What I learned from the MFP community
Options
Dove0804
Posts: 213 Member
Hey everyone!
I just wanted to write a little love letter to the MFP community. I am so thankful I joined these message boards earlier this year. I have lost 80 lbs and have 60 to go, and know that I will be successful.
One of the reasons I appreciate the MFP community compared to so many other forums on the internet is that at for the most part, people don't put up with BS here. Fad diets and buzzwords are largely rejected. With so much bogus health information thrown around everywhere and poor-quality "studies" being referenced in every magazine, it's so difficult to sort out what's real and what isn't. I didn't start losing weight in an effective and predictable manner until I joined the boards here.
Some things I've learned during my time here that have helped me immeasurably:
1.) It's all about calories. Even if you follow a new fad diet or cut out this or that, or only eat certain things, it boils down to calories whether you're counting them or not. Obviously macros are important for other reasons, but losing weight is strictly CICO.
2.) Starvation mode is a myth. This was a little hard for me to swallow, but once I accepted it I actually was relieved. Understanding how caloric requirements change as one loses weight, and that it's impossible for weight loss to stop or for someone to gain weight by eating too few calories, and that your metabolism isn't affected by the type of foods you eat, I was able to focus more on my mission.
3.) You don't need to step foot in a gym. Of course, exercise has SO many benefits, and can help you create a deficit, but ultimately your food is the main thing that needs to be controlled for weight loss. When I was at my heaviest, exercise was a bit too much for me physically and mentally. Now that I've lost quite a bit of weight, I love exercising and strength training.
4.) Food scales are incredible tools. I, like everyone else, thought I was perfectly able to eyeball portion sizes and be just fine, and trusted that all prepackaged things contained exactly as many calories as they claimed they did. Giving in and buying a food scale opened my eyes and upped my game.
5.) Weight loss isn't linear. This seems like common sense to me now, but I truly believed I could lose weight at 2 lbs/week up until I reached my goal weight. I now know that as you lose weight, your window between eating at deficit and eating at maintenance becomes much smaller, and you have to be content with losing at a slower rate to get enough nutrition and minimize muscle loss. I fully realize now that there is definite truth to the saying "the last 10 lbs are the hardest to lose".
6.) Water retention can mess with your head. Learning to recognize water retention secondary to the time of the month, from changing up an exercise regimen, or from eating too much salt has helped me immensely. I like to ask myself the question "did I REALLY eat 10,500 calories yesterday to gain these 3 lbs?" The answer is always no. This knowledge helps me power through annoying blips on the scale even when I know I'm doing everything right, and it always evens out in the end.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the above are what has helped me the most. I understand not everyone on the boards will agree with the above. I believe everyone should lose weight in a manner which they can adhere to and continue in some fashion for the rest of their life.
Simplifying everything and removing the most common excuses and complexities from common dietary advice has helped me in so many ways. I still struggle with the mental aspects of eating, but at least I can say to myself "you definitely ate too much today". My weight loss has become much more predictable and consistent since understanding the above.
Most of all, THANKS FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT!!!
What did you learn from MFP?
I just wanted to write a little love letter to the MFP community. I am so thankful I joined these message boards earlier this year. I have lost 80 lbs and have 60 to go, and know that I will be successful.
One of the reasons I appreciate the MFP community compared to so many other forums on the internet is that at for the most part, people don't put up with BS here. Fad diets and buzzwords are largely rejected. With so much bogus health information thrown around everywhere and poor-quality "studies" being referenced in every magazine, it's so difficult to sort out what's real and what isn't. I didn't start losing weight in an effective and predictable manner until I joined the boards here.
Some things I've learned during my time here that have helped me immeasurably:
1.) It's all about calories. Even if you follow a new fad diet or cut out this or that, or only eat certain things, it boils down to calories whether you're counting them or not. Obviously macros are important for other reasons, but losing weight is strictly CICO.
2.) Starvation mode is a myth. This was a little hard for me to swallow, but once I accepted it I actually was relieved. Understanding how caloric requirements change as one loses weight, and that it's impossible for weight loss to stop or for someone to gain weight by eating too few calories, and that your metabolism isn't affected by the type of foods you eat, I was able to focus more on my mission.
3.) You don't need to step foot in a gym. Of course, exercise has SO many benefits, and can help you create a deficit, but ultimately your food is the main thing that needs to be controlled for weight loss. When I was at my heaviest, exercise was a bit too much for me physically and mentally. Now that I've lost quite a bit of weight, I love exercising and strength training.
4.) Food scales are incredible tools. I, like everyone else, thought I was perfectly able to eyeball portion sizes and be just fine, and trusted that all prepackaged things contained exactly as many calories as they claimed they did. Giving in and buying a food scale opened my eyes and upped my game.
5.) Weight loss isn't linear. This seems like common sense to me now, but I truly believed I could lose weight at 2 lbs/week up until I reached my goal weight. I now know that as you lose weight, your window between eating at deficit and eating at maintenance becomes much smaller, and you have to be content with losing at a slower rate to get enough nutrition and minimize muscle loss. I fully realize now that there is definite truth to the saying "the last 10 lbs are the hardest to lose".
6.) Water retention can mess with your head. Learning to recognize water retention secondary to the time of the month, from changing up an exercise regimen, or from eating too much salt has helped me immensely. I like to ask myself the question "did I REALLY eat 10,500 calories yesterday to gain these 3 lbs?" The answer is always no. This knowledge helps me power through annoying blips on the scale even when I know I'm doing everything right, and it always evens out in the end.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the above are what has helped me the most. I understand not everyone on the boards will agree with the above. I believe everyone should lose weight in a manner which they can adhere to and continue in some fashion for the rest of their life.
Simplifying everything and removing the most common excuses and complexities from common dietary advice has helped me in so many ways. I still struggle with the mental aspects of eating, but at least I can say to myself "you definitely ate too much today". My weight loss has become much more predictable and consistent since understanding the above.
Most of all, THANKS FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT!!!
What did you learn from MFP?
50
Replies
-
Thank YOU! That was very well written. I have been soo confused and insecure too. MFP really cut all that BS away. I would even go as far as claiming that MFP taught me to eat, and stop fearing food.14
-
Well said!
7 -
I learned to love postings like this because it tells me that no BS posts do reach people. Well said!4
-
That was great!
I've learned to "listen to my elders" This is not meant in a negative way. My meaning of elder is the folks who have "been there done that and have the t-shirt to prove it". I don't talk a huge amount on the forums but I do reply to a few threads. Mostly, I just read. There are a few here who have opened my eyes on a lot of misinformation that has been shoved into my head over the years. I am grateful for them. So, THANK YOU!. I'd write all the names out but I believe you all know who you are. And since I suffer from CRS, I'd forget someone by mistake. 5 -
That was my experience, as well. Learned a lot of good things on these boards. High five!!3
-
Rare posts like this one more than compensate for the dozens of posters who start threads, don't hear what they want to hear, declare that people here are mean and flounce off. This is a good reminder that even on those occasions when an OP on a thread perhaps isn't ready for the truth and has a meltdown, there are way more that are simply reading and *are* actually ready to learn.
Congrats on your success, @Dove0804 , and with your attitude I'm certain you'll reach your goal. Well done!
10 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Rare posts like this one more than compensate for the dozens of posters who start threads, don't hear what they want to hear, declare that people here are mean and flounce off. This is a good reminder that even on those occasions when an OP on a thread perhaps isn't ready for the truth and has a meltdown, there are way more that are simply reading and *are* actually ready to learn.
Congrats on your success, @Dove0804 , and with your attitude I'm certain you'll reach your goal. Well done!
I was actually going to say similar. Either they have a meltdown, or become downright hostile and ragequit.
I've also learned so much from this community.3 -
-
Hey everyone!
6.) Water retention can mess with your head. Learning to recognize water retention secondary to the time of the month, from changing up an exercise regimen, or from eating too much salt has helped me immensely. I like to ask myself the question "did I REALLY eat 10,500 calories yesterday to gain these 3 lbs?" The answer is always no. This knowledge helps me power through annoying blips on the scale even when I know I'm doing everything right, and it always evens out in the end.
I loved the whole post, but I really love how you worded this.
I know I have learned a lot here because I there are a lot of people that speak plain unvarnished truth. They don't have time or patience for all the BS I and many others have fallen for in the past and are willing to appear "mean" to get the point across.
I think the sad fact is that until we are ready to really change our lives we don't want to hear those truths and are still caught in our own heads and let our feelings get hurt at the expense of our health. The message here isn't really that blunt to me, but some people just aren't ready to lose weight. I know there were many times in the past I have believed in many of the crap theories that are so quickly shot down here.
I know now that weight loss is simple.... and simple doesn't mean easy. There is a lot of noise out there that keeps people from focusing on what is important.
4 -
I learned that weight loss doesn't have to be torture, that being petite doesn't doom you to a lifetime of 1200 cals in order to lose weight, and that the winner is the one who eats the most and still reaches their goals.
And to love rare posts like this that more than make up for mean people threads....3 -
Simplifying everything and removing the most common excuses and complexities from common dietary advice has helped me in so many ways.
I'd say this is what MFP and those on the boards have taught me and helped me succeed!
Also, one day or weekend over calories doesn't mean you failed, you just keep going!
20 months - 87 down - 30-ish to go!7 -
Love this post and agree 100%! This really is a great community with so many people willing to share experience and wisdom.0
-
Very well written! Agree 100%. Great job! Keep up the good work!1
-
So love this.
Truth will out.
Cheers, h.1 -
Loved this!! I don't comment often because I don't like to get pulled into some of the BS threads, seems like common sense sometimes gets lost when we try to make excuses for why we aren't losing or when we look for the easy way out. I have learned during my 6 months and 50 pound loss here, that it can be as easy or as hard as you make it for yourself...there is no magic bullet and consistency helps stay the course. Also, being honest and kind to yourself helps. Didn't gain the wait in 1 month...aren't going to lose it in a month either!5
-
WinoGelato wrote: »I learned that weight loss doesn't have to be torture, that being petite doesn't doom you to a lifetime of 1200 cals in order to lose weight, and that the winner is the one who eats the most and still reaches their goals. ....
I love that bolded part "the winner is the one who eats the most and still reaches their goals" the best. I want to eat the most I can to sustain my weight loss goal NOT so low that I torture myself and give up. Before MFP I always thought dieting had to be miserable, but I was wrong! MFP is all about getting fit and healthy and feeling great while doing it.0 -
Hey everyone!
I just wanted to write a little love letter to the MFP community. I am so thankful I joined these message boards earlier this year. I have lost 80 lbs and have 60 to go, and know that I will be successful.
One of the reasons I appreciate the MFP community compared to so many other forums on the internet is that at for the most part, people don't put up with BS here. Fad diets and buzzwords are largely rejected. With so much bogus health information thrown around everywhere and poor-quality "studies" being referenced in every magazine, it's so difficult to sort out what's real and what isn't. I didn't start losing weight in an effective and predictable manner until I joined the boards here.
Some things I've learned during my time here that have helped me immeasurably:
1.) It's all about calories. Even if you follow a new fad diet or cut out this or that, or only eat certain things, it boils down to calories whether you're counting them or not. Obviously macros are important for other reasons, but losing weight is strictly CICO.
2.) Starvation mode is a myth. This was a little hard for me to swallow, but once I accepted it I actually was relieved. Understanding how caloric requirements change as one loses weight, and that it's impossible for weight loss to stop or for someone to gain weight by eating too few calories, and that your metabolism isn't affected by the type of foods you eat, I was able to focus more on my mission.
3.) You don't need to step foot in a gym. Of course, exercise has SO many benefits, and can help you create a deficit, but ultimately your food is the main thing that needs to be controlled for weight loss. When I was at my heaviest, exercise was a bit too much for me physically and mentally. Now that I've lost quite a bit of weight, I love exercising and strength training.
4.) Food scales are incredible tools. I, like everyone else, thought I was perfectly able to eyeball portion sizes and be just fine, and trusted that all prepackaged things contained exactly as many calories as they claimed they did. Giving in and buying a food scale opened my eyes and upped my game.
5.) Weight loss isn't linear. This seems like common sense to me now, but I truly believed I could lose weight at 2 lbs/week up until I reached my goal weight. I now know that as you lose weight, your window between eating at deficit and eating at maintenance becomes much smaller, and you have to be content with losing at a slower rate to get enough nutrition and minimize muscle loss. I fully realize now that there is definite truth to the saying "the last 10 lbs are the hardest to lose".
6.) Water retention can mess with your head. Learning to recognize water retention secondary to the time of the month, from changing up an exercise regimen, or from eating too much salt has helped me immensely. I like to ask myself the question "did I REALLY eat 10,500 calories yesterday to gain these 3 lbs?" The answer is always no. This knowledge helps me power through annoying blips on the scale even when I know I'm doing everything right, and it always evens out in the end.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the above are what has helped me the most. I understand not everyone on the boards will agree with the above. I believe everyone should lose weight in a manner which they can adhere to and continue in some fashion for the rest of their life.
Simplifying everything and removing the most common excuses and complexities from common dietary advice has helped me in so many ways. I still struggle with the mental aspects of eating, but at least I can say to myself "you definitely ate too much today". My weight loss has become much more predictable and consistent since understanding the above.
Most of all, THANKS FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT!!!
What did you learn from MFP?
I learned all this too
I miss all the people who taught me how to be successful after decades of yo-yoing, though; the ones who backed up their opinions with rationality and relevant studies, the ones who taught me science, the Socratic method and pure honest debate. I miss their honesty and humour. I would guess that fewer than 10% of them still post because they have either disappeared or been disappeared6
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 389 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 918 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions