anybody else just getting started?

ryanperna

Hi all, I'm 34, and looking for some support since I don't have a lot of help at home. I am ready to end the cycle! Went to the gym monday & tuesday, and I am so sore I can barely move... I have 2 switches, on or off. Either I'm watching my diet and exercising, or I am not exercising at all and I'm eating junk food. My weight has cycled from 210 - 250, and I'm not sure if the calorie count this site recommends is appropriate for me because of my body type... For me, 210 is actually a healthy weight. Anyways, if you are looking for some support or if you have some advice, feel free to friend me! Good luck everyone!

kelroman

Hi Ryan......My name is Kelly and I started yesterday!!

admoseley

Good Luck man, stay focused and the results you looking for will come. I'm pretty much in the EXACT same boat as far as weight and age. I've done this before loosing 140lbs in the past, and of that 30lbs has crept back in. I'm getting back into my focused mode where my health was really taking a front seat.
I've had an account with this site for years but never used it, i was recording my food with pen and papter. I"m going to start posting online, because in the past recording what I ate was a real key to me staying focused and on task.

mswapp1

Hi Ryan ... I am Melissa and I just started two days ago. Like yourself, I have that on/off switch. I am either super healthy (eating clean, working out daily, not drinking) or I am eating junk and not caring. I dont have too much weight to lose but I am really focused on getting healthy again and eating/drinking clean and working out I eat out almost daily so I am going to be posting my findings of popular restaurant menu choices that I alter to fit into a health plan for others to see as well.

... Hi to you as well Kelly and good luck to you guys!

Melissa

englishjen

Hi, I'm Jen, I'm 27. I am new here too (well, I started in March, lost 24lbs, then decided to quit smoking and put it all back on again) I let myself though, as to me quitting smoking was more important. I am now back on the wagon, and hoping I can achieve both my goals - weight loss, as well as no smoking. Have been a non-smoker sonce 10th August

Feel free to friend me one and all

jdbwalker

Hi, I'm just starting also. Yes, it is difficult whether you have support or not. Calorie count, portion count, is essential. There is no way around it. I have tried several diets and other plans. It all comes down to portions and exercise. So that's what I'm doing this go around. I'm 44 in January and I'm not going back because I can't at this age.

So, everything you eat should be palm sized--or about 3-1/2 ounces with meat and one cup for veges and fruit. Always get your exercise in. Don't feel like it has to be a hour of grueling pain. Walk 30 minutes or 20 minutes twice a day.

Drink your water. Get a 2 liter soda bottle and fill it with water. Get a fresh lemon or lime and use it for flavoring. Cold water and lemon help with the metabolism and calorie burning. You can put sweetener in it if you need to (Stevia is best...not Truvia which is a brand but the stevia sweetener there is also agave natural sweetener on shelves now).

And that's it. 5 meals a day with exercise.

There will be stomach rumbling and slight headache and discomfort in the beginning. Your body will fight it. After three weeks of not cheating, you should be adjusted. That's the time period I find the hardest. So I walk when I feel hungry and drink water too. That way you are out of the house, away from food, and the water fills your stomach.

Sounds great, right! HAHA! Let's do it!

8BaughDad

Welcome aboard and best of luck with your goals.

ryanperna

Thank you all for the kind words! Yes, my stomach is rumbling. I had a banana to keep it quiet, but I know it's only temporary. I've read some things that say you should "never" be hungry... I'm not sure what to do about this, am I supposed to allow my stomach to growl/be hungry during the day, or should I constantly graze so I don't get that hunger?

jessermay

I am new to all of this also and I am looking for motivation and support as well. I am always up and down weight wise, and recently been more up due to quitting smoking but I am ready for more lifestyle changes to just keep getting healthier! I am looking for friends on here to help keep each other motivated and moving. good luck to you all!

Monieluv87

HI, I'm Cymone. I am 24 years old. I live in Florida. I have had this app for a while on my phone. But it is pretty hard to keep going. So I've re-started monday. I would love to befriend some ppl to have some support.

Monieluv87

Ryan, I have learned that snacks are your best friend. I may sound a little tedious however, take like a box of rice cakes, or wheat thins, grapes (my fav) or whatever your fav snack may be and actually bag them into their portion size. People don't realize you can consume 3 to 4 serving sizes if you don't pay attention. Hope if helps

TartanCat

Hi, I've just joined, after my daughter has lost 16lbs in three weeks (scary!). The snacks in a bag is a great idea, thank you.
My downfall is I love baking, for my family or others. That's going to be the hardest thing for me. ALTHOUGH, my son offered me a chocolate this morning and I turned it down because I knew I'd have to put it on my food list. I've got to lose 3st and I'm only 5ft 1in. So far so good

TartanCat

Hi Ryan - my name's Dawn. I'm told that if you're feeling 'hungry' (and think you're possibly not) you should drink a glass of water slowly. Then, after an hour if you're still hungry you should eat something. It may be that just a small low cal option will help?

kendrafagan

Hi New Friend!
I have been here about a month and have tracked what I eat and track my exercise activities as exact as possible and after a whole month, I have finally lost 3 pounds! It's hard work, but I have the dieting roller coaster too. I think you may have the same thing as I have which is emotional eating. What this website has taught me is to be very aware of everything I put in my mouth, since you have to record everything. It is really worth sticking to that, because it helps you be aware if you are an emotional eater, which I discovered that I was. Now I find myself opening the fridge if I've had a stesser or an emotional upset and I stop and ask myself now, "Am I really hungry?" Just asking that question first is really important and it teaches you to listen to the signals that your body gives when it's hungry. I literally stopped paying attention the the real hunger signals. I ate when I emotionally needed to eat, never when I was hungry. It's been a healing experience as well as a physically healthier lifestyle to make this commitment. All you got to do is login here everyday and fill out the online logs and this really will work for you, I promise! :-))

lelaspeaks

As someone that just started on November 7th - I have to tell you how EASY this is if you just do exactly what they tell you. I have already lost over 7 pounds!! It's amazing. I never feel hungry, I love working out, but not killing myself to do it, and I'm feeling great. Stepping on the scale this morning was so rewarding and exciting. Good luck!

Ticina

Hello everyone!! I am also just getting started and have about 200 lbs to lose 1 pound at a time. Good luck with your journey!

belle_455

My name is Belle and I just started Tuesday. SO far so good. Makes you think about what you are eating

ashleeferever

Hi everyone! I just started yesterday. I'm really excited about this and really want to commit myself. Please befriend me! All encouraging fitness pals welcomed!

eversbane

Hi, Ryan.

I registered here a few months ago but have not been active, and have not been actively controlling my diet, so in a sense I am just getting started (or re-started) today.

Now, I have to qualify that by saying that over the last year I have dieted successfully - I lost 50# very comfortably from Oct'10 thru about March'11 (from 380# to 330#). I was stable at 330 through the summer, discovered myfitnesspal, was all gung-ho, and then started slipping to where I am now at 350#.

I wanted to post not just to say that I am (in the sense of re-starting) just getting started, but to also comment on the growling stomach issue. On that specifically, my feeling is that a big factor in the success of the loss of 50# last year was in allowing my stomach to shrink. That's not just my waistline getting smaller, but the actual stomach - the organ - actually shrinking.

There are two effects involved here.

First is hunger signals. As you eat, the wall of the stomach is stretched. Afterwards, as the stomach passes food on to the intestines the wall of the stomach relaxes. There are sensors in the stomach wall that send signals as the stomach wall relaxes that can induce feelings of being hungery. So, one objective is not to stretch the stomach too much at each meal/snack.

Second, there are sensors in the stomach wall that as the stomach fills send signals of fullness. Once the stomach has been allowed to shrink these sensors will kick in more quickly, on much less volume of food ingested.

So there is a period, and it's not as long as you might think, wherein if you can reduce intake (in terms of bulk per meal), you can shrink your stomach. This will provide two benefits resulting from the two effects noted: 1) You will not experience such strong hunger pangs between meals; and 2) you will feel full on much less volume consumed per meal.

Now, to be fair, I have to qualify all of that with a bit of personal history. My weight loss success last year was kicked off by an automobile accident that dislocated my right hip. As I weighed 380# at the time, the orthopedic surgeons who put me back together gave me strong directives to lose weight. Plus, the nutritionist at the hospital put me on an 1800/day ADA diet, and the nutritionist at the rehab hospital continued that for the full month I was in hospital. And the physical and occupational therapists had me working out three days a week. So I went through what was essentially, effectively, a four week enforced fat camp regime. I came out of that with a very small stomach. I got by on very little food and was very comfortable.

What happened over the last six months or so is that I have gradually - by gradually allowing meal portions to get bigger and bigger - I have gradually stretched my stomach back out so that I get frequent feelings of hunger and urges to snack. What I have to do now is recreate that fat camp experience by enforcing on myself small portions while keeping an eye on the calorie count.

The short version of all of that is that I would suggest allowing some snacks between meals in a grazing-like mode, while keeping an eye on calorie count and seeing that intake volume per meal is kept relatively small.

So, a long winded reply, and perhaps too much personal info, but I do feel like I am right there with you. I don't say it's easy unless you get your hip dislocated, undergo surgery, and spend four weeks in rehab, but the way forward is clear: count calories, and keep meal volumes relatively small. Soon your stomach will shrink and you'll find that amazingly small portions are surprisingly satisfying. At the same time be sure you're getting a good balance of vitamins and such.

Good luck. Hold on. Stay the course. I'll be right along there with you.

bmacholiday

Thank you all for the kind words! Yes, my stomach is rumbling. I had a banana to keep it quiet, but I know it's only temporary. I've read some things that say you should "never" be hungry... I'm not sure what to do about this, am I supposed to allow my stomach to growl/be hungry during the day, or should I constantly graze so I don't get that hunger?

Ryan,

If you like peanut butter have a little of it with your banana next time, the protein will help keep you full longer.

Congrats on joining MFP. I've only been here a week, but I find it very motivational.

B

Oakmeister

I wish you the best and feel free to add me as a friend. Oak i am an encourager.

smchic2012

You should smaller meals more often to help keep that tummy from grumbling and complaining. I try to space out meals and snacks so that every 2 hours I have a little something. It does seem to keep the grumbling at bay. Stick to a piece of fruit, almonds (they fill you up) or some crackers (without the cheese). You can do this, I have faith in you. Stacey

sarahsaca

I'm new also -- good luck to us all!!! Please feel free to friend me - would love the support!!!

LalLewis

Yes- howdy all!
I'm Lal , I live in the UK and I started two days ago. I decided this is the last time I start again. Like most people I have dieted on and off all my life and have been anywhere between 140 and 240 pounds and I guess its not rocket science to guess where I am right now! Having got to the ripe young age of 62 whilst riding a motorcycle all my life, I just got a total knee replacement last year and have decided once and for all that it was plain stupid to wear it out prematurely by carrying too much weight, so here I go again. I could do with some friends on my iphone to compare results to and share encouragement. We all have a journey to make, I wish you all a successful one!!

LalLewis

I'd be honoured to friend you - just tell me how - I'n no techie!!
Lal

ryanperna

Very interesting info, eversbane! and everyone else, thanks for the help. I just ate a salad with some "fixins", and was shocked when I entered the info into the food diary, basically my grilled chicken salad ended up being only 270 calories. Compared to what I previously had for lunch in the past... Texas has awesome mexican food which has been my downfall (and dark beer is tasty). It's so nice spending a sick day at home, I have full control of what I eat and can immediately enter it into the journal. I know sticking with it will be the tough part, especially with Thanksgiving being a week away (although I will probably give myself a pass on that day). Feel free to friend me-and let's help each other end the vicious cycle!

Now that I'm rambling, I didn't know if I was going to share this, but yes, my eating has been tied to emotions. My wife has been wanting to leave me for the past year. Probably not the most appropriate thing to put in a public site, but thanks eversbane for getting it started! Things are holding on by a thread but it's mostly due to logistical reasons. My self-esteem dropped to the point where I didn't care how much I was eating for awhile, but of course that only makes it worse. The lower my self-esteem dropped, the more I didn't care what I was putting into my mouth.

I have now realized that I need to do this for ME, and not let the current circumstances of my life control how I treat my body.

That felt good. Thanks all for listening

finna619

Hey everyone

I've been using MFP for probably about 8 months now and found its been a great and easy way to keep track of what I've been eating. I have (well, did) manage to lose about 10kg (about 22lbs) in just under a year (Oct 2010 - Jul 2011) through a healthy diet and exercisem and reached a weight I was happy with... but in the last few months I've fallen off the wagon big time, gained back half of what I'd lost due to these horrible binges where I just eat absolute crap to the point where I feel physically ill. I've put it down to "emotional eating" - I'm stressed with my job at the moment and feeling quite down on myself in general so I know what's causing it and I know what I need to do but for some reason a switch in my brain triggers - its almost as though its like an outer body expeirence - I know I'm doing it and I know I shouldnt do it but at the same time it almost feels like its not me doing it but another person (if that makes sense!)

Anyway so I've decided I really need to stop it because not only work stress bringing me down but the weight gain has made me feel uncomfortable, unattractive, overweight and its bringing me down. So thats the reason why I've decided to post on here becuase I think by talking about it to others it's going to hold me accountable because I dont think I've been honest with myself about how bad my eating habits (and thats what the binging has become) really are, and I definitely am not honest with the people around me. And what better place to start than with others who understand what I am struggling with

LalLewis

Hi Jen
Same happened to me - I quit smoking and piled on weight. I cant absolutely blame the smoking for keeping me lighter, but you do need something to do when you dont smoke and the satisfying thing to do is to eat! I'd be delighted to friend you - we all need all the help we can get! And yes - the smoking is worse than the eating, but they are both unhealthy in their own ways. Good luck with staying off the ciggies - youve done really well to kick the habit!!

freckled_lady

Hi All!

I've been here a while, but never took advantage of the support.

I am a 23 year old actress looking to avoid the fate of my family medical history (rampaged by heart disease, diabetes)

I love to cook. I'm a vegan, so if you are looking for healthy and most importantly delicious recipes, I love to share!

Friend me if you like

eversbane

Emotions are the worst enemy you have. You'd think eating was something you'd do to stay alive, but it's much more strongly something you do when you're happy, when you're sad, when you're celebrating, when you're mourning. when ecstatic, when you're depressed. There's always a reason to eat, and only one reason not to.

That's why my by-line is "...state of mind...state of mind...state of mind..."

In particular, you need to take pride in what you are doing about eating and your weight. Take pride in passing on donuts at a meeting. Take pride in being able to see plate between your portions. Take pride in throwing food away if you don't need it (yes, I know... starving kids in Ethiopia... but better to throw it away than to eat it).

Telling you "Take Pride!" is easy to type. I know how hard it is to actually do it. And not to make light of your personal issues (thanks for sharing!) but this is critical for you personally, and for your success in controlling your weight.

Take Pride!!!

smunchkin2000

Hi all. My name is Karen and I just started a couple hours ago. My sister has been using myfitnesspal since early october and has lost 20 pounds and finally convinced me to do it with her. I have tried wight watchers and was successful with it for a couple of years, but I have been gaining weight slowly for the last year or so and am finally ready to do something about it.

good luck to us all