What's your diet secret?

I lost 50 lbs about a year ago and swimming was my secret then. Not really a diet secret but I found an exercise I loved and did it.  I've gained a tiny bit back (10lbs) and now I'm going back to work (dieting).  So far I've lost 4 of those lbs in one week.  My secret is finding big lunches that are low cal.  green giant steamers is my secret weapon. 

WHAT's your secret?????

Regular exercise and eating right.

UD

Original Post by umneydurak:

Regular exercise and eating right.

UD

Of course this is the ultimate not-so-secret solution to obesity.

Some tricks that I find helpful are chia seeds added to my morning cereal.  They have lots of fiber and nutrients, and the EFA content seems to help keep me satisfied until lunchtime.  14 grams is 69 calories, but very dense in nutrition.

Another trick is to make a big pot of vegetable soup and freeze it in 1 cup portions.  It is a great way to add nutrition to my lunch or snack for very few calories (between 50 and 75, depending on the specific soup I make).  I also find that it helps keep me satisfied longer.

But this biggest trick for me is writing down all my intake and logging it here on CC.  Keeps me accountable to myself and on track in my "lifestyle to get slim".

Tracking everything I eat. Absolutely the biggest tool in my weight loss arsenal. Otherwise I forget what I've eaten and eat far more than I need because "I haven't eaten all day."

Never giving up. When I really want to lose a few and I eat a little more than I wanted to, I workout a little extra that day or the next, and just get back on track as soon as possible rather than letting it turn into something worse (you know like the "oh I already messed up I may as well keep going" attitude). Also, trying to never overeat (I don't strictly count calories) and just eating until I am satisfied and not stuffed.

Others have said it...

1. Write down...with real honesty and accuracy...your intake. Using CC works. I was shocked how much I was eating when I thought I was eating properly.

2. Exercise. As much as you can BUT it doesn't have to be hard. I have always struggled with running and weights...more than a year ago I started daily walking and keep it up, 2-3 miles a day rarely taking a day off.

3. Eat healthy foods. No cheating.

4. This is the hard one....give up alcohol. Even an occasional glass of wine adds a ton of calories. If your drinking 2 or more a day thats a ton of calories you don't need. Plus it gives you the munchies.

The secret is that there is no secret. 

Eat well and exercise.

I think one thing people don't realize is that there is no one size fits all plan. Just because eating lots of almonds (for example) helped your friend lose weight, doesn't mean you should force yourself to eat almonds if you don't like them. Some people can lose weight without counting calories and doing 'intuitive eating'. Others can't. There is no magic bullet. There is no magic food. Just find food you like that's also good for you and exercise portion control. Find exercise you like (which you've already done, which is great!) and stick to it. =) Good luck! 

Im not saying there is a secret, just wanting to see what people would respond with. Most have like their one thing that when they find it they are like OMG. u know....

I like this question! Thank you Berlylabs!

I started working out AND tracking my calories. That was a big step.

And I also started packing snacks - of course healthy ones like fruit or veggies, yoghurt or granola. But I have to admit mostly it's fruit or low fat yoghurts.

I buy candy in bite size. That makes it easier to track (one mini twix is 60 cal or one mini snickers is 70 cal).

I bought a rice cooker, make a batch each week and freeze it. Also I freeze pasta tomato sauce in small containers or make a huge pot of homemade tomato based meat sauce and freeze it.

Every day I just open the freezer, grab a cup of rice or pasta, a cup of sauce and I am good to go... as it's frozen it won't spill in my bag on the way to work and around lunchtime it's usually defrosted and ready for the microwave.

Being prepared and having the days planned makes a HUGE difference to me.

And I am not too hard on myself. I gave myself a 3 week vacation and my only goal was to maintain my weight. It worked - even though I had burgers and pies and cakes in between. But at the same time I also tried to at least guess my calories... so I never had more than 3000 calories a day - rather less. Which is my maintenance intake.

Result: 3 lb lost during my vacation and 23 lb in total since August 21st, 2009 and I am happy. Very happy!

- Daily Exercise

- High Protein Consumption

- High Vegetable Consumption

- Lots of Water, Tea, Coffee, Sparkling Water

- Vitamins & Minerals & Supplements (vitamin D3!)

- Sleep (by 11:30pm every night...?!?!)

- Positive Mind Set & Smiling Constantly! :)

Original Post by dkenworthy:

Original Post by umneydurak:

Regular exercise and eating right.

UD

Of course this is the ultimate not-so-secret solution to obesity.

Looking around, real none CC world, doesn't seem to be the case.

UD

Walnuts- swear they keep me satisfied and curb cravings like crazy!

Im on the wrestling team.

Hard core training 3hrs a day, 5 days a week.

Also one of those days are "fun run days".....,5 milse

the secret seems to be everything that is so hard: 

paying attention to what i eat.

not emotional eating.

portion control.

dedication. 

-having lots of low cal foods available

-packing snacks/lunch in under 100 calorie serving sizes for school/work

-lots of tea and coffee definitely helps me eat less

-treadmill as often as possible not only decreases my apetite but is literally a "happy pill" for me

-VERY HELPFUL- buy things sugar free and add splenda!!! Saves sooo many calories

-cooked vegetables....very filling

-eating half of something and saving the rest for later

-adding fiber1 to soups and yogurt

Those Green Giant steamers are pretty awesome, and I find at least one or two coupons for them every week, very handy.  My diet secrets are:

1) find healthy food you like that fills you up.

2) find activities you enjoy.

I figure, for most of us, this is a long-term deal, not just the getting to our healthy weight, but then maintaining it.  So we might as well enjoy the journey.  For one thing, if we don't, we're probably not going to stick with it all the way.

My secret was to not diet. I learned to eat right and to have some sort of activity.

I was so fed up with dieting, and had done it off and on for 30 years. I was sick and tired of it, and learned from CC how to live right. That was my goal. I will never diet again - only eat correctly, whether that means eating less than i burn, or just eating to maintain - it's all the same to me, just in different amounts. I feel very liberated.

I find taking my dog for a quick 10 minute walk very first thing in the morning is great. I woke up at 7am for a week straight and took him and it made a huge difference within a week and a half. I lost all the cellulite on my legs and flattened my stomach :)

Shame i dont have the time at the moment :|

I think of my "diet' as inclusive, not exclusive. Nothing is taboo-not cake, ice cream, candy. I'm just including more fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean protein. Keeping within my cal allotments, means my diet is 85% wholesome. It's my Jedi mind-trick. :)

And I chew gum to prevent boredom eating, sugar cravings, and it's hard to graze when you have something sticky in your mouth.

1) Staying away from processed foods

2) High protein consumption

3) Exercise 5-6 days per week, with at least 3 days of strength training

4) Getting a good nights sleep