One more try!

ModQuad

I just started using MFP today. We'll, I've actually tried it in the past but found that the very branded food selections in the tracker and super random quantity/measurements from one good to the other to be frustrating. But I like the community better than my other tracker app, so... I'm giving it another try.

I struggled with my weight as a child and teen. I lost 90lbs in high school (210lbs to 120lbs) by learning about nutrition, working at a physically demanding job, and being more active in recreational sports and activities. I yo-yoed in college...either under feeding myself because I was too busy to eat or over feeding myself to cope with stress. That continued in my 20s, only stress was replaced by celebratory eating ("New job!" "Coworker's birthday!", "Friday!") along with not exercising except dancing, which was of course accompanied by alcohol and late night snacks. Eventually I'd gained back almost 50lbs of the 90lbs I'd lost years earlier. And worse than the weight was the poor overall health.

About 2 years ago, I started cycling and running regularly. Very little change in diet. I lost 25lbs. About a year ago, I got serious about triathlon and started eating smarter. Lots of protein, whole grains, veggies, fruit, very little processed foods. Lost another 25lbs. Now I'm set on maintaining. Being under 120lbs and an athlete (10hrs or more of intense training a week) keeping my weight down while keeping my body fueled is a challenge, physically and mentally. I'm terrified of slipping back into unhealthy habits, so I use food trackers to keep myself accountable. I can't lose weight but also can't gain weight for performance purposes. And it's hard seeing myself "go into the red" on my rest days, since my maintenance net is less than 1600cal... I'm starving on days I don't get exercise bonus calories!

I'm excited to meet others dealing with the same challenges I am. Hello!