For those that lost 60+ lbs, and those of you that want to h

rollycollysmama

Did your journey start on MFP, or is this a tool you found along the way.
Do you still log all your food, and in doing so, is that how you took the weight off.
Your tips, or secrets, or just some motivational help would be nice!!

5Btieden

I have a heck of a lot more than 60 to lose but my journey starts here. I journal my food every day and it helps me stay on track. It really makes me think if I really want to put some food in my mouth. I work at a preschool and we have to eat lunch with the kids. Yesterday was corn dogs. NO WAY am I going to burn up my calories for that!!! I just eat the veggies and fruit and find something else later I also make my diary open so people can see it, and I like to look at others journals for ideas Good luck on your journey. My MFP ticker says I am down 4 but I am really down 9 since January 4th

kornido

i lost more than 60 in a bad way...
most of the time i dont log my food intake, But i do log my workout in the gym including the cal burn and my strength logs
if i eat more than what i'm suppose to i make it a point that i spend more time in the gym

most of the time the food that i eat is not on the list ( filipino food)

Airbear3

i've always been a calorie counter when trying to lose weight. i googled how many calories and this site popped up! best thing ever. keeps me on track. started at 200, got to 167 in july of 2011. thought i could do it on my own....back to 176. started again 1-2-12 and back down to 168! so this site definetly keeps me in check:0) trying to get to 140!

Nigelmouse

MFP is a tool I discovered which made me count calories and think about exercise.

I only started to lose the pounds when I started using the mobile app, and now I'm nearly at my goal.

I'm likely to continue to use it to help work out how much food/exercise will help me maintain my weight once I get there.

Angelabec

I also have plenty more than 60 to lose. I started last January, just by changing what I was eating and exercising a bit. I had never considered calorie counting, but I didn't wan't to go to WW or any other club, I was really trying to change everything completely. I happened upon MFP when a friend mentioned it on FB, and I haven't looked back. I am hoping to be at or close to goal by the end of this year, and I guess I will carry on logging for a while into maintenance, although it's not really something I wan't to do for the rest of my life.

The only tip I have is to be honest with yourself. I know when I haven't done well, so I don't expect to lose at those times. I know I'm not going to get where I'm going in a short amount of time. I have had days, and sometimes weeks, where I don't follow the plan at all, but I also know that in the grand scheme of things, those days or weeks probably won't make much difference. I suppose really it's about finding the balance that you can live with.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

jimmacdonald

My best friend (wife) started me here on MFP.

I have been logging for a year, past 6-8 months log every day.
I need to log to understand what cal i have left, to plan meals.

I face maintaince mode in 5 or 10 lbs.

Defining what that means, maintaince mode wow, yet another adventure.

I like my body now, want to keep it at this level.

I may log for the rest of my life, being able to at a touch of a button to look up food and know how many cals is so great.

It is a life change not a diet.

Cheers
Jim

3under2

I am in maintenance but still track my food and exercise. I found MFP shortly after I started keeping track of my input and output. I wanted something that was easy to keep track and was and app for my iPhone ... lucked out and found MFP!

I love it ... good luck and stay focused.

Articeluvsmemphis

i loss 20before MFP, but I had an account already and then started ususing MFP faithfully

trud72

Hi there i started and found mfp along the way,but it really does help with people to support you and abuse you when you are naughty!! lol :noway:
but seriously it helps tons if you log everything that goes into your mouth!(and no dirty comments please people!) :embarassed:

masstang

I actually need to loss 200 lbs but I started using this site 2 days after starting my diet. So far, this has made it so easy to stay within my daily caloric ranges. Being able to add in exercise and see how that affects your numbers is also a bonus. This is a dream come true to people looking to loss weight.

tj5000

Wow! what great success stories on here, might help me to get motivated again - thanks for those!
I joined last feb, lost 39 lbs then put some back on, now I need to get back on track. It's true you do need to be honest with yourself - or theres no point - i know - i have been there! I have just ovaer 60 to lose I think, but no specific figure in mind - will see how I feel as I go along. good luck and feel free to add me as a friend! :happy:

carrie1013

You guys rock! Definitely some awesome stories. I started my "journey" in May, lost about 40+ lbs, using MFP (it's my lifeline). The holidays added some weight back, and of course I wasn't tracking my food at that time. I started fresh January 1st, and am down 53 lbs. Yay me!! I think I will use MFP even when I hit my goal, it is a wonderful tool! In addition, as much as I dont want to, I keep my food diary open. I feel that it keeps me honest . Good luck to everyone!

fcnrn2010

I log my food daily as well as my exercise whether I go walking at the mall or go the gym. Best Wishes on your journey; it is never an easy one!

CyberEd312

Hi, For me it is just another tool in my arsenal to help continue my journey. I start MFP this past fall, I have always logged my food in a handwritten journal but I was a carbohydrate counter up until joining MFP. As my weight continues to go down the more emphasis I need to put on every aspect of my weightloss. But I have achieved all my success through a lifestyle change, eating good, exercising, hardwork, and dedication.... Wish you well on your Journey.....

beth2411

i need to lose another 153 pound all ready lost 21 slacked off constantly back on track and focused. I find when i dont log into mfp i start to slack so going to log in every day. I also find reading the fantastic sucess storied really helps.

stryfe101

mfp was what I started with, had I known I would stick to it this well, I would have gone to the doctor for baseline numbers, levels, and I would have taken a bunch of "right before" pictures. Mfp has really helped me out...

I still log all my food and exercise..i've logged on every day since I started...

56 pounds thus far...much happier, feeling much much better...

marhattap

My journey started at 205, and currently I am at 161! I my coworker introduced me to MFP two weeks ago, and I LOVE IT. Thus far it has helped me to shed 4 pounds! I still have a ways to go until I reach my ultimate goal, but I know I can reach it with the help of MFP. What was my secret? Walking, walking, walking and more walking. I started walking for an hour during my lunch break, and continuing from there. I suggest that you get an Ipod or something that you can listen to, it makes walking more enjoyable if you can walk to the beat of your favorite song!

You can do it! Keeping track of your food really helps a lot!! Good luck!

AddA2UDE

I lost 25 lbs prior to finding MFP. That took me about a year of just being a little more careful at what I was eating and lifting weights 4-5 times per week. I started logging calories/exercise and am now 5 lbs heavier. I also injured my shoulder so I can't lift upper body right now. I am doing cardio 2-3 times per week. I understand that it is as simple as calories in and calories burned. I'm very tenacious so I know that I will eventually get it all dialed in and start losing more easily. It has been somewhat frustrating though. I started MFP 4 months ago and am still trying to get it all dialed in. The bottom line is that I'm not giving up. I know that a year from now, I will be a lot better off than I am today. Just gotta stay in it!

rachliz247

Hello! I lost 65lbs using p90x and insanity.... They are great programs to teach you how to eat right and give you great motvational tools... I just found MFP... so this is new to me! Things like this are even more beneficial to help you along the way! good luck! you can do it!

Natty0506

I personally don't log my food. I don't like obsessing over food and calorie counts. For me, it's counter productive. I do track my workouts though. I'm just much more mindful of what and how much I'm eating. Like, it's cool to sit and pig out on a salad but not so much on a bucket of fried chicken. I also (personally) keep a VERY close eye on how much sodium I'm ingesting because I tend to hold onto water weight very easily. I think you just have to figure out what will and will not work for you.

deniseg31

My goal is to lose 70-75 lbs. I started my journey with MFP. :bigsmile: Just happened to come across the MFP app on my iPhone. Best thing ever!

Log, log, log!
Stay focused and persistant.
Don't let anything discourage you.

I had lost 57 lbs already but my dumb *kitten* fell off the wagon hard. I lost focus and didn't workout or log like I should have for about 6 weeks. I'm back on track now but it seems to be that I've hit a plateau but I'm staying focused and the scale will budge. :flowerforyou:

hnsaunde

I've lost close to 70 pounds. I started with a weight loss challenge, and in one of the classes, they mentioned online calorie counters. I googled it that night and found this site, so I've been using it since the beginning. I am now thoroughly addicted, and I still log my calories and exercise even though I'm in maintenance mode. It's a tool to help me be accountable. Although, even if I didn't log now, I am pretty good at guesstimating how many calories are in what I'm eating anyway. Eventually I may stop using the site, but for now, I'll be here!

Dadof8

I lost my first 20 pounds over a 20 month period, it turns out the weight loss was probably do to a medical condition. I found MFP through a co-worker at the end of October and started counting calories for the first time. Out of curiosity I tracked my weight loss measured on my scale against the calculated weight loss from my calories burned from normal daily activities minus the net daily calorie input. After 12 weeks my weight loss on the scales was 13 pounds, my calculated weight loss was 13.3 pounds. Counting the calories now makes sense to me and I plan on doing it through the next 30 pounds or so.

MinnieInMaine

Did your journey start on MFP, or is this a tool you found along the way.
Do you still log all your food, and in doing so, is that how you took the weight off.
Your tips, or secrets, or just some motivational help would be nice!!

Nope, my journey started with Weight Watchers 2 years ago (former points system). We had at work sessions for 2 quarters then didn't have enough participation so I kept tracking points on my own. Took a bit of a break of the holidays and was having a hard time getting back on track - and thankfully that's when someone introduced me to MFP.

Yes, I log all my food and exercise every day and plan on continuing at least for a good six months once I hit maintenance and will track again if I start slipping. I wouldn't contrubute logging my food to my success, I think planning and building healthier eating habits and being mroe active has more to do with that. But logging is a very valuable too, especially for a beginner. If you're not aware of your eating habits, you can't change them.

My usual tips have a lot to do with water weight because that seems to be a major source of frustration, especially for newer members. Track your sodium - if it's over the max, work on getting some of the processed foods out of your diet, eat more fresh fruits and veggies and whole foods. Drink at least those 8 cups of water per day, more if your sodium is high and/or you're active. If you're newly active, or you've recently increased your activity, that also leads to water weight. If your muscles are sore, they're retaining water as part of their natural healing process.

Plan as much as you can and always have healthy snacks on hand.

If you think you "hate" exercise, try everything out there. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money, check out sources online, rent DVDs through your library, do body weight exercises at home, walk, run or bike outside.

If you think you "hate" fruits and veggies, try different ones. Just because you don't like green grapes, doesn't mean you don't like red grapes. Just because you don't like your mother's overcooked brussel sprouts, doesn't mean you wouldn't like them shredded and sauteed. Just because you don't like green beans out of a can, doesn't mean you wouldn't like them fresh or frozen. Try new things!

Eat your exercise calories. If you're worried about it, only eat half of them. You NEED to fuel or body!

Finally, I believe in everything in moderation so this is just my opinion but just because you're dieting doesn't mean you can't have chocolate or pizza. Enjoy it!

Ryan_Marie_

My journey started with MFP.

and really i changed my diet and started exercising, but i really didn't start loosing the weight like i do now until i started drinking TONS of water. I do not drink anything but water. I put milk in my visalus shakes and powerade when i work out.


and I try and log everyday, some times i forget, but I've been doing really good lately:)