Successful long-term weight loss people: What SMALL change did you make that made a big difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cottage cheese instead of ice cream if I want a snack after dinner

Barf.

Agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More protein. Helps me stay satiated longer for the same calories as other foods. Also a food scale so you know what a portion is.

Like what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I may get attacked for this, but.....

I don't eat before noon, ever.

You won’t get attacked, but that’s hardly a small change. Intermittent fasting is a big change.

No it's not. Please. For most of your fasting window you're asleep - it's not hard at all. If you can't control yourself until noon (11am in my case), then I don't know what to say.

NP, but I'm an early riser by nature, and workout hard most mornings at 5:30/6am. I'm supposed to wait hours to eat because... why, exactly?

No one is saying you have to do anything at all. But I assume you also probably go to sleep around 9 or 10? So you pick your window based on your lifestyle. My window is 11-7 (but more often then not usually like 1/2-7). Maybe yours is 9-5, or 8-4. Or maybe IF doesn't work for you at all.

But FWIW, as an IF person (I have PCOS and the insulin regulation that comes with IF has literally changed my entire life), I get up between 7-8, have coffee, have a very hard workout sometime in the 10-12 range, and frequently don't eat until 1/2. This has become completely normal for my body and I don't even feel hungry until after noon generally.

IF leaves me with a headache by the end of the fasting window. It's a miserable existence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have kept the weight off and lost baby weight doing the following:

1. No snacks. Never.

2. Eat 2 normal meals a day. Nothing low cal or any sort of special diet. Just normal portions.

3. Do not eat fries with a sandwich if getting fast food

4. Walk 4-6 miles daily with my dog

5. If I go out to eat I order whatever sounds good and try not to eat more than half

6. Only drink socially. Do not drink alone at home or with my spouse.

7. Go to bed a tiny bit hungry

This is a great approach. I eat in a similar way, except 5) eat about 80% most of the time.
Slender with steady weight for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More protein. Helps me stay satiated longer for the same calories as other foods. Also a food scale so you know what a portion is.

Like what?

Skinless chicken breast all day everyday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More protein. Helps me stay satiated longer for the same calories as other foods. Also a food scale so you know what a portion is.

Like what?

Skinless chicken breast all day everyday

Chicken thighs, flat iron steak, salmon, tuna, eggs, bacon, high protein milk, high protein yogurt, protein powder or bars, feta, Brie, Parmesan, high protein low carb wraps and bread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cottage cheese instead of ice cream if I want a snack after dinner

Barf.

Agree

I prefer 0 percent greek fat yogurt and fruit for my nighttime snack.

I can eat whatever I want. I usually Under eat.

Barf all you want. Once you start eating real food, you won’t want all the garbage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I may get attacked for this, but.....

I don't eat before noon, ever.

You won’t get attacked, but that’s hardly a small change. Intermittent fasting is a big change.

No it's not. Please. For most of your fasting window you're asleep - it's not hard at all. If you can't control yourself until noon (11am in my case), then I don't know what to say.

NP, but I'm an early riser by nature, and workout hard most mornings at 5:30/6am. I'm supposed to wait hours to eat because... why, exactly?

No one is saying you have to do anything at all. But I assume you also probably go to sleep around 9 or 10? So you pick your window based on your lifestyle. My window is 11-7 (but more often then not usually like 1/2-7). Maybe yours is 9-5, or 8-4. Or maybe IF doesn't work for you at all.

But FWIW, as an IF person (I have PCOS and the insulin regulation that comes with IF has literally changed my entire life), I get up between 7-8, have coffee, have a very hard workout sometime in the 10-12 range, and frequently don't eat until 1/2. This has become completely normal for my body and I don't even feel hungry until after noon generally.

IF leaves me with a headache by the end of the fasting window. It's a miserable existence.

For you. NP here. IF is not miserable for me. I’ve just adjusted to it.

[Anonymous]

For me the first two weeks of changing my diet were hardest. I found that getting OK with being a *little bit hungry* those first two weeks was important. I was so used to just eating whatever I wanted as soon as I felt slightly hungry that my mind/body resisted when I tried to cut back. But after those first two weeks, I got used to waiting between meals and got comfortable with slight hunger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cottage cheese instead of ice cream if I want a snack after dinner

How does that satisfy your ice cream craving?

It’s creamy, rich and filling. Helps kill the sugar craving if you are full!

I eat greek yoghurt for this same effect but its the late night eating- eat your treats in the morning. when you have a craving at night- out the for item on the breakfast table and eat it before dinner time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cottage cheese instead of ice cream if I want a snack after dinner

Barf.

NP here, cottage cheese is gross. But I’ve found Nick’s Icecream and Halo Top good for satisfying the after dinner sweets craving without adding a ton of calories.

[Anonymous]

Adding lemon juice to a glass of warm water and drinking it first thing in the morning.

Adding lemon juice to warm water and drinking it before every meal, every snack, every cup of tea/coffee. Drink warm water with lemon juice through out the day. I go through around 3 lemons a day and aim for 9 glasses of water. Interestingly, I do not keep getting up to pee at night. I was doing a lot of that when I was dehydrated. Now that I am fully hydrated, my blood sugar is also stable. Plus I do not pee frequently.

If I run out of lemon, I add some orange juice in water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cottage cheese instead of ice cream if I want a snack after dinner

How does that satisfy your ice cream craving?

I would just eat nothing if it had to be cottage cheese!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adding lemon juice to a glass of warm water and drinking it first thing in the morning.

Adding lemon juice to warm water and drinking it before every meal, every snack, every cup of tea/coffee. Drink warm water with lemon juice through out the day. I go through around 3 lemons a day and aim for 9 glasses of water. Interestingly, I do not keep getting up to pee at night. I was doing a lot of that when I was dehydrated. Now that I am fully hydrated, my blood sugar is also stable. Plus I do not pee frequently.

If I run out of lemon, I add some orange juice in water.

Are you an immigrant? This is common in south Asian countries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Switched to black coffee. I used to love extra cream and sugar in my coffee. Not only did that add calories, it seemed to contribute to more cravings throughout the day. Black coffee ain’t great, but it made a huge difference.

I wish I could do this, but I still need some sort of cream. I use almond milk but I wonder if it's any better than my half and half that I loved. I cut the sugar out years ago. That wasn't easy but now I couldn't imagine putting sugar in my coffee. Wish I could make the same leap with cream.