new to group

thegeorges11202004

Hi I just saw this group posted on the main message board and I decided to join. I am 5'4" and I started losing weight in Dec. and have lost about 20 lbs since then. I feel like I am a bit stalled so am trying low carb high fat for a 10 day challenge to see if it will get things moving again. I currently weigh 204 and would LOVE to be 20 lbs down by summer - my goal right now is 174 lbs but more importantly than that I would like for my body fat % to be around 24, right now it is 33%. so what is the deal? post weight lost each week? days compliant with your plan? right now I am logging my food just to get an idea of the carbs/protein in everything. ideally I would love to get to a point where I do NOT have to log every day, just whether I am on target with my eating/exercise for that day. I have also been exercising intensely M-F with a circuit routine MWF and HIIT on TTH.

elw90

Wow everything you have said is true.

I was convinced I was eating 1200 calories a day and not losing and so frustrated but now I log absolutely everything and anything that passes my lips and I hate guessing- I weigh everything and if I don't think I can accurately track it I don't eat it.

I set aside 20% of my calories for 'bad foods' and have edited my MFP diary settings so that it has a section where I can chuck those calories into and then I don't feel bad or like I'm going off track if I have a bar of chocolate.

The key I think is to not demonise food in any way. I genuinely believe that if you stress about what you've eaten then the cortisol you release promotes the fat storage as well as of course what you've eaten. Lose the guilt- lose the weight. this is my new philosophy after 4 years of constantly having rules about what I was going to eat and when and what I wasn't going to eat.

I used to ban anything not healthy and tried not eating anything between meals but there was so much room for me to slip from my unrealistic ideals. Now I have no rules; I just count my calories accurately and that's it and not only physically am I getting results but psychologically i feel clearer.

I also hope I won't have to count so meticulously forever because it can be socially awkward and a bit obsessive but it's obsessive in the right way and I truly believe to successfully and sustainably lose weight -accurate tracking is key.

Give yourself a star for every day that you don't beat yourself up about what you have and haven't done well.

KCW37

Just saw this group in a message board
im around 170-175 lbs 5'6 and around 32 percent body fat im looking to lose 25lbs in general but i want to drop that body fat down to 20's
im using this site to figure out my calories
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

thegeorges11202004

I totally agree not to demonize any particular food - and what you said about cortisol is very true! I read about a study that they did where they saw this happen! crazy!

going low carb has been easy so far - and it's not forever, just a 10 day "challenge" and still includes fruit, sugar in my am coffee and of course veggies I have read that going low carb can help if you have hormone troubles, and also helps to curb those cravings which for me are TERRIBLE right before my time of the month.

I don't believe eating "low fat" "diet" foods is the ticket, I think the ticket is moderation! And eating foods that are tasty and good for you, and that make you happy!