If I had my MFP time over again...

BerryH
BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If you could go back in time and to when you started with MFP and give yourself the benefit of what you've learned since being here, what would you tell yourself?

I wished I'd tracked a week of "normal" eating and exercising, to get a better idea of exactly where I was going wrong and to see how I got fat in the first place!

I also wish I'd taken front, back and side photos and full-body measurements from day one.
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Replies

  • BPayton27
    BPayton27 Posts: 626 Member
    Completely agree with the pictures! I would have also done thorough measurements for those weeks the scale seemed to be stuck. No need for me to log a week of "normal" eating and exercise (uh, none). I know how I became fat! I over indulged in EVERYTHING.
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    Wish I'd taken photos too...
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I wish I'd started resistance training earlier. I binned much if in in favour of cardio just so I could eat more :blushing:

    Oh and I wish I hadn't got into the habit of tracking cardio that was already covered by my activity level, such as walking to work and down the road to buy lunch!
  • Orrgarde86
    Orrgarde86 Posts: 120 Member
    I wish I had taken before photos but I was way too embarrassed to be in a photo with my shirt off.
  • flausa
    flausa Posts: 534 Member
    I wish I'd taken accurate measurements with the same tape measure from Day 1. I wish I'd kept all the measurements somewhere (MFP doesn't hold enough detail for me) safe rather than on random scraps of paper that I'd binned out of frustration!

    When those times of panic hit, I would tell myself to relax and trust that the system I was using was working and that I knew what I was doing.

    I would remind myself in times when I wanted to undereat or overexercise (or overeat and underexercise) that balance is key and this is ultimately about being sustainably healthy.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    I wish I hadn't done that porn video.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I wish I hadn't done that porn video.
    So long as you abide by the terms we agreed I won't post it on Facebook :wink:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I'd tell myself not to get so hung up on being under or over the calorie goal. I forgot for a while that I lost most of my weight without logging anything and became a little obsessed with eating the same number of calories every day. I've since realized that I do better by not worrying about the calories so much.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I wished I'd tracked a week of "normal" eating and exercising, to get a better idea of exactly where I was going wrong and to see how I got fat in the first place!

    Me too! I am dying to know exactly how much I was eating regularly.

    I also would never have started off so aggressively, looking for a 2 lb/week loss when I only had 30 to lose total. I was hungry, sluggish, and then I plateaued for a long time. I would go back and do a more reasonable 1 lb/week, eat my exercise calories, etc. If I did I probably would have lost a lot faster!
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    i wish i strated heavy strenght training right from the start.
  • vanessaclarkgbr
    vanessaclarkgbr Posts: 731 Member
    Wrong site Mikey - oh - you forgot to add the link ;-)

    I wish I'd logged some pre-diet days too, it'd scare the living daylights out of me, and wish I'd done the resistance too. Also wish I'd got some MFP mates last January when I first started rather than when I climbed back on the wagon again in the July, I'd be happily at maintenance by now ;-)
  • twinsmake3
    twinsmake3 Posts: 35 Member
    I wish I hadn't done that porn video.

    :laugh:
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    I wish I'd kept my fat jeans and taken back pictures.
  • sassylilmama
    sassylilmama Posts: 1,493 Member
    That I had realized the value of strength training and not focused on pure cardio. Loving my strength workouts these days and starting P90X soon!
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I wish I'd kept my fat jeans and taken back pictures.
    ^^^ These! I'm so envious of those after pictures where people have their whole body in one leg of their fat jeans!
  • angela828
    angela828 Posts: 498 Member
    i wish i had taken measurements and photos too! maybe when you sign up for mfp there should be a tutorial guide that says "now take front, side, and back photos".... "now measure yourself" with step by step guides! lol
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    I wish I hadn't done that porn video.
    So long as you abide by the terms we agreed I won't post it on Facebook :wink:

    LOL - This has got me thinking about before and after Porn Vids.... I need to scrub my brain with soap
  • MrsM1ggins
    MrsM1ggins Posts: 724 Member
    Pics, Pics Pics!!!
  • debilyn574
    debilyn574 Posts: 92 Member
    Wish I had taken pics and ate back my exercise calories from the start!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    I also wish I'd taken at least one picture at my highest weight although I'd never want to actually look at it. :laugh: I wish I'd trusted my knowledge of my own body from the start and gone with the low carb diet approach I knew worked for me. Instead I wasted three months losing and regaining the same 5 pounds on a low calorie, low fat, high carb diet.
  • debilyn574
    debilyn574 Posts: 92 Member
    I just remembered... I should have made friends sooner! It really helps to know people are 'watching' what you do...
  • gregersons
    gregersons Posts: 30 Member
    i wish i had taken measurements and photos too! maybe when you sign up for mfp there should be a tutorial guide that says "now take front, side, and back photos".... "now measure yourself" with step by step guides! lol
    Maybe this should be included in the "newbie handbook" if there was one. I would have loved to know just how big my stomach was before I started losing weight.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I would have upped my calories and started lifting right away instead of farting around in the gym doing pully weights. I also would have eaten more food, but with less calories.
  • anta1
    anta1 Posts: 53 Member
    I wish I hadn't done that porn video.

    And posted it on MVP? Lol
  • Milletp
    Milletp Posts: 80 Member
    Yep, photos and measurements.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
    I would have

    1. Taken Measurements
    2. Take Pictures
    3. Olivia Method from day 1
    4. Not eaten that chocolate even though it fit into my calories because not all calories are created equal and it was a loooooooong 3 month plateau to learn that SUGAR MATTERS PEOPLE! :-)
  • swobbles
    swobbles Posts: 40 Member
    I wish I'd started resistance training earlier. I binned much if in in favour of cardio just so I could eat more :blushing:

    Oh and I wish I hadn't got into the habit of tracking cardio that was already covered by my activity level, such as walking to work and down the road to buy lunch!

    This sounds a lot like me. I haven't done any strength yet as I don't enjoy it, but maybe that's because I just want to burn calories.

    Also, just this week I've started to realise that I shouldn't really be eating back the calories for the exercise I was going anyway. So I am only eating the extra exercise I do.

    Two great tips I think. Thanks!
  • dlyeates
    dlyeates Posts: 875 Member
    I would have taken more measurements and more pictures.

    I would have started strength training and joined a gym earlier.

    3 more weeks til I start strength training!!!
  • lorro
    lorro Posts: 917 Member
    I wish I hadn't done that porn video.

    Perhaps you shoud put it to the vote? Of course you'd have to post a link first ....
  • lorro
    lorro Posts: 917 Member
    If I had my time again it would be something along the lines of convincing myself I had to stay. I could be done by now if only I'd stuck at it

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