What I wish I knew when I was just starting out

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Replies

  • katkins3
    katkins3 Posts: 1,359 Member
    I started out believing the calories burned read out on gym equipment and calorie charts. Then I got my first heart rate monitor!! Now I get much more realistic feedback on whatever I do.
  • allunits
    allunits Posts: 95 Member
    Sorry to hear about the winter gain. I've been there many times. Here's to getting the weight off quickly and continuing your work. Soon this will be just a small blip in your story!
    MerinneW wrote: »
    I guess I always knew, but I wish I had actually taken it in - this is for life. You will never eat 'normally' (or what was 'normal' to your overweight self) again - or if you do, well guess what, you'll soon be overweight again! Weight loss is like a card palace - takes a fraction of the time it took to build to knock it down again. So frankly, if you don't think you can live like this (whatever your programme is) long-term without being miserable, either find another path, or get used to being big and learn to love yourself that way.

    I just killed off about two years' worth of denial in two months of eating pretty much whatever I wanted - all the compliments I received on my weight loss went to my head, I stopped weighing myself, stopped monitoring my intake and abiding by the rules of my chosen programme, had an indulgent Christmas period and bingo - I'm back practically where I was when I started. Time to start rolling that rock back up the hill again...

    So don't 'diet'. Change your lifestyle. For good. Yo-yo effect is a b***h.

    By the way, from personal experience, low carb diet is actually very effective for weight loss, simply because it is so much harder to eat the same amount of calories from protein-rich foods as you can from carbs. The difficulty is keeping it up for life, especially if like me you love bread and pasta. Low carb and CICO are not actually antithetical, and people who promote low carb diets are not necessarily barking. It's about what works for you. Something else I wish I'd known before I started is that while MFP is a really useful aid to changing how you live and eat, especially the motivational success stories, there are a lot of people on here who are certain that they have found The One True Way and are more than happy to slag off anyone who disagrees/has a different way (see posts above). Ignore the negativity, explore the options with an open mind, and if you find one that makes you happier and healthier, then go with it.

  • srujana_kanneganti
    srujana_kanneganti Posts: 63 Member
    Eat more protein.
  • doesthisappmakemelookfat
    doesthisappmakemelookfat Posts: 103 Member
    This is a great post and perfect for reinforcing what I already know, but need to keep reminding myself.
  • keana55
    keana55 Posts: 49 Member
    My Fitness Pal really works--believe in it, weigh your food
    Follow the plan CI<CO
    Set a reasonable weekly weight loss (I finally settled on 1 lb per week)
    Keep within the macros
    If you fail on one day or one week or a month, don't beat yourself up--pick yourself up and GET right back on the plan
    Whatever your situation, don't let anyone tell you you can't do this or it is not worth it (family, friends, doctors)
  • sharitapita
    sharitapita Posts: 80 Member
    For me, I plateaued (when I was at my lowest weight about 20 lbs ago) for several months. Cutting all processed food and sugar (aside from a weekly cheat meal) got me finally losing again.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt wrote: »
    CICO. This would have saved me two ish years of sheer frustration!

    This, except it would have saved me around 18 years of frustration. All I had to do was count calories and weigh my food? Who would have thought?
  • rebeccaEsmith
    rebeccaEsmith Posts: 1,136 Member
    Love it!
  • swim777
    swim777 Posts: 599 Member
    luluinca wrote: »
    I learned that just because I'm 65 it's not actually more difficult to lose weight than it was when I was younger, that lifting weights at my age could transform my body and make my bones healthy, that it's not a race or a competition with others, and that I really could eat what I wanted if I could make it fit into my daily calorie and macro goals, but also that the occasional over indulgent day doesn't ruin all my hard work.

    Birthdays, weddings, vacations and holidays are part of life and it's more fun (and not bad) to just enjoy them and then get back on track the following day.

    Logging (primarily pre-logging) every day is essential to me to maintain my loss and now that it's a habit, just like any other, it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

    I wish I knew years ago that there was a gym rat living inside of me just waiting to get out!

    Love this! Hopefully, I can remember these things since I have worked so hard this past year to finally, once and for all, take control of my health again. I think I'm finally brave enough to get rid of all those "next sizes" that I've been afraid to donate.

  • smh1963
    smh1963 Posts: 34 Member
    agree with others , don't eat back your exercise calories.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    I wish I had realised how quick and easy it would be to lose the weight.

    I had this idea that at my age it was either not going to happen at all, or that it would be a long, hard slog. So, reluctantly, I signed up, put my information in, gasped in horror at the 1250 maximum calories I was allowed, breathed a small sigh of relief that I could eat about half my exercise calories back too ... and stuck to the diet with the tenacity of a Jack Russell Terrier.

    The exercise aspect helped a lot, as did thoroughly browsing through my local grocery stores and markets to find good tasting low calorie food.

    And the weight fell off. :)
  • patty_36_2
    patty_36_2 Posts: 22 Member
    MsJulesRenee wrote: »
    The workout/diet buddy you start with, on your weight loss journey, will probably not be there at the end or even middle. Just keep going and don't let that affect your progress.

    This is so true. I did find it hard at first, but then realized that it's my weight, and my responsibility, so I just kept on by myself, still on my road and am OK..
  • Nthabiseng259
    Nthabiseng259 Posts: 2 Member
    yrieves wrote: »
    Love your body while working toward the body you want! Take it one day at a time or else it can be overwhelming and easy to get off track. Know that you can do it by yourself and don't listen to bad advice! You know your body listen to it and do what works for you!

    Preach!!!!!:)
  • jenovatrix
    jenovatrix Posts: 219 Member
    That there's a whole wide world of produce out there. You don't have to stick to apples and carrots :smile:

    I still don't like sweet potatoes though. :s
  • Bruceapple
    Bruceapple Posts: 2,027 Member
    The most important thing portion control.
  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
    Loving this- fantastic as i am just starting my journey.
  • KareninLux
    KareninLux Posts: 1,413 Member
    vrojapu wrote: »
    I wish I had known...


    And most of all, that MFP is my BFF...

    Ha ha. Love this!
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