What's On Your Mind Today?
Mrs_Hoffer
Posts: 5,194 Member
This is where you can 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 for 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!!
So, what's on your mind today??
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 for 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!!
So, what's on your mind today??
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Replies
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Hi! I'm going to start off the discussion with a question. This is my second month doing the UAC, and I have learned so much. My question is to those of you who are experts at this - how do you track restaurant food? Or do you just not eat out? My method had been that if I ate out, I just didn't track that day because I couldn't track perfectly and so I just gave up. We get takeout about once a week - takeout Friday. Last month I saw (thanks to the wisdom of this group) that really wasn't serving me. But I still struggle with letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, maybe. We generally get from restaurants that do not post nutrition info, and have pretty creative and unusual food that isn't a good match to what is in the database. Any tips?
My favorite restaurant just announced they are closing in 2 weeks (so sad!) so I have a feeling there will be more takeout on my menu for the next 2 weeks. They are one that usually has not resulted in weight gain if I eat their food moderately, so that's good, but the question is how to track it? I had 9 pass days last month, all because of this restaurant food problem, and I'd really like to have fewer this month.1 -
Hi there @Caroline_slowandsteady I am far from an expett but i do enjoy eating out around once a week.
I just do research ahead of time to estimate the calories I will be eating and I always try to over estimate to be safe.
Hope this helps.. All the best. Xo2 -
@donna25trinity Thanks, Donna, yes that does really help. How exactly do you do the research to estimate? I think the fact that you have reached your goal weight actually does make you an expert
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I am sure there may be a more efficient way to do this but I honestly just Google it. I try to make my search as specific as possible so for e.g "calories cafe banana bread" xox
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A lot of restaurants post their menus and calories online here in the US. Some of the smaller ones probably don't. I think one thing to always remember is that a salad may SEEM lo cal but with all the adders to flavor it that are used it typically can add up to 500 cals to a meal. Same with bread and butter/oil. I haven't eaten out in a long time due to pandemic etc but when I was I would always plan exactly what I wanted and fit it in either to the day or a couple of days. Often times eating slowly or just having half worked. Agree with Donna that google is your friend and estimate high.4
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I'm not a maintainer (yet
) but I have lost over 80 pounds now with situations where I had to eat out without a posted calorie count.
I agree with the comments so far. The biggest thing I do is always estimate high. I track with my husband and he's often surprised with what I'll count for an unknown meal out but I consider it my insurance policy... if I want to enjoy a bigger meal out, that's fine, but I'll pad the numbers a bit to ensure I continue to see success on the scale. It's worked great so far!4 -
@Caroline_slowandsteady I skipped a reply here initially, but something I recalled after reading the replies (I've even done this) is looking up online recipes for the mysterious dish, adding all the ingredients to MFP as a recipe, and that will get you very close, if not spot on2
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@Caroline_slowandsteady
As the others said, but be aware that restaurant and takeaway food often has hidden salt and fat that you wouldn’t do at home so always estimate high.
I tend to order things plain without any dressings. Most restaurants are happy to do you a grilled chicken and salad without dressing, and if the helping it’s too big just eat half of it and ask for a take home box.
I also do extra exercise on that particular day, and eat fairly light for my other meals.3 -
@Caroline_slowandsteady It is definitely an issue. Even with the few restaurants in my area that post calories you have no way of knowing what quality controls they have. Are they actually weighing the components? Precisely measuring the fats? Doubtful. And even items that seem innocent in the description like broiled fish and steamed veggies can be full of added oil/butter which can add hundreds of calories quickly.
If you really want a reality check on the calories in restaurant meals, go to the Applebees website.
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Thank you all so much for your insight! This is very helpful.1
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I am curious how others determined their weight goals. I will just throw the topic out there because I have continued to move the goal post and realize that I don't have a clear idea where I am headed any more.2
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@bradkcrew - Great question!
My ideal BMI weight has always been 180 pounds as a 6'2" male but since I was never below 220 as an adult I convinced myself that was an impossibility and perhaps around 220 would be fine.
In 2014 when I had class 3 obesity and rapidly deteriorating health it was just to get my weight down to healthy levels. I got down to 220 and was super happy about that. It also made me realize I looked like I could still lose more without looking gaunt. However I was comfortable enough at 220 to stop losing weight and do lots of running instead for a couple years, and after that some weight training and even gain a little weight back.
This time it was similar at first, just get back to healthy. My Garmin profile still lists 220 as my goal. But MFP shows 180 as my goal. So which is it?
At this point 180. I believe I can get there now that I am at 225. I can see there is more I can lose.
Have the goalposts moved? Yep. But that's how I picked 180. It is realistic per BMI and I can even imagine it in the mirror. If I later find some other number is ideal, I reserve the right to change to that number.
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Excellent question @bradkcrew — I am so far away from what could be considered a final resting place (no, not that one 🤪) that I haven’t set my sights on goals more ambitious than some bigger interim steps. I am intrigued to know how people do choose though, as the last time I had a lot of weight to lose, WW pretty much set the goal. I will consult with my doctor and nutritionist at some point.0
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I am curious how others determined their weight goals. I will just throw the topic out there because I have continued to move the goal post and realize that I don't have a clear idea where I am headed any more.
Hi @bradkcrew !
A great question!
I initially set my goal so my BMI would be 25 for a 5’9” woman or 169lbs
I got there & learned we’re supposed to have BMI under or equal 24.9, which I think was 166. As tough to figure put I had to keep going esp since weight came off more slowly close to goal.
Then I figured put I was 5’8.5” LOL
So I asked my doctor when i weighted 160. Told him I wanted to lose more. He said ok, maybe 5lbs & no more than 10, and then we can discuss again.
I got to 150.1 but was hungry all the time.
Decided on maintenance range 155-160.
Just figured out I’m 5’8, so I’m inching those numbers down.
It’s a process. You can decide step by step. A balance of healthy BMI (esp with increased COViD risks of being overweight), what is do-able for you, and in my case not being too hungry.
Hope this helps!
🌸Maddie
I worried Wayyyy Toooo much about this which is why I asked my doc to decide. In fact my two specialist dr’s said “anything in normal BMI range is Great!”2 -
My first time losing weight was at the beginning of my adult life, right after college. I did weight watchers online and I think they gave the "healthy" BMI range as a goal weight. My real goal was to lose my belly fat, if I could do that while staying in a healthy BMI range. Both out of vanity and because I had read that belly fat is the most unhealthy. Most of the weight I had gained was in my belly, and it took getting fairly low in the BMI range to lose it all. I did, but even in maintenance if I gained a pound it was on my belly, so I always felt it was tenuous.
Now, losing weight 20 years later, I am not sure what my goal weight is. I am right now teetering on the edge of the healthy BMI range, which feels great. Not only do I have belly fat, but I carried two giant babies, so even if I were to lose the belly fat I am pretty sure I would still have a pooch. So vanity is not really a good reason since that's not going to work anyway. I think at this point I need to let the belly fat go, and just balance feeling comfortable in my body against being hungry. Also thinking about having a maintenance that is sustainable. My instinct is that I could go another 8.5 pounds from where I am this morning to a nice round 140 at 5'4.5" and 41 years old, but I'll see how I feel along the way and when I get there.6 -
I started at 293 and set a goal weight of 168 (125 lbs to lose). I am currently just under 210.
I chose the weight I did because it's the highest weight in the normal BMI range for my height. I haven't been under 200 for the longest time. Once I get to my goal I suspect I'll want to lose another small chunk so that my maintenance range won't push me back into the overweight category, but I'll assess that once I get there.4 -
In my 20´s, I initially chose my goal weight based on BMI but a personal trainer convinced me to change it and remain at a higher weight that she said was healthier for me. Apparently, according to my wrist size, I actually am big boned. It took me awhile to accept that my bone structure was not going to allow me to be really healthy and fit and to have the look I wanted.
In my 30s, and again in my 40´s my goal was to get back to that weight that was ideal in my 20´s.
Now in my 50´s, I set the MyFitnessPal goal high (at my weight where in the past if I get below it my high blood pressure has always gone away), but my real goal is to get my waist size down to less than 32.5 inches (less than half my height.) BMI is such a crude measure for health that I believe making sure the abdominal fat is not excessive is much more important. I think many people focus way too much on the scale.5 -
I have a question that I have been wanting to post, but the past few days have been crazy. I haven't really got "ready" with makeup and hair done for a while - covid hit, and then 2 months later I had nightmare issues with my ex. However, the positive news is that is finally over and I am feeling like I can finally move forward with my life! Yay On September 24th, I dug out my makeup bag. Because Mother Nature is a hussie, I also started using an OTC Retinol night cream due to my fine lines and wrinkles.
The next morning I woke up to a red-eye, which has been red ever since. Today I am actually seeing the eye doctor. So I have been trying to figure out what caused it, replaced all eye makeup, and 12 days later it's time to go to the doctor.
With all that said, since I am at the very beginning of my weight loss journey (again) - I am trying to look back on how I did it before and use what worked in the past and learn from what didn't work in the past. Last time I was ONE pound away from my healthy goal weight which I have never been at a healthy weight, I have always been a chubby/few extra pounds person. What I did in the past was I had a strict 1200 calories a day. For breakfast and lunch I ate the same exact thing everyday which was a bagel and coffee, and a caesar salad and a yogurt for lunch.
The problem is that I was starting to get burnt out on salads when I was close to my goal weight a couple of years ago. Recently I have ate a week's worth of salads and I am burnt out on salads and I need to find a different salad or find something entirely different.
Because I really don't know how to break up the calories per meal every day - what I did before was take 1200 divide by 3 meals which was 400 per meal. I wanted more calories for dinner, so I made breakfast and lunch calories smaller. I am going to do the same thing this time, but with more calories (1300 to 1450). But it made me question myself if I am doing this correctly since I have the mindset of "a salad every day for lunch" as my diet plan, since this is what I always do, along with a list of foods not to eat (drive-thrus, restaurants, junk food etc). I have a list of "forbidden foods" and "allowed foods" when I am on my diet. And yes, once the diet stops, I eat the forbidden foods again, and the circle continues. I feel like a roller coaster yo-yo dieter.
I have been thinking about just using leftovers for lunch and an occasional salad and learning to be more flexible. However, having breakfast and lunch always the same foods helps with meal planning. I wanted to post this, and ask how everyone else handles this.
I will follow up later, and I want to read everyone's post on the other great topic going on, but I am out of time and need to get ready for the eye appointment!4 -
@KCJen - Hope your eye clears up quickly! As for calories per meal, it sounds like you had a working method. Each person is different though, and may need a different number of meals and sizing based on times of day, etc. For me personally, I tend to do best with a (very) slightly larger breakfast and lunch (particularly lunch) getting more calories in each of those than at dinner. But only by a bit because if dinner is not enough I will find myself back in the kitchen later. I also find I do better with higher protein counts in my lunch and dinner meals, seems to keep me full. I'm less concerned about that with breakfast because usually the next meal creeps up on me pretty quickly. On weekends or days with a large calorie burn which tends to afford an extra meal, I get that as a late morning meal, having breakfast, late-morning meal and lunch, and usually carries me over fine until dinner. Not sure if this helps at all, but that's how I generally do it.1
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@WhatMeRunning Thanks! I have eyedrops with a follow up in a week, so the eye issue will be getting better. I will be trying to adjust how I do calories over the next week, and hopefully have a set plan by then. Its good to hear how you do, I feel like I am at least in the right direction. I think a key point you made is each person is different. Thanks for your response!1
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Caroline_slowandsteady wrote: »Hi! I'm going to start off the discussion with a question. This is my second month doing the UAC, and I have learned so much. My question is to those of you who are experts at this - how do you track restaurant food? Or do you just not eat out? My method had been that if I ate out, I just didn't track that day because I couldn't track perfectly and so I just gave up. We get takeout about once a week - takeout Friday. Last month I saw (thanks to the wisdom of this group) that really wasn't serving me. But I still struggle with letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, maybe. We generally get from restaurants that do not post nutrition info, and have pretty creative and unusual food that isn't a good match to what is in the database. Any tips?
My favorite restaurant just announced they are closing in 2 weeks (so sad!) so I have a feeling there will be more takeout on my menu for the next 2 weeks. They are one that usually has not resulted in weight gain if I eat their food moderately, so that's good, but the question is how to track it? I had 9 pass days last month, all because of this restaurant food problem, and I'd really like to have fewer this month.
Caroline - I track restaurant food by going directly to that restaurant's website and finding the information or ask them for a printout. If it is not available I will look at Nutritionix https://www.nutritionix.com/database there are grocery items, restaurants, and common foods. I use a random google search or the mfp food database as my last option. Serving sizes change from time to time so I try to go directly to the specific restaurant.
I try to avoid restaurants when I am trying to lose weight. One meal out can blow the whole days calories I have found out that the hard way!
Sorry to hear your favorite restaurant is closing
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@bradkcrew
I love reading all the responses to finding your ideal goal weight. When I lost weight back in 2016...wow I just realized that was now 5 years ago!! Time flies by soooo fast! In 2016 my Doctor put me on cholesterol medicine and told me my cholesterol and lose weight. I googled info on cholesterol and it scared me because I was in the high risk of heart attack or stroke due to family genes and I was an overweight smoker at the time.
I needed to lose weight, so I just googled a weight chart online for women listing their age and height. Later I learned this was an "old" chart before the BMI chart. The chart said for my height at 5'6 my ideal weight should be 130-144 pounds. I lost 50 pounds, and I was ONE pound away from hitting my healthy goal weight - which I have never been at my healthy goal weight in my life - ONE pound away and I stopped tracking and exercise and gained it all back plus a little extra.
This time, I am not using some random chart online, but I am going to follow the BMI weight range from MFP as a general goal which is listed as 115 to 155. Once I actually get closer to that range, I will ask my Doctor to help me determine a set weight range for me.
I am also concerned about losing weight now since I turned 50 in January and I want to lose as much as possible before menopause.
This time I am not concerned about a "number" or a "dress size". I just want to be healthy and finally reached my healthy goal weight.2 -
@WhatMeRunning @jamcnewman @MadisonMolly2017 @caroline_slowly @ashleycarole86 @ideas2 @kcjen
Thanks to everyone for weighing in (unintentional pun!). The common theme seems to be that everyone is focused on getting to/staying at a "healthy" weight with BMI as a starting point.
My primary motivation this time around is also health. I don't have any health issues, and I want to keep it that way.
As of my last weigh-in my BMI was 20.6 (5'4"-120), but still, I have plenty of excess body fat so evidently I can be at the lower end of the BMI scale.
My Dr.'s advice is that it isn't necessary to be thin, just not obese so that isn't particularly helpful.
Anyway, I am assessing where I'm at and how I want to proceed. I have upped my calories 200/day over the past few weeks. I think my fear is losing control and gaining weight back if I let off the gas....
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@WhatMeRunning @jamcnewman @MadisonMolly2017 @caroline_slowly @ashleycarole86 @ideas2 @kcjen
Thanks to everyone for weighing in (unintentional pun!). The common theme seems to be that everyone is focused on getting to/staying at a "healthy" weight with BMI as a starting point.
My primary motivation this time around is also health. I don't have any health issues, and I want to keep it that way.
As of my last weigh-in my BMI was 20.6 (5'4"-120), but still, I have plenty of excess body fat so evidently I can be at the lower end of the BMI scale.
My Dr.'s advice is that it isn't necessary to be thin, just not obese so that isn't particularly helpful.
Anyway, I am assessing where I'm at and how I want to proceed. I have upped my calories 200/day over the past few weeks. I think my fear is losing control and gaining weight back if I let off the gas....
@bradcrew a totally understandable fear, one I certainly had until I “woke up” a couple of years into maintenance & realized I actually preferred not to be overfill, that I did/do get hunger signals now, that this wasn’t some fluke…
Be patient with yourself. Use your tracking data (monthly) to guide you, catch things that begin to creep…
It’s tough in the beginning because you don’t know your maintenance calories (they often increase slightly over time) my personal theory is our body says “wow, I’m out of starvation, I can move more now!” Which leads to a higher TDEE.
But the reason I keep tracking daily is the yearly averages & patterns make the whole journey less stressful.
Best,
Maddie🌸5 -
@KCJen Thank you for your advice about restaurant meals. I will try that website.
I really like your question about whether to eat the same thing every day for ease of tracking or whether to be flexible so you don't get burnt out.
To me, on my slow and steady journey, keeping things interesting is 90% of the battle. I am not someone who can eat something boring just to fuel my body. I need my food to be delicious.
I find with MFP, tracking is easy enough that I can switch up the food.
I also try to eat the same thing with some variety. My breakfast is an omelet with 1 egg + 2 egg whites, with cheese and veggies - but I switch out what cheese and veggies go in it. Most days one meal (lunch or dinner) is some kind of salad and the other meal is some kind of cooked veggies (both giant piles of veggies, one cooked and one raw). With each, I have some kind of protein, some kind of carb (often a carby veggie, sometimes quinoa or whole grain bread), and some kind of sauce. I also add in some kind of treat/garnish - pickled veggies, olives, cheese, etc. That kind of framework lets me quickly design a meal with things in my fridge, but because I know the rough weights I can have of different types of foods it's pretty easy to put in MFP and get to the right number without having to do a lot of back and forth. I splurge on fancy vinegars, olives, in-season local veggies, things like that so that I always feel like I have an amazing treat.
I also do tend to eat the exact same thing 2-3 days in a row so that I can save on food prep and tracking time. But beyond that I get sick of it.
I have spent a fair bit of time reading on MFP and elsewhere for tips on how to feel like you have a variety on a low-calorie diet - always looking for more!2 -
I have been very fortunate in my life to be an overall healthy person even at my heaviest of a tad over 200. My life changing moment came when I realized that in order to get dress pants for work I needed a really large size… a 20 that moment did it. I came home and had a small pity party but realized I had only myself to hold accountable so the next day I began to use the exercise bike we had as more than a coat rack. Since then I have been through 2 bikes a regular stationary and a recumbent which I didn’t like. I now have a spin with a 40lb wheel that is part of my exercise plan.
My point to sharing all of this is stick with it changing our ways can be difficult but you can do it if you want it bad enough… how much do you want this? Use all the tools at your disposal but be mindful of charts and graphs use your judgement how does your body feel ? Do your cloths fit differently? Reach out to your health care provider mine was wonderful and gave me a good range to work with I am now within 1 lb of the high end of that range.Stay focused you can succeed as determined by you and only you this monthly challenge helps me to stay accountable and vigilant.2 -
@Caroline_slowandsteady, with ref your question about eating out, I hear your difficulty. Very few restaurants here in the UK have nutritional/calorie information. I do eat out quite a lot and my solution breaks down into at least 3 stages:
1. Read the menu carefully – perhaps avoid those “creative” dishes and find something fairly simple. Look out for high calorie items (high fat for instance).
2. When ordering can you ask for some simple swaps or ask for dressings, sauces etc to be omitted or served on the side. I always ask for “no chips please” and ask for extra salad or veg instead. (“chips” in UK = fries in USA)
3. When the food is delivered can you identify the separate items? Is the chicken/meat portion similar to what you would have at home – probably more. Can you see items that perhaps you could leave on the side? (eg the pastry on a pie) Fill up with veg (it’s almost all low cal esp green veg, carrots etc)
4. Dessert – I try not to have dessert they are nearly always high sugar & fat. Agree with your partner that you will have something at home.
Good luck. I lost weight successfully while having lots of holidays, days out, dinner with friends etc. Now that the Covid restrictions are mostly gone I'm eating out regularly again while maintaining.2 -
MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »
@bradcrew a totally understandable fear, one I certainly had until I “woke up” a couple of years into maintenance & realized I actually preferred not to be overfill, that I did/do get hunger signals now, that this wasn’t some fluke…
Be patient with yourself. Use your tracking data (monthly) to guide you, catch things that begin to creep…
It’s tough in the beginning because you don’t know your maintenance calories (they often increase slightly over time) my personal theory is our body says “wow, I’m out of starvation, I can move more now!” Which leads to a higher TDEE.
But the reason I keep tracking daily is the yearly averages & patterns make the whole journey less stressful.
Best,
Maddie🌸
@madisonmolly2017 Thank you for your ongoing advice. This coming Thursday is a pivotal milestone for me, concluding Part I of my journey toward health and wellness which started a little over 6 months ago. Part II is vague right now and I am running out of time. I am really good with plans...not so much with playing it by ear.1 -
@bradkcrew
I understand. I’m the same. I realized my “monkey brain” will through me into confusion & ultra researching & stress at those times….and those are the times it has the greatest chance of in-doing all my previous accomplishments…
SO, pick a plan. ANY plan. OR ask your doctor or a close family/friend to choose for you.
Do it for a week, 10 days, 2 weeks.
Reduce your stress, indecision…this is a journey, stay roughly on the path, slowly but surely, you will figure out how to tinker with your plan. AND it gets easier.
From someone who’s been there.
Anecdote: My first Xmas in maintenance we were motorhome camping, eating dinner put. I brought my scale & could see it climbing as I reverted to my large meals at restaurants…I was really stressed & my brain went into a Really Confused mode. Stop eating out, but it’s so much fun & it’s a rare vacation. Should I eat 1,600 calories a day, 2,000. Maintain this higher weight? Jump back to dieting. Ugh. I’m looking at all my trends & calorie averages, watch exercise calories.
Finally, I passed my phone to my husband. “Could you please tell me how many calories I should eat? My brain hurts.” He quickly determined a number that would stop
The increase & slowly bring it down.
Now, I had done that too as one of 20 options.
But I just did his suggestion. I let him cut through all the options.
I was now relaxed, my appetite decreased after the magic 3 days of reasonable calories, weight began to come off 5-7 days afterwards..
Whenever I feel myself in that “too many options I don’t know what to Fido etc…I don’t ask my husband…because now I know …”Pick a number. Stick to it. Adjust in a week, if necessary.”
I sincerely hope this is helping.
Maddie3 -
@MadisonMolly2017 "Reduce your stress, indecision…this is a journey, stay roughly on the path, slowly but surely, you will figure out how to tinker with your plan. AND it gets easier." and "Pick a number. Stick to it. Adjust in a week, if necessary."
This is so helpful to me! I have been trying to decide what should be the calories that I set as my goal. I have been feeling overwhelmed with too many options/choices. It is kinda like being in the toothpaste aisle at Walmart. Ugh.
I am going to have a range for calories this time, instead of 1200. My range is 1300 to 1500 - closer to the 1500 range on days I am on the treadmill- and a net goal of 1200 in case I would need to "eat back" a few exercise calories.
I just want to say I am thankful for everyone in UAC. This group is very helpful and encouraging!5
