August 5
Mrs_Hoffer
Posts: 5,194 Member
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
0
Replies
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SUBJECT: You cannot achieve your goals with exercise alone..... I like the simplicity of this example (graphic).
@victorious55 had a very insightful post on our 8/02 thread that I wanted to share here (emphasis in bold is mine):victorious55 wrote: »Welcome new and old members.
The UAC challenge has only 3 rules.- Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes?
- Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
- Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
At first glance, they look very simple. From my experience these rules are applicable to anyone at any stage of this health journey. Whether you are just beginning, advanced or maintaining. (BTW, I've being in maintenance for the past few years).
I have come to realized that these are the only things that nobody in this life will do for me. Nobody can eat for me/you, exercise for me/you or track what I/you eat, lick or bite in this world. This is all about me/you, my/your health, and my usefulness to those around me! If I don't take care of my health then I cannot take care of anybody. (You are always advised to put on your mask when there is low pressure in the plane before helping your child/anybody, else both of you will/may die
)
Does it mean that I will not fail? No, it is not about being perfect! But it about forming a habit. A habit that will bless me and move me forward in life, it will also bless those around me.
Therefore, as you join us in this month's UAC, you do not have to be perfect. We are not
This is a very supportive group. We will support you as you learn these habits. Come by everyday, read encouraging/funny/realistic posts, and post something.
If you have at most 3 pass days (pass day is a day where you could not say "Yes" to any of these 3 rules). Then you are in Winner's circle.
If you have more than 3 pass day but you were here everyday, you are in the Champion's circle.
So what has YOUR weight loss journey has taught you? How much (total weight) have you loss thus far, and how long has it taken you to get to where you are today?
(If you are a "maintainer", please also let us know how long you've been able to KEEP your weight off!!) 7 -
Great topic today! I started my weight loss journey 27 weeks ago at 293 pounds, and as of today I'm down to 222.4 pounds (70.6 gone!) I am new to UAC, but the key to my success has absolutely been the three basic principles. I log every day without fail, I stay within my calories, and I move. Nothing else to it for me.
What have I learned?
Well, that the above is really all that matters! I have eaten out, had treats, ate unbalanced meals, ate tons of healthy food, moved more, moved less, and it has all come down to consistency and staying honest and true to myself.
Past me loved eating large quantities of food, had an all or nothing mentality, was always waiting for when the "special occasions" would end so I could start, etc. For the past few years before I got started in January, I had totally given up. No thought to losing weight, felt I was just going to be overweight forever, etc. But 293 was MUCH higher than my norm had been the last while.... and one day in January I woke up after a bad dream, and that was it. I showed up here, and I refuse to look back. It's all a forward march from here.
I also have a husband who is on here too and together we inspire one another to keep moving. He's down around 55 pounds himself... so great to have a built in accountability buddy at home.
The MFP community and groups like these have totally helped me stay on track. When I know I have to log in to report something, it motivates me. So thanks to everyone who makes this type of group a success.13 -
My reply to today's topic about exercise in relation to diet (which also happens to relate to yesterday's topic about tracking) is in the spoiler.My weight loss journey with MFP comes in 4 distinct phases
Phase 1
The first phase started in January 2014 when I started a doctor ordered low-carb diet to get my weight, blood sugar and cholesterol under control. I dropped from 316 pounds in January to 220 pounds in November that year.
The first 40 pounds from January through April 2014 were through my doctors recommended diet and medication alone, the most important part of which was accurately tracking my food intake and hitting the macro goals my doctor assigned to me. In April 2014 I started doing daily walks through the month of July and lost another 26 pounds with the combination of diet, medication and daily walking. In August I started running and by November I ran my first half marathon, and had lost another 30 pounds, reaching my lowest ever recorded adult weight of 220 pounds for that total of 96 pounds lost in those 10 months in 2014.
This first phase was most importantly achieved through diet, closely tracking everything I ate, and the help of exercise (but clearly started the weight loss just fine without it, and can credit the great majority of those lost pounds to diet and tracking alone).
Phase 2
The second phase started soon after that in January 2015. This phase was taking running to the next level (or five). My blood sugars normal and I was allowed to eat carbs again, within reason. I used those new carbs to help fuel my running. In the spring of 2015 I ran 5 half marathons, and then in the fall I ran another half marathon followed by 3 full marathons. In order to do all of that I had to diligently do the following, without error:
1. Train, keep training, and train smart.
2. Avoid overeating! This was unbelievably hard. All of that training made me ridiculously hungry. I ate everything in sight like a wild teenager. This required #3 which is...
3. Eat right. I was strictly using the "Diet Quality Score" from Matt Fitzgerald's "Racing Weight" book to fuel my training and keep my weight from exploding. I kept only LOTS of the healthiest, best scoring foods around, and ate gobs upon gobs of that stuff.
I did gain some weight, going up to 235 pounds from 220 pounds, but I was leaner. Most of that weight was in the form of glycogen in my muscles to fuel all that running (basically just added water weight). However, the key takeaway here is, despite ALL that running (peak training was 50-55 miles/week for about 6 weeks) I did not lose ANY weight. At all. If anything, I gained that 15 pounds of water weight for "fuel". And I was eating the most healthy foods daily, every...single...day. I was not overeating, but I was unable to go into a calorie deficit either to lose weight because I needed that energy to exercise at that level. So I was technically in a year-long "plateau". But I was happy because I wanted to run all of those half and full marathons, and I did!
The key takeaway for phase 2 was, huge amounts of exercise will not make you lose weight. Even if you eat nothing but the healthiest of foods while running 50+ miles/week does not mean you will lose weight if you are not in a calorie deficit (by the way, NEVER attempt a calorie deficit while running 50+ miles/week, OK?).
Phase 3
The third phase was in spring of 2017. After running my brains out in 2015 and the first half of 2016 I wound up with a foot injury that kept me from running the second half of 2016. When I started running again in early 2017 I was back up to 292 pounds and was determined to "run that weight off", obviously oblivious to what I just stated above at the end of phase 2. But I had not learned that lesson yet. Sometimes hindsight is 20/20, you know?
So anyway, there I was, from March through June 2017, running like a gosh-darned idiot, all over the freaking place! I knew how to train, and how to train smart. I built up to half marathon distances in only 2 months, and started signing up for every half marathon within 100 miles. I'm not kidding (save for any held on the same day because I can't be in two places at once). I was averaging 35-40 miles/week. And I was not losing weight. In that 4 month period from March through June 2017 I lost a grand total of 9.6 pounds, despite running 461.83 miles and eating right!
Then something magical happened. I decided to focus on strength training, building muscle, and doing so with a primal diet. This meant tracking my food again to hit my protein goals. Lo and behold, the weight INSTANTLY started dropping! And I was getting stronger (duh, weight training). I was hooked! Granted, I could have lost weight while running had I actually bothered to track my food intake. I didn't lose much weight through the rest of 2017 though because I was trying to build strength and muscle, so I was maintaining and/or at a slight calorie overage, and gaining muscle weight.
So the key takeaway from phase 3 is...that key takeaway from Phase 2 was no joke! You MUST track your food intake in addition to exercise and diet in order to lose weight!
Phase 4
This is the 2021 story. I stopped everything fitness related in late 2019 because life seemed "too busy". Then 2020 happened. On March 8, 2021 I decided to get myself back on track. I weighed 296 pounds. From my prior lessons I knew I needed to:
1. Track my food intake and maintain a caloric deficit.
2. Eat the right foods so I can do a lot of exercise while also losing weight.
3. Exercise! This time I was going to spread it out amongst cardio, strength and mobility, like a smart(er) person!
I also found UAC this year (joined in May). I could have really benefited from UAC back in 2017 when I was learning these lessons the hard way during "phase 3".
So far, after just nearly 5 months, I am down 54 pounds, and in quite good physical shape, especially compared to the me from 5 months ago!
OK, that was ridiculously long, a wall of literal text, so putting it all in a spoiler.10 -
Yes to all 3. Touch and go with calories very close to the mark but just squeaked in.
Run for exercise.
My journey has been quite wobbly. I lost over 60lbs and maintained for a good couple of years. Then when I started trying for my first I gained. Didn't really get back on losing weight for about 3 years. Then I lost again. I'm now back here after my second baby. Hoping this one will stick as we're planning on only having 2.
In my personal experience I have only ever been able to successfully lose weight whilst exercising. It's because it makes it a health thing rather than a vanity thing. Also imo the endorphins from exercise help massively in a positive mindset and to counteract how hard it is to lose weight.8 -
Yes to the 3 questions. Didn’t lose any weight yet, I’m just getting started. Thank you for the support I’m so glad I found this group ❤️8
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5 Aug
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? yes
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? yes
So what has YOUR weight loss journey has taught you? How much (total weight) have you loss thus far, and how long has it taken you to get to where you are today?
I can't hold a candle to most of you as far as weight lost. Approx 30 pounds in 2017. But I can tell you that probably over the course of my life I have lost the same 20-30 pounds at least 10 x. And each time for the regain it was more fat of course. Not planning to ever add it back if I can.
(If you are a "maintainer", please also let us know how long you've been able to KEEP your weight off!!):)
I have stayed within my range for 5 years come Oct 1. It's not always been pretty and I continue to learn new things all the time. I do not weigh very frequently but I am pretty durn stable based on my Endo saying my weight from my visit in 2019 was exactly the same as my visit in 2021. Now in the past there might have been a yo yo or two in there but not this time. One thing I am working on this year is getting my health (bloodwork and BP etc) better. For this total CICO or exercise is not the driver but I have to focus on WHAT I am eating a little more. Since I do not weigh a lot it is important for me to track my calories and keep an eye on how my clothes fit. Every once in a while I will do a small cut week mostly because I like to get to the bottom of my range and it helps my running (joints and pace always improve with - a pound or two).
As far as the subject it is entirely true that you can absolutely NOT outrun your fork. I have been a runner and athlete since I was 14. So gaining and losing 20-30 pounds every few years regardless of exercise leads me to the conclusion.... The nice thing about maintaining is that you can eat to fuel your exercise and not be in a deficit. So exercise is more fun and you get more energy!11 -
Thursday 5th August;
Exercise: 30 minutes walk ✅
Tracked calories: yes ✅
Stayed under calorie goal: yes ✅
Day 5
1/3 pass days used8 -
05/08/2021
Exercise – yes – bike ride 30 mins (raining), plus cardio workouts. Ribs still sore.
Tracking - yes
Calories – yes
Pass days 1
My weight loss journey(s): Long essay, put it in a spoiler so you don't have to read it!I have been overweight much of my adult life but reached obese in 1997/98. I joined WW and lost 1/3rd of my body weight in less than a year. My goal then was 8 stone (112 lbs). I maintained then for several years although I did yo-yo around by a couple of pounds. I started going to my local sports centre for exercise classes, and became fitter in my 50’s than any other time before.
In 2003 I met a new group of friends and gained a “boyfriend” – more socialising and holidays with bf led to an increase to about 10 stone (140 lbs). I joined a weight loss group under the Rosemary Conley franchise (I think it was just a UK organisation?). Their method involved food management and exercise. Each class had 30 minutes of exercise as well as the usual weigh in and pep talk. The exercise classes were a big part of the system, and I really enjoyed them. I lost the excess weight, carried on with the classes for the exercise as well as the accountability of weighing in every week.
Unfortunately, the organisation ran into financial difficulties – probably due to so many people turning to the internet. The person running our group started a similar group on her own and that also worked.
In my 60’s I developed arthritis and exercise became more difficult and I found the weight creeping up again. The real problem came when I retired – I found that instead of being more active, I lost track, my exercise class routines went out the window, I lost my mojo.
I got a kick up the *** in 2017 with a healthcheck that revealed that I was obese again, slightly raised cholesterol, slightly raised BP etc ….
I resisted any medication and joined MFP and went back to the gym. Lost the weight and reached my goal (50 kg) by April 2019. My cholesterol, BP etc all back to normal/excellent.
I’ve kept up the logging, weighing my food, exercising, keeping to a calorie limit since then. I’m a little old lady so there is very little wiggle room calorie wise. And being retired I have a lot of holidays so in between holidays I have to be quite strict.12 -
August 5
The Big Three (I personally want to get these right before worrying about anything else)
✅ - Exercise 20+ Minutes
✅ - Calories within budget
✅ - Tracked every detail I consumed
Pass Days Used: 0/3
Additional Challenges (I feel confident enough with my discipline in the Big Three to further challenge myself with these)
✅ - Net Carbs 30g or less (23g)
✅ - Protein 180g or more (193g)
✅ - 5+ Fruits/Veggies (7)
✅ - 15k Steps or more (17,617 so far)
✅ - Eat back fewer than 30% of exercise calories (24% - 270 of 1093)
Additional Challenges Met: 5/5 days
Today's Exercise- Morning Walk - 77 mins (4.25 miles)
- Afternoon Walk - 57 mins (3.16 miles)
8 -
AUG 5
Exercise ✅ [1:20 h walk + 1:35 h stair climbing + stretch]8 -
August 5th:
✅ Tracked all my calories
✅ Stayed under calorie goal
✅ Exercised more than 20 mins (yoga)
5/5 days
0/3 pass days used
Great topic today! My story in the spoiler because it's longer than I had anticipated!I have always, ALWAYS been overweight/obese. I was a chubby kid, bullied for that at school, and turned into a chubby adult. I never really learned how to live a healthy lifestyle. I was embarrassed to work out, and didn't have a lot of money when I first moved out of home so I literally lived on two-minute-noodles, pasta and eggs. Not much nutrition there, but I have come a long way since then. Over the years, I tried many different fads to lose weight - WW, shakes, pills, keto, IF, you name it then I probably tried it. Some things worked, for a time, the most successful being a period of maybe 3 months where I was having meal replacement shakes and following the Turbo Fire program. But I felt like crap the whole time, and soon couldn't keep it up anymore.
I think in the back of my mind I always knew that these fads don't work. I wanted to believe that they just don't work for everyone, but they'll work for me. Sadly, that is just not true. Exercising hard every day and living on shakes is a miserable way to live even if it does work! And at some point, you have to stop having the shakes, meanwhile you haven't learned how/what to eat and you go back to your habits from "before".
I found MFP in 2012, had some success but never really stuck with it either. I had convinced myself that my PCOS made it impossible to lose weight. Impossible. Which of course was validated by the fact that my efforts were fruitless - because I only did it for a week or two and tried to restrict myself so much that I was miserable again.
In 2017 I had a bit of a cancer scare. I had sought out a reproductive endocrinologist (who is also a gyno) to help me have a baby, as we had been trying for a long time without any success due to my PCOS. She ran some tests first and found pre-cancerous cells in my uterus. I underwent a treatment for 6 months that made me gain even more weight. Once I had the all-clear from that, my specialist recommended that we go straight into IVF, because the chances are we would end up there anyway. In 2018 we were successful on our third embryo transfer, and in the December I gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. I had no idea the impacts that becoming a mother would have on me. Of course I knew the stuff about the sleepless nights and all that. But I didn't know that my anxiety would all but disappear. I didn't know that my priorities in life would change like they have. I didn't realise that I would feel such a strong desire to show my son how to live a healthy life.
Around a year ago, I came back to MFP properly, but with a new approach. I wasn't looking for a fast fix, I was looking to make small changes to my lifestyle that I could build on over time. I was looking for a lifestyle change, not a short-term diet. So I started out doing nothing more than just tracking all my calories so I could gauge how much I was eating. I didn't try to change my eating habits, just observe them. Then I starting incorporating more regular exercise into my day. But I still didn't change my eating. Then I had started to observe some patterns in my eating habits, like that I tend to eat more later in the day and like a big dinner. So I could start to make some changes around when I eat, and I started to reduce my portion sizes. These little things made a huge difference for me! I found some great challenges in the MFP community to join, and in the last year I have lost a little over 30 lbs. I have a long way to go, but I know that I have set myself up for success.
My key learnings in all this time are:- Fad diets don't work for sustained weight loss
- Small changes are sustainable and can be built on, so starting small is always a good idea
- Consistency is the key to my weight loss efforts
- Tracking allows me to identify patterns in my behaviours
- The biggest impact has been reducing the calories I take in, and exercise is just a bonus/allows me to eat more
- I have recognised that I had an impaired relationship with food and with my body, and I have been working to repair both of those.
- Calorie counting DOES work, even for those with metabolic issues like PCOS. It's hard to figure out the levels than it is for regular people, but it does work if you stick with it!
14 -
August 5
Yes to all questions.
Pass days: 0
Calories to burn: 41,580. Yesterday: 46,200.
I was so sure today would be a gain not a loss. So, I did 20 minutes muscles workout + 5 minutes stairs + walking.
As for today's topic:The first time I dieted was on 2005/2006 I was 15 and I weighted 82 kilos (187.3 lb), I followed the doctor guidance on what to eat and he also prescribed a medicine to help reduce my hunger. Then after 3 months I reached 64 kilos ( 141 lb) I remember looking at the mirror and feeling satisfied. I stopped dieting and gained 4 kilos and I stayed on that number for a year I think. The first two months were only about restricting my food, then the doctor recommend me to start exercising for half an hour a day. I did lose weight fast but the diet was hard and I felt dizzy whenever I made any quick movements. I couldn't do it again when I gained weight, I also hated eating eggs, for a awhile, from eating it every day.These are the highlights of my weight loss journey, I did more but didn't stick for long or didn't lose much. I learned many things that helped me make better choices this time around.
By the end of my teenage years, I went back to 83/ 84 kilos, I was 19, I went to a nutritionist, who give me a different diet, that was more reasonable and I lost 10 kilos ( 22 lb) after 4 or 5 months. I learned many things but I didn't exercise at all, and with the loss of motivation, I stopped dieting.
Years later, in my mid 20s I reached the weight of 92 kilos (202 lb). I subscribed to a website that gives you guidance on how to manage metabolism and managed to lose 18 kilos ( 39 lb ) but then life got me busy and gained my weight slowly , within 5 or 4 years, to 97 kilos ( 213.8 lb).
It was on November 2020, my niece was dieting and lost a significant weight, she suggested to challenge me into walking 10k a day with punishment for whoever fail to do so, this was the wake up call, I was feeling defeated then but by doing so, I started to lose weight. On January 2021, I found you guys and joining was the best thing for my healthy lifestyle. I did reach the weight of 77.9 kilos (172.7 lb) but after I took one month break on mid May to mid June, I gained back 3.4 kilos. But Im back again and that's what matters. Today I weight 80.4 kilos ( 177.2 lb) this is the first time I actually combined exercise with diet.
Goodnight 💛💜.9 -
0/3 pass days 😊
Walked 1.11 miles at lunch in 20 minutes I felt like I was running got my cardio up!! Spin after dinner 4.2 miles in 15 minutes felt good nice ride good tunes some AC/DC. Tracked logged stayed under7 -
✅ - Exercise 20+ Minutes - 74 minutes, aerobics/walking/circuits
✅ - Calories within budget
✅ - Tracked everything
3️⃣ Pass Days left
Daily Habits Reset - 2021
Personal BioTerri: Female; 76 next birthday; Northern Ireland; married > 55 years; ex Maths teacher; volunteer group leader for U3A (University of the Third Age - life-long learning charity)
SW: 227 (late Mar 2014)
LW: 142.9 (Jan 2021)
CW: 143.6
GW: < 145
These are the habits that I have developed since I joined MFP in Jan 2015.
I have been in maintenance since November 2019.
Daily Habits Update - August 2021- Log ALL CI/CO (Daily)
- Stay under goal (Daily)
- Balance macros/micros (Daily)
- Hydrate adequately (Daily)
- Choose healthy snacks (Daily)
- Steps > 7500 (Daily)
- Stretch before/after workouts
- 15+ minutes Cardio > 5 days a week
- 15+ mins Strength > 5 days a week
- 15+ mins Flexibility > 5 days a week
- Active hours > 6
- Practice self-care (Daily)
- Stay up to date with accounts (monthly)
- Mindfulness Practice/meditation ((Daily - morning/evening)
- 1 > 15 mins Declutter sessions (Daily)
- Be creative
- Purchase essential items only
- Read > 1 book from 'to read' pile
- Complete > 2 ongoing craft projects (monthly)
- Learn something new (daily)
THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES OR SHORTCUTS to achieving permanent change.
REMINDERS: One or two thoughts which may give heart to some of you.Stick with the process. It DOES work! But it does take time, effort, and most of all, patience!- Daily weight fluctuations are normal, and can be as much as 2 lbs a day for no apparent reason.
- A general downward trend is what we are looking for.
- Eating out can cause apparent weight gain because of high sodium levels, but usually goes quickly. Drinking extra water helps with this.
- The human body does not react instantly to what we do to it. Sometimes it can take several days to see results.
- Plateaus are a normal part of the process. The body is consolidating and adapting to your new way of eating/exercising.
- The closer you get to your goal weight, the more difficult it becomes to lose weight, as your body becomes more efficient at using what you feed it.
- When you exercise you build muscle, which takes up less space than fat, so use measurements as well as weight to assess your progress.
- Getting/Staying fit and healthy requires a lifestyle change for most people.
11 -
Exercise:✅
Tracked:✅
Under:✅
My weight loss journey has been nothing dramatic. Luckily I never had more than 30 pounds to lose. Exercise has always been something I’ve been consistent with, mainly because I feel grumpy if I don’t! The biggest mistake I’ve made a few times was trying to create too big a deficit and then not being able to sustain it, and consequently giving up. I finally learned that for me slow and steady loss is best.
I’ve maintained for a year now.7 -
Yes *36
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My weight loss journey has taught me to be patient I did not put this weight on over night and it will not come off quickly if… I want to keep it off. To date I am down almost 45 lbs I started with Lose It and then found MFP of the two MFP better meets my needs but I keep them both going.
I have been to the gym but when COVID hit I decided to cancel my membership and invest in some specific tools I continue to use today and I don’t have to share!! I look at my journey as a lifestyle change and it is a journey I will continue until I am no longer here in this world I am accountable only to me and only I can make it happen I am responsible for me but I do hope my habits take hold in somebody else’s lives who I care about.7 -
yes x 35
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So many terrific stories! I'm enjoying reading them all! Thanks for sharing.In high school I was 5'9" and only 125 lbs! (I was teased horribly for being so skinny!) But with each of my 3 pregnancies (early 20s), I gained more and more weight - AND lost less and less of the excess weight after the birth (each time)! Combine that with desk jobs all my life, and a nasty divorce that led to my excessively drinking (alcohol) for almost 20 years - it was all definitely a recipe for weight gain! I'm a big eater, and a fast eater, so both of those bad "habits" also work against me. I'm currently at 164lbs and the lowest weight that I've been in at least 35 years.
I've been on MFP since July 2012, and since then have lost and gained the same 40-60lbs many times. But every time I would get near my goal weight, I would stop "dieting" and go back to my old eating habits....
In 2018 I was my highest weight ever at 225 lbs. My knees hurt all the time, and I was absolutely miserable. I started doing keto and lost almost 60 lbs from March to Nov that year. I completed the c25k program and was ecstatic that I could "run"!! But my knees would pay for it for days afterwards, so I had to give that up. But I do love my walking. 🚶♀️
When I came back to MFP in October 2020, I was back up to 205. But in 10 months I've lost 40 lbs. I've lost a little more slowly this time around, and have learned a lot about "maintenance" along the way! This group has been invaluable in helping me to stay accountable, and learn how to deal with the guilt and shame that comes from comparing myself to others who seem to do this so easily and "perfect" and thinking that I'm just not "good enough".
I turned 60 a cpl months ago and have noticed this year that my body just isn't able to do some of the things that I used to do. As a massage therapist, I also see a lot of overweight, and/or older people that can hardly move because they've spent their whole lives being sedentary..... I feel like if I don't get this weight off once and for all, that I'm destined for a very rough time in my 60s and 70s and beyond.
Aug 5:
C✔️ T✔️ E✔️
PASSES USED: 0/3
Net carbs <25%? Yes. 19%
Protein >100g? Yes. 123g.
Yoga. Yes.
Kettlebell. Rest Day.
Planks 60 sec / 30 counter pushups
>12k steps? Yes.7 -
✅✅✅
Daily Dozen: 19/24 Passes: 3 of 3
As for my weight loss journey, I gained weight many years ago and lost it by walking and watching what I ate. Then I was in a hit and run accident (I was not badly injured) that left me feeling a bit tired and I got out of the habit of walking. Gained all the weight back. Few years later, tried again using MFP and lost the weight although I didn't get to quite as low a weight. I thought I'd learned enough to stop tracking food on MFP, but sure enough the weight crept back. I made a few attempts to lose weight but would lose 10-20 lbs and get off track again.
This time around I'm down a little over 40 lbs and happy with my current weight although I think I should probably lose another 10. I don't feel a sense of urgency about it, though, and am fine if it takes me a year to lose it.
Some things I've realized - I need to consistently exercise for the healthier mindset that it brings. I will always need to weight and track my food in MFP. I need to weigh myself regularly. I don't consider any food off limits. I make room for pizza and tacos, so I don't feel deprived. However, I am actively trying to eat healthier and cook more new recipes.6 -
✔️✔️✔️ made the 3
I have been on this journey for 4 years in earnest. I have lost 61#and need to lose about 40 more. Life is balance. Balancing diet and exercise gets results. It is easy to over or under do.5 -
August 5th
Thanks to everyone that shared their stories! It is so helpful and motivational.
Tracked: Yes. Kind of tricky today. I tend to eat very plain and repetitive things while I am dieting because it is so hard to figure accurate calories. However today I grilled marinated chicken, marinated eggplant, and veggies with some olive oil. It was shared food so not just a single serving for me that I could accurately measure the amount of marinade/olive oil I was getting. I tried to account for it the best I could.
Under: Yes
Exercise: Went on for a leisurely walk for a few miles while geocaching, but won't count that as exercise. This evening after dinner I went on a run. It seemed like running after a substantial meal was a little easier than when I have been running earlier. I think the calorie deficit has me running on empty. I ran 32 minutes and pushed my speed for 25 minutes after a 7 minute warm up. I didn't hate it as much as yesterday, lol.9 -
✅✅✅
2 pass days remaining.
You can’t out exercise a bad diet but at least for me exercise vastly reduces my stress levels and anxiety so I binge way less in an effort to keep my head above water. So while I know the food part of it is 80% and the exercise is 20%, in practice that 20% is the foundation the other 80% is sitting on. Even on my pass days I still exercise. It keeps me in the game.My weight loss journey is more of a yo-yo weight lifetime. Here is a brief timeline.
- Chubby kid, lots of home drama as a kid (lots of people close to me getting really sick and dying), ate feelings.
- Started playing 3 sports, because student althete that took the chubby girl comments to heart and just kind of stopped eating for a few years. Lost the chubby.
- Went to college, stopped swimming and other physical activity, started eating my feelings again.
- Moved in with hubby and adopted his eating habits, stepped beyond chubby - still not exercising.
- Starting running in 2010. Lost 40lbs and got down to the healthy range again, ran half marathon in 2012
- Bought our first house like a week after the half mary, and running time became house project time. No exercise = you guessed it, back to chubby.
- Stress stress and more eating feelings.
- Had baby in 2015, csection kind of almost killed me. It was a calamity of human errors that still just baffles me to this day. Took me way longer to bounce back from it than I ever expected, and I’m still not 💯
- LOTS OF FEELINGS AND CAKE
- In 2019 decided enough was enough, joined a gym. Started classes. Started running. Lost 60ish pounds slowly over 20 months. Hoping to get closer by the 2 year mark.
So basically when I have periods of my life where I cut out exercise, that’s when I start eating my feelings. The exercise - especially running even though I really actually hate running - helps my anxiety and ADHD so I don’t need the cookies and cake and sugary coffee beverages to feel sane.
This is probably TMI and a slight digression but hey whatever, we’re all friends here right - hubs and I are both 38 so if we want kid #2 it needs to be soon. The idea of a similar experience to the last one taking me out of commission physically for months and me losing all the progress I’ve made on this leg of the journey is one of the main fears I have that’s making me lean in favor of saying one kiddo is enough. It makes me feel selfish, but if my journey has taught me anything it’s that if I stop being physically active it all goes downhill.8 -
@mshawski I am so sorry to hear about your terrible c-section experience. I want to send you a virtual hug. I don't know your personal story or the calamity of human errors. I had a planned c-section and was lucky to have had a really positive experience. I hope if you do decide to expand your family, that VBAC or a planned c-section are viable options so you don't have another awful experience. But if you decide against another baby, please don't think that is a selfish choice - your babies need their mother and if there's a high risk of another near-death experience or worse, then deciding to have just one kiddo is absolutely not selfish!5
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@Mrs_Hoffer and @victorious55
Thanks for your posts!
Although today is another Pass day, I feel very good about this day. I’m at a family gathering and enjoying being with people I have not seen in two years. I’ve tracked my intake and exercise. I’m over my calorie limit by a modest margin. In this situation, that is a win for me. Over the years, I would treat this type of celebration as an excuse for a blowout.
It’s been a delightful day!6 -
Thursday, August 5
Tracking: Yes
Calories: under
Exercise: Yes, walk 5 miles
Pass days to date - 2Ahhhh. Such a thought provoking post today. I have an autoimmune disease that I am currently getting biologic infusions for every 4 weeks. I started these in about 2016. Before then, I was treated with heavy doses of steroids. From about 1978 - 2016, I would gain about 70 pounds on the drugs and then work to lose it once I was weaned off - this usually was an 18 month cycle. I figure I have gained and lost over 1,000 pounds from steroids. This doesn’t include the weight I’ve gained and lost because (1) I like food and (2) I would just give into self pity and give up. The infusions are doing their best but It is what it is. I find that when I am not overweight, am active, and eat a specific diet, I help the meds more. I was sick more than 3/4 of the time and now I’m only sick about 1/4 of the time. From about 2016 - 2019, I was gaining and losing the same 30-40 pounds. Gain in the winter, lose in the summer. It turns out that winters wreak havoc on my disease. This group has helped me to focus on doing the best that I can and I have managed to stay about the same weight since May of 2020. I have learned to accept who I am and appreciate all the things my body does for me. I had to forgive myself for the things I cannot do. This has been really freeing. Plus I am now semi retired so a lot of stress is gone. It has taken me 55 + years to get here. I would focus on all that wasted time but that’s not where I want to be. I am living my best life. I am more active now than I’ve been in over 35 years. Life is good and I am going to appreciate it to the best of my ability, come what may. And on the days I feel great and want to do all the things, I may comment that my husband will sit on me so I can only do half those things. Do not worry, he knows that when I overdo it, I pay for it the next few days. The most important thing I have learned - we all have our struggles. No one is immune from the hardships of life. And I can’t imagine having to bear the hardships of so many in this world. I am blessed and I am fully aware of it. My husband and kids and grandkids are all healthy and happy. That is all there is. 😎7 -
August 5:
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes, two 45-minute walks.
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes.
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes.
Pass days used: 1/3
My weight loss journey: before the age of 35, I did not need to lose any weight. Since that time (7 years ago), I have yo-yo'd up and down by 30-50 pounds. Currently, I am 40 pounds over my weight at age 35. When I began MFP in May, I was 48 pounds over; I have lost 8 pounds since May.
I had hoped to lose a lot more by now. But, I stopped tracking and exercising during much of July. So, I am happy that I am not back where I started. I am still down. Now, on to just watching the scale continue to go down, down down, and not up again!
8 -
Exercise- yes 6 mile walk with 100 squats thrown in for good measure
Tracking- yes
Cals - yes7 -
August 5
Thank you to each of you who have shared your journey. I have taken so much inspiration and motivation from you! I need to learn how to use the “spoiler” function before I share my novella. Where is the best place to learn all these tricks?
Exercise 👍🏻 (45 minutes of walking at a steady quick pace)
Calories 👍🏻 Under
Tracking 👍🏻 Done!
Goodnight to you all,
Julie4 -
All 3 achieved:
[v] Exercised more than 20 minutes - Done 33 mins of exercise today
[v] Within calorie budget - 472 cal left yay 😁
[v] Tracked all food and drinks
6
