My 3 biggest tips on losing weight...

I lost 55-lbs in 5-months last year simply by eatling less than what my body burns; unfortunately I didn't find CC until just recently; which they promote the same exact philosophy and provide many excellent tools to help you accomplish your goals. Some tips that made it easier for me.

1 - Use Averaging - instead of thinking of a strict daily amount of calories, "budget" your calories over the entire week. For example if your daily intake goal is 1,900 calories, that equals a weekly total of 13,300. If one day you eat a little more, you can make it up on the other days as long you stay below the 13,300. This also allows you to budget for foods that you really enjoy rewarding yourself for sticking to your plan. In addition to being able to reward yourself with these smaller incremental goals, you are also able to teach yourself to enjoy those foods in moderation as you have the power to decide when and what you are going to eat.

2 - Do Not Use Exercise to Lose Weight - Excercise is good, but too many people think that with exercise they can eat anything they want and still expect to lose weight. Most people are unable exercise enough to burn more calories than they consume. Plan your caloric budget as if you are not going to exercise, and if you do you happen to work out you will burn more calories than you were planning on, helping you to lose weight.

3 - Plan - Using your weekly budget, plan your week to meet your needs. For example if you know if you're going out to dinner on Friday night, plan meals of fewer calories Monday - Thursday so you will know that you can afford a bigger meal on Friday night. Also, when planning your day, anticipate what meals you are going to eat that day. If your lunch is going to be a little bigger, then plan on a lighter dinner. This also allows you to eat a snack once in a while.

Good luck in your weight loss endeavors!

Pat

Those are some good tips! I kinda do all of those in my own way. And I totally agree with number 2. Not that exercise isn't important because it is. But you can't eat whatever you want and then think you are gonna lose just because you exercise. I have learned that eating right and portion control play a much bigger part in losing weight. Exercise is to keep your body healthy but it really makes more of a difference if you are eating right.

Totally agree with #2. If you want to shed some lbs, you gotta watch what you're eating and not rely on exercise.

I agree with you so much on 2! I worked out 6 days a week (often 2 a days) and still managed to gain 15 pounds during my first year at college! It's a tool you can use (exercise) but it doesn't make up for overeating

Congratulations Pat!

Excellent strategies, and all three worked for me.  Especially: Planning.

I lost my first 35 lbs by planning ahead several days.  Once I got a handle on it, I didn't plan so far ahead, and started to average my calories, as you suggested.  It works so well!

I always count exercise as bonus "burn" rather than bonus "eat" calories.  This helps me keep the focus on weight loss rather than expecting a treat for something I should be doing anyway.

Original Post by plawler67:

1 - Use Averaging - instead of thinking of a strict daily amount of calories, "budget" your calories over the entire week.  For example if your daily intake goal is 1,900 calories, that equals a weekly total of 13,300.  If one day you eat a little more, you can make it up on the other days as long you stay below the 13,300.  This also allows you to budget for foods that you really enjoy rewarding yourself for sticking to your plan.  In addition to being able to reward yourself with these smaller incremental goals, you are also able to teach yourself to enjoy those foods in moderation as you have the power to decide when and what you are going to eat.

 YES, YES, YES!!!  This is sooo true for weight loss, weight gain, or maintenance.  Its ridiculous to hold yourself to the same calorie intake every single day. It drives you crazy, plus if you're under calories and its 10pm why eat just because you have "extra" calories.  Conversely if you're a few hundred over why freak out?  This was one of my biggest epiphanies during my weight gain and recovery from an eating disorder.  This is seriously the best advice I can give to anyone that is counting calories.

well, I noticed years ago that when I exercise my muscles tend to increase way faster than my fat's getting burned. It's somewhat normal, but it can also be frustrating at first, as your total volume increases (increased muscles + fat still there) before you maybe start losing fat. So a moderate exercise definitely is better *on the long run*

congrads on your weight loss im new to this site ive lost 62 pounds in 5 months now

also i wanted to add since i lost the weight and started eating healthy and exercise my blood pressure is now normal and so is my cholestrol.

Original Post by plawler67:

2 - Do Not Use Exercise to Lose Weight - Excercise is good, but too many people think that with exercise they can eat anything they want and still expect to lose weight.  Most people are unable exercise enough to burn more calories than they consume.  Plan your caloric budget as if you are not going to exercise, and if you do you happen to work out you will burn more calories than you were planning on, helping you to lose weight.

Actually, this part doesn't work for me.  Unless I'm sick, if I don't excercise, I don't lose weight.  Period.  My sedentary burn is slightly more than 1500 calories, so if I want to lose weight while sedentary, I would have to drop to 1200 or so to see even a minor loss.  I've tried eating that low.  It's no fun, and therefore not very sustainable, and I also didn't lose weight doing it.  Excercise is not optional for me.  Unless I'm sick, I excercise every day.

I absolutely agree that just because you excercise doesn't mean you can eat anything you want.  That's just silly.  But I'd rather excercise and be able to eat a little more. Also, I have no desire to lose muscle.  If you don't incorporate excercise into your life, you will probably lose muscle while you lose weight.

These are wonderful tips for most dieters to use.  I think the point of #2 was to not depend on the exercise as your plan to reduce.  Unless you are very young, most of us don't have the hours in the day that would be needed to exercise the weight off.  Additionally, it's easy to overdo, and an injury, even mild soreness, may keep one from being consistent.

Suggestion #3 is vital, IMO. I plan what I'm going to eat at least 24 hours ahead of time (so I don't have to make decisions when I'm already hungry) and make sure that I always have healthy choices available for weak moments.  Having a craving with nothing available to curb it is a catastrophe waiting to happen.

The other suggestion I'd add to this list is to find ways to indulge your passions in a "safe" and healthy way.  If you are successful you won't feel deprived and will be much less likely to "cheat".  I am a total chocaholic and I adore ice cream.  Every 2 weeks I make a pan of my favorite thick, fudgy, low fat brownies and I eat one almost every day (freeze the rest).  I also keep single sized portions of WW ice cream (just happens to be a favorite) on hand at all times.  If my brain tells me I "need" ice cream, there it is, in a manageable portion.

Good luck, all!

Original Post by dolphinclick:

Original Post by plawler67:

2 - Do Not Use Exercise to Lose Weight - Excercise is good, but too many people think that with exercise they can eat anything they want and still expect to lose weight.  Most people are unable exercise enough to burn more calories than they consume.  Plan your caloric budget as if you are not going to exercise, and if you do you happen to work out you will burn more calories than you were planning on, helping you to lose weight.

 

Actually, this part doesn't work for me.  Unless I'm sick, if I don't excercise, I don't lose weight.  Period.  My sedentary burn is slightly more than 1500 calories, so if I want to lose weight while sedentary, I would have to drop to 1200 or so to see even a minor loss.  I've tried eating that low.  It's no fun, and therefore not very sustainable, and I also didn't lose weight doing it.  Excercise is not optional for me.  Unless I'm sick, I excercise every day.

I absolutely agree that just because you excercise doesn't mean you can eat anything you want.  That's just silly.  But I'd rather excercise and be able to eat a little more. Also, I have no desire to lose muscle.  If you don't incorporate excercise into your life, you will probably lose muscle while you lose weight.

 I have to agree here. Working out has always been an essential part of my weight lose, and when I don't work out on a regular basis, like now, I'm going to put on weight.  Exercise is a MUST, esspecially for the Mega Heavy among us!!

Thanks! good advice!

My biggest tip is to drink plenty of water an hour & a half before exercising.

I drink about 52 oz. Of water & exercise around 5:30pm so I have plenty of time to get this water in (I don’t drink it all at once).

If you don’t it makes exercising so much harder then necessary I learned this the hard way.

I totally agree with the exercise part. I know it from first hand experience that you can lose weight without exercising. I m not saying that exercising isn t important, it is especially for your health, but it won t make a huge difference in terms of weightloss. The basic rule to lose weight is counting calories and eating less than you burn.

I'll go a step futher on point #2 and say too much exercise can actually be detrimental to weight loss. I see so many posts here with people working out 6 to 7 days a week attempting to shed those excess pounds.

The problem is, if you're serioulsy restricting your calories to 1200 to 1500 per day AND doing that much exercise, you could be sabotaging yourself. It's too much stress for your body to handle all at once and it could trigger the dreaded "survival mode" where weight loss is very difficult.

What's great about this site is it reduces weight loss to simple mathematics. Eat less than you burn with a sensible, balanced diet and it's elementary my dear Watson.

Tiffy,

I am glad the tips helped you.  It is honestly that premise that helped me drop 55 lbs.  IMHO, there is no need to buy diet pills, use special meals or "tricks".  You hit the nail on the head when you said your "view on weight-loss" changed.  Weight management is 95% psychological.  That is why I try to keep encouraging others, if you get past the "mind games" we play with ourselves the weight will come off. 

Under my profile I have a link to my website where I have a copy of my plan that I developed.  Some say it looks like I am trying to sell something, but I assure you there is nothing to buy.  There is also no advertisement for anything.  I just created the website to share my success with others in the hopes they too will achieve their goals!

Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think.

Pat

I gotta say that I think #2 is horrible advice for a couple of reasons but the most important being that you should absolutely plan in your exercise to your calorie consumption and not just consider it a bonus.  If you don't, you might end up with too large of a deficit.  Also, the bonus side affects of exercising are excellent reasons to try and make it a consistent part of your weight loss plan.

And like most people I so agree with number 2, I tryed many diets along the years. This time I am thinking a bit different... Join the gym after I lose off the weight, Why? to tone up and to mantaine the new weight... so that I wont have another incresse in my lbs. I didn't get a profecinal opinion on this it's just my way of thinking! :)

I also, unfortunately, disagree with #2. For a long time, my problem was undereating when I was jogging, sprinting and doing resistance training everyday (jogging everyday, sprinting every other day and resistance training 3-4 times a week). If I had not done that much exercise, I'd probably have lost weight even faster simply because my metabolism wouldn't be in "starvation" mode. For the normal dieter, though, these tips are excellent. Averaging and planning are excellent tools for weight loss success. Thank you!