Wish I would've... (at the start of my MFP journey)

korygilliam

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

jlapey

I REALLY wish I would have started weight training. Imagine the progress I missed out on!

jerseygirl446

Congratulations! That is awesome! I just started MFP today and I am hoping to reach my goal loss, 30 lbs. in at least 9 months...

jrompola

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

Can we BOLD make sure to take a good before picture!! I was too embarrassed of how fat I was to take any starting pictures. I have pictures from various vacations, but wish I would have had true day 1 photos

Alissakae

I too wish I had a good 'before' picture, I think it would be encouraging to me now (halfway through). Also wish I had taken measurements at the beginning. I didn't do those things because I was so ashamed of myself and wasn't sure I would be successful.

ForMyAngelBaby

I had an awful before picture, which is on my profile. It's a few years old but it was me at my heaviest.

Me:
I wish I would've stuck with it completely the first time (I ended up gaining back 12 pounds that I'm now having to work off)
I wish I would've taken measurements
I wish I would've realized that the only limitation I face is myself.

Kayleria

I really wish I had a before picture too. I'd started and stopped with MFP in the past a few times before and this is the only time I've ever really stuck with it. So its possible I never thought I'd make it anywhere. But now that I'm well on my way to my goal, I wish I had a picture from 6 months ago so I could look at it and reiterate to myself "this is why you make these good decisions everyday, this is why you count now!".

Measurements would've been really fun to watch the numbers drop too. Instead I just have a neverending musical chairs of clothing where the once "too small" have become "too big".

Tldavis3s

I wish I would've taken measurements.
I wish I would've taken better pictures.
I DEFINITELY wish I would've started strength training sooner!

korygilliam

LOL-Guess being too embarrassed or ashamed is a common item for those 'pre' pictures...:blushing:

:glasses: :glasses: :glasses: NEW PEEPS--TAKE THOSE PICTURES AND MEASUREMENTS! :glasses: :glasses: :glasses:
You will want them later to look back on and say 'I am not going there again!'javascript:add_smiley('blushing','post_body')

kndlkai1

I read through all the replies (as I'm starting this journey AGAIN) and thinking that all of them apply to me too.

So, when I go home today, I'll have hubby measure me and take an unflattering beginning picture. Then I'll continue tomorrow to reinforce that I AM worth it and it's going to make me so much happier in the long run!!

Lpruett7

im with ya. Eventhough my heaviest was when i was about to give birth to my daughter I might have one picture. After i had her i didnt loose alot of weight right away like i did with my son. I refused to have any pics taken below my boobs haha!

NadirToZenith

Thank you for the advice. I'm at the beginning of my journey and while it was hard (very hard!) I just took some before pictures. Not only will I be happy later when I can look back at where I started, but it also showed me that I really do need to make drastic changes. Avoiding pictures and mirrors has given me a distorted sense of self. But in my defense... things don't look all that bad from my vantage point LOL

daniellemm1

I agree with the pics and measurements.

I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

msjames1999

I wish I would have taken pictures and measurements at the start of my MFP journey.

AmyP619

Definitely wish I would have taken good before photos. I have nothing to compare my progress to. The first progress pics I took were in December then again in March (6-10 months after I had started this and was down 40-50 lbs already). I was able to compare those to each other but not to the very beginning!! Oh well.

fpuckett2383

I totally agree with the pictures and the weight training,
I also wish I would've actually measured what I ate. I "Guesstimated" a lot and I was soooo off (which I know, because I measure it now, lol).
I wish I would have found clean eating sooner.

fpuckett2383

Oh! And I wish I hadn't wasted all that time eating just 1200 calories, yuck! That was awful (and harmful)

dym123

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

All of the above

elvensnow

I too wish I had a good before picture. I have a few "in the middle" pics though.

But mostly, I wish I knew what TDEE was.

yoscarlino

I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

this!!!

CoffeeLush

Thanks for these tips. I started July 8th--- and yesterday, I made myself take a photo along with measurements. I also, thanks to everyone on the boards, realized eating 1200 calories wasn't enough. My goal this weekend is to look into my TDEE, etc.

FrancescaWebb

I just googled it

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Dauntlessness

I wish I would have taken a better before pic too.

michellechawner

I wish i had a before photo... I pound one of my at my heaviest, but it's hard to tell just how big I really was.

I always took measurements, thankfully.

Ladina1990

I REALLY wish I would've taken my measurements because I lost so many inches

ARoseC2012

1. made friends faster on here
2. not depended on my husband as a support buddy
3. kept a closer eye on my calories (actually weighing my food ect)

ajominy

I like many others on here definitely wish I had measured. I kick myself quite often for not having the exact measurements and have just gone by clothing size charts to get a guesstimate. Would have definitely liked to have a few more before pictures and progress pictures along the way.

Serenitytoo

* Don't wait too long to try on those "too small" clothes you have been saving... If you wait too long you wont get to wear them. There were a few in my closet that went from being too small to being way too big. Every few pounds or inches lost try them on. You never know!

imhungry2012

I wish I never got chubby and out of shape to begin with :sad: but I know that's not the point of the thread...seriously I wish I had:

Taken a good before photo
Taken several progress photos along the way
Started strength training sooner
Understood the importance of protein sooner
Stuck to my calorie goal more regularly (I can count on 2 hands the number of times I stayed within my goal for the day)

MeowSkull

Thank you for all the advice! I've only been at this 11 days and I'm pretty lost.

Great thread!

Scott3600

I have just gone and taken a photo of me at the start of my weight loss project. Thanks guys!