Self-love sounds like "I want to be healthy and happy and do more things in life." Self-hate sounds like "I hate being fat, I hate looking ugly, I want to be attractive, I can't stand looking in the mirror." We all have those feelings, but it shouldn't pave the way on the journey.
Find what works for you that you can do for a lifetime. There's magic cure for everyone, and no two people are the same.
Stick with it. Perseverance trumps "talent" every time when it comes to success. Some of the most successful people ever just never gave up, no matter how often they "failed." Thomas Edison was famously quoted as saying he didn't fail 10,000 times, he successfully discovered 10,000 ways a light bulb would not work. And I'm sure I've found 50,000 ways to NOT lose weight!
Have medical and moral support. You can do it alone, but why make it that much harder on yourself? That's alot of pressure! There's weight loss support groups everywhere if none of your friends want to join you or if they are not available to be your moral support in this.
