What is YOUR Best Weight Loss Tip Ever?!

I wanted to share something that has helped me eat a little bit better, and I was hoping that some of you might reply and tell me a little tip you discovered or change you made that made a big difference.

My biggest challenge is eating junk food (mostly candy and sweets). I keep from eating sweets mostly by writing myself little notes and sticking them in conspicuous places, like on the edge of my monitor at work. The three I have right now are:

"YOU are worth more than a donut!"

"If the problem isn't hunger, the solution isn't food!"

"Skittles are disgusting. The sugar makes me feel terrible - headache, stomachache, guilt... not worth it!" (I have a personal battle with Skittles, lol.)

Also, at my office, people are always giving me candy as a thank you, and I try to eat one piece and then share it with the rest of the office - if I stick the box out in the kitchen, it disappears in a matter of minutes, so there's no time for second thoughts! (I have one box of fancy chocolates that have lasted over a month, and I have a note on it that simply states my weight loss goal. It's effective without being overly "mean" to myself.)

By getting past the craving, the feeling of conquering that desire is way better than any sugar rush, and gives me even more motivation to eat right.

So, do you have any tips or tricks to share?!

Volumetrics! The idea is that a person tends to eat the same weight of food every day rather than the same number of calories.  So, if you take small portions of calorie dense foods and basically dilute them with a low calorie item, you feel like you're eating a ton but aren't eating a ton of calories.  I like putting hot foods over tons of mixed greens, especially pasta.  I end up eating only 300 calories or so of pasta, but feel stuffed like I had eaten a gigantic bowl of pasta.

I also find that quite simply working out regularly significantly decreases my appetite and sweet tooth.  I usually crave healthy foods if anything after I work out.

I would take the above idea one step further.

Move away from calorie dense foods, (which include all nuts, oils, meats, dairy and processed grains) and toward more nutrient dense, which tend to have low calorie density. These include potatoes, vegetables, greens. Treat fresh fruit like dessert.

I lost 30 lbs in 3 months, and have kept it off.

I recently read an article about how fullness is a more complex process than we think. It is based on a NUMBER of factors, not only the volume and make-up of the food but also the quantity we perceive we're eating, the duration of time involved in eating, and the minfulness/mindlessness with which we eat.  Reading this article made me realize that part of my new quest for healthy eating and living already incorporates this idea, and so far it's been a successful and enjoyable journey!

*Presentation of foods is key to fullness and enjoyment. This doesn't take a lot of time or money! I eat food in small/medium glass bowls instead of opaque bowls or plates. The glass allows me to SEE all the food in front of me during the entire eating session. The bowl makes it seem more plentiful than when spread across on a plate. If I'm eating a few different things in one sitting, like a salad, cous cous, and sliced grilled chicken, I put each in its own small glass bowl. This also makes the food seem more plentiful; it makes me realize I'm eating three different  things I enjoy, not just downing 'dinner'! When I'm buying new bowls, dinner trays, glasses, and silverwear, I always buy things that are aesthetically pleasing to me. A hand-painted yellow and pink ceramic mug I bought during a trip to Maine is one of my favorites for morning coffee; the colors are cheery and it reminds me of my lovely few weeks in Maine hiking through nature trails and ferrying across lakes!

*Eating mindfully is also important, for at least part of the meal. I close my eyes, chew slowly, and allow the taste of food to develop in my mouth, paying attention to the bursts of flavor, the change in texture as chewing progresses, and the aftertaste.

*Part of eating mindfully is not only paying attention to the flavor of food, but remembering where it comes from. When I eat grains for example, I think of the fields in which they may have grown,  the long, hot days under the sun that they needed to mature, the many people that tended to them, and the whole process of refinement and production needed to get them on the grocery store shelf so I can pick them up and purchase them. This is Mother Earth and humankind's blood, sweat, and tears, why shove it our mouths without a second thought?

*I always say thanks before and after eating. Saying thanks-- to God, the universe, your good luck, whatever it is you believe in-- is something anyone can do and something that helps us learn to have a loving and healthy relationship with food, not one mired in conflict and obsession! As a human rights activists of several years, something I always think about is how more than half the world's population lives on less than a dollar a day; most people in this world do not have the PRIVILEDGE of the possibility of a healthy, balanced diet, let alone one with the variety of choices that we have. This is not something we should feel badly about, but it should inspire us to make the choice to eat well and eat mindfully.

Thanks everyone for your continued inspiration and support. :)

I have lost 70 lbs over the past year.  Although I still have another 50 to go, I can tackle them much easier than the first 70 because of what I have learned!

The best advice I can give for people who want to lose weight, is to live like someone at your goal weight.  I wake up every morning with a healthy BMI and body fat % MENTALLY, and the rest of my day falls in place.  I eat the same way I plan on eating when my goal weight is reached (modifying for maintenance instead of loss, obviously) -- healthy whole grains, lean proteins, legumes, fresh produce, fresh fruit, water, tea.  I eat the damn chocolate when I want a piece.  I go out for drinks or pizza, but ask myself how much would a thinner, healthier me indulge?  And the decisions make themselves.  The same goes with exercise and activity.  I see no point in killing myself in the gym for 5 hours a day if I don't plan on doing that forever...and I sure don't.  I know I can't expect to sit on  my butt all day, everyday, stuffing face with cheeseburgers after the weight comes off.  Live like a skinny (healthy) person, and your body will catch up.  Easy peasy.

I also told everyone, and have made it not only a matter of health and vanity, but a matter of pride as well.  No one thought I would get 15 lbs off, let alone 70 lbs in a year.  They still don't believe I will get the last bit off and stay that way, so I use their discouragement as fuel.

And I refuse to waste calories on crappy food...that's how I got this way in the first place!  

Original Post by trsidn:

Move away from calorie dense foods, (which include all nuts, oils, meats, dairy and processed grains) and toward more nutrient dense, which tend to have low calorie density. These include potatoes, vegetables, greens. Treat fresh fruit like dessert.

I agree with avoiding processed grains, but nuts, oils, meat, and dairy can all have really important health benefits. Of course, you can live without meat, dairy or nuts and still be healthy, but that's not to say they aren't nutritious. We all need some fat in our diets - and oils can be a healthy source of fat - and whilst nuts are calorie dense, they're also incredibly nutrient dense too.

Original Post by msn3rd702:

...The best advice I can give for people who want to lose weight, is to live like someone at your goal weight.  I wake up every morning with a healthy BMI and body fat % MENTALLY, and the rest of my day falls in place....

And I refuse to waste calories on crappy food...that's how I got this way in the first place!  

 This is great advice and it could apply it to other areas of life, too. Like, I could live like a much more confident person, then maybe I will actually become more confident. Thank you for your tip!

Don't cut out, merely limit.

I lost 30 lbs and have been keeping it off the past 4 months while still having doughnuts, ice cream, cookies, pizza, etc., etc.

Also, mixing foods into one big mass seems to fill me up.  I have a dish where I cook brown rice, white rice or quinoa with spinach and a little meat.  I heat up some mixed veggies and toss them in when the rice is done.  Top with some cheese and stir it all together.  That is healthy and filling albeit a little gross looking. :P

Keep junk out of reach. Your house is not a trash can, and neither are you. I truly believe (and stick by this no matter what) that if you develop a healthy mindset you will go for healthy treats as well. A couple squares of dark chocolate, a piece of exotic fruit, a little of the finest noble cheese money can buy etc. If your treats come in the form of Big Macs and Twix bars, chances are something didn`t go 100% right in your transformation.

Just because it's free doesn't mean you have to eat it.

I don't know why people are so FREE FOOD crazy. It's not free. It's time at the gym, it's your health.

You don't have to clear your plate. Waste is waste is waste.

Just because it's on your plate, you don't have to eat it. You CAN throw things away. It's either going to pass through your body where you poop it out into the toilet and you hold on to the excess fat from over eating, or you can send it straight to the trash. I pick the trash :)

That is a great way of putting it. Thanks!

Your Skittles are my M&Ms.  I don't know what it is about them.  It's not even good quality chocolate, but I crave them.  Then I have them and think they are gross.  Evil evil food!

I totally agree!!

Original Post by msn3rd702:

The best advice I can give for people who want to lose weight, is to live like someone at your goal weight.  I wake up every morning with a healthy BMI and body fat % MENTALLY, and the rest of my day falls in place.  

 I love this advice!!!  I'm at the beginning of my journey this time, with 70 lbs to lose.  But, I lost 65 before and kept it off for 5 years by doing exactly this.  I stopped thinking I was too fat to run and started running.  I started fueling my body instead of just feeding it, and the pounds came off.  I believe they stayed off because I didn't do anything drastic.  The lifestyle I adopted to lose the pounds became my constant lifestyle - active & healthy ... until pregnancy.  So I'm back at it again, just started living like I'm 130 again, and can't wait to get back there.

I love all the fantastic tips in here.  What a great thread!!!

Drink at least a half gallon of water every day. Many times thirst masquerades as hunger. Your body is craving water to help metabolize all the food stuck in your gut (probably from overeating, as in my case) and to remove other toxins, but you eat something instead to, well, help move everything along. You'll be surprised how much better you feel (and think, too!) when you're getting enough water and the desire to graze is much diminished.

SO many good tips here peeps!

I try to (usually) follow a very basic "plan".  I eat some complex carbs and protein for breakfast (whole wheat toast and PB) and I try to make sure both my lunch and dinner are about half vegetables.  Even if I eat pizza, I start with a salad and add plenty of veg. to the pizza.  Then I just fill in the blanks with things I know are good for me.  Yogurt and fruit for snacks, nuts when my day has been low in other monounsaturated fats.

Oh, and a glass of wine before bed :)

DONT PUT YOUR LIFE ON HOLD WHILE YOU LOSE WEIGHT!

First hand experience, once the weight comes off, you won't know what to do with yourself if youve spent the last six months always in the gym and never hanging out with friends. Getting healthy is about being able to enjoy life. 

Make things non-negotiable. They form habits. 

Like workouts. There's no "Do I feel like working out?". Granted if youre exhausted from overtraining and poor nutrition there's a problem, but otherwise, "It takes 21 days to form a habit" Three short weeks to healthy habits. 

I suggest buying a copy of "Eat This Not That" and leave it in your car. This is a great book and a handy tool! I love that I can go just about anywhere and know what a good choice is or more importantly what to avoid. And I have been suprised to learn that the right bacon cheese burger can be a healthier choice than the wrong salad.  Any how it feels great to actually be able to eat out when ever I want, in this age of rushing through life, some times it is too much to avoid the occasional Mc Donalds pit stop, and I am a slave to starbucks, no doubt! Sarah

Original Post by dkenworthy:

Don't diet, change your lifestyle.  Don't subtract, add healthy foods and activities to your lifestyle.  80 pounds ago I decided to start living as if I were at a healthy weight.  I gradually replaced sedentary with active, highly processed foods with whole foods, bigger portions with smaller portions.  Small changes make big differences if you make them consistently.  I still have a long way to go, but this thinking has made it easy to get where I am now, and I am confident it will get me all the way to healthy!

Di---TTO!!!  I couldn't have said it better!  I think I will just second that!!

I read this in the forums somewhere. Credit goes to whomever said it first:

"Stop eating  a meal when you sigh. "

I'm guilty of eating too much when it's good and this simple trigger is very effective. I know when I eat after the sigh, I'm eating too much.