Great Vegan Burrito, beats Chipotle!

Overweight treatment help info.

website:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/treatment/overweight-treatment.php

Overweight Treatment

Your body weight is controlled by the number of calories you eat and the number of calories you use each day. So, if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. You can do this by becoming more physically active or by eating less.
You didn't put on extra weight overnight so it is equally unrealistic to take it off quickly. Record a goal that you can reach in one month that is 4 to 8 pounds less than you weigh now. Set a goal you know you can achieve.

Here are some very simple changes that you can start today that will greatly improve your chances of weight loss success:
Eliminate Red Meat
If foods like burgers are basic to your current diet, cutting out red meat can go a long way in helping you make healthier meal choices. Build your meals around fish or poultry.

Cut out fried foods
Grill, bake, roast, broil or boil your food. This also means doing without French Fries and snack foods like Potato Strings, Chips,...

Start with a soup or a salad
By starting dinner with a soup or salad, you will curb your hunger, which will in turn help you keep portion sizes in check and prevent you from overeating.

Stop Cola consumption
For every 20 ounces of Coca-Cola you drink, you're consuming 250 calories. If you're trying to consume around 1500 calories a day in order to lose weight, you can blow your entire calorie budget on soda!

Drink water
Reach for the goal of eight glasses a day. Even if you don't drink eight, you're drinking more than usual.

Obesity treatment information, helpful!

WEBSITE:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/treatment/obesity-treatment.php 

 

Obesity Treatment

The method of treatment depends on your level of obesity, overall health condition, and motivation to lose weight.
Treatment includes a combination of diet, exercise, behavior modification, and sometimes weightloss drugs. In some cases of severe obesity, gastrointestinal surgery may be recommended.

If you are overweight, losing as little as 7-10 percent of your body weight may improve many of the problems linked to being overweight, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Slow and steady weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week is the safest way to lose weight. Too rapid weight loss can cause you to lose muscle rather than fat. It also increases your chances of developing other problems, such as gallstones and nutrient deficiencies. Making long-term changes in your eating and physical activity habits is the only way to lose weight and keep it off!
Whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain your weight, you must improve your eating habits. Eat a variety of foods, especially pasta, rice, wholemeal bread, and other whole-grain foods. Reduce your fat-intake. You should also eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Making physical activity a part of your daily life is an important way to help control your weight. Try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day on most days of the week. The activity does not have to be done all at once. It can be done in stages: 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, providing it adds up to 30 minutes a day.

BMI AND BMR CALCULATOR WEBSITE. VERY HELPFUL

BMR CALCULATOR
VERY HELPFUL
SEE WEBSITE BELOW!

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Very helpful video, make sure you don't starve yourself. Other tips on exercise too!

Lose weight by eating more. See this video, simple tips to help you.

Most important health video you will ever watch!

How to use Law of Attraction to lose weight! video

How to get leaner and fitter faster cool video, neat insight!

10 simple tricks to eat less and lose weight! video

5 reasons you're not losing weight good video!

Another great weight-loss story and diet help!

Great weight-loss results video!!!!

magic diet soup video what a success!

Lose that belly fat video success story

Lose 30lbs in 30days use Lose It! app like I do see video below. I swear by this phone app

How to lose 30 lbs. video

How to lose 30 lbs in 2 months -WikiHow article ...

website:

http://www.wikihow.com/Lose-Thirty-Pounds-in-Two-Months

How to Lose Thirty Pounds in Two Months

Six Parts:Creating a Weight-Loss PlanGetting Basic Dieting AdviceStarting Specific DietsGetting Basic Exercise AdviceChoosing Specific ExercisesPutting It All TogetherQuestions and Answers

Weight loss can seem like a lofty goal, but you can realistically learn how to lose thirty pounds in two months by eating smart and adding exercise to your daily routine. To lose that kind of weight in the nine-week in time period will require having a plan and dedication, but you can meet that goal if you put your mind to it.

Ad

Part 1

Creating a Weight-Loss Plan

1. 
   1
   Know what you have in store. Starting off an article about weight-loss this way is hardly motivating, but it helps to cut to the chase: It's extremely difficult to lose 30 pounds in two months. Expert doctors and dietitians agree that losing 1 to 2 pounds per week is healthy.^[1][2] Even if you lose 3 pounds per week for 9 weeks, you're still short of hitting your weight-loss goal. While it's certainly possible to lose 30 pounds in two months, whether or not it's healthy is another question.

   • Healthy weight loss comes from trimming pounds off of fat reserves without triggering the starvation response. When you cut down your caloric intake so low that your body thinks you're starving, it actually begins shedding muscle instead of fat. This is not a healthy trend.
   • It's hard to drop pounds simply by eating less, too which is unhealthy depending on what kind of food it is. Fat is needed, but it isn't healthy to overdose the amount. Protein is needed significantly for your health. They are used to make muscles,tendons, skin, and organ. When you cut your calories significantly, your body actually has a harder time shedding pounds. This phenomenon is called diet induced adaptive thermogenesis.^[3] Perhaps it's a mechanism for survival, or perhaps it's a way for our bodies to maintain a comfortable body weight. Whatever it is — and as crazy as it sounds — you need to take in calories in order to lose weight.
2. 
   2
   Know how many burned calories it takes to lose weight. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. This means that you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you take in during the day in order to lose a pound of weight.^[4] That's a lot of calories to burn.

   • For reference, you can expect to burn between 100 and 125 calories running a mile at a semi-comfortable speed.^[5] At that pace, it would take about 28 miles (45 km), or more than a marathon, in order to shed a single pound of weight.
     • People who run marathons routinely lose 7 pounds during a typical race, but much of that loss (~6 lbs.) is water weight.^[6][7]
3. 
   3
   Learn about other factors involved in losing weight. Luckily, humans can shed weight several different ways. There's muscle loss, fat loss, and water loss. Much of the weight you can expect to lose during your two months will come from water loss, and that's fine. If you combine a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a Spartan workout routine, you'll be able to achieve your goal.
4. 
   4
   Set weekly or monthly targets for yourself to keep you motivated. Many people start exercising and fail to see immediate results. When they're planning on shedding 15+ pounds, that sort of stalemate is incredibly discouraging: They soon give up because their goals are too lofty and their results are too few. Instead of falling victim to this dieter's dilemma, break down your goals into more manageable chunks so that if you fail to see immediate results, you don't get discouraged and quit.

   • You want to lose 30 pounds in two months, so your mini goals are losing 15 pounds per month or 3.3 pounds per week. Losing 30 pounds can seem daunting. Losing 15 sounds more manageable. Losing 3.3 sounds downright doable.

Part 2

Getting Basic Dieting Advice

1. 
   1
   Find out your basal metabolic rate, and take in fewer calories than you're expending. Your basal metabolic rate is a calculation of how many calories you typically burn during the day. In fact, it's part of how the 2,000 calorie per day diet was devised.^[8] As we learned earlier, the key to weight loss is taking in fewer calories than you burn during the day, so knowing how many calories you burn in a day is an essential part in tailoring your diet in order to lose weight.

   • Calculating your BMR is very simple. Type in "basal metabolic rate calculator" into a search engine and enter in information relating to your gender, age, height, weight, and pregnancy status.
2. 
   2
   Don't skip meals. Even if the key to successful dieting is taking in less than you burn, the way to do it doesn't involve skipping meals. Skipping meals is likely to trigger the starvation response (see above), as well as making binge eating more tempting.
3. 
   3
   Eat lean protein. A high-protein diet is essential to losing weight. Studies have shown that participants following a high-protein diet eat fewer calories, report greater satisfaction, and feel more satisfied (and less hungry) than they had before starting the diet.^[9] Sources of great protein include:

   • Lean meats, such as turkey and chicken breast
   • Fish, such as tuna
   • Lean dairy, such as skim milk or cottage cheese or low fat yogurt
   • Soy-products, like tofu
   • Beans and legumes, such as kidney beans and lentils
4. 
   4
   Prioritize complex carbs over simple carbs. There's a world of difference between complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, like white bread, soda pop, and cookies, have a simple chemical structure and are digested by our bodies relatively quickly; the excess is often stored as fat.^[10] Complex carbs, like yams, brown rice, and zucchini, have a more complex chemical structure and are assimilated into the body over a longer period of time; that means you stay full for longer and there's less chance that carbs you eat get stored as fat. When choosing between simple and complex carbs, go complex:

   • Choose whole wheat bread over white bread
   • Choose whole wheat pasta over "normal" pasta
   • Choose brown rice over white rice
   • Choose veggies like broccoli over starches like potatoes
   • Choose nuts, beans, and legumes over sugars, sodas, and sweets
5. 
   5
   Choose healthy fats over unhealthy fats. Not all fats should be shunned. Broadly speaking, there are two "healthy" fats and two "unhealthy" fats. Getting some healthy fats into your diet can help you stay healthy while you lose weight.

   • Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are considered healthier for humans and can be safely incorporated into diets.^[11] Examples of monounsaturated fats include avocados, nuts, olives, and pumpkin seeds. Examples of polyunsaturated fats include Omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and flax seeds.
   • Avoid saturated and trans fats. These fats are not only bad for cholesterol levels, thereby increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease, but also have no real nutritional benefit. They should generally be avoided, but especially when you are dieting.
6. 
   6
   Have a balanced diet. Even if you eat healthy, it is possible to overload on a specific type of food and neglect the healthful benefits of other types of food. If you're trying to lose weight, maintain a good balance in your diet by eating fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, legumes and nuts, fish, and lean meat. Try to avoid eating especially fatty foods, overly processed foods, fast foods, "snack food," sweets, and baked goods.

Part 3

Starting Specific Diets

1. 
   1
   Try the Atkins diet. A low-carb diet, the Atkin's diet recommends restricting net carb intake in favor of proteins and even certain fats. Atkin's dieters are encouraged to eat foods with a low glycemic index. An example of the Atkin's diet would be eating a hamburger with the patty and vegetables but without the bun.
2. 
   2
   Follow the south beach diet. Although the south beach diet is remarkably similar to the Atkin's diet, there are two notable differences:

   • The south beach diet bans "unhealthy" fats but encourages adoption of healthy ones;
   • The south beach diet does not count carbs. Instead, it encourages dieters to only go for carbs that are low-sugar or on the low-glycemic index.^[12]
3. 
   3
   Have a little fun and lose weight with the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet seeks to expose dieters to foods that are commonly eaten in places such as Spain, Italy, Greece, and Crete. Many peoples in this region regularly eat:

   • Moderate amounts of fish and poultry and less red meat
   • Many seasonal plant foods and vegetables
   • Fresh fruits as dessert
   • Olive oil
   • Cheese and yogurts as main dairy foods
   • Small to moderate amounts of wine
4. 
   4
   Try out weight watchers pro points. Weight watchers is a popular weight loss program that individuals sign up for. In it, they are given "pro points" based on several key factors such as age, gender, and weight; foods are assigned points based on a scale. Individuals are allowed to eat any food, provided they stay within their point allowance.
5. 
   5
   Consider becoming a vegetarian. Although not a traditional "diet," vegetarianism has its advantages when it comes to losing weight. Vegetarians weight less over a five-year period than people who eat meat, studies have found.^[13] (Vegans weigh even less than vegetarians.) At the same time, just because you're a vegetarian doesn't mean you necessarily eat well. There are plenty of junk foods that can cause weight gain while being strictly vegetarian. Consider becoming a vegetarian if you think it will help you eat healthier.

Part 4

Getting Basic Exercise Advice

1. 
   1
   Be consistent — exercise a little, each and every day. The key to cutting pounds is consistency. Consistently carving out time in your day to walk, play sports, or otherwise exercise will help you when it comes time to step on the scale, for two reasons:

   • You'll shed weight a little at a time instead of in big bursts. It's easier to lose 1/4 pound per day and exercise every day to exercise twice a week and and lose 1 pound per day.
   • It's easier to get into a routine. Once you're in a routine, it'll be easier to find the motivation to work out every day and harder to justify skipping a day.
2. 
   2
   Exercise with a friend.^[14] Exercising with a friend is a great way to keep your motivation running high. It's harder to skip a day when your friend is expecting you at the gym. Not only this, but it's an excellent opportunity to strengthen the relationship with your friend. Nothing makes buddies more than sweat and tears.
3. 
   3
   Try interval training. Interval training involves short bursts of fiendish activity spread out over a longer period of time, and has been found to be particularly effective in burning calories.^[15][16] For example, instead of running around a track the same speed four times to complete the mile, run around the track at regular speed three times, and for the fourth, sprint as fast as you can.

   • Interval training is not only more effective at burning calories than traditional exercise, it's also more efficient. Interval trainers burn more calories quicker than traditional trainers.
4. 
   4
   Work out when you have the most energy. Some people perk up like birds in the morning; others are night-owls, and take a little longer to rev up. Whatever type person you are, try to exercise whenever you really start going. It doesn't make sense to work out when your tank is empty; you'll get far more return on your investment if you choose to work out at the right time.
5. 
   5
   Keep your inspiration close to your heart. You want to lose weight, and you want to do it fast. Whatever your reason is, keep it close to your heart, and let it motivate you to keep on trying when you think you can't. Because there will come a time when you want to quit, when you feel like you've given it everything you got, and the desire to quit will be stronger than ever. That'll be when you need to summon up the motivation to continue. Your motivation can be:

   • A friend or a family member; maybe you're losing weight because you were inspired by them.
   • A professional athlete; maybe you've always looked up to them.
   • An idea or cause; maybe you care deeply about improving your health and feeling better every day.
   • The challenge itself, because you know you can.
6. 
   6
   Make sure you sleep enough. Researchers at the University of Chicago have found that people who sleep for 8.5 hours a night were able to lose 55% more body fat than those who only slept 5.5 hours.^[17] Getting insufficient sleep can increase the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin makes individuals hungrier and can affect how fat is stored in the body. In order to get the most out of your workout routine, be sure to give yourself enough time catching zzzs.

Part 5

Choosing Specific Exercises

1. 
   1
   Try aerobic, otherwise known as cardio, exercises. Cardio has a number of very specific health benefits, in addition to being an excellent way of burning fat and losing weight. It improves respiration, strengthens the heart muscle, reduces stress as well as the incidence of depression. Here are some cardio exercises that you can try to lose weight quickly:

   • Swimming
   • Running
   • Cycling
   • Boxing
   • Walking
2. 
   2
   Try team sports. Team sports are great at motivating people to go the extra mile when it comes to working out. Much of the time, people lose themselves completely in the competitive aspect of sports, burning plenty of calories over several hours. Try joining a local intramural team, or make your own league playing with friends or co-workers. Here are some popular sports that are also great at burning calories.

   • Basketball. Running up and down the court is said to help burn between 812 and 946 calories per hour.
   • Soccer. Notorious for its grueling pace and non-stop running, playing soccer can help you burn between 740 and 860 calories per hour.
   • Ice hockey. A downright physical sport, hockey is expected to help you burn approximately 500 calories per hour.^[18]
   • Play football or flag football. Although it's difficult to say exactly how many calories you can burn playing football, a general estimate is that football players weighing 200 pounds burn upwards of 900 calories, while flag football players weighing 200 pounds burn upwards of 700 calories.^[19]
3. 
   3
   Try individual sports. Test your own determination and enduring by competing in an individual sport. Individual sports are, in many ways, a test of how far you're willing to go in order to achieve your goal. They're tests in which you often put your body on the line, but come away with something very tangible to show for it: Glory, or in our case, gutted calories.

   • Try rock climbing. Although it doesn't sound as intense a workout as basketball or soccer, rock climbing is indeed a calorie buster. Expect to burn between 810 and 940 calories for each hour of intense rock climbing.
   • Try skiing or snowboarding. Even though it's hard to ski or snowboard the year round, there's a lot of diversity here: You can ski slalom, downhill, cross-country, or board through powder. Expect to burn anywhere from 640 to 980 calories per hour.
   • Pick up tennis. Tennis can be a grueling sport. Necessitating short bursts of speed and great hand-eye coordination, tennis can help individuals burn about 400 calories every hour.^[20]
4. 
   4
   If you're up for it, run a half-marathon or a full marathon. As alluded to earlier in the article, a half- or full marathon is a great way to lose pounds. Yes, it is grueling. It is punishing to your body. And at the end of the day, it's more a test of the will than it is of the body. But if you complete a marathon, prepare to be incredibly uplifted and feel like the sky is the limit.

   • Of course, one of the big sells about marathons, calorie-wise, is that you have to train for a marathon. You can't just expect to push your body to the limit without any training. Training requires long hours of running, burning countless calories. As you ramp up training, expect to see more drastic results.^[21]
5. 
   5
   Incorporate strength training into your workout. When combined with effective dieting and targeted aerobic exercises, strength training can significantly help you drop the pounds, which is why many fitness experts incorporate it into their training regimen.^[22] Not only will you burn fat if you begin strength training, but you'll also replace that fat with lean, sexy muscle. Additionally, strength training will reportedly help you continue to burn muscle even after you've finished working out.^[23]

   • When strength training, remember to choose exercises that target a large muscle group. These exercises include, but are not limited to:
     • Squats
     • Lunges
     • Kettlebell swings
     • Squat thrusts
     • Burpees
     • Inverted rows
     • Pull ups
     • Push ups

Part 6

Putting It All Together

1. 
   1
   Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Two months is a long time — even if you don't end up shedding 30 pounds, it's plenty of time to make a significant difference in how you look and how you feel. That being said, too many people expect to see immediate results and are disappointed when they don't. They work out for a week and barely make a budge on the scale. They think: "What's the use in me punishing myself this way if it doesn't make a difference?" They quit.

   • This is called the plateau effect.^[24] In order to beat the plateau effect, you need to introduce variety into both your diet and workout regime. Switch things up in your diet and workout routine; avoid getting too complacent with one set of foods and one set of exercises.
2. 
   2
   Know that you can't lose weight in only one area. The idea that you can only lose weight in, say, your belly without losing weight elsewhere is called "spot reduction." Spot reduction has been proven to be a myth.^[25] The fat broken down by the body for fuel can and does come from anywhere. Don't set yourself up for failure by only hoping to lose fat from your thighs and belly and not from anywhere else on your body.
3. 
   3
   Drink predominantly water. If you're serious about shedding 30 pounds, you won't be able to do it without nature's favorite hydration source. Water is clean, refreshing, plentiful, and — most importantly — calorie free. Substituting water for soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices, and other caloric drinks can ultimately be the difference between making your goal and missing it.

   • Here's one trick that you can use to feel more full before meals. Down an 8-ounce glass of water right before you eat. The water will take up extra space in your stomach and make it harder to eat as much as you might on an empty stomach. Be sure to eat nutritiously, however, so that you don't get hungry in another hour.
4. 
   4
   Eat a complete breakfast, a decent lunch, and a light dinner. Ever hear the phrase "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper?" Eating a complete breakfast will help your body jump-start its metabolism, prepping it for the day to come. Skipping breakfast means you're asking your body to fast to 15 to 20 hours. When this happens, your body can't produce the necessary enzymes to metabolize fat efficiently, setting you up for failure.^[26]

   • If you get hungry, eat a healthy, nutritious snack in between meals. Carrots and hummus, or celery and tuna mixed with olive oil and lemon juice. Get creative, but be sure that the "snack" you choose for yourself falls within whatever diet you've given yourself.
   • Try as much as possible to take a light dinner. Many people say that your metabolism slows down during the night, taking it harder for your body to digest large amounts of food eaten during dinner. While there's no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest this, there is good reason to keep dinner light. The types of foods that we eat later on an night tend to be worse for us: snacks, ice-cream, candies, and other indulgences.
5. 
   5
   Have fun along the way. We all know that dieting can be a chore. But if you have the opportunity to make it fun and rewarding, it can be. So make the diet into a game — challenge yourself to stay under 1,500 calories for 5 out of the 7 days in the week. Reward yourself when you break a milestone — if you're on pace after the first month, treat yourself to a shopping spree. Whatever you do, have fun doing it and your body will reward you.

Questions and Answers

Be the first to ask a question about this topic:

Submit

Give us 3 minutes of knowledge!

Can you tell us about

Singing?

Can you tell us about

Typewriter maintenance?

Can you tell us about

Scarf fashion?

Can you tell us about

Electrical power storage?

Tips

• Don't skip meals. Skipping meals actually makes it harder for you to lose weight over the long run. Better to eat 4 or 5 small meals a day, and not eat right before bedtime.
• Many people become discouraged if they don't see their desired numbers reflecting on the scale. Remember this: muscle weighs more than fat, and although it may seem like you aren't losing weight, you are instead losing unwanted fat and replacing it with lean muscle. In return, the more muscle you gain, the more calories you burn. Try measuring yourself instead. Each month, you should measure every area of your body that stores a significant amount of fat. You will be surprised to find that although the scale may not have budged, there has been a remarkable change in your overall body size.
• The most rewarding thing to say is that you tried. And you succeeded! Don't let yourself ever give up on your goals to lead a healthier and happier lifestyle. Continue to follow through with your plan and you will feel amazing in the end.
• The easiest way to stay motivated is to continue to think about how you will look at the end of your weight loss. If this doesn't work, try have some article of clothing that you cannot fit into quite yet. Every time you become unmotivated, just look at the article of clothing.

back up to 230lbs. had a rough week

I had a rough week last week, ate too many calories over my limit and only worked out about 4-5 days vs. the 6-7 i usually do. I think a lot of it had to do with eating higher amounts like 2700 to 3000 calories more than one day and eating sweets or fatty stuff I normally stay away from. So I am back to 230lbs and this week being more careful and working out more. I recently got laid off, so I am using my extra time while job hunting to exercise daily and eat healthier. I have some good possibilities for new work, so I am hoping one of them works out soon. I enjoy being active daily, it is good for me mentally. Keeps me more away from depression and good for self-care. I also make a list daily of things I need to do and accomplish before the end of the day. I am also reading and trying to learn some new things too to better myself. My arms are getting bigger in muscle size since I have been working out at gym on machines and at home lifting the 20lb weight I have. I have never really had strong arms before so I am enjoying seeing them increase in muscle size. I am doing more cardio outdoors by walking briskly on the street or a trail. Getting fresh air and exposing parts of my body to the sun helps get some Vitamin D I am in serious need of. Trying to stay positive and my new goal is to at least get to 200 lbs soon, like in a couple months. I am researching different techniques or what works for others. Most of all I am sticking to logging all my food on my Lose It! app on my phone daily and doing cardio 5-6 days a week and gym every other weekday. Drinking lots of water and doing my own quiet time, reading my Bible and praying daily, this has helped me a lot too. Got to exercise my spiritual muscles as well as my body muscles. Also making sure my wife and I spend some alone time or time at home together to get closer. We have enjoyed it so far and hope to make more memories in the future. Spending time with my daughter is something I do daily and enjoy. We laugh and have fun a lot!

15 habits of people who have effectively lost over 20-30 pounds and have kept it off..

website:
http://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/2014/03/25/15-habits-of-people-who-have-effectively-lost-over-20-30lbs-and-kept-it-off/

15 Habits of People Who Have Effectively Lost Over 20 – 30lbs and Kept it Off

March 25, 2014 By Tammy Kresge 72 Comments

A few weeks ago I rediscovered the book 7 habits of highly effective people. I am sure you heard of this book considering it has been around forever. Anyways, I did not read the book again but the title did get me thinking.
What are the habits of people who have effectively lost over 20 – 30lbs and sustained that weight loss?
The key part of that sentence is sustained that weight loss. As someone who has lost over 30 pounds I can tell you that losing weight in my opinion is easy compared to sustaining it.  But I have sustained my weight loss for over 3 years now. I know what I do and I write all about here on my blog. But I was curious what other people do or have done to sustain their weight loss. So I decided to ask this question on the Organize Yourself Skinny Facebook Page.  125 of you responded and gave some great responses.
Before I share a summary of the responses I want to talk about an observation I made as I was reading all of them. I found it very interesting – though not surprising – that not one person mention a fad diet or strict diet program when talking about losing weight and/or sustaining their weight loss. A couple people did mention Weight Watchers but I think that program does work for a lot of people because it focuses on lifestyle and habits. I personally don’t think paying for a program like Weight Watchers is necessary but out of all the programs out there I think it is the most realistic.  Anyways, my point is that almost every single habit that was talked about was free and did not require a specific “plan” or “program”.
Now of course this is not a scientific study by any means but only what I found by asking people who follow the Organize Yourself Skinny Facebook page. You can view all their responses in full here.
Please note these habits are not in any kind of order. All of them are equally important. I summed up all their responses into 15 habits, added my thoughts, experiences, and resources if available.
I think you will feel relieved and pleasantly surprised –or not – to find that all 15 of these habits are real everday habits that anyone can implement into their lifestyle. All without sacrificing yourself or any of the food you love. These habits don’t require a monthly fee, for you to buy special diet foods, or the need to follow a list of complicated rules.

15 Habits of People Who Have Effectively Lost Over 20 – 30lbs and Kept it Off

1. Do not eliminate foods or deem certain foods as bad or “off limits”

With all the restrictive diets flooding our tv’s and computer screens you would think the only way to lose weight would be to completely eliminate food groups and only live off kale and water. Well that is not the case. Most people who lose weight and sustain their weight loss do not do so by removing certain foods completely from their diet but finding a way to fit them into a healthier lifestyle. For weight loss to be sustainable your lifestyle needs to be sustainable.
Here are some additional resources:
Accept Diets Don’t Work
Have a “no diet” New Year

2. Develop routines and make it your lifestyle

Losing weight has everything to do with creating healthier habits. To do this you need to switch up your routines. Basically, if you do what you always do then you are going to get what you always get. Once you have created new routines and stick with them those routines will eventually turn into habits and become your new lifestyle. Keep in mind that it takes 21 days to form a new habit so don’t give up on those new routines so quick. Also, don’t try to overhaul your life in one week. Slow and steady friends. Too much to soon will cause you to burn out and get discouraged.
Here are some additional resources:
Make weight loss your new hobby
How to turn weight loss information into weight loss action
5 Things You Can Do in the Next 24hrs to Start Your Weight Loss Journey

3. Eat clean (er) foods

Basically clean eating means eating foods that are minimally processed, if processed at all, and closest to their natural state. When you eat clean foods your body receives more nutritious foods, which means it will be nourished and statisfied longer.
Here are some additional resources:
What is clean eating: simple guidelines for busy people 
Simple steps to get started with clean eating

4. Have an accountability system

Accountability systems are so important with losing weight. They help you measure success, identify issues, and motivate as you move forward. I personally use my scale to hold me accountable. That is what works for me. I also pay attention to the way my clothes fit and how I look in pictures. I know the picture thing might sound weird but for many years I hid behind my kids in pitcures because I hated the way I looked. One reader suggested always looking at yourself in a mirror, front and back. I think the picture and mirror tip comes down to not hiding from yourself. Hold yourself accountable. Now I am not suggesting that you become obsessive with the scale or mirror. Not at all. But having an accoutabitly system is very effective in helping to lose weight and sustain that weight loss.
Here are some additional resources:
4 ways blogging has helped me lose weight and sustain my weight loss
How to start a weight loss accountability group
How to get back on track with your weight loss
3 more tips to get back on track
How to start your weight loss journey: assessment and acceptance 

5. Practice portion control

Once you embrace and learn the concept of portion control is when you realize no food is truly off limits. The saying “everything in moderation” absolutely rings true in the world of sustainable weight loss.
Here are some additional resources:
How to control your portions at home
How to control your portions in a restaurant 

6. Tracking food

Next to portion control, tracking food is one of the most powerful tools with losing weight. In order to make any changes with food you need to know what you are eating and more importantly how much. Some people will say that counting calories or tracking food is tedious and too time consuming. Yes it does take a little time up front however the rewards in my opinion far out weigh any inconvenience. Plus, once you become more aware of the food you are eating you may not need to track as much. However, I have ALWAYS found it helpful to fall back on tracking whenever I have gotten off track.
Here are some additional resources:
How to start a food journal
Combine your food journal and menu plan
Complete a food overhaul
How to start counting calories
3 tips to help control calories
Getting the most out of My Fitness Pal
How to use My Fitness Pal to figure out nutritional information in recipes

7. Prioritize exercise

In order to reach your goal weight and sustain that weight loss you have to prioritize exercise. When you combine a healthy diet with exercise you will see results. Not only will your body change and look better but your mood will change and you will have much more energy.  Now don’t get scared cause I am not saying you need to run marathons or spend hours in the gym. But you do need to get sweaty a few times a week. Find what works for your lifestyle and make a commitment to exercise 3-4 times a week.
Here are some additional resources:
Tips to help prioritize exercise
How I finally made exercise a habit
Exercise routines and my first 5k
The importance of strength training

8. Eat every few hours

I hate being hungry. When I am hungry I tend to get headaches, crabby, and become totally fixated on food. It really is not a pretty sight. So I have learned that instead of eating 3 bigger meals with long periods of time in-between I do much better with eating 5 smaller meals a day. This helps keep me satisfied all day and prevents me (most of the time) from making bad food choices.
Here are some additional resources:
10 healthy snack ideas
snack attack

9. Find healthy substitutions for favorite foods

I think the biggest myth with losing weight is you must give up your favorite foods. This is not true at all. In fact, I have found it to be the exact opposite. If you want to lose weight and sustain that weight lost you need to find a way to continue enjoying the foods you love. Once you start to feel deprived is when your efforts to create healthier habits will crumble. You want to create eating habits you can live with forever.
Here are some additional resources:
How to still enjoy the foods you love on your weight loss journey
Learn to cook healthy: my favorite healthy cooking cookbooks

10. Stay hydrated

I never really concerned myself with hydration. I always thought I drank enough water. However, once I started drinking smoothies in the morning I realized that maybe I was not properly hydrated before. Because when I drink smoothies I feel alert all day, never get headaches, and have a ton of energy that lasts me all the way till night. When I don’t drink them I feel the opposite. Drinking my smoothies not only give me a good dose of fruits and veggies but it also gives me a lot of water and liquid to hydrate my body. For me it is difficult to fully hydrate my body with just drinking water all day. If that works for you great but I have found smoothies to really help with hydration.  If you find yourself tired all the time and not having energy try doing more to hydrate yourself because that could be the issue.
Here are some additional resources:
Smoothie freezer kits
Blueberry Kale Smoothie
Tropical Green Smoothie

11. Meal plan along with preparing meals and snacks ahead of time.

Creating a menu plan and preparing your foods ahead of time helps you become more intentional with the food you are eating. When you are intentional you think before you eat and most likely will make better food choices. Both of these tools – used together – serve as the roadmap and vehicle for a healthy lifestyle. Without either of them I would never know what I am eating and certainly would not have the food available when I am ready to eat. And you know what happens next? Yep, take out or quick unhealthy snacks. Taking the time to menu plan and then preparing the foods that you can ahead of time will make such a big difference with your weight loss efforts.
Here are some additional resources:
Beginners guide to menu planning
Simplify Menu Planning with Rotating Menus
4 simple ways to keep your menu plan on track
Which freezer cooking method is right for you
Beginners guide to freezer cooking
Freezer cooking series

12. Have a cut off time everyday with eating.

This has been one of my go to weight loss habits. Late night eating has always been an issue for me as I am sure it is for other people too. By giving myself a cut off time I am able to control my night time calories. This habit, as with others I have mentioned, keeps my intentional with my eating. My personal cut off time is 7:00pm so I know if the clock says past 7pm and I am eating more than likely I am eating unnecessary calories. Now your cut off time can be whatever works for you. I know some people work crazy schedules and 7pm does not work for them. The point is to stop eating by a certain time to prevent overeating. It has work wonders for me and I believe it can really help you in meeting your weight loss goals.

13. Have a max weight for the scale

This is not something I have practice but I think I will start. I know some people do not like using the scale but for me it works. I weigh myself every week to keep me in check. I try to post my weekly weigh in on my FB page and blog every week or so. Sometimes I am a slacker and go a few weeks without posting. But I will tell you when I start to see the number go up and up that is enough incentive for me to refocus and get back on track. I love the idea of having a max weight because then it gives you a little flexibility but always you are giving yourself a limit.

14. Cook at home

One OYS reader wrote “weight loss begins and ends in the kitchen”. I absolutely loved this and couldn’t agree more. Early on in my weight loss journey I learned that if I wanted my weight loss to be sustainable I needed to learn to cook real food at home. Trying to lose weight and survive off boxed diets meals was not sustainable. When you cook at home you control the ingredients, portions, and are able to prepare food that you enjoy.
Here are some additional resources: 
Become a better cook with these 7 tips
5 things I learned in cooking school

15. Never stop

Even though I did not put the other habits in any kind of order I did want to put this one last. I want you to leave with this. Losing weight and sustaining that healthy lifestyle is a process and journey. It is never over. I have said this many times before but I will say it again – there will be times where you think you got this whole weight loss thing down then there will be other times where you eat a box of thin mints and feel like you lost all control. But no matter how bad you think you “slipped up” never stop trying. Always keep moving forward.
Those are the 15 habits I came across from people who have effectively lost 20 – 30lb or more. I hope you find these encouraging and helpful as you move through your weight loss journey.

Lost 2.5lbs now

Weighed myself Saturday. Lost 1.5lbs. Then Monday had Doctors nutrition visit. Lost another lb. So things are going well. Keeping up my diet and exercise. Got a flu bug and not eating much yesterday and today. Hope this passes soon.

Food New Years Resolution couple ideas

50 New Year's Resolutions Video helpful

On New Year's Resolutions, good video

New Year's Resolutions Tips and Helpful Video Youtube