How do you do it! ? :O o.O

well, recently i've read a few of the motivation stories on the motivation forum, and it really does astonish me the amount some people have lost! its amazing,

i just can't get my head around how you can/do it..

i mean,

how long did it take you?

what were your goals/motivations?

how much exercise did you do?

did you go to the gym, or do exercise @ home ? :)

hope i can get some replys to inspire me on this journey of achievement and success!!

When I decided to lose weight the motivation was coming from all angles... I'd turned 40, saw a very unflattering photo of myself at a Christmas party, I wasn't feeling in great shape physically and I happened to read an article on 'Low GI' diets that sparked my interest.   Because I'd equated 'losing weight' with 'miserable' and 'perpetual hunger' I wasn't in a rush to get started but the article made me think it could be achieved more pleasantly.

My goal was principally 'health' so I aimed for a BMI of about 24/25.  Took me about nine months to lose 50+lbs because the rate of loss slowed as time went on.   I exercised for about half an hour a day... mostly a home exercise bike.   I used an online site (not this one) to help me plan menus and get to grips with portion-control, meal-balancing and so forth.  Then it was simply a case of being consistent, getting a good routine going...  and enjoying the ride.

Good luck

Thank you

well at the moment my goal is to lose 42 lbs, and someone recently said to me that if you put your scales into lbs, it helps more because at stone, the big number just looks depressing, so i did it, and i got on the scale this morning and noticed i had lost a 1lb in 2 days so im really happy about that! it was brilliant.

yeah, well i go running most nights 3 nights during the week, and maybe once at the weekend, and i walk 7 miles to school & back every day, so its helping alot, although my main flaw is that i like having low kcal's because i feel like ive achieved something, but i've realised that i need to get them up now because it could leave me short of certain things.

ive also tried making my 5 a day fruit and veg as real as possible and ive stuck to it recently, so thats helping!! :)

thank youuuu

The smart way to lose weight is not to aim especially for 'low kcals' but to keep them just low enough to lose 1 or 2lbs a week and to get the best 'bang for your buck' with your food choices.    If you go too low, you're right, you can end up deficient in nutrition, lacking in energy and feeling washed-out and miserable.  It can also, ironically, make it harder to lose weight and easier to gain weight as time goes on.  If an extra 200 - 300 cals a day prevents that.... got to be worth it.

I moved more.

I am 23, 5'3.6".  I decided after reading on facebook that one of my friend's friends had used this site to lose weight (my friend is overweight and complains about it), I decided that I would use it to get to a BMI that was "healthy."

It took from this past April to this past September (5 months) to lose 30 lbs.  I monitored my caloric intake (limit 1800/day) and I just walked everywhere I could.  If I had to go to the store and I wouldn't be getting anything bulky or heavy I would walk.  I walked to the library.  I walked around the neighborhood.  I biked around the neighborhood.  I also altered my diet only slightly.  I ate less processed food but I didn't cut anything out entirely.  I still ate cookies and doughnuts and frozen pizzas, just less.  I also went to my school's gym to work out on the treadmill (it was the only way I could focus on my reading assignments ).  I do mostly body weight exercises b/c they are easy and simple and can be done anywhere.

My advice is to just get active and make sure you get correct nutrition but do not ever restrict yourself...that will just lead you to backslide.

I've always been terrible at losing weight. I don't stay motivated for more than a couple weeks and I don't even like working out. But I'm doing it. From my heaviest weight ever, I've lost well over 50lbs. 

This is what I do:

1. Get myself in the mind-set. I WANT to be healthy. I think about it, talk to the hubby about it, read about it, and most of all I find other people who have great success stories. 

2. Food options don't change in this house. We simply don't buy chips, cookies, ice cream, etc. We don't buy much in the way of processed foods. We buy tons of produce (diet or not!) like pears, apples, pluots, squash, 3 -5 types of greens (like kale, chard, romaine, dandelion, spinach) as well as mushrooms, leeks, potatoes, broccoli, onions, carrots, etc. The list really goes on. This is the food available to me 24/7, diet or not. Fruits/veggies in high quantities combined with small portions of whole grains and lean protein (with the occasional dairy) will have you on the way to eating well even if you're not trying to lose weight.

3. The actual losing weight: Given the foods above, I try to back off the calories just a bit. I normally would eat around 2000-2300 calories in a day and I work towards eating only 1600 calories a day. Working towards 1600 means I always end up eating about t 1800. Every so often, I dip below 1600 and feel really proud of myself for it. This gives me anywhere between a 400 and 700 calorie deficit every day. 

4. The exercise: I'm the first to admit I hate cardio more than I hate lifting weights. I try to get in at least 2 days a week of 30 minutes rigorous weights and core exercise with 30-40 minutes of cardio at medium difficulty. If I manage to do at least that, I feel extremely proud of myself. I also do a lot of walking. I walk the dog, walk with friends, walk with coffee, park as far away from buildings as possible, etc. It all adds up!

5. Maintaining weight loss: I fall off the wagon more than anyone I know. The KEY to falling off the wagon is maintenance. Falling off doesn't mean that I get to fall back into old habits that got me to severely overweight to begin with. It means I eat to maintain what I've done, about 2200calories a day, give or take. I do weigh myself most days and I do not obsess over fluctuations. The body can go 4lbs in either direction w/o actually gaining/losing fat. 

6. Getting back on the saddle: this really goes back to #1. Get myself in the mind-set of losing weight. The wonderful thing about falling off the saddle is it gives your body a rest. If you talk to physical therapists (not trainers!) you might hear them talk about "rest and re-feed". The body needs both time to repair and get the nutrients back. On top of that, if you're trying to develop beautiful lean muscles, it's incredibly difficult to sculpt on a low cal diet. It CAN be done... its just extremely slow and in my book, unpleasant. 

When I fall off the saddle, my rest and re-feed periods can run anywhere between 2 weeks to 3 months. The key is really in maintenance and understanding that you really can't eat the way you did before - otherwise you wouldn't be trying to lose weight. :)

Because I hate the process of losing weight so much, I probably avg about 15lbs of weight loss a year. I never gain it back. 

I hope that helps.

Oh and one last thing! The best tool I've discovered is my cell phone! I found a background for my cell phone of a gorgeous woman with beautiful curves. I want to look like her some day. It's a little odd walking around with a very curvy swimsuit model as my cellphone background, but it was one of the smartest weight loss tactics I've ever tried. 

Good luck!

Sunny

I was at a party with some coworkers one day and I remember feeling like all my clothes were too tight. Not to mention I was wearing sweat pants that day because my jeans were uncomfortable. I got the photos back from the party and realized I needed to lose some weight before I needed another bigger size.

Joined my works gym and do a 75 minute step aerobics class on Mon, Wed, Fri. With an occasional yoga class or 30 minutes on the elliptical on Tues and Thurs.

Eating...I simple cut my calories at least 500 everyday and kept track using this website. At the time, I didn't think you really could lose weight by cutting calories so I only shot for 1 pound a week.

After 1 year I'm 30 pounds lighter and my eating habits have permanently been changed. :) It's definitely something you have to be fully committed to. And you have to do it for the right reason not to make an ex jealous or to look like your favorite celebrity. It's like cleaning house....you might not always want to do it but you just have to.

fi-jane:

True not to eat to few of calories. I finally just realized that I must have been eating too little. I was eating between 1300 to 1500, but would be so hungry by dinner time. And tired so that I didn't want to work out. So instead I'm cutting only 250-300 and then burning an extra 250 to 300 to make up a deficit that will cause me to lose a pound. One day down so far doing this, and already today I feel so full of energy. If this works, I'll never go on a super strict calorie limit again!!!

Being so tired, I should have known, but it took my doctor to say maybe your not eating enough. No wonder, I was losing and gaining the same five pounds. :(

This is a great site for motivation!!! I have lost 57lbs in  5 months. this is the first time I have made a lifestlye change and I have made my health my number one priority.

Heres what I have done:

1./ Joined a month long bootcamp which allowed me to lose the initial 15 lbs and started eating smaller portions of healthier foods.

2./ Read everything I could about proper diet and exercise. Combining a whole bunch of ideas has allowed me to create something that works for me.

3./ Calorie count but dont obsess. I am supposed to eat around 1580 calories a day sometimes I hit that sometimes I am around 1200, but I dont ever go over.

4./ After bootcamp I loved fitness!!!! I hired a personal trainer for 30 min sessions 3 times a week and started doing 6 classes at the gym a week and interval training 3 times a week.

5./ Find what works for you! and enjoy it. This is a journey we all have to figure out and when you start seeing results, that first 1 lb gone, it is a motivator to keep going.

6./ Dont kick yourself if you have something bad. Just start again right after. Dont destroy a whole day because of one bad choice, it wont kill you!

7./ Finally, enjoy the journey and wait for those amazing moments when people start noticing how good you look ;) nothing is a better motivator than that.

GOOD LUCK!!!

I am about halfway to goal, and started improving my lifestyle back in January 09.  My motivation was getting fitter before surgery, and easing up on my joints, which were starting to ache (I am 52).  So, health is my primary motivator, although I confess I enjoy looking better as well.  It has taken me 10 months to get halfway, I expect it will take another year to get to final goal.  Although, since nothing much will really change once I am at goal, I am not too worried about when I get there, this lifestyle is for good (in every sense of the word).  My advice:

1. Make small changes that you can live with happily.  It is much easier to maintain good habits if you build them slowly, one at a time.  Small changes really do make big differences, over the long haul.
2. Move more than you used to.  It doesn't have to be "exercise", but if you get your body moving, you will feel better almost immediately.  And, when you feel better, you look better, no matter what your weight is.
3. Don't go "on a diet" thinking that all you have to do is lose the weight (as quickly as possible) so that you can start living.  Living happens now, so love yourself and take care of yourself no matter what you weigh.
4. Live as if you are already at goal weight.  Take a class, volunteer to do a project in the neighborhood, take a trip, make a friend.  Don't use being overweight, or being on a diet, as an excuse to hibernate in the house.
5. Don't let perfection be the enemy of the good.  Just because you make a mistake now, the next moment is a new opportunity to start afresh.  We are all, by definition, human and imperfect.  You can still be successful at this (or anything else) if you try hard, learn from mistakes, and persevere.
6. Love yourself, and take care of yourself, at least as well, if not better, than you take care of all the others in your life.

Hi Loubyloou,

I think you are at the right first step - wanting it, and wanting to understand what it takes. For a long time I was overweight, and would look at healthy people and just be envious. I didn't think it could ever be me. I didn't know how to get from point A to point B. My problem ended up being that I was enjoying food, blissfully unaware of calories. I scoffed at people who, in my eyes, obsessed about them. My stomach would hurt so bad after meals, especially dinner, and I still didn't make the connection. Your body can't handle it. I was also not working out, except for a weekly yoga class (which was pretty depressing at 220#). Just remember that #1, calories count, and #2, it doesn't happen overnight so be vigilant, honest about what you're eating, and patient.

To answer your questions:

how long did it take you?

1 year. I have lost 100 lbs. and am now at my maintenance weight. (Since August of this year)

what were your goals/motivations?

- To be at a healthy weight

- To start dating again

- To not be afraid of the scale

how much exercise did you do?

- I didn't do any at first. The pounds just started dropping when I started eating at a deficit instead of my usual thoughtless shoveling. About 3 months in, I started going a few times a week to the gym to use the elliptical. About 6 months in I started running. I now run 3.5 miles a day, weather permitting. Otherwise I use a "LifeCycle" machine at home, since the days are getting darker in WI and the weather is cold and unpredictable. Man, I miss the summer days just thinking about it! Running has really gotten me in tune with the weather and the seasons, just another added benefit. I also biked on the local bike trail to mix it up; too cold for that now too.

did you go to the gym, or do exercise @ home ?

As said above, a little of both. The gym costs money so I don't have a membership anymore, I just run, bike, and use a machine at home.

Good luck to you!!

WOW 100 lbs is a lot! WELL DONE!

i apprecaite all these comments, and its really nice hearing about everyones successful stories, as it does inspire me!

I really want an exercise bike at home but there is no where to put it which is a downside, however i guess at the moment walking 7 miles a day and running 2 more extra, is doing me good, as i have lost 1lb in two days which is really good for myself!

what was you eating? like what types of food did you nearly always have.. and what types of food did you occasionally have?

xx

i lost about 50lbs in about 5 months. got off the wagon though and have not lost any since june. but i am now ready to start again i have about another 50 or so to go. my motivation came from watching the biggest loser. looking at those people on tv who were around my height and weight and thinking wow they look really big...oh wait that must be what i look like :(. it takes alot of hard work and determination but anything can be done you put your mind to. as far as what i ate....i am a creature of habit so i find myself eating the same things all the time. fat free yogurt, granola bars, oranges, healthy choice meals. you just have to find what works for you. i just do the biggest loser dvd here at home and when it is nice i go for walks. i also have one of those balls and i like it too. i do alot with weights cause i don't want flabby arms  lol the weights really help.   good luck

For me, it was hitting my 43rd birthday, seeing a few unflattering photos and mostly feeling lousy; no energy at all. I decided to do something about it. I didn't start exercising until AFTER losing the weight.

I lost the weight by cutting out anything unhealthy (don't even let it in the house) and I quit eating snacks and started watching portions. I started taking one multi vitamin per day. I'm still doing that.

I keep track of my nutrition on here now, to make sure I'm eating the right balance of carbs, protein and fat and to watch the calories. At the time though I didn't bother counting calories, that's relatively recent for me.Because everything in the house is healthy, it isn't really a problem with the eating any more but I did have to cut back on carbs when I realized I was eating too many of them and doing that also nicely cut back on a weird empty feeling I was getting; that was the overload of carbs at the expense of other foods I suspect. I got around that by eating more fruit and protein (via yoghurt which I like better than a lot of meat, and it has less calories than nuts)

I also started dying my (greying) hair and bought new clothes, mostly at a good second hand shop because my weight kept dropping and then I'd take them back there or to the op shop and buy new, smaller ones from the second hand shop. Now I have some brand new ones but I still buy a lot at the second hand shop, they have some nice clothes, especially jeans. :)

I'm five foot two and down to 50 kilos, which was my goal weight. I've got tonnes of energy, I swim 3-4 times a week, 100 laps at a shot which is 2.5 kilometres, I walk 10 000 steps minimum a day or more (unless swimming, on which days I record but don't worry about steps) today I'm mowing our one acre lawn with a push mower instead of walking or swimming (it works out to about 7 kilometres of walking or around 14000 steps or more) On Monday I have an appointment at a Gym, the first one I've ever decided to join; I want to do a weights routine to tone some muscles up. I get a personal fitness assessment and a programme designed for me. :)

It's the best decision I EVER made. People comment on how young looking and slim I am all the time. One casual acquaintance said I look younger every time he sees me.

The best parts aren't the looks so much as the total energy I've got. I feel SO good all the time. My body feels really good too. Plus I can feel my ribs even. And I have muscles! My confidence has hugely improved. I wear funky, fun clothes now that I wouldn't have dreamed of wearing when I was overweight. I wear a bikini top (bright pink) and little blue bottoms and I know I look darn good in it. I also switched to contact lenses during the day so I can wear sunnies.

I've lost 17 kilos (around 38 pounds) which is pretty significant when you're short. I've got a healthier lifestyle and my work/life balance is far better. Mentally and physically I feel a hundred percent better and I'm never going to go back.

Good luck with your journey! Stick to it, you can do it!

when I decided to lose weight it was like everything was coming at me all at once. a few people died from weight related issues, I was constantly feeling sick, people would always make fun of me in front of my face which led to me having very low self esteem.

The final push for me came when my sister promised to get me a gift if I lost 8 pounds. I figured I could parley that 8 into the 50 I needed to get my BMI to normal and try to fix all the wrongs in my life that being obese and overweight was the cause of and now I'm at 70 pounds lost.

When ever I got the feeling of I don't wanna do this anymore I always remind myself that I need to do it for me and a healthier life.