What's on your mind today?
RangerRickL
Posts: 8,469 Member
This is where we let everyone know how we are all doing with the challenge. Or just share what's on your mind. Recipes, ideas, workouts, anything that you think might be helpful to others. Maybe, you've tried something that has worked for you in the past and would like to share it with the group. Maybe, you have a NSV (Non Scale Victory) that you would like to share with the group. Anything that you feel comfortable sharing or anything that you feel comfortable asking the group with help....this is the place to come.
The GOOD!! What NSV did you have this week!!
The BAD!! So what....you ate the whole thing!!
The UGLY!! That darn scale went through the window this week....it deserved it too!!
What's on your mind today??
The GOOD!! What NSV did you have this week!!
The BAD!! So what....you ate the whole thing!!
The UGLY!! That darn scale went through the window this week....it deserved it too!!
What's on your mind today??
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markmacare wrote: »
Love this!0 -
I gotta make this quote my wallpaper or something... inspiring indeed! Funny thing is before this challenge I never logged my zero calorie drinks. Surprise, there's calories in them. Other than that how is your day one going so far, personally my breakfast is still in the pot because lo didn't like me having it so we went out for a walk
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@RangerRickL Thanks! I guess I needed something like this challenge to kick my butt into gear, I wish I had found it earlier
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I love how many different time zones people are from, I have a few more hours to go but am already inspired by y'all checking in your days, awesome!1
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Australia - East coast. UTC +10:002
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Just a quick one. I hit the first of my weight goals this morning. 10kg down from my Jan 1 weight.
Lots more to go still. (Below 80kg, 10kg below MFP start weight, BMI normal/MFP target, Competitive sport weight of 18 years ago).
Happy it is all headed in the right direction now.
Wearing trousers I last fit into 10 years ago. Belt comfortable 4 notches in from where it was start of year. Single breasted suit jacket can do up without strain. All good.6 -
You know in Scott pilgrim when he fights nega Scott and he ends up getting a long really well with him and Scott is like "he's actually a super nice guy" nega is the negative or opposite of something so that means that Scott is a jerk and actually the bad guy. I think about that a lot1
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craigo3154 wrote: »Just a quick one. I hit the first of my weight goals this morning. 10kg down from my Jan 1 weight.
Lots more to go still. (Below 80kg, 10kg below MFP start weight, BMI normal/MFP target, Competitive sport weight of 18 years ago).
Happy it is all headed in the right direction now.
Wearing trousers I last fit into 10 years ago. Belt comfortable 4 notches in from where it was start of year. Single breasted suit jacket can do up without strain. All good.
Congrats... I think you got the equation balanced.2 -
I think my bathroom scale has a resolution/accuracy issue. It's only a small thing, but it's on my mind.
Usually I lose between 0.4 and 0.6kg overnight. I weigh before bed and when I get up in the morning after constitutionals. This is just for interests sake, the morning reading is the only one I really record.
Last night 0.0kg change. This is impossible. You lose water overnight through respiration, transpiration and urination. I don't drink (or eat) overnight.
Each day you lose about 10ml per kg through respiration and transpiration. This is known as "insensible water loss". This adds up to about 800ml (or 0.8kg) per day. 8 hours sleep should lose 1/3 of this.
Either last nights reading was abnormally low, or this mornings reading was abnormally high. In both cases, the scales accuracy is bought into question.
All in all, it's just data. It will sort itself out longer term.
I'll change the batteries in the scale today and see if that makes any difference (LCD digital scale). I like to have verifiably accurate tools.
Warning science content:
A digital scale uses force transducers that alter resistance with weight. Usually MUCH more accurate over time than springs. If the battery is failing, it's potential difference across the terminals drops. Consequently the current also drops. Measurement of variable resistance over reduced potential difference is less accurate. V=IR (voltage = current x resistance)
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I've been extremely active for the last two weeks and almost everyday for the last two weeks i've went either 8Miles or above or have been doing yard work, But my weight hasn't changed and has been demotivating to say the least, I've come to the conclusion that im eating too many carbs in my daily diet and it's holding water weight.
Due to this conclusion I'm going to enter a ketogenic diet for the next few months to see if that'll be the change in my life style I need.
I enjoy myself a lot of rice and pasta with the occansional sandwich for lunch so this'll be a huge lifestyle change wish me luck!3 -
@SimonsChange. Activity does not count for much is the losing weight scale. 15% if you are lucky.
Two weeks is not a long time for weight changes to occur. Generally you look for 3 weeks (at a minimum).
Also are you tracking weight daily and looking at the weekly average, or just taking a once a week measurement. A once a week measurement can sometimes not show enough of the full picture.
(I STRONGLY urge you to weigh daily, but only ever "publish" or "acknowledge" the weekly average).
Do you take body measurements (waist, chest). I also advise to do this as body measurements usually do not fluctuate (up and down) as much as weight.
The problem with making big changes (like going from carb heavy to keto) is that longer term they become unsustainable. Once you have lost the weight, you will (sometime slowly, sometimes quickly) revert back to old habits and the weight will come back on.
(Pasta, bread, rice and sugar are cheap and have long shelf lives. In comparison meat, fish, dairy and fresh produce are expensive. What happens if you get economic pressures or cannot shop as often).
Keto's two big benefits are: High protein, high fat makes you feel fuller on less calories. Low carb helps reduce water retention (more if low sodium) and assist with insulin sensitivity (anti type-2 diabetes). The issues with keto diets are: the overall cost of food, the frequency with which food must be bought (short shelf life), extreme difficulty in finding low carb eat out options (when you don't want to do your own preparation).
Since you already have a high carb diet (and the high carb foods are comforting), I'd propose smaller changes:
- Be diligent in your tracking. Include all snacks, beverages, sauces, etc.. Where possible weigh portions before consuming.
- Set your daily goal appropriately. Ensure you select category that reflects your day job, excluding non-work exercise. This way you can optionally eat back exercise calories (otherwise you "double-dip").
- Make sure to consume within the daily goal.
- Try increase the daily protein and fat intake at the expense of carbs. (macro balance)
- Cut down on snacks - this gives you a higher calories budget at meal times. (The following article makes some gross assumptions but is close to the mark in reality - http://www.gnolls.org/1794/why-snacking-makes-you-weak-not-just-fat/)
This way you can still enjoy your pasta and sandwiches at time.
Another option would be 5:2. Only change then is 2 days a week you eat no more than 600 kCal (breakfast/dinner). The other 5 days are normal. Maintenance then becomes 6:1.
What has worked for me is:
- No planned snacks (occasional one is OK, like a work morning tea to celebrate a birthday, etc..).
- No calorie beverages between meals. (water, black tea)
- Keep within calorie budget. (usually selecting higher fat and protein foods - still at times have pasta, sandwich, take out, ice cream, pie, cake, etc.. As long as it fits in the budget)
- Moderate daily exercise (to keep in shape, not to burn calories. No gym)
- No diet foods, pills, shakes, etc..
The #1 goal is this MUST be sustainable long term. It was close to what I was already doing. The first 3 are the only real changes to my pre-weight management lifestyle.
Dropped 9kg in under 2 months (about 10% of my body mass - I was overweight, but not huge).
@SimonsChange. In short, small changes stick better than large changes. You want changes that stick.3 -
@craigo3154 Thanks for all the information I certainly appreciate you taking the time out to post it, I do want to do keto but you are right it might be a big change which can lead to some issues no doubt.
I've already quit Calorie drinks and majority of snacks other then a serving of sun chips or a couple pickles nothing above 200 calories, I make sure not to eat cake,pie,ice cream so im good at that aspect
I enjoy being active which is why i've been walking / doing so much per day but I do think I should stop trusting how many extra calories it gives me, Because when I see that I end up having a sandwich of 400 calories or so because I think can budget it in, So I think I'll just stick to a flat amount for losing 2 pounds a week.
I do not measure myself which I will certainly look into doing as I know some people have mentioned even while the scale isnt changing clothing fits different (As it has been me aswell)
I'll certainly change how I scale myself aswell (Do you recommend when I wake up or before bed?)
I will say I do still want to try keto as I've heard a lot of great things about it and I think a change will be nice, But as you've said long term it does seem unstainable so what I hope to do is do Keto for awhile maybe 5 or so months then after cut to a low carb diet.
You're right tho the food prices are certainly pricey for it on the upside I get a bulk of my meat at samsclub which saves some money and as far as preparing goes I've been cooking nearly every day for 10 years and plan to get into the culinary specialist position in the army so I'll just look at it as another challenge to overcome! Gotta stay positive
@craigo3154 In short I still plan to give keto a try, I'll certainly keep to heart the measuring and weighing aspect you mentioned and making sure I stay under my set 2pounds a week calorie limit and not up it even with activity as that might be the problem im running into, Thanks a ton I really appreciate it!
Have a great night - Simon0 -
@SimonsChange. Cake, pie, ice cream, ect.. are OK if in your daily budget. You will find that you are allowed small portions as these are calorie dense foods. Side effect is that they may leave you hungry as they do not trigger satiety as readily as other foods.SimonsChange wrote: »@craigo3154 Thanks for all the information I certainly appreciate you taking the time out to post it, I do want to do keto but you are right it might be a big change which can lead to some issues no doubt.
I've already quit Calorie drinks and majority of snacks other then a serving of sun chips or a couple pickles nothing above 200 calories, I make sure not to eat cake,pie,ice cream so im good at that aspect
I enjoy being active which is why i've been walking / doing so much per day but I do think I should stop trusting how many extra calories it gives me, Because when I see that I end up having a sandwich of 400 calories or so because I think can budget it in, So I think I'll just stick to a flat amount for losing 2 pounds a week.
I do not measure myself which I will certainly look into doing as I know some people have mentioned even while the scale isnt changing clothing fits different (As it has been me aswell)
I'll certainly change how I scale myself aswell (Do you recommend when I wake up or before bed?)
I will say I do still want to try keto as I've heard a lot of great things about it and I think a change will be nice, But as you've said long term it does seem unstainable so what I hope to do is do Keto for awhile maybe 5 or so months then after cut to a low carb diet.
You're right tho the food prices are certainly pricey for it on the upside I get a bulk of my meat at samsclub which saves some money and as far as preparing goes I've been cooking nearly every day for 10 years and plan to get into the culinary specialist position in the army so I'll just look at it as another challenge to overcome! Gotta stay positive
@craigo3154 In short I still plan to give keto a try, I'll certainly keep to heart the measuring and weighing aspect you mentioned and making sure I stay under my set 2pounds a week calorie limit and not up it even with activity as that might be the problem im running into, Thanks a ton I really appreciate it!
Have a great night - Simon
Glad that the clothing is fitting different. This should indicate that the measurements are changing (in the right direction) which is far more important than weight.
Daily (like weekly) weight should be recorded first thing in the morning (after the morning constitutionals) before eating or drinking anything. This is likely to be a) the most consistent value between days and b) the lightest value of the day.
Is your calorie limit set as sedentary or light activity? If light activity and not on your feet most of the day, then don't add calories from workouts into budget.
Good luck with the keto. Watch out for "keto flu" as the body starts to change.
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after looking at old measurements / weights I was a little surprised as them
(i know them to be accurate, because the are logged for months and months with small raises and drops)
3 years ago
I weighed 185lbs
my waist was 39 inches
.. that used to be 24 inch in my youth
now
I weight 205 lbs
my waist 38 inches <<<<<<<< how does that even happen
how is it possible to be 20lbs heavier with 1 inch less in the waist
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fightingthetideofaging wrote: »
I hope so @fightingthetideofaging ... Ill cling onto that hope ... I used one of those body fat calculators and it said that I had gained 14lbs lean mass and the other 6lbs gained was fat ... but when I posed the question in the forums I was told this would be impossible ... to gain that much lean mass .. I'm not sure why it would be impossible but then again I'm no expert on the matter
I love half an avacado at breakfast and lunch but mfp says they are too high in fat. Thoughts?
@5cheetahs avacados have good healthy fats (the ones your body needs) ... go for it!
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@5cheetahs - I agree with what Slimpossible007 posted.0
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@5cheetahs I found this link
but 1/2 an avacado a day isn't going to break the bank
http://www.livestrong.com/article/545101-risks-of-too-much-avocado/
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There seems to be some confusion about how the calorie targets are on MFP made and how to use them effectively.
In summary, unless you understand how the number work it is very easy to "double dip" on calories and wind up stalling or gaining weight when trying to lose.
Calorie targets are based on BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and extrapolated out into estimated TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).
BMR is the amount of energy a person is expected to use at complete rest in a day (think coma with IV food).
The simplest (Mifflin - St Jeor) equation for BMR is:
Men: (10 * Weight in kg) + (6.25 * Height in cm) + (5 * Age) + 5
Women: (10 * Weight in kg) + (6.25 * Height in cm) + (5 * Age) - 161
So for a woman 57kg (125 lbs), 162cm tall, 35years, the BMR would be:
= (10 * 57) + (6.25 * 162) + (5 * 35) - 161 = 1596.5
(57kg for a 162cm person gives a BMI of 21.7 which is middle of the normal range)
To get estimated TDEE, you add a weighting based on activity.- Sedentary (Little to no exercise - desk job) - 1.2
- Light (light exercise/sports 1-3 days a week) - 1.375
- Moderate (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days a week) - 1.55
- Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) - 1.725
- Extreme (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week or 2x training) - 1.9
These assume you are NOT tracking exercise calories.
So if our example man worked a desk job (Sedentary), but got moderate exercise (Moderate). Which should he choose?
If our subject chose Sedentary, then:- TDEE would come out at 1596.5 * 1.2 = 1916 kCal per day (maintenance level).
If our subject chose Moderate, then:- TDEE would come out at 1596.5 * 1.55 = 2475 kCal per day (maintenance level).
That is 559 kCal per day difference.
Moderate is assuming that each day of sport is 783 kCal used ((559 * 7)/5).
Should our subject be injured and not be able to exercise, then they need to reduce calorie input by on average 559 kCal per day (back to Sedentary).
Should our subject have an activity tracker and eat back exercise calories (783 kCal per session) over their "moderate" level they could expect to GAIN 0.5kg (1 lbs) per week.
Each pound of fat is estimated at 3500 kCal. Each kg of fat is estimated at 7700 kCal.
MFP calculates a maintenance calorie target based on your inputs. If you then chose to lose weight per week it subtracts from that TDEE accordingly.- 1 lb per week = 500 kCal
- 0.5 kg per week = 550 kCal
- 2 lb per week = 1000 kCal
- 1 kg per week = 1100 kCal
* Safety warning * 1kg per week should be considered a MAXIMUM target and for most people is borderline starvation unless very active.
My personal target is 0.5kg per week - sedentary lifestyle. I am losing, on average, 1kg per week because:- I do have a desk job
- I am eating to target
- I am more active than just the walking I report to UAC
- I do not eat back exercise calories
Other points to note:- Exercise calorie trackers are notoriously inaccurate. They cannot measure efficiency of the performed exercise.
- Calculated TDEE is an "estimate". It can be out by as much at 10% due to body type and composition. Use it as a base, then calculate based on personal observations.
- A calorie is not a calorie (based on time of consumption, food it is in being consumed, macro balance it is consumed with). Take calories consumed as a guide (like exercise calories used).
- Body weight is made up of fat, muscle, water and other tissue (bone, brain, organs). This composition changes over time. Part of the reason weight loss is non-linear. Ideally track size over weight (change is more consistent) or weigh daily and only take note of the weekly average.
In summary:- Calculated TDEE includes exercise calories not tracked.
- If tracking and eating exercise calories, choose sedentary.
- MFP TDEE is only a guide and use your history to really determine TDEE.
Hope this makes sense to people.
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craigo3154 wrote: »...
The simplest (Mifflin - St Jeor) equation for BMR is:
Men: (10 * Weight in kg) + (6.25 * Height in cm) + (5 * Age) + 5
Women: (10 * Weight in kg) + (6.25 * Height in cm) + (5 * Age) - 161
...
Slight correction in the BMR formula:
Men: (10 * Weight in kg) + (6.25 * Height in cm) - (5 * Age) + 5
Women: (10 * Weight in kg) + (6.25 * Height in cm) - (5 * Age) - 161
As you get older, the metabolism slows down. You need (on average) 5 calories less per day for each year of age.
So for a woman 57kg (125 lbs), 162cm tall, 35years, the BMR would be:
= (10 * 57) + (6.25 * 162) - (5 * 35) - 161 = 1246.5
If our subject chose Sedentary, then:
TDEE would come out at 1246.5 * 1.2 = 1496 kCal per day (maintenance level).
If our subject chose Moderate, then:
TDEE would come out at 1596.5 * 1.55 = 1932 kCal per day (maintenance level).
That is 436 kCal per day difference.
Moderate is assuming that each day of sport is 610 kCal used ((436 * 7)/5).
Just thought I would correct this information.
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I know I am too late in the month to be part of this challenge, but would like to join the group to help keep me motivated and accountable and hoping to compete next month.
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@lisafred24. Happy to have people join.lisafred24 wrote: »I know I am too late in the month to be part of this challenge, but would like to join the group to help keep me motivated and accountable and hoping to compete next month.
Feel free to follow along and post your progress. The rules are simple:
- Track everything you eat and drink
- Try stay under your calorie budget
- Do at least 20 mins of activity per day
- Report in daily
- 3 pass days permitted per month
Even if you don't make winners circle this month (starting late), there is a next month. Forming good habits should not need to start on calendar boundaries.
It is a challenge, and you may find it challenging (others have). I think you will find half a months practice this month will definitely help for next month (and much longer term).
This is a great, supportive group.
Welcome.0 -
@5cheetahs I scroll as well, but I'm on a laptop, so its easier .. if you type the @ sign then start the name you get a list of suggestions but sometimes if its a common name you get too many and/ or can't remember enough of the name ... hopefully someone else will be more helpful 2
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It being the last day in the month I decided to check my blood pressure, As on the start of the month it was lower 150s / 90s which is why I decided to make some more changes.
I had taken a CoQ10,Magnesium and fish oil supplement as well as lowering my sodium after research and I'm pleased with the results of my 1 month cycle of it. I took another test today and it was 131 / 83 while I know it's not the best it's a huge improvement which makes me happy.
Overall this month I've lost 7.5Pounds, Got my blood pressure a lot closer to normal, And can walk long distances without pain it's been an amazing month and i'm glad I went through with everything.
Cheers to everyone that puts in the effort to change and I wish you all an amazing next month and hope you all had an amazing month.3
This discussion has been closed.