Can I have a few tips and tricks! :)

josiebanks18

Hi there!
I've been using MFP for about 25 days now, It's made me realise how much I OVER eat! I've been sticking to my calorie goal which is 1200. and I've lost about 6lbs already - which I didn't expect at all! I've started doing some at home work outs with small weights.
1201. do you have any other tips or ideas? I want to continue losing weight gradually, I'm scared I'll hit a wall and the weight will stop coming off, how can I avoid this?
1202. Thanks!

swinefish

Firstly, well done on your weight loss so far.

A few pieces of advice to make sure you keep losing weight:
1) Recognise that your weight loss is likely to slow down as you get closer to your goal weight. If you maintain a deficit, you will keep losing, no matter how slowly.
2) Do some cardio. Cardio burns calories, but this isn't its most important purpose. It will improve your general health, and will also help to build core strength.
3) Increase the weights you use gradually. Don't be scared to build muscle - you won't get a body builder look without striving for it. The muscle you build will however burn calories and make your body look tighter. Your focus should never be on light weights. If you can do more than 12 reps easily, your weights are too light.

Also take your measurements with a measuring tape. Sometimes you will stop losing weight, because you are burning fat at the same rate as you build muscle. When that happens, your measurements will help you realise that you are still making progress.

Also keep in mind that 1200 calories is pretty low. Update your goals every few weeks, and anytime your recommended calories drops below 1200 you should reduce your planned loss.

Hope this helps. Feel free to add me if you want to.

999tigger

1. The main reason new dieters stop losing is because they arent tight enough with their logging i.e weighing their food and logging it accurately.

2.Overestimating burns is also another problem. Stick to eating 50% of burned calories and adjust on results as MFP estimates tend to be too generous in many instances and you dont wnat to be eating calories you havent burned.

3. Manage your expectations, getting some perspective and being patient. People tend to get impatient because they dont understand properly about weight loss, then they get frustrated and upset when they arent losing fast enough.

Healthy rates of weight loss are c 1-2lb a week, but it depends on how much you have to lose. The less you have to lose the harder it gets.

4. Keep being commited and focus on what you have to do.

playmadcats

Big one for me is being prepared. I make sure I have food to take into work now, rather than hitting the vending machines, or take away on way home. (also stops the binge eating due to being hungry). Have also found having snack or meal ready when I return from gym a walk or the pool a big help. Stops me from nibbling when I prepare stuff.
Amazing how much the odd chocolate bar, packet of crisps or instant stuff adds up.

josiebanks18

swinefish wrote: »

Firstly, well done on your weight loss so far.

A few pieces of advice to make sure you keep losing weight:
1) Recognise that your weight loss is likely to slow down as you get closer to your goal weight. If you maintain a deficit, you will keep losing, no matter how slowly.
2) Do some cardio. Cardio burns calories, but this isn't its most important purpose. It will improve your general health, and will also help to build core strength.
3) Increase the weights you use gradually. Don't be scared to build muscle - you won't get a body builder look without striving for it. The muscle you build will however burn calories and make your body look tighter. Your focus should never be on light weights. If you can do more than 12 reps easily, your weights are too light.

Also take your measurements with a measuring tape. Sometimes you will stop losing weight, because you are burning fat at the same rate as you build muscle. When that happens, your measurements will help you realise that you are still making progress.

Also keep in mind that 1200 calories is pretty low. Update your goals every few weeks, and anytime your recommended calories drops below 1200 you should reduce your planned loss.

Hope this helps. Feel free to add me if you want to.

Thanks that was very informative! I do need to up my exercise. Do I update my goal by checking in my current weight?

josiebanks18

999tigger wrote: »

1. The main reason new dieters stop losing is because they arent tight enough with their logging i.e weighing their food and logging it accurately.

2.Overestimating burns is also another problem. Stick to eating 50% of burned calories and adjust on results as MFP estimates tend to be too generous in many instances and you dont wnat to be eating calories you havent burned.

3. Manage your expectations, getting some perspective and being patient. People tend to get impatient because they dont understand properly about weight loss, then they get frustrated and upset when they arent losing fast enough.

Healthy rates of weight loss are c 1-2lb a week, but it depends on how much you have to lose. The less you have to lose the harder it gets.

4. Keep being commited and focus on what you have to do.

Thanks for the tips I am very strict with my logging I don't eat anything unless it's logged accurately.

josiebanks18

playmadcats wrote: »

Big one for me is being prepared. I make sure I have food to take into work now, rather than hitting the vending machines, or take away on way home. (also stops the binge eating due to being hungry). Have also found having snack or meal ready when I return from gym a walk or the pool a big help. Stops me from nibbling when I prepare stuff.
Amazing how much the odd chocolate bar, packet of crisps or instant stuff adds up.

That is so true I do packed lunches now

999tigger

Dont beat yourself up if you go off track or dont do as well as you want. log it and move on, its not worth worrying about.

When you hit a slowdown, then realise weight loss is not linear and even though you may be logging accurately and doing all the right things your body suits itself and may just be readjusting. Keep doing the right things and it will start to move eventually. An actual plateau is 4-6 weeks, so dont panic if nothing happnes for a few weeks.

josiebanks18

999tigger wrote: »

Dont beat yourself up if you go off track or dont do as well as you want. log it and move on, its not worth worrying about.

When you hit a slowdown, then realise weight loss is not linear and even though you may be logging accurately and doing all the right things your body suits itself and may just be readjusting. Keep doing the right things and it will start to move eventually. An actual plateau is 4-6 weeks, so dont panic if nothing happnes for a few weeks.

Thanks for the advice

shballa

It helps me to prelog my food for the whole day in the morning so I can see how much room I have for snacks, or if I'm going to be over, see where I can cut back.

josiebanks18

shballa wrote: »

It helps me to prelog my food for the whole day in the morning so I can see how much room I have for snacks, or if I'm going to be over, see where I can cut back.

I've been doing that too! I log lunch and dinner and snacks in the morning then can se hat I've got left for dinner

DWBalboa

Great job so far. The best way to stay engaged and to continue to lose weight is to first make daily, weekly, and longer term goals. Make them obtainable but enough to push you. Make the short term ones simple things such as staying with in your targeted calorie intake and/or getting x amount of steps or x amount of calorie burn in the gym. Don’t freak out when you don’t reach your goals, revisit them, perhaps they need to be recalculated. We often tend to set lofty goals for ourselves and then beat ourselves up for not reaching them. Don’t aim for losing 5 pounds in a week, that is possible but it’s not sustainable. Furthermore, it’s not typically recommended 2.5 pounds is the most I would ever reach for.

Also, do not get caught up in the numbers on the scale, your body may pack on muscle which could cause you to go up in weight. I would recommend that you take measurements of the key areas of the body and once every two to four weeks take a new measurement. That will be the best gauge as to you efforts being successful or not.
The next thing I recommend is play around with your activities until you find the ones that you enjoy. The best way to keep yourself engaged with working out is to find activities that you enjoy. For me I enjoy the Elliptical machine, doing HIIT, weight lifting and when not on the IR I love to run and play soccer.

If you haven’t already done so get a digital food scale, measuring spoons and cups, and measure and log everything that you consume.

Feel free to look at my food logs and I’m not sure if others can see my measurements or not but if so you’ll see how many I keep on myself just to give you an idea for your own.
I have other recommendations but I think I’ve given you enough to chew on for now. Feel free to add me or just message me for other advice. I can share some of my HIIT routines, they range from body weight to weighted exercises. Last recommendation for now if you choose to do a HIIT routine start with body weight only.

Good luck and best wishes.

V/r,
DW.

swinefish

josiebanks18 wrote: »

Thanks that was very informative! I do need to up my exercise. Do I update my goal by checking in my current weight?

To update your goal, just go to goals and set them again. It's a bit tedious, but necessary.

davidcliff

As in most everything in life, stop worrying about what MIGHT happen. Instead get control of the things that you can control. MFP is a good resource, stay strong, and you will get past any obstacles.

errollmaclean

Lots of good advice! I'll add mine
1. Food scale
2. Food scale
3. Food scale

But seriously, congratulations! Sounds like you're doing great!

RoxieDawn

Increase the weights. The "Barbie weights" will not show any progress. You probably lift more in a day such as your purse, bag of groceries, jug of milk, etc...

A MFP member has a blog (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/fourfiftythree/view/calisthenics-roadmap-a-list-of-resources-to-get-started-with-bodyweight-strength-training-694338) if you do not have weights or any particular equipment that I found interesting and not boring.. might want to look at her blog..

The food scale is not what is needed if/when you hit a wall. This does help make sure you stay at your daily calories but the but the dreaded "wall" or "stall" happens especially as you get within 5 or 10 pounds or so to your goal (may or may not happen.. different people with different results)...

I hit the "wall" / "stall" and do not weigh my food. I have never had to worry about a gram of that or 2 grams of this (I do measure ofcourse ((I cook a lot)) but not for me personally)...

But in short after all that... sorry...

increase your weights and change up the exercise from time to time. Add/cut /change even change up the routine or order in which you do things, throwing in something.. do cardio ... or not... you will be amazed at how repetitive movements your body will adjust and preform the same exercises with no added results.

As you stated you are pretty religious with your logging and if you just want to loose weight and really not worried if the exercising is making your stronger or burning fat or you just want to burn some calories every day.... do cardio.. HIIT if you can or work up to it.

I do strength with barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, and cardio (long and short HIIT duration).

I do love a good calorie burn at the end of the day...

josiebanks18

Thankyou all for the advice