MFP Part-time????

startover

Hello! I was logging meals on MFP from Jan 2011 until Aug 2011. I was making progress, but I was miserable. I love to eat and no matter how I tweaked the calorie goals I still felt like I was starving myself. I was losing weight and my clothes were getting loose and my stomach was flattening. However, it was not worth how terrible I felt all the time not being able to eat until i was satisfied. I also had a hard time getting on every single day to log my meals. I quit, and I almost gained all my weight back
I have decided to try this again, but only log meals on Mon, Wed, and Fri but continue to exercise all week.
Has anyone ever tried this and succeeded? Am I setting myself up to fail before I even start?

ElizabethRoad

It's got to be better than not doing it at all, right? Maybe you could eventually add in a fourth day, and a fifth...

kristelpoole

I would say that either your calorie goals were too low or you weren't eating the right foods. My suggestion wouldn't be to do "part time" because that seems like an easy way to eat poorly on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and not actually learning a new, healthy way to live. Set your goals to lose 1/2 pound and try that for a week. If that's hard, try it for another week. When it gets easy, move to 1 lb goals. If you want to make this work, you have to be in it for the long haul.

And I think you already know that because you asked in the first place...

startover

I would say that either your calorie goals were too low or you weren't eating the right foods. My suggestion wouldn't be to do "part time" because that seems like an easy way to eat poorly on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and not actually learning a new, healthy way to live. Set your goals to lose 1/2 pound and try that for a week. If that's hard, try it for another week. When it gets easy, move to 1 lb goals. If you want to make this work, you have to be in it for the long haul.

I have always had my calorie goals at only 1/2lb per week. I have a hard time with portion control no matter what I eat whether healthy or not. I can go through a whole bag of cuties and still be hungry. The same thing is true with most vegetables. I think my problem is never feeling "full".

Jorra

How much would you eat on your "off days"? You could undo all the work from Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by eating above maintenance and completely eliminating your calorie deficit.

Foods high in protein and fiber usually help people stay fuller longer. Also, if you tried doing the whole multiple small meals a day thing, try having just a couple larger meals a day. That's what has helped me.

chickybuns

What was your weight loss goal? Maybe set it to 0.5lb a week, so you don't have a big deficit. Or just do mainenance, log everyday, and try to be under some days and do the best you can. I just think it's better if you log everything. in my experience, I lost 10 lbs and then didn't lose anymore becuase I wouldn't log on the weekends, and would eat back all my deficit from the week. For about 3 months I have taken responsibility for everything I have eaten and have lost an additional 7lbs and am almost at my goal weight.

startover

What was your weight loss goal? Maybe set it to 0.5lb a week, so you don't have a big deficit. Or just do mainenance, log everyday, and try to be under some days and do the best you can.

It has always been set to 1/2 lb per week. If this doesn't work i may just set it to maintain my weight, and try to be under. Though, the logging every day was what I gave up on so that is what I am trying to avoid.

kristelpoole

Sounds to me then like it's a mental thing so maybe sticking with it (even if you go over everyday for 2 weeks) is exactly what you need to retrain your brain to know when you are full, when you are eating emotionally or out of boredom and what a proper portion is. That's my suggestion: Do it, log it, keep doing it, see if you can work on your mindset during that time.

Stacyanne324

I know it helps me to log my meals for the day when I first get up. That way I know I have enough calories to eat what I need to at the very least. Then whatever is left over is for snacks if I get hungry in between. And I know if I am really hungry that day to up the exercise.

Like another poster said I think three days a week is better than nothing but I wouldn't expect great results. I know if I tried that I'd likely undo my progress the days I'm not logging.