1 week into MFP

teachermegan

Hello all. I started MFP less than a week ago. I am already down 4.5 lbs. Although now I"m back to the weight that I have a hard time getting past. Today, I'm a .5 pound lighter than the day I found out I was pregnant in January of 2010. In the past six months I have tried Weight Watchers AND Atkins. I think both can work for some people. In fact, WW worked for me years ago when I had the time, energy, and dedication to track points. Today, a busy mom, teacher, and wife, I don't have the time to track. I find, so far, that MFP is WAY easier.
What I LOVE about MFP is the green and red numbers indicating where I should be. The one day I hit red, I realized, ooooh...I better go work out, so I did! I also love how at the end of the day it tells you if every day were like today how much you'd weigh in 5 weeks. That's SO encouraging!
I'm hoping that I'm able to continue to the weight loss and not stall at my current weight like I have the past six months. I have fluctuated between 190 - 195 with getting into the 180's for a few days. Hoping this becomes permanent and a lifestyle rather than a quick fix that I have to keep losing the weight that I regain.
I'm very inspired by this board. I will post more as I read more.

Kelly_Wilson1990

Way to go!!! Keep up the good work.

GeekMomma42

Way to go!!! I think the key is to find what works best for you and your needs. With life the way it is (kids, job, school, husband, house ...), I can't make it to a regular meeting but I have time to start an app or log into a website. Good luck getting over your plateau and moving forward on your weight loss journey! Keep it up!

mosneakers

Welcome!! My friend told me about this site and I was all "I have to track everything, I have to log everything I put in my mouth and everything I do? Forget it." Then she challenged me to do it, and, well, I can't say no to a challenge. After about 1 week I was hooked!
I would suggest you invest in a heart rate monitor. You can find a good one at Kohls or any department store (I would think) for about $50-$60. All you really need is something to track your time and calories (and whatever else you want). I find that when I log my workouts into MFP, the calories it said I burned is way low compared to the number on my heart rate monitor.
I would also suggest that you be 100% honest with your logging. Some people log all their food at the begnning/middle of the day so that they hit their goals and don't stray away from it. I've also found that when I go over with something, it helps me see when and what I'm doing to make that happen. It's awesome to note those trends.
Good luck!

teachermegan

Thanks for the tips! What I have done since I've joined is logged my breakfast and lunch before I even had it, that way I am aware of how much I have left to spare for dinner and other snacks. My pitfall has been unexpected treats and snacks at work. I have had TWO days where I've had only like 80 calories left for dinner because I over induldged at work. I had half a can of soup those nights for 80 calories. Haha. But before I would have over induldged and not made up for it by having a smaller dinner...then wonder why I wasn't losing!