Trying to do it right this time

mikeyml

Hey everyone! My name is Mike and I'm pretty excited about using MFP to track calories, control my diet and lose weight. I've always said that if I could find a support group to help with weight loss then I would successfully lose weight and keep it off. Hopefully that's where MFP will help me succeed at times that I failed in the past. Unfortunately I have battled my weight for my entire life. At times I used unhealthy tactics to lose weight only for it to come back worse than before.

Over the past 10 years my weight has fluctuated from 175 lbs to 290 lbs like an out of control yo-yo. My waistline has gone from 33" to 42". In August of 2008 I weighed 195 and by February of 09 I weighed 290. The large weight gain was due to quitting a 10 year smoking addiction and then using food as my new "poison" of choice. Once I felt like I got that under control I started to turn to food for comfort during times of high stress. To make matters worse, my wife and my family are enablers when it comes to my diet. Despite my pleads to eat healthy, I am often confronted with extremely fatty food choices for lunch and dinner. I know it has to be my choice to eat better and gain will power. But it can be hard when you've had a bad day and someone shoves a 16" pizza and garlic bread in your face. At times I feel like I'm spiraling out of control.

So I'm turning to MFD to get some of the control back in my diet. I have managed to lose 25 lbs over the past year and bring my weight down to 265. But I want to lose another 45 lbs and that will take extreme discipline. My goal for right now is to log everything I eat as honestly and accurately as I can. I want to see exactly what I'm consuming in a day and how I can improve it. I've only been using the site for two days and already I can't believe how much sodium, fat and cholesterol I am consuming.

Also, I am so, so, so thankful for the MFP app on my droid that allows me to scan barcodes and sync information with the website. By just looking at my phone I am reminded that there is no reason I can't add the food I eat throughout the day. Fortunately that has helped me control food choices and portion sizes over the past couple days.

So that's my story. If anyone has any advice or tips for me than I'd love to hear them. If you've read all of this then you're a real trooper and I am very thankful. I'm very appreciative of the opportunity MFP gives us and I hope to meet everyone and share in their successes during our time together!

joann

Hey just remember your not alone. Most of the people here have gone thru the same thing you have...We are all here for one reason..to eat healthy and get control over our bodies. Lots of luck to you ...and if you need anything and I can help just ask...Welcome.

mikeyml

Hey just remember your not alone. Most of the people here have gone thru the same thing you have...We are all here for one reason..to eat healthy and get control over our bodies. Lots of luck to you ...and if you need anything and I can help just ask...Welcome.

Thank you for the kind words! Sometimes it's tough to remember you're not alone, but you're absolutely right. Hopefully this site will point us in the right direction.

lutzsher

I credit MFP for the results I've had so far, I just don't know what I would have done without this tool.

I started MFP November 2009 and tracked every morsel but didn't lose anything the first 6 months, or so. I needed this time to see my choices each day in black and white, re-teach myself how to shop, plan, and cook in a healthy way. I redevoted myself to my health late May and have lost about 50 pounds since then. It was frustrating at the time, but Im happy I allowed myself the patience and time to relearn how to live in a healthier manner.

I often plug all of my food into MFP in the morning so I can see how my day will shape up, and ensure there is no room left for snacking so I can avoid temptation.

I do a chart to plan all of our meals and snacks every 2 weeks (as that is how we are paid), then build my grocery list from that. I hang this chart on the fridge so it makes grabbing our food for breakfast and lunches really easy (we work MORE than full time so love this time saver). I also do not waste anything anymore so don't call my fridge crispers the "rotters" any longer either.

I find the better your plan the better you will eat, when you are hungry it is not a good time to try to make the decision on what to make for dinner. Thankfully my family is on board with all of the changes, but this did take a bit of convincing at first!

Welcome to MFP!

mikeyml

I credit MFP for the results I've had so far, I just don't know what I would have done without this tool.

I started MFP November 2009 and tracked every morsel but didn't lose anything the first 6 months, or so. I needed this time to see my choices each day in black and white, re-teach myself how to shop, plan, and cook in a healthy way. I redevoted myself to my health late May and have lost about 50 pounds since then. It was frustrating at the time, but Im happy I allowed myself the patience and time to relearn how to live in a healthier manner.

I often plug all of my food into MFP in the morning so I can see how my day will shape up, and ensure there is no room left for snacking so I can avoid temptation.

I do a chart to plan all of our meals and snacks every 2 weeks (as that is how we are paid), then build my grocery list from that. I hang this chart on the fridge so it makes grabbing our food for breakfast and lunches really easy (we work MORE than full time so love this time saver). I also do not waste anything anymore so don't call my fridge crispers the "rotters" any longer either.

I find the better your plan the better you will eat, when you are hungry it is not a good time to try to make the decision on what to make for dinner. Thankfully my family is on board with all of the changes, but this did take a bit of convincing at first!

Welcome to MFP!

Wow! Thank you for sharing your story and giving me some inspiration. I think you went about it the right way and I basically want to do the same thing. I need to completely relearn how to eat and live in a healthy way. So I think I'm going to take your advice and just learn more about myself and what I can improve on.

I also really like your idea of hanging a chart on the refrigerator. Not only is it a time saver but it seems that the list would be a great motivator to stay on track. I have the habit of opening the fridge door to look for snacks and the list on the door might be a deterrent for me.

Your advice about making food decisions while hungry is so right. The longer I wait to eat, the hungrier I get and then I wind up eating really unhealthy food for instant gratification. I need to plan ahead so that I don't have long periods of time between my meals and pick the wrong foods.

Thank you for responding to my post and I hope to share my own success story with you in time.