What I have learned from 1000 days of logging (Part One)

donnam40

No doubt you will have heard most of this before from others, but it still doesn’t hurt to reflect.

What works for me might not work for you

This is probably the biggest thing I have learned, not only from MFP, but from my 25 plus years of experience in the fitness industry. For me, I cannot go low carb. It leads me to binges and dark, unhappy places. I need carbs to be a happy girl. But they need to be good quality carbs. I am much better with wholegrain bread than white bread, brown rice than white rice and wholemeal pasta (much to my husband’s disdain). Crap carbs = crap output. That’s not to say I’m perfect all the time
As for training, I do best with a mix of cardio and weights – circuit style training that keeps the heart rate up. Heavy weight programs don’t work for me as they play havoc with my Rheumatoid Arthritis and they make me super hungry too! I like to mix it up with plyometrics, weights, skipping, running, burpees, spin and a variety of weight exercises such as squats, deadlifts, OHP, lunges, push ups just to name a few. I like to challenge myself with time based workouts – how many reps in 1 minute or how many rounds of a set of exercises in 7 minutes. I record all of my workouts and look for improvement. I am also a runner and try to get in at least 50km’s a week.

But remember, this is what works for me. Maybe Paleo is best for you, maybe heavy weights give you great results – work out what works and keep at it!

It is impossible to be perfect all of the time (and you don’t want to be anyway)

Trying to be perfect only sets you up for failure and failure leads to disappointment which can lead to a whole range of emotions including self-loathing – somewhere you don’t want to be. It’s no fun being perfect anyway. I try to make good choices 80% of the time and let myself have some fun 20% of the time. Sometimes this ratio goes the other way which is why MFP is a handy tool to keep me on track! If I eat out, I don’t always have chips or if I do, I’ll share them. I’ll try to order something grilled rather than fried, but rarely ask for sauce or dressing on the side. If I am out and limited for choices, I’ll go for nutrient density. A couple of weeks ago I was at an American themed pub with no ‘good’ choices. Rather than go for the cheeseburger, I went for the Caesar salad. One of my colleagues noted my choice probably had more calories, and he was probably right. But in terms of nutrients, the salad had more. I will enjoy a drink here and there – sometimes that habit gets to be a bit too much. Right now I am trying not to drink Monday through to Thursday – it’s not always happening but I am trying! Alcohol will affect my weight very quickly so I do need to monitor my intake.

That said, you’ll get results that relate to what you do most of the time

Consistency is king. If you stay within your limits most of the time, you will get results. If you have blowouts most of the time you’ll get results that correlate with your blowouts! It’s not rocket science. Be consistent in your efforts and you will be rewarded eventually. It won’t be overnight but give it time. It didn’t take a week or two to get where you are now so it won’t take a week or two to get it all off.

Know your treats[/b]

Man, did I learn this the hard way. I had a custard scroll and then logged it to find out this morning tea treat had cost me over 500 calories! There are some real surprises out there so know what you’re putting in your mouth so the choice is a conscious one, not a surprise when you get around to logging it!

It’s all a best guess anyway so don’t be too strung out

The reality is all the calorie amounts really are only estimates – your chicken breast might be slightly fattier than the one that was tested to measure calories. Your HRM may not be entirely accurate (chances are it’s not). Use all of the information as a guide, not as gospel. As a rule I try to stay under about 90% of the time.

You can’t outrun a bad diet

Unfortunately you will need to make healthy choices most of the time to feel good and have the energy to get through the day. Sure you can stay under calorie goal with a variety of food choices, but to have the energy to get through the day, feel good and exercise you need nutrient dense food, not highly processed stuff. If you eat whole foods most of the time you will feel better in yourself, your skin will be better and you’ll get better results. Like a car if you put junk fuel in you won’t run as smoothly as if you put in better quality fuels.

And you cannot use exercise to counter overeating all of the time. It just doesn’t work like that unless you’re an Olympic athlete who trains 4 to 6 hours a day. Most of us aren’t and will burn around 500 cals in a solid workout and 500 cals really does not give you that much leeway.

You may have bad days that turn into weeks

Yep, sadly one bad day might turn into several bad weeks. At some point you have to choose to get back on that wagon and try again otherwise you’ll be right back to square one again and no one wants to be there. I’ve lost 30kg twice in my life and I can tell you I won’t be finding it ever again! I have a number that if I hit it, it means some changes need to be made. That’s my break point. Set yours and stick to it once you reach goal. If I go over 63kg I implement some real change and critically evaluate what I am doing to make sure I don’t get past that.

For exercise to count you need to work hard – housework does not count

I’m sorry to say this but it’s true! You have to work up a sweat and get that heart rate elevated to exercise to have any effect. Walking needs to be at a pace that is uncomfortable, not at a stroll. If you want to reap the benefits of exercise you actually have to exercise. Housework is a normal activity. It does not burn that many calories – wear a pedometer or activity tracker and see how much activity there is involved. MFP’s estimates are way overblown so don’t log it. And don’t think that housework counts because you have a desk job. It doesn’t. If you have a desk job you have to work harder to undo the effects of sitting – you lose exercise benefits for every hour that you are sitting – if you do have a desk job try and move every hour if you have the opportunity. And remember you don’t just exercise for weight loss. You need to be active for overall health benefits, both mental and physical. Do it to feel good about yourself.

Stay away from fads

Anything that sounds too good to be true is! Fads only set you up for failure. If you can sustain it your consistency goes out the window and backwards you go! You have to ask yourself can I do this for most of the rest of my life. If the answer is no, then don’t do it!! To succeed you do not go on a diet, you make a lifestyle change that is forever!!

Titanuim

Great information there Donna. Thanks for sharing

CoachJen71

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Lots to digest here.

sijomial

Great post Donna.

Palamedes

You have reached my unofficial goal. I've dedicated myself to logging 1000 days in a row. I'm working on weight loss at the moment and that is going well. I should be finished my weight loss phase in another couple of months and then I'm full time on the maintenance issues. Although I have not been at this as long or with as much dedication, I will reinforce a couple of your ideas.

Accuracy is not as important as consistency. If we carefully measured your calories in and exercise calories out, I doubt you are getting much closer than 10%. In other words, 100 accuracy is not necessary. What is necessary is constantly logging. You do not need to be perfect in figuring out the calories.

Weight loss comes down to one number. A calorie deficeit is the only number that matters for weight loss. Right now, I'm pretty much doing the same thing as Donna. I'm eating good carbs and lean meats. As much as possible, I stay away from processed foods. You can answer this question for yourself. Is that donut worth 1.5 hours of cardio exercise to you? You can South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, etc... As long as you generate a calorie deficeit, you should be fine. However, if you want to maintain over the long run, pick something you can live with for a long time.

Exercise is important for long-term fitness. I started my current journey going to the little gym at my condo and walking the treadmill. However, I was not very happy. Now, I spend a good portion of my week on my bike. I like to spend at least 7 x 45 minutes on the bike. Often time, I spend more like 7 hours a week on the bike and ride over 100 miles. I enjoy bike riding. Therefore, exercise is something I like to do. Find the exercise that makes you happy.

One of these days, I hope to report back when I have logged 1000 days in a row. If I make that mark, I think I will be in pretty good shape. Good Luck to you all.

VanillaBeanSeed

Awesome post! LOVE IT!

sjeannot

It is great that you were able to gain something, especialy to know yourself and what suits you best. That is the most imporant thing in life that one can accomplish.

lpendleton58

Great post. When people ask me how I lost weight, I always have to give a disclaimer of "this is what worked for me". Congratulations on all your success thus far.