Interested in everyones adventure

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  • gracie11lexi13
    gracie11lexi13 Posts: 123 Member
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    1. How long have you used myfitnesspal? 20ish days
    2. How easy or hard was your first few weeks/months? the first two weeks were weird cause i had no idea what i was doing with the healthy cooking. but i learned if you can make it two weeks with honest, no cheating, you're golden.
    3. What worked for you? healthy eating
    4. How much weight have you lost total so far? i lost 183 pounds (318.5-135.5) from august 2011-june 2013. then i quit smoking and gained 40 back. i'm here to get the last pesky ones off again. i am down 5.5 pounds since i started tracking here and started receiving support from pals.
    5.855a42f7-f12b-472b-ab40-1044256a7670_zpseb02a683.jpg[/URL]

    a few tips:
    - there's a saying that goes "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper." you'll go to bed a little hungry, but wake up feeling great.
    - if you ever get "hungry," one thing i do is have just a finger tip of yellow mustard. it's so salty, i guarantee it'll kick your "craving"
    - DRINK ALL YOUR WATER
    - you have to weigh/measure/track everything. don't eyeball it. you're going to get it wrong.
    - spinach can be disguised in pretty much anything and it is a potential gut bomber.
    - eating healthy feels SO amazing. and waking up after a day of being good will make you feel like a million bucks. i dare you to not smile and mentally pat yourself on the back for being awesome!
    - the best reward for a day of eating well is doing it again. and again. and again!
    - the benefits of healthy eating aren't all on the scale. your hair, skin and nails get awesome. then your head gets awesome. then you start saying "awesome" all the time and it really annoys other people, but you mean it every. dang. time. :)
    - find a physical activity that you can love as just that - an activity. if you see it as something you enjoy rather than a "work out" then you are more likely to keep it up. when i was heavy, i chose gardening and then added hula hooping and now that i actually CAN...it's those and running. i also enjoy watching billy blanks' junk bounce around in the occasional tae-bo video session.
    - NEVER be mean to yourself. don't talk down to yourself for cheating or because of your size or the number on the scale. first of all, it's just plain mean. secondly, we've been taught to ignore bullying so it's not gonna do any good.
    - track your food the night before or the morning of. that way you'll be less likely to improvise!

    That is amazing, you look amazing, and those are amazing tips lol. I am going to copy, paste, and print them out. Then I'm going to hang them up around the house for reminders. :) Thanks :)

    weeee! that's awesome :)

    Did you research your tips while you were losing weight?
  • loriemn
    loriemn Posts: 292 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used myfitnesspal? 20ish days
    2. How easy or hard was your first few weeks/months? the first two weeks were weird cause i had no idea what i was doing with the healthy cooking. but i learned if you can make it two weeks with honest, no cheating, you're golden.
    3. What worked for you? healthy eating
    4. How much weight have you lost total so far? i lost 183 pounds (318.5-135.5) from august 2011-june 2013. then i quit smoking and gained 40 back. i'm here to get the last pesky ones off again. i am down 5.5 pounds since i started tracking here and started receiving support from pals.
    5.855a42f7-f12b-472b-ab40-1044256a7670_zpseb02a683.jpg[/URL]

    a few tips:
    - there's a saying that goes "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper." you'll go to bed a little hungry, but wake up feeling great.
    - if you ever get "hungry," one thing i do is have just a finger tip of yellow mustard. it's so salty, i guarantee it'll kick your "craving"
    - DRINK ALL YOUR WATER
    - you have to weigh/measure/track everything. don't eyeball it. you're going to get it wrong.
    - spinach can be disguised in pretty much anything and it is a potential gut bomber.
    - eating healthy feels SO amazing. and waking up after a day of being good will make you feel like a million bucks. i dare you to not smile and mentally pat yourself on the back for being awesome!
    - the best reward for a day of eating well is doing it again. and again. and again!
    - the benefits of healthy eating aren't all on the scale. your hair, skin and nails get awesome. then your head gets awesome. then you start saying "awesome" all the time and it really annoys other people, but you mean it every. dang. time. :)
    - find a physical activity that you can love as just that - an activity. if you see it as something you enjoy rather than a "work out" then you are more likely to keep it up. when i was heavy, i chose gardening and then added hula hooping and now that i actually CAN...it's those and running. i also enjoy watching billy blanks' junk bounce around in the occasional tae-bo video session.
    - NEVER be mean to yourself. don't talk down to yourself for cheating or because of your size or the number on the scale. first of all, it's just plain mean. secondly, we've been taught to ignore bullying so it's not gonna do any good.
    - track your food the night before or the morning of. that way you'll be less likely to improvise!
    YOU are AWESOME!!!! and I mean that,,and yes,I actually do use that word A LOT!! My TKD Master told me the other day I was looking at him like something was wrong with him,I said "there is nothing wrong with you sir,you are all kinds of AWESOME!!" ..he laughs at me a lot!
  • katkat28
    katkat28 Posts: 28 Member
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    Great post and great job so far in your journey!
    I'm 5'0, currently 164 lbs. Starting Weight was 172 on January 20th...


    1. I have used MFP in the past (first try was 2011) but fell off the wagon in within 5 weeks. Currently I'm on DAY 42 whoop whoop!!

    2. So far my MFP experience has been pretty pleasant. There were a few days in there that I can remember struggling with motivation to exercise but pulled through it or just started fresh the next day with no guilt

    3. For me, its all about balance. I have a calorie goal and I try to stick to it. If I go over a bit I don't punish myself, I just make up for it later in the week and try not to let it get out of control. Portion control is key to me. I don't like to restrict myself from any foods, I just try to make better food choices so I can have more of it. I still go to happy hours and do all of the things that 30 year olds do, but I try to stay mindful of what I put in my mouth. Basically that's it. The food diary is critical for me, and food planning is what works best in my case because if I'm not prepared I will find myself at Popeyes ordering fried chicken and biscuits LOL.

    4. In total I've lost 7.8 lost total so far

    5. Another thing that was important for me is avoiding burn out. I set REALISTIC mini goals. For example in March my goal is 7 lb weight loss and to run a total of 40 miles. Then I set weekly goals to will help me meet that end goal..ie: 4 days exercise this week and I don't do more than that (which makes it easy to hit my 40 mile run goal so I'm not cramming it in at the end of the month). Its sticking to a routine. My motto is "Motivation got me started..Habit keeps me going"
  • spirit095
    spirit095 Posts: 1,017 Member
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    1. I've been using MFP for about 1 month now. I started to eat better and exercise in October, though.

    2. For me, it actually wasn't too difficult to start. One day I just decided to break out my Jillian Michaels dvds and do them. I also ate less than what I normally did before. Continuing to exercise after the first week was hard because it's so tempting to be lazy.

    3. Being more conscious of what I was putting into my body and how much of it I ate. Also, being aware of my cravings and how to satisfy them in a better way ("healthier" junk food alternatives). Self motivation is what keeps me going, because you can't always expect it from outside sources. Being realistic and logical about weight/fat loss is so important! Don't set yourself up to fail.

    4. As of today, I've lost 12lbs. I started at 127lbs at 5'0 feet (I'm also 25yrs old).

    5. Even though I feel like I've been losing weight so slowly, I keep on going. I've learned from the forum that since I don't really have that much fat to lose, it will take longer. I'm ok with this, especially since I love food. I tried eating only 1200 cals in the first week here and it was terrible. I've found a good range for me and I'm happy with it. Don't be afraid to experiment to see what works best for you! :)

    Feel free to friend me!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    Options
    I am still fairly new to myfitnesspal. 35 days in and down I'm actually down 6lbs. The first weight logged it was off by 40lbs so I ended up deleting it because it would not let me change it. I am motivated to here everyones adventure on here. It gets me thinking If they can do it the right way so can I. I have a past struggle with anorexia and I don't want to go back to it now that I have 2 beautiful girls that look up to me.

    1. How long have you used myfitnesspal?
    2. How easy or hard was your first few weeks/months?
    3. What worked for you?
    4. How much weight have you lost total so far?
    5. add anything else you would like to share.... I'd love to hear from you and add me if you would like to.

    1. I'm 35 days in
    2. My start so far has been rough with trying to figure what I can eat and can't eat and trying to stay within my daily nutrition goals. Its still a work in progress. I've been getting wonderful advice from other MFP users.
    3. Still learning what works for me.
    4. I have lost a total of 6lbs since Jan.
    5. starting weight: 228.8
    heaviest weight 301
    lightest weight: 152
    goal weight: 150-160
    current weight: 223.2
    delivered my oldest daughter 8-12-11 at 227
    delivered my youngest daughter 4-3-13 at 237
    I'm 5'6"
    I thought hanging up my smaller clothes around my house would motivate me to lose weight but it does not work because I'm hardly home as it is, but.... Seeing ya'll be so successful has motivated me beyond belief and I can take you all anywhere with me via my phone App.

    I've been on MFP for 612 days I think. I joined not long after my 2nd child was 1, but I'd been losing weight since she was 7 weeks old, only I didn't know about MFP then.

    I've been exercising for years, but got a bit lazy when I was pregnant with my second. I've never found healthy eating difficult, but I do have a sweet tooth, which gets worse in pregnancy! So I didn't really find it that hard. I think the toughest thing was going to the gym after a bad night with my kids, but I do really enjoy the 'me' time.

    I've never been a naturally thin person, and I lost a lot of weight when I started university. I gained weight again in my late 20s when I trained to be a teacher, but lost it all for my wedding. Then I put some on in my first pregnancy, despite exercising, lost it all, got pregnant again, and like I said I was lazy in my 2nd pregnancy and I ended up at 220lbs when I first weighed myself when my daughter was 8 weeks old. I had problems breastfeeding and took a drug called domperidone which is supposed to increase lactation, but it made me gain a lot of weight very fast. If I hadn't taken that, I doubt I'd have been as high as 220 as I was actually starting to lose some weight before I took the drug. I'm 5'6.

    I find doing lots of varied exercise works for me - gym, zumba, aerobics, step, spinning, LBT, core stability, boxercise etc. I don't like getting bored! I also found that upping calories from 1200 to 1500 really helped.
    I like having the support from people on my friends list too, I find it really motivating. I don't know that many people in real life who enjoy exercising and eating healthily.
    I also found a cheat meal helpful. Just once a week I'd allow myself a treat, like a nice dessert. It helped me avoid those biscuits and other treats all week!

    I lost about 66lbs in total.

    I'm currently 32+6 weeks pregnant with my third child and have logged onto MFP every day of my pregnancy so far! I've also continued to exercise throughout. I'm still eating pretty healthily, although I do have more treats than I did before! I'm still within my calories though. I'm hoping not to be in a position where I have to lose 66lbs again!
  • larrodarro
    larrodarro Posts: 2,512 Member
    Options
    1. I'm a rookie here, just joined about a month ago. But I changed my lifestyle about six months ago. I found MFP by Googling calories in recipes I was cooking. My Recipe Box is what got me to join. Every day it is getting fuller.

    2. It was very easy for me to start with.

    3. I had been cutting back on portion size starting about last July or August, and had lost a few pounds. About that time I had started a thread on another forum to post pictures of my supper every night. {I know, I'm crazy. But I like taking pictures, I like food and I like talking about food} [ http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/288289-whats-supper.html] if anyone wants to look. One of the guys who posted a lot was always talking about his low calorie days. When I ask him about it, he told me about the 5-2 fasting diet. Two days a week you limit yourself to 600-700 calories, and the other five days you eat like you normally would. I started in September and the weight just fell off. These days as I get closer to my goal weight, I have modified that to 800-1000 calories. I always look forward to my low calorie days. The simplicity of it is appealing to me. I know I have to eat lots of veggies to get enough food and not be hungry. And eating veggies is habit forming. Most days my plate is more green than any other color.

    4. I have gone from 240 to 191. Most of it since September.

    5. I started counting calories just the two days a week. Because of my work schedule Tuesday and Thursday are my low calorie days. As I lost more weight, I started to watch what I ate all the time, not just on my low calorie days. Then I started walking. My job is a whole lot of waiting around, so I do my walking at work. Then I picked up an exercise bike at a thrift store for a few bucks. We also have some other equipment that had been used to hang clothes on more than exercise. Now I use all of them while I'm watching TV {which I don't do a lot of} or listening to music {which I do a whole lot of}. And a couple of weeks ago I started weight training. I'm using very light weights and am in no hurry to get heavy. I am 53, so I'm not trying to out lift anyone.

    Since I joined MFP I love looking at other's food and exercise diaries, and like it when people comment on mine. Having them public is a good way to make you think about what you eat. Before you reach for that 2nd cookie, you think, if I eat this, everyone is going to know. And like others have said, weigh and measure everything. I drive my wife crazy when she is cooking. I'll ask her, "how many cups of that did you put in?" Then I enter it in the recipe section to get the calories per serving. I don't know if you can look at my Recipe Box, but if you can, you will see some of the low calorie recipes we are using.

    Sorry I've been so long winded. But I did say I like talking about food. Good luck with your lifestyle change.

    Larro
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used myfitnesspal?

    <> Almost 1 year. I joined on March 25, 2013.

    2. How easy or hard was your first few weeks/months?

    <> Super easy...honestly, easier than now because I was still at around 1600 cal/day and it seemed like the pounds were just melting off...not quickly or drastically, but very steadily.

    3. What worked for you?

    <> logging every single bite of food that has gone into my mouth since I joined. Staying at or under cal goal 97% of the time. Weighing every morning but not putting too much thought into it, and logging a loss after 3-4 days on the scale. Treats almost every day (worked into my macros). Paying attention to how much water I drink and the amount of sodium I consume, and letting sugar and fat slide a bit more. Walking a lot, and hiking or biking when convenient.

    4. How much weight have you lost total so far?

    <> Total 113 lb since I started losing weight from my all-time heaviest (307) in 2008. I lost 67 lb of that on MFP.

    5. add anything else you would like to share...

    <> One of my biggest surprises/challenges has been the constant purchase of new clothes. It has messed with my mind and budget a bit, but overall it's a good problem to have!
  • larrodarro
    larrodarro Posts: 2,512 Member
    Options


    5. add anything else you would like to share...

    <> One of my biggest surprises/challenges has been the constant purchase of new clothes. It has messed with my mind and budget a bit, but overall it's a good problem to have!

    I quickly learned to buy at thrift stores. At least until I reach a weight that I'm going to stay at a while. I spent about a hundred dollars on new belts, and two month later I was buying a leather punch. Now I look for a style that will be useful no matter how much I lose.
  • gracie11lexi13
    gracie11lexi13 Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    Great post and great job so far in your journey!
    I'm 5'0, currently 164 lbs. Starting Weight was 172 on January 20th...


    1. I have used MFP in the past (first try was 2011) but fell off the wagon in within 5 weeks. Currently I'm on DAY 42 whoop whoop!!

    2. So far my MFP experience has been pretty pleasant. There were a few days in there that I can remember struggling with motivation to exercise but pulled through it or just started fresh the next day with no guilt

    3. For me, its all about balance. I have a calorie goal and I try to stick to it. If I go over a bit I don't punish myself, I just make up for it later in the week and try not to let it get out of control. Portion control is key to me. I don't like to restrict myself from any foods, I just try to make better food choices so I can have more of it. I still go to happy hours and do all of the things that 30 year olds do, but I try to stay mindful of what I put in my mouth. Basically that's it. The food diary is critical for me, and food planning is what works best in my case because if I'm not prepared I will find myself at Popeyes ordering fried chicken and biscuits LOL.

    4. In total I've lost 7.8 lost total so far

    5. Another thing that was important for me is avoiding burn out. I set REALISTIC mini goals. For example in March my goal is 7 lb weight loss and to run a total of 40 miles. Then I set weekly goals to will help me meet that end goal..ie: 4 days exercise this week and I don't do more than that (which makes it easy to hit my 40 mile run goal so I'm not cramming it in at the end of the month). Its sticking to a routine. My motto is "Motivation got me started..Habit keeps me going"

    Amazing. Love your post. Ever since I started this forum I have lost another 2.5 pounds. So its coming off faster now that I see the motivation Yall are giving me. :)
  • gracie11lexi13
    gracie11lexi13 Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    I am still fairly new to myfitnesspal. 35 days in and down I'm actually down 6lbs. The first weight logged it was off by 40lbs so I ended up deleting it because it would not let me change it. I am motivated to here everyones adventure on here. It gets me thinking If they can do it the right way so can I. I have a past struggle with anorexia and I don't want to go back to it now that I have 2 beautiful girls that look up to me.

    1. How long have you used myfitnesspal?
    2. How easy or hard was your first few weeks/months?
    3. What worked for you?
    4. How much weight have you lost total so far?
    5. add anything else you would like to share.... I'd love to hear from you and add me if you would like to.

    1. I'm 35 days in
    2. My start so far has been rough with trying to figure what I can eat and can't eat and trying to stay within my daily nutrition goals. Its still a work in progress. I've been getting wonderful advice from other MFP users.
    3. Still learning what works for me.
    4. I have lost a total of 6lbs since Jan.
    5. starting weight: 228.8
    heaviest weight 301
    lightest weight: 152
    goal weight: 150-160
    current weight: 223.2
    delivered my oldest daughter 8-12-11 at 227
    delivered my youngest daughter 4-3-13 at 237
    I'm 5'6"
    I thought hanging up my smaller clothes around my house would motivate me to lose weight but it does not work because I'm hardly home as it is, but.... Seeing ya'll be so successful has motivated me beyond belief and I can take you all anywhere with me via my phone App.

    I've been on MFP for 612 days I think. I joined not long after my 2nd child was 1, but I'd been losing weight since she was 7 weeks old, only I didn't know about MFP then.

    I've been exercising for years, but got a bit lazy when I was pregnant with my second. I've never found healthy eating difficult, but I do have a sweet tooth, which gets worse in pregnancy! So I didn't really find it that hard. I think the toughest thing was going to the gym after a bad night with my kids, but I do really enjoy the 'me' time.

    I've never been a naturally thin person, and I lost a lot of weight when I started university. I gained weight again in my late 20s when I trained to be a teacher, but lost it all for my wedding. Then I put some on in my first pregnancy, despite exercising, lost it all, got pregnant again, and like I said I was lazy in my 2nd pregnancy and I ended up at 220lbs when I first weighed myself when my daughter was 8 weeks old. I had problems breastfeeding and took a drug called domperidone which is supposed to increase lactation, but it made me gain a lot of weight very fast. If I hadn't taken that, I doubt I'd have been as high as 220 as I was actually starting to lose some weight before I took the drug. I'm 5'6.

    I find doing lots of varied exercise works for me - gym, zumba, aerobics, step, spinning, LBT, core stability, boxercise etc. I don't like getting bored! I also found that upping calories from 1200 to 1500 really helped.
    I like having the support from people on my friends list too, I find it really motivating. I don't know that many people in real life who enjoy exercising and eating healthily.
    I also found a cheat meal helpful. Just once a week I'd allow myself a treat, like a nice dessert. It helped me avoid those biscuits and other treats all week!

    I lost about 66lbs in total.

    I'm currently 32+6 weeks pregnant with my third child and have logged onto MFP every day of my pregnancy so far! I've also continued to exercise throughout. I'm still eating pretty healthily, although I do have more treats than I did before! I'm still within my calories though. I'm hoping not to be in a position where I have to lose 66lbs again!

    Congrats on the new addition... Everytime I got to a happy place with my weight I got pregnant lol. Hopefully that does not happen this time and I can enjoy a smaller me for a while lol. I gained 60lbs with my oldest because I was on bedrest for my 3rd trimester. I gained 30lbs with my second because I forced myself to stay as active as I could. I gained 10lbs by week 36. I was put on bed rest in my 9th month due to rare complications and I gained the last 20 in the final 5 weeks. Yes I said 5 weeks lol. She was 1 whole week overdue. Which is what we wanted to happen. My body stole a lot of nutrients from her and instead of burning my calories when I was active, I was burning hers. So at 36 weeks she was barely 2.5 lbs and underweight. I had her at 5lbs and 7oz at 41 weeks. She is now almost 11 months and is a happy healthy 16 lb baby. :)

    I'll be happy to see you meet your goal someday and ya hopefully you don't have to lose that much this time. I don't think you will considering your eating healthy and staying active.
  • nenathegreat
    nenathegreat Posts: 5
    Options
    Dude you're like AMAZING! Thanx for the tips! I'm looking forward to my awesome before and after pics too!
  • gracie11lexi13
    gracie11lexi13 Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    1. I'm a rookie here, just joined about a month ago. But I changed my lifestyle about six months ago. I found MFP by Googling calories in recipes I was cooking. My Recipe Box is what got me to join. Every day it is getting fuller.

    2. It was very easy for me to start with.

    3. I had been cutting back on portion size starting about last July or August, and had lost a few pounds. About that time I had started a thread on another forum to post pictures of my supper every night. {I know, I'm crazy. But I like taking pictures, I like food and I like talking about food} [ http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/288289-whats-supper.html] if anyone wants to look. One of the guys who posted a lot was always talking about his low calorie days. When I ask him about it, he told me about the 5-2 fasting diet. Two days a week you limit yourself to 600-700 calories, and the other five days you eat like you normally would. I started in September and the weight just fell off. These days as I get closer to my goal weight, I have modified that to 800-1000 calories. I always look forward to my low calorie days. The simplicity of it is appealing to me. I know I have to eat lots of veggies to get enough food and not be hungry. And eating veggies is habit forming. Most days my plate is more green than any other color.

    4. I have gone from 240 to 191. Most of it since September.

    5. I started counting calories just the two days a week. Because of my work schedule Tuesday and Thursday are my low calorie days. As I lost more weight, I started to watch what I ate all the time, not just on my low calorie days. Then I started walking. My job is a whole lot of waiting around, so I do my walking at work. Then I picked up an exercise bike at a thrift store for a few bucks. We also have some other equipment that had been used to hang clothes on more than exercise. Now I use all of them while I'm watching TV {which I don't do a lot of} or listening to music {which I do a whole lot of}. And a couple of weeks ago I started weight training. I'm using very light weights and am in no hurry to get heavy. I am 53, so I'm not trying to out lift anyone.

    Since I joined MFP I love looking at other's food and exercise diaries, and like it when people comment on mine. Having them public is a good way to make you think about what you eat. Before you reach for that 2nd cookie, you think, if I eat this, everyone is going to know. And like others have said, weigh and measure everything. I drive my wife crazy when she is cooking. I'll ask her, "how many cups of that did you put in?" Then I enter it in the recipe section to get the calories per serving. I don't know if you can look at my Recipe Box, but if you can, you will see some of the low calorie recipes we are using.

    Sorry I've been so long winded. But I did say I like talking about food. Good luck with your lifestyle change.

    Larro

    That is amazing on the weight loss. Have you thought of Instagram to post your meal pics? Your right on what you eat is now public and makes you think twice. I like it cause I can look at it at the end of the day and figure out what I need to change in my diet. I am having a hard time controlling my sodium intake and drinking water. My boyfriend and I are looking for new meal Ideas so I may check out your recipe box. What is hard for us is that I'm trying to lose and he is trying to gain weight lol. Not easy at dinner time when I am home. I work evenings so the days I work I bring my own food so that makes it a bit easier.. Hes all for the deserts after dinner when I'm home.

    I see that you love to talk about food. I talk a lot about anything that I am interested in talking about. I'm actually currently writing a book in my spare time.
  • gracie11lexi13
    gracie11lexi13 Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    1. How long have you used myfitnesspal?

    <> Almost 1 year. I joined on March 25, 2013.

    2. How easy or hard was your first few weeks/months?

    <> Super easy...honestly, easier than now because I was still at around 1600 cal/day and it seemed like the pounds were just melting off...not quickly or drastically, but very steadily.

    3. What worked for you?

    <> logging every single bite of food that has gone into my mouth since I joined. Staying at or under cal goal 97% of the time. Weighing every morning but not putting too much thought into it, and logging a loss after 3-4 days on the scale. Treats almost every day (worked into my macros). Paying attention to how much water I drink and the amount of sodium I consume, and letting sugar and fat slide a bit more. Walking a lot, and hiking or biking when convenient.

    4. How much weight have you lost total so far?

    <> Total 113 lb since I started losing weight from my all-time heaviest (307) in 2008. I lost 67 lb of that on MFP.

    5. add anything else you would like to share...

    <> One of my biggest surprises/challenges has been the constant purchase of new clothes. It has messed with my mind and budget a bit, but overall it's a good problem to have!

    I love your answer to number 4. Amazing job. Congrats. I've been through the constant new wardrobe to. There was times where I had to buy smaller clothes every 2-3 weeks I was losing weight so fast. Have you considered cosigning your bigger closes to give you money for new smaller clothes? Thats what I do. When I get into smaller clothes I take my bigger clothes to a cosignment shop. They sell the clothes for me and I earn 40-50% of the profit off the clothes. I go pick up my money at the end of season and buy the next size down with that money I just made off my bigger clothes. Just an idea to help you out :)
  • gracie11lexi13
    gracie11lexi13 Posts: 123 Member
    Options


    5. add anything else you would like to share...

    <> One of my biggest surprises/challenges has been the constant purchase of new clothes. It has messed with my mind and budget a bit, but overall it's a good problem to have!

    I quickly learned to buy at thrift stores. At least until I reach a weight that I'm going to stay at a while. I spent about a hundred dollars on new belts, and two month later I was buying a leather punch. Now I look for a style that will be useful no matter how much I lose.

    I buy at thrift stores as well :).. I also sell my bigger clothes to cosignment shops so that I'm not wasting more money as I shrink. I made it into a revolving door if you know what I mean. Maybe you have one near you that you can sell your bigger clothes to. :)
  • psychicmedium26
    psychicmedium26 Posts: 48
    Options
    1. How long have you used myfitnesspal?

    I sort of dabbled in it in the past but Ive consistently tracked for the past 38 days.

    2. How easy or hard was your first few weeks/months?

    Its hard for me to really gauge it. I feel the first week was the easiest because I had a lot of excitement. Now its getting a little harder but I feel more in control everyday.

    3. What worked for you?

    So far what has worked for me is not overwhelming myself with weird restrictions. I am trying to eat whole foods and as few unprocessed foods as I can. But I try not to get worried about what other people are doing or when people say certain foods are "bad" for various reasons etc. Also for the first two weeks I gave myself a 2k daily goal and didnt even worry about meeting it. I just wanted to get a feel for what I was eating and what my diet was like. It really opened my eyes to how much of the bad stuff we eat and the third week in I slowly began to incorporate changes.

    4. How much weight have you lost total so far?

    Officially 12lbs based on weigh in by as of todays weigh in I am close to the 17lb loss mark.

    5. add anything else you would like to share.... I'd love to hear from you and add me if you would like to.

    I really feel like I am ready this time. I have been updating my status on mfp a lot about my journey. Ive sent a request.
  • Tanya949
    Tanya949 Posts: 606 Member
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    1. I started using MFP on Feb 1st.
    2. My first month has been pretty easy, once I got my hunger pangs under control. I needed to find out what/when/how much to eat to control the hunger. It subsided after a week.
    3. Firstly, shopping every week for fresh foods, and cooking most of my meals, preparing salads, chopping fruits and veggies and making single serving snacks helped a LOT. When I open my fridge I don't have to cook anything, cut anything up, it's all right there to grab. That makes it really hard to eat badly. Secondly, I increased my protein intake a lot. I used to eat a LOT of carbs and very little protein, making me crave and binge. Now my protein intake is up, driving my carb intake down and I can stay fuller longer, without feeling hungry all the time. Thirdly, I eat several small meals throughout the day, so my blood sugar levels stay constant. No spikes, no cravings and binges.
    4. I've lost 7 lbs so far. Last year I was at my heaviest of 251 lbs, and lost 19 lbs with diet and exercise on my own.
    I'm currently 225.4 lbs, and have a goal of 170 in mind. When I reach that, I will reassess to see if I can/should lose more.
    5. The people on here are what keep me logging in day after day. Without this community and friends here, I think if I have a bad day, I would just stop logging, and fall into my old habits. Now, I have a bad day, I log it, post a comment and get some positive reinforcement and encouragement. That is what helps me keep going right now.

    Im sending a friend request.
  • Tblackdogs
    Tblackdogs Posts: 324 Member
    Options
    I've been using MFP for seven weeks and as of today I've lost 10 pounds. I actually find it easy because I like the math of it. Eat this many calories, burn this many calories, lose this much weight! Something that has worked for me is having one day a week that "can be" a cheat day. I don't necessarily plan ahead for this (unless I have a special occasion) but maybe I eat a normal breakfast and lunch and then decide to eat whatever I want for dinner and snacks. I don't even try to record those entries. I don't do this more than once a week but I do it because it makes this experience feel more like a life long eating plan than a "diet." I also try to exceed my exercise goals but that's easy because I set very modest goals. All in all, I really like having this site available to me because it feels like I have a partner in my weight loss. No people in my life (husband, friends, etc.) need to hear me go on and on about what I've eaten every day!). My biggest challenge will be once I get to the maintenance stage. Losing is easier for me than maintaining! Good luck to you!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    Options


    5. add anything else you would like to share...

    <> One of my biggest surprises/challenges has been the constant purchase of new clothes. It has messed with my mind and budget a bit, but overall it's a good problem to have!

    I quickly learned to buy at thrift stores. At least until I reach a weight that I'm going to stay at a while. I spent about a hundred dollars on new belts, and two month later I was buying a leather punch. Now I look for a style that will be useful no matter how much I lose.

    I buy at thrift stores as well :).. I also sell my bigger clothes to cosignment shops so that I'm not wasting more money as I shrink. I made it into a revolving door if you know what I mean. Maybe you have one near you that you can sell your bigger clothes to. :)

    Oh yeah! Great ideas you guys. I have done all of the above. When I had tons and tons of nice plus sized business clothes I had this HUGE garage sale and advertised it on plus size clothing swap sites (Craigslist and Facebook) in my area and I did really well. After that, I would list small "lots" on Craigslist and sell to individuals. I've been a thrift fiend since FOREVER and actually the weird thing is, now that I am out of plus sizing for the most part - I am not finding as much great stuff in thrift shops as I once did, so I buy most of my clothes from Target and department store clearance racks. I do still find stuff in thrift shops occasionally though! Unfortunately in my area the consignment stores are only juniors-oriented and want things that are a very specific small range of brands that I don't typically wear or buy (Hollister, AE, Abercrombie, etc) But that is still a great idea!
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
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    I've been on MFP since June 2011 and have been logging daily. Here is my story

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TheEffort/view/fat-to-skinny-with-a-touch-of-psychosis-571278

    Love your story and your perspective.

    Wishing you the best on your fitness journey.

    :smile:
  • brdnw
    brdnw Posts: 565 Member
    Options
    1. 2 years'ish
    2. my first few weeks were pretty easy, i was focused and knew what i wanted.
    3. I lift every day and focus on my diet.
    4. 95'ish pounds or so.
    5. i think lifting is more important than cardio, but diet is 80% of the solution.

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