Not so new, but here I am. Looking for advice/guidance

PiSquared

So, I'm not exactly new to My Fitness Pal, but this is my first foray into the community forums, mainly because the internet can be a scary place sometimes, especially for an overweight female. I've used MFP off and on for a few years now, but recently picked it up again and am determined to stick with it this time.

As a little background, I am currently weighing in at 214 pounds, about 30 pounds lighter than I was a few years ago. My highest recorded weight was 243 pounds. I suspect that I had been over 250 before I began to actually do something about it, though for the longest time I didn't even own a scale, simply because I just didn't really want to know the number. Like many people, I am battling the culmination of a lifetime of a poor diet and lack of exercise. At first, I took control simply through a diet change, eating healthier foods, cooking at home, and attempting portion control. The changes began to work. I did enroll in a formal weight loss program (VTrim, through the University of VT) and learned some healthy habits, also unlearning some not so healthy habits). I picked up My Fitness Pal the first time when I finished VTrim.

Since then, I spent about a year not really tracking my weight or thinking about dieting. I still continued to eat relatively healthy, but my portions were creeping up and my exercise dwindled to non-existent. So, here I am again. Let's do this!

My short term goal is get below 200 pounds. My long term goal is to get my BMI into the healthy range. I am currently considered morbidly obese (I am 5'6" and female). 150 pounds would put me at the high end of normal weight. Yes, I am aware that BMI is a flawed system, but it is a common indicator, and just once, I would like to be considered a healthy weight. At this point, I am not entirely sure if 150 lbs is doable, but I would like to try. I have a fairly large frame, complete with very broad, linebacker type shoulders. Nothing about me is petite or dainty.

I am trying to do this in a way that is healthy and sustainable, which leads me to the good old fashioned eat-less-move-more diet. I cook dinner for myself and my husband almost every night. I really enjoy cooking. Mainly I use Cooking Light for my inspiration, but I have a smattering of other recipes (and sometimes come across stuff on the internet that looks awesome and I have to try it!). For the most part, I measure my portions. I have a digital food scale that I use at home. If I eat on the road, I usually just eyeball the portion and make my best guess. My exercise so far consists mainly of walking. I walk to and from work most days, about 2 miles each way. I try to get at least a small walk in on the weekend as well.

My diary is public, and I would appreciate any feedback. Like I said, my goal is to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way. I understand that this is going to be a long journey.

That was a long introduction, and now I have a few questions for those of you who have been at this a while.

How often should I be weighing myself? I am fairly obsessive and don't want o go overboard here. I generally weigh myself every day, and have taken to recording my weight once a week. Sometimes I weigh myself more than once a day and marvel at how much my weight can fluctuate during the day. Is there a preferred time of day to weigh yourself, or should I just try to be consistent with my "official" weigh ins? Also, when you weigh yourself, do you do it fully clothed, or do you do it wearing as little as possible?

Does the feeling of obsessiveness over the numbers ever go away? I haven't taken to doing my own spreadsheets (yet), but I have taken to meal planning a week in advance and plugging those meals into MFP. It takes up a significant portion of my free time. I don't want this to take over my entire life, and I really can't see being this obsessive about my caloric intake as sustainable long term.

I will be honest. I do not like exercising. I am glad when I do exercise and I'm also happy I did, but I will never like exercising more than, say, sitting on the couch, watching cartoons, and eating ice cream. I know this. I've started walking because it is free, easy to do, requires no special equipment, and can be done just about anywhere. I walk about 4 miles a day during the work week. Sometimes on the weekend I don't go for a walk at all, calling it a "rest day". Am I just making up an excuse to not exercise?

Thank you all for your support

-PiSquared

IamUndrCnstruction

You actually sound like you have a good start there. And glad you are committing again. The meal planning is something I would love to get better at. Certainly wouldn't call it obsessed. As far as weighing yourself, I would go with "first thing in the am, after bathroom, with little clothing on" and just be consistent with that.

All I did at the start was walk. I still mostly just walk. But now I do some weight training too. I love the weights!

Anyway, you can do this!

ahealthiercara

Your story sounds a lot like me. I've used MFP in the past and just started up again and this is the first time I'm using the forums. I weigh 214 - my highest weight was 265. I've gone up and down many times but never seem to stay below 200 for very long. I want to change that. Based on my height and my frame, I'm 5'5 and pretty small framed, charts say I should be 125lbs but I really don't think I'll ever get there nor do I really want to. My short term goal is 180.

I also can get obsessed with weighing. For a long time I didn't weigh myself at all but in making a concerted effort to lose weight I decided I needed to. I told myself I'd weigh once a week - Monday morning, naked, after my first pee. I've weighed myself three times this week so for. I am really trying not to get back to the obsessively getting on the scale but I'm not sure how.

I don't mind exercise but I think of it as allowing me to eat. If I didn't exercise at all my allowed calories for the day would be too low for me to feel satisfied.

As for spending so much time planning and mapping out calories, the thing that works best for me is keeping my meals simple and similar. I eat basically the same thing for breakfast every day, and a lot of similar foods for lunch and dinner.

Stay at it and you'll be under 200 in no time at all

Angie2822

My story is very similar...currently weighing in at 214 also but my highest (that I know of) was 248. I am 5 ft 7 in. I have tried a million things over the years and I know that MFP works for me when I stay focused. I was really successful in 2013 and lost 50+ pounds but in 2014 I dropped the ball and blew up again. When I went for my physical 2 weeks ago I was back to 225 pounds. I was so ashamed, the worst part was that my doctor was proud of me for my weight loss of course she had no idea I was on my way back up and quickly. My short term goal is to lose the weight that I have gained and then set another series of goals to keep me motivated. I wish you a ton of success and would love to be friends as we both have similar goals...one thing I know is that it's a lot more enjoyable when you have a good support system on MFP.

PiSquared

Thanks, guys. It's really nice to find a supportive community here, and to know that I'm not doing this alone.

cheslightsey

Good morning and welcome...back. I am not in the same situation as you as I am now in maintenance, but just wanted to show my support. Even in maintenance, I weigh first thing every morning. It helps me to feel that I have a handle on my body weight...and I don't worry about small fluctuations (like 2 pounds). I log my weight once a week - always on the same day at the same time. In terms of food logging, it does get easier as MFP remembers your frequent logs. And since you are using a lot of recipes from Cooking Light, you should use the feature that allows you to save and log it. Once you have saved a recipe, it will always be available for you to easily log. Best of luck!