what is YOUR most successful strategy to lose weight?

share whatever it is YOU do in order to lose, maintain, or burn off those pesky pounds.

Well, I think different things work for different ppl but this is what i do.

1. A LOT of water 1-2 diet sodas a day max.

2. I calorie count, also have smaller portions 3 meals 2 snacks.

3. No fast food, sugar, white breads; but balanced meals (protein/carbs/fats)

4. Fresh ingredients as much as possible.

5. Veggies EVERY meal.

6. Workout at least 5 days a week for an hour at a time.

7. I treat myself every 2 weeks. Not a full meal, but a small part of the meal.

I've lost 54lbs so far, and im still losing. Like I said, people are going to have different ideas but this has been working for me!

i eat less and move more.

• Choose good quality wholefoods with plenty of flavour and variety.
• I cook more and eat out less
• Watch the portions.... (counting the calories as a spot check)
• Get some activity every day
• Weigh once a week only...
• Relax lots
• Like myself..... 

I have taken it one day at a time.  I found it's a lot easier if you relax and not look at this as a diet, but as a different way of living.  In other words, something that is not temporary.  

I eat healthy.  Lots of fruit, good carbs, fiber, protein, and veggies.  I don't feel like I've had to give anything up.  I find a healthy substitute.  It's actually kind of fun to see what you can come up with.

I exercise when I can.  I work 3, 12 hour shifts a week.  I don't stress those days, I consider those my rest days.  The days I'm off, I exercise 1-2 hours.

Speaking of work, I never eat cafeteria food, I always bring my own.

I eat often.  Keeps up my metabolism.

When dining out, I always look at the menu on-line before I go, so I know what I'm going to have.

When exercising, I do what I enjoy.  It's easier to do.  I do lots of resistance training.  Muscles are great and burn more calories in the long run anyway.

If I have a bad day, I'm okay with it.  We are not perfect, mistakes will happen.  I forgive myself and let it go.  I don't starve myself the next day, I just get back on track. 

Get enough sleep.  Without sleep, you won't have the energy you need to exercise properly.

Eat fewer calories

No food after 8 pm

Move more

Lots of water

That formula dropped 90 pounds off me 8 years ago, and I've kept most of it off since.  Now it's working again for me to drop these 13 pounds I gained since going back to school.

hey coma_red_, these are some things that work for me in maintaining my weight:

• i don't deprive myself.
• i eat everything i want, just not all at once.
• i make smart food choices on most days, for most meals.. but always leave room for treats i really want.
• i try my best to balance proteins, carbs and fats everytime i eat to about 50%-40%-10%.
• i don't eat anything i don't truly enjoy.. like sugar free imitation cookies. i rather eat smaller portions of the real thing.. like oreos.
• i eat a wide variety of foods.
• i cook my own meals most of the time.
• i don't clean my plate everytime i eat.. i stop when i'm full.
• i save the extra food for later or share it if i'm with someone.
• i stay concious of my eating when i go out.
• i don't count calories.
• i watch my portions.
• i listen to my body. i eat when i'm hungry, and only eat what i really want at that moment.. i don't plan ahead.
• i don't freak out when i eat more than usual.. i just move on.
• i take it easy.
• i drink a lot of water.
• i exercise when my body wants to.
• i do activities i actually enjoy.. like jumping rope, dancing, swimming, running, yoga.
• i walk a lot.
• i don't weigh myself.
• i realize my weight is a benefit that comes as a result of my health.. it's not my main goal though. i eat the foods i eat and do the exercises i do because they make me happy.

hope this helps! good luck

Original Post by pgeorgian:

i eat less and move more.

 that, my friend, is the ancient secret.

It is funny when people ask me how I've lost 46lbs and I give them that answer. They are almost dumbfounded!

to all of those that have replied this far...

i just have to wish all of you a giant congrats. i haven't been doing this a long time and already i am getting frustrated. it is really hard to be around people who can eat whatever they want and not gain a single pound.

i wish all of you the best of luck in achieving your goals. you are all really inspiring, as cheesy as it may sound.

This is working for me so far:

1. I give myself a break.  I use to beat myself up when I wasn't perfect with my diet and exercise, after 3 weeks of that I would give up completely.  Nowadays, if i'm tired or really busy, I just take a day or two or three off from exercise to avoid feeling overwhelmed but maintain my calorie deficit from food.
2. Get a measuring cup or scale.  I thought I was doing a good job eyeballing my food portions, but I wasn't.  I was underestimating some foods by about 1/4 to 1/2!!!  For example, I thought I was eating 1 cup of white rice (i'm having my white rice damnit!), but I was actually eating between 1-1/2 to 2 cups, that's more than a 200calorie difference just in one food item.
3. Let the people in your life know that you are serious about losing weight.  Other people don't mean to sabotage your efforts, but they really can.  And I use to do a lot of guilt eating.  I wouldn't want to throw food away, so I eat it...  I didn't want my dad to eat unhealthy foods, so I eat it...  My dad would cook too much, so I eat it...
   
4. Eat bad for you foods.  I still take sugar in my morning coffee, I still eat pizza, or chicken burger but only in moderation and only if it fits into my daily caloric intake, make sure you create balance with good foods the majority of the time.
   

Of the many, many strategies I use, the single most successful and effective one for me is tracking every single thing I eat.

I do many other things to move my weight loss forward, but all of my other strategies would be hamstrung without calorie counting.

love the eat less move more. so simple but the best advice ever. we're always trying to make losing weight more difficult and i think it causes us to think about food more, causing us to eat more. i agree with this, and eating until i just get a hint of being full. if i stop there, im satisfied and dont overeat. also, i try not to eat at night.

Eat less, work out, remind myself why I'm doing it all, and find fun activities to do instead of watch TV.

- Go to sleep every night BY midnight (and get 7 to 8 hours of sleep)

- Exercise every day for 2 hours

- Take time for myself daily

- Eat copious amounts of vegetables (EXAMPLE: in one sitting I will eat an entire head of purple cabbage, 2 cups of straw mushrooms, 2 cups of spinach, 1 medium red bell pepper and 1 pint of cherry tomatoes)

- I only eat healthy lean proteins, especially Salmon & Fatty Fish of that nature & Free-Ranged Red Meats

- I take vitamins/minerals on a daily basis

- I only use the sweetener Stevia 

- I drink lots of water

- I eat a ton of sea vegetables 

- I do not drink alcohol 

- I drink loads of tea & coffee

- I don't make counting calories consume my mind & control my life

- I smile & laugh daily 

- I never hide the person who I am 

- I have never been to any fast food restaurants, EVER. 

When i want to lose weight fast I do...

1) Track calories close (eat about 1300ish a day)

2) Exercise every other day (an hour of cardio)

.....done....

Do that for a couple weeks and the weight flies off.

Original Post by coma_red_:

 it is really hard to be around people who can eat whatever they want and not gain a single pound.

 I used to feel this way too... Until I realized that I too could eat whatever I wanted, I just had to be careful of how much of it I was eating...

We went out for fish and chips the other night, I was pretty scared as this was our first real family night out since I started this 3 months ago. I was conservative in my calorie choices throughout the day in anticipation, and I had a one piece fish with a side salad instead of fries. I had confirmed w/ my DH before I ordered that he would be okay with me stealing a couple fries. LOL and that's what I did, 3 fries, just to get the satisfaction, I relished every moment of my fish, and it was deep fried and battered, something I hadn't enjoyed in months!  When I got home, I logged my food, every single bite, and found that I still had 200 extra calories that I had to eat so that my deficit would only be 1000 calories (which is still pushing it)

You CAN eat whatever you want... You may just have to put a bit more thought into how you go about doing it, and even sometimes, if it's even worth it...

I find myself taking a bite of something indulgent sometimes now, and thinking, this just does not taste good enough to warrant those calories, or those extra minutes on the Elliptical. 4 months ago, I would have eaten it anyway...

Counting calories, and spending them wisely, is the only thing that has ever worked for me. I have a daily goal, I try very hard to chose "A" foods, and eat small and often. I budget for treats, and try to think if they are really worth it before I have them

Wine is my biggest weakness! But I try to allow for it rather than deprive myself.

Exercise is also very important~but I have worked out daily, not counted calories, and still gained weight. Abs are built in the kitchen, I believe

Original Post by gabriellemimi:

Exercise is also very important~but I have worked out daily, not counted calories, and still gained weight. Abs are built in the kitchen, I believe

 I agree wholeheartedly.  Watch what you eat and eat good, nourishing foods. 

Great thread, thanks to all!

- Herbalife (protein shake)

- Drinking a lots of water, eliminating every other drink

- Being patient with my progress

- ENDURANCE

i still believe in eating less and moving more, but it turns out major abdominal surgery works like a damn, too.