The First 10 Pounds!
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Chagama
Posts: 543 Member
Like many others, I started using this tool on New Year's Day. I just hit the 10 pound mark this morning. So far I am very impressed with MFP, and thought I'd share some of my observations.
1) MFP has forced me to recognize the size of portions. I've been keeping food diaries for a few years, with no real success. One big difference I've noticed is that I now have to pay attention to how much I'm eating, not just what foods. And as I've started measuring some foods at home, it has been very eye opening how many times I've been eating a large number of servings, so even good choices turned into high numbers of calories.
2) The phone app enables this to be real time. One problem with keeping a food diary is that too many times, particularly on weekends if we are out all day, I would record the entire day at the end. This obviously led to innaccuracies. But the bigger benefit of adding things real time is that every time I eat something, it is now a conscious decision to use that many calories at that time. There are only a fixed number of calories available during the day, and I have found myself several times checking how many remain when faced with some food choices, and then deciding what was OK to eat. And being able to scan bar codes and serach for restaurant menu items takes the guess work out of things.
3) I have found the simple arithmetic of net calories has helped me stay focused on exercising and trying to do something nearly every day. It's hard to stick to the base number of calories every day. And it will get harder. As weight goes down, your body will burn fewer calories just by sitting around, so that starting number decreases. But by adding in exercise, in addition to the health benefits that come with exercicising, the short term benefit is that those calories are added into the net calorie calculation for the day, which makes it easier to hit the daily goals. It's truly reenforced the idea that you can't lose the weight merely by changing eating habits, exercise has to be part of the equation.
Just some observations. Hopefully they will help someone else.
Good luck to everyone.
On to the next 10 lbs!
1) MFP has forced me to recognize the size of portions. I've been keeping food diaries for a few years, with no real success. One big difference I've noticed is that I now have to pay attention to how much I'm eating, not just what foods. And as I've started measuring some foods at home, it has been very eye opening how many times I've been eating a large number of servings, so even good choices turned into high numbers of calories.
2) The phone app enables this to be real time. One problem with keeping a food diary is that too many times, particularly on weekends if we are out all day, I would record the entire day at the end. This obviously led to innaccuracies. But the bigger benefit of adding things real time is that every time I eat something, it is now a conscious decision to use that many calories at that time. There are only a fixed number of calories available during the day, and I have found myself several times checking how many remain when faced with some food choices, and then deciding what was OK to eat. And being able to scan bar codes and serach for restaurant menu items takes the guess work out of things.
3) I have found the simple arithmetic of net calories has helped me stay focused on exercising and trying to do something nearly every day. It's hard to stick to the base number of calories every day. And it will get harder. As weight goes down, your body will burn fewer calories just by sitting around, so that starting number decreases. But by adding in exercise, in addition to the health benefits that come with exercicising, the short term benefit is that those calories are added into the net calorie calculation for the day, which makes it easier to hit the daily goals. It's truly reenforced the idea that you can't lose the weight merely by changing eating habits, exercise has to be part of the equation.
Just some observations. Hopefully they will help someone else.
Good luck to everyone.
On to the next 10 lbs!
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Replies
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Congrats!!!0
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Congratulations!! I started MFP on the 3rd and love it as well!! I'm about 2 pounds from hitting 10 and I'm super stoked!! I love this site as well!! Best wishes on the rest of your journey!
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Grats on losing the first 10 pounds! It's great to hit a marker, isn't it?
Everything you said is so true! MFP has really helped me take better note of portion sizes and it does make a world of difference. I used to think I had to eat until I felt full. Now I realize one serving can make me feel full. I don't have to have three servings. 0 -
Congrats!
I got a food scale, this also helps me measure at home. I have the hardest time with measuring when I am eating out. Guesstimating what the calories might be since I tend to go to random local spots and not too many chains. Local spots = "weird food"0 -
Congratulations!! I started to pay attention to what I am eating and how much, and started exercising before work. I just had lunch an hour ago and am feeling a snack attack. I am trying to curb it with waffle sliced carrots and drinking my purified water.
What tips can you share for the "munchies."0 -
Congratulations on your 10lbs loss. I just started today and getting so motivated allready, So nice to see people are using this and it working for them.
Keep doing what your doing and you will come out a winner for sure!!0 -
Congratulations!! I started to pay attention to what I am eating and how much, and started exercising before work. I just had lunch an hour ago and am feeling a snack attack. I am trying to curb it with waffle sliced carrots and drinking my purified water.
What tips can you share for the "munchies."
I just try and keep something healthy for snacks in my desk at work, like a high protein bar. I find that will fill me up. Also if I don't have any money to buy snacks that helps!0 -
HI, I am so happy it is working for you. It is working for me also. I just hit 10 pounds gone forever.0
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[/quote]I just try and keep something healthy for snacks in my desk at work, like a high protein bar. I find that will fill me up. Also if I don't have any money to buy snacks that helps!
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LOL!! Awesome. I guess as long as I eat healthy and not junky I should be ok
Thanks!!0 -
Good for you and keep it up! Your experience has been alot like mine. I began my MFP journey on Jan 2nd and Im 8lbs down! I marvel at the hidden calories in resturaunt food. One Mexican meal can wipe out 2/3 of my alloted calories. Im enjoying the challenge of making it all work within my calorie goal. Thanks for sharing. Its great to hear from others that are just getting started too!0
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