TONS of good advice here! I'd like to comment on Prim 2012

Originally Posted by :
It's just not educating yourself about healthy eating and exercise but learning about yourself so you're not frustrated trying an eating regimen that everyone else seems to losing a lot of weight on but you're not. Case in point, many people have been successful with mini-meals (5-6 per day). I would get so frustrated because I wouldn't lose weight with this approach . . . I found that my schedule and most notably my body responded better eating 2-3 larger meals . . . I just went with this approach for me. The same is the case for Atkins which I didn't respond well to but through trial and error I developed the right balance of protein, fat, and carbs for me by tracking food against weight loss over a period of time (need about 3-4 weeks to see a pattern). There is so much debate about what's good for our bodies and weight loss (i.e. dairy vs. no dairy, should we eat fruit, how much fat is too much, vegetarian approach versus meat eaters, etc.) that you have to really take the time to read a variety of data and then develop an educated eating plan based on your lifestyle, personality, and other factors specific to you. This will increase your chances for success.

and JohnP --

because one thing that works for me is fruit for a sweet craving. I know this is blasphemy for the Atkins/SBD/etc. followers but whenever I have passed up a piece of fruit because of the 'sugar' that craving would grow & I'd find myself later eating cookies, candy or junk! Though I know the Atkins/low sugar/low carb diets work wonders for many, they don't for me. Everyone is different.

1. Eat only things you like. If it's healthy but you don't like the taste of it? Don't eat it!!!!

2. After dinner, take a walk. I am fortunate that I live in a neighbourhood where I have fairly easy access to a lot of amenities--parks, library, mall, grocery store, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. I don't count it as my formal exercise. I just put on my headphones and zone out. It calms me.

3. One day a month, don't drive. Walk to where you need to go. Use public transit. You will know more about your city and you will get in more exercise.

LOL, since it's your #1 tip, I'll only list ONE: :)

Be consistent!

No matter what path you choose, what "diet" you choose, what exercise you plan to do, just stick to it. It takes time to adjust to new habits, it takes time to figure out what works best for your body, and it takes time to see results!

What worked for you 2 years ago may not work for you now.
What your friend is doing may be the right choice for her but it's not doable for you.
If you don't see any inches lost or pounds lost for a week or two don't give up and throw away your plan when you had been getting results before. It happens.

Well, there was more than one thing that helped me ...

1) eat foods you love, but only one serving

2) learn to manage your emotions & triggers

3) create a plan that fits your preferences

4) be flexible: learn and make adjustments

5) Persistence Pays: never give up -- no matter what!

:D

Stop whining about how unfair dieting/healthier eating is. Because yes, it's not fair that your sister/husband/neighbor/co-worker/whomever can seemingly eat whatever they want and not gain weight, but that has absolutely nothing to do with you and what's best for your own body. Take care of your own needs and stop worrying about what everyone else is putting in their mouths.

Whenever I am feeling discouraged or I am about to give up, I just ask myself "Can you make it just one more day?"

This needs to be a sticky! A lot of great advice.

Originally Posted by CandieRae:
Whenever I am feeling discouraged or I am about to give up, I just ask myself "Can you make it just one more day?"

i love this, thank you. i'll be asking myself that.



mine is: hold yourself accountable. this means journaling, as a lot of people have said, AND it means self-evaluation. make sure your data is accurate!

Forgiving myself. That helps me from thinking "OK I totally screwed up. Its over." I just think "It's OK, life has its ups and downs - I won't be 100% perfect all the time, take the time to feel better, and keep going."

The #1 thing that works for me is to plan my meals/snacks for the entire day the night before. I measure out everything, note the calories, and put it all in a tub in the fridge. Throughout the day I allow myself to graze and eat anything that is in that tub whenever I feel the need/want. I make sure I only add things that I like and it's balanced with fruits, veggies, dairy, protein, and of course a treat or two. I've found that by doing this it's really easy to stay within my goals and not eat too much of one thing, but a nice, healthy variety. I know that this may not work for everyone. I'm a SAHM who would rather graze all day than have 3 square meals, so this method works wonderfully for me! AND since I'm limited on sweets, I find myself saving that sugar free pudding cup for the last item of the day as a reward for staying on track!

My number one tip is this: deprivation is doomed to failure. Don't completely rule out foods if you can feasibly work them in. Don't make this a painful process.

My number two, close behind that, is make your program an idiot-proof routine. You need to be able to do it even when you're tired, stressed, sick, or cranky. It can't just be feasible on your best days; it has to be feasible on your worst, too.

I finally quit listening to the "dumb, shame, guilt, excuses," voices in my head and started to listen to my body and learn it and learned to love it and all of the good things about it!:carrot:

Our bodies are amazing things! Free your mind and the rest will fall into place!

Trying things out! If it works for you - that's GREAT! Some people can have moderation with everything, others can't. Some people do well on certain plans and others can't do a structured plan. Even if people say Oh this will def work/won't work/rolls their eyes - ignore em and be try to be open! I can't do cheat days and keep bread regularly in my diet - it is what it is and when I was honest with myself I was way happier.

Watch the oil in your foods. If I am not watching it I fry in loads of oil or add too much of it to my salads.
Also I think writing down what you eat keeps you accountable and keeps a record of what works for you in lose weight and what doesnt.

If your hungry, put something in your mouth. Make it something healthy and nutritious that adds protein or fiber to your diet or some of your basic needs. Some days I keep 1/2 cup of cottage cheese in the fridge with a spoon in it and when I feel hungry I just go eat a few bites. 1/2 a cup of raisin bran is also good. Celery stalks or lots of diff produce can be chopped small and snacked on in between the day. Always have a quick fix even keeping some fruit or nutrition bars or a box of raisins in a baggie at work or in your purse. Its when we allow ourselves to get really hungry and famished then some co-worker or family member offers to share food or you see something delicious on the go and eat something you shouldnt.

Mark everything you eat. EVERYTHING. Unless you do or have been doing this a really really really long time, most people have no idea how much 3 oz of meat are or 2tbs of dressing. I took three sips of my sons choc milk last week and wondered... how much was that worth. It was the first time I tasted something I dont plan to mark or like a sneak.lol So I figured it out to be around 25 calories. I was excessive ok I know...but what if u did this kinda stuff 4x a day? 6? It all adds up.

Dont eat anything you dont like. Dont force youself to eat a thing. I tried spaghetti squash, hated it. Sure its 20 calories for 1/2 cup serving...but it sure didnt make me think I was eating pasta like some people say. I still have 2 more squashes...idk what Ill do with them. Maybe there is some way to cook it Ill like it, but if I dont...I sure wont eat it just because its only 20 calories. Whenever you eat enjoy it and be proud of it. Dont force yourself anything or ever eat for the wrong reasons again. I hate artificial taste of some diet sugar free products like salad dressing. If I use one I dont like, I just keep thinking "this would be so much better with..." and it actually feeds my cravings and desires with every bite for the thing I dont wanna have. Tasting the spaghetti squash just made me want some rice or noodles even more. What if I forced myself to eat it everyday or a few days it would probably result in me binging and eating a whole lot of rice.

Divide things into portions. Eat only half the bananna, nutrigrainbar, or muffin. Then eat the other half later...stretch it out. Once u have a few bites of something in your stomach your body will start to work on that (burning more calories digesting too) and you wont feel such an urge to have more or craving things so much.

These r some things that helped me out