new, pissed, and looking to channel this energy...

vger11

I've been doing it all wrong and it's come back to bite me in the rear. Feed up with the blood tests, doctors visits, and new prescriptions for everything under the sun...

Can't cook, but prefer fresh anyway...all suggestions welcome.

This body of mine can't take any more denial. Need serious friends looking to get/stay healthy....and I'm not too good at the whiny-type to be perfectly honest. I can give lots of support and a better kick in the rear...exactly what I need most of the time.

Looking for direction and ideas and focused friends, and an answer to this question:

Is it more about calories consumed or is it everything about calories burned?

Thx,
v

TheAncientMariner

It is both. It is the ebb and the flow. The Yin and the Yang. Taking in good calories is just as important as burning them off. The problem is that people feel the need to kill themselves when in actuality they just have to find harmony between what they are eating and how they burn it off. I'm strictly a calories in, calories out type of guy because at the end of the day if I'm burning more than I consume, naturally or through exercise, that is all that matters for my weight loss. I find the worst in myself, and slowly peel away the dirt until there is a clean individual exposed. Conversely, you have those who focus on macro nutrients. I give them nothing more than a casual glance. Unless I'm trying to be an elite athlete or something, there is no money in it for me personally. The fun part is that you get to discover what works best for you! You will get there, but know that it is a journey. Take it slow, be safe, and most importantly have fun doing it! Good luck in your journey!

ivansmomma

First thing - Good morning! You may be fed up, but don't start with anger. I would say, and just my opinion, to start off each day as a new day, with determination and faith in yourself that you will continue the journey to a healthier you. It is about both calories consumed and calories burned. You can't have one without the other. You put the calories in, you have to burn them, and more, in order to lose and become healthy. 3500 calories burned = 1 pound.

God bless and hope you have a great, successful journey.

sharonfincher1

Welcome..... and it's both.... u want to eat healthy and track ur calories, and exercise with a combination of cardio and strength training to burn the calories to lose weight.

KriscoOil

Ditto!!

all5days

I really try to keep my food journal within the allowed calories, protein etc. I try to stay reasonably active, not always easy with a crazy busy life style. A little yoga in the morning before everyone else gets out of bed and I run 5 km 3 nights a week after the kids are in bed seems to work. I think the whole trick is to try a little balance

poedunk65

It's definitley about both!!! You have to burn more than you eat. I find cardio to be the best for me, although I do lift weights also. What works for me may not work for you, yo have to do what you like and what is fun for you to keep doing it. But KEEP DOIN IT!!!!!
Lotsa small steps = one big step over time.

amicklin

It is both. It is the ebb and the flow. The Yin and the Yang. Taking in good calories is just as important as burning them off. The problem is that people feel the need to kill themselves when in actuality they just have to find harmony between what they are eating and how they burn it off. I'm strictly a calories in, calories out type of guy because at the end of the day if I'm burning more than I consume, naturally or through exercise, that is all that matters for my weight loss. I find the worst in myself, and slowly peel away the dirt until there is a clean individual exposed. Conversely, you have those who focus on macro nutrients. I give them nothing more than a casual glance. Unless I'm trying to be an elite athlete or something, there is no money in it for me personally. The fun part is that you get to discover what works best for you! You will get there, but know that it is a journey. Take it slow, be safe, and most importantly have fun doing it! Good luck in your journey!

Very well put! Couldn't agree more.

anastasiaBH

It's both. You can lower your intake but if you eat crap, you'll probably look and feel like crap.
If you work out, you need to make sure you eat enough to fuel yourself for the day.
Balance, it's tough at first. It does get easier.

Feel free to friend me if you like. I'm not an expert, just working on that balance....
best,
ananstasiabh

ktdid626

More about calories in.

Your body was made perfectly. It knows exactly how to process what you give it. When you give it extra, it keeps it for you until you need it. HOW SMART! If we realize the brilliance each of our billions of cells hold, we would find that we don't need as much food as we give them.

If your boss gave you double the work, where would it all go if you couldn't finish it? in PILES on your desk....or in our case our tummies, hips, and thighs.

ginareejoy

Hi

For me, it's a balance...I keep my calories under the suggested amount, eat better (no fast food), and exercise at least 30-45 minutes per day. I don't indulge like I used to...I find ways to quench my sweet tooth without sacrificing my calories. Message me later if you want to know more!

indiawastaken

"PISSED", that caught my attention. Sometimes it takes getting super pissed to set things in action;)

Prior to MFP I was on WW & really concious about eating X vegetables, Y fats, Z protein, etc. It got exhausting. Now I follow the cals in/cals out (sometimes all my cals are cheetos, it is whatever) & it is working for me.

Good Luck!

melkithall

Hey, welcome. In answer to your question, it's both. It's just a numbers game really. To lose you need to burn more than you are bringing in. One pound of fat is 3500 calories. So, to get rid of it, you need to either cut calories, and exercise them off- or both. Find a calculator that determines how much your body burns just to sustain itself, then you can eat less. This forces your body to use your stored fat to make up the difference. Also, exercise provides another deficient that your body will try to make up for. Remeber, it's all about the numbers. You need to expend more than you consume. If you're doing this, the weight will come off.
Hope that helps!

inspirem

It is both and then some! Meaning, it is about the calories in, and the exercising to burn calories BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT it is what you PUT into your body! The less fat and sugar-laden processed foods the better for you body! Good nutrition to fuel, exercise to burn, and proper caloric intake are all equally important!

PS I know that "pissed" and I am doing something about it! Let's kick some butt!

Juliet0489

It is both. It is the ebb and the flow. The Yin and the Yang. Taking in good calories is just as important as burning them off. The problem is that people feel the need to kill themselves when in actuality they just have to find harmony between what they are eating and how they burn it off. I'm strictly a calories in, calories out type of guy because at the end of the day if I'm burning more than I consume, naturally or through exercise, that is all that matters for my weight loss. I find the worst in myself, and slowly peel away the dirt until there is a clean individual exposed. Conversely, you have those who focus on macro nutrients. I give them nothing more than a casual glance. Unless I'm trying to be an elite athlete or something, there is no money in it for me personally. The fun part is that you get to discover what works best for you! You will get there, but know that it is a journey. Take it slow, be safe, and most importantly have fun doing it! Good luck in your journey!

OMG I just joined and this is the BEST advise I've heard so far - very inspiration way to keep it real! Thank you!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

vger11

It is both. It is the ebb and the flow. The Yin and the Yang. Taking in good calories is just as important as burning them off. The problem is that people feel the need to kill themselves when in actuality they just have to find harmony between what they are eating and how they burn it off. I'm strictly a calories in, calories out type of guy because at the end of the day if I'm burning more than I consume, naturally or through exercise, that is all that matters for my weight loss. I find the worst in myself, and slowly peel away the dirt until there is a clean individual exposed. Conversely, you have those who focus on macro nutrients. I give them nothing more than a casual glance. Unless I'm trying to be an elite athlete or something, there is no money in it for me personally. The fun part is that you get to discover what works best for you! You will get there, but know that it is a journey. Take it slow, be safe, and most importantly have fun doing it! Good luck in your journey!

Very well put! Couldn't agree more.

since I'm no where close to an "elite athlete" and more for finding "harmony" between it all, I'll probably start with the same methodology and sound advice...thx

vger11

melkithall

Find a calculator that determines how much your body burns just to sustain itself, then you can eat less.

great advice and prob the best place to start, thx

solpwr

I've been doing it all wrong and it's come back to bite me in the rear. Feed up with the blood tests, doctors visits, and new prescriptions for everything under the sun...

Can't cook, but prefer fresh anyway...all suggestions welcome.

This body of mine can't take any more denial. Need serious friends looking to get/stay healthy....and I'm not too good at the whiny-type to be perfectly honest. I can give lots of support and a better kick in the rear...exactly what I need most of the time.

Looking for direction and ideas and focused friends, and an answer to this question:

Is it more about calories consumed or is it everything about calories burned?

Thx,
v

Hey v,
You sound very motivated, that's the start you need. You've gotten some great advice that maybe I can add to.

I'm sure you have a vision now of what your physical health goal is.

I would encourage you to adjust your lens to even a wider scope, that includes finding the lifestyle, adjusting every single thing in your life - that will result in your health goal as a consequence of that lifestyle.

Doing that will make The Result fall out of the process of adhering to that lifestyle.

The reason I suggest this is because we can get mired down from time to time, losing sight of the goal. Distracted. That's when you need to just focus on the process. If your goal is The Process rather than the result, you just have to get through that day, maybe even that moment. The result ends up being a consequence of adhering to your goal. The goal is now the lifestyle you've chosen. This approach takes time out of the equation as well. You pronounce each day as a day you achieved your goal. The Big Goal. Most of us who have stuck with using MFP for even years have ended up adjusting their health goals at least twice through their progression. That health goal may change, but if the process becomes your goal, that doesn't change.

MFP gives you the tools to reach the goal. It is all about NET calories and accountability. Using the diary facilitates accountability. The more detail, the more you can fine tune your approach. That aspect of the lifestyle.

Hope this makes sense to you.

vger11

First thing - Good morning! You may be fed up, but don't start with anger. I would say, and just my opinion, to start off each day as a new day, with determination and faith in yourself that you will continue the journey to a healthier you. It is about both calories consumed and calories burned. You can't have one without the other. You put the calories in, you have to burn them, and more, in order to lose and become healthy. 3500 calories burned = 1 pound.

God bless and hope you have a great, successful journey.

thx ivansmomma... that was such a wonderful response and very welcomed.

SerenaFisher

It is about being healthy, working out, but not setting a goal you know you can never achieve... IE some people give up eating bread or hamburgers, other people want to run 4 miles daily! Props to them! These are things I cannot do, now ho for a brisk walk, or eat less bread? That I can! But to me it is never starve yourself keep busy and don't give up just because you had a "mishap"!

Munkyzilla

If pissed got you started, that's great! Now keep that momentum going!

I'm a brand newby here, myself, but no newby to fitness, weight management, and living proof that it takes both, and it will not stop once you reach your goals. I lost all the weight I wanted about a year and a half ago, and I was in the best shape of my life. Then I had a knee injury, an ankle injury, and reinjured the same ankle worse, and I got bummed and lazy and back to wear I was. Exactly where I said I'd never be.

So, I found this place, and WOW is the food tracking a great, easy tool. I'm reading all kinds of message board suggestions and stories that keep me motivated.

And... I'm doing the little I can, orthopedically, which is low impact stuff until I get all the injuries figured out. Find exercise you will stick with, and don't look in the mirror or at your clothes critically. This is a journey. What helped me was to remember, I can stay right here and be no better or worse, or by spring, I can be looking fabulous and feeling even better. Long term goals that WILL happen if you stick with it.

Cheers! I loved your subject line. Your dry delivery is fun.

daliokio

Spot on. we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made and very well put .

vger11

SerenaFisher – can, too!

Munkyzilla – spring? Absolutely!

SPOT ON…love that colloquialism

Thx for everyone’s responses…it’s uplifting to know that so many others are aiming towards the same direction.

v

Usbornegal

I've been doing it all wrong and it's come back to bite me in the rear. Feed up with the blood tests, doctors visits, and new prescriptions for everything under the sun...

Can't cook, but prefer fresh anyway...all suggestions welcome.

This body of mine can't take any more denial. Need serious friends looking to get/stay healthy....and I'm not too good at the whiny-type to be perfectly honest. I can give lots of support and a better kick in the rear...exactly what I need most of the time.

Looking for direction and ideas and focused friends, and an answer to this question:

Is it more about calories consumed or is it everything about calories burned?

Thx,
v

Hey v,
You sound very motivated, that's the start you need. You've gotten some great advice that maybe I can add to.

I'm sure you have a vision now of what your physical health goal is.

I would encourage you to adjust your lens to even a wider scope, that includes finding the lifestyle, adjusting every single thing in your life - that will result in your health goal as a consequence of that lifestyle.

Doing that will make The Result fall out of the process of adhering to that lifestyle.

The reason I suggest this is because we can get mired down from time to time, losing sight of the goal. Distracted. That's when you need to just focus on the process. If your goal is The Process rather than the result, you just have to get through that day, maybe even that moment. The result ends up being a consequence of adhering to your goal. The goal is now the lifestyle you've chosen. This approach takes time out of the equation as well. You pronounce each day as a day you achieved your goal. The Big Goal. Most of us who have stuck with using MFP for even years have ended up adjusting their health goals at least twice through their progression. That health goal may change, but if the process becomes your goal, that doesn't change.

MFP gives you the tools to reach the goal. It is all about NET calories and accountability. Using the diary facilitates accountability. The more detail, the more you can fine tune your approach. That aspect of the lifestyle.

Hope this makes sense to you.

Where's the LIKE button?

christimccarty

You've got excellent advise thus far! Something for me to add...

Your fitness journey is all about making yourself happy! Its a rollercoaster and its hard but you gotta find the right fit for you. Challenge yourself but you can't make it too extreme or it'll never last! Baby steps! Your daily small successes should make smile!

For me personally, I just love to eat -- ALL the time! The more the better! So I in turn eat fresh fruits and veggies cause I can eat ALL day and be stuffed and still not bolt over my daily calories!

Just another tid bit: besides calories in vs. burned that durn stress hormone is sneaky!!! If you're stressed and you dont work off that stress by taking a walk or something... the left over stress hormone turns into a fat... so if you're too super stressed all the time... you may be burning the calories that youre consuming and not seeing any results or hindered results because you could be making fats from processes inside your body.

tid bit #2: As well as we all know once theres a fat cell it wants to stay fatty ...its going to hang onto and grab as much fat as it possibly can. Just keep this in your knowledge and know that it takes awhile to make him shrink! Reaching your water intake daily will help with this!

Also... gaining knowledge about nutrition; how the things we put in our body affect our bodies by textbook, not by sensationalized media, gives you a good foundation. No more questions to worry about, you know how it works!


YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!! PROUD OF YOU!