What do you wish you knew when you started?

2

Replies

  • Michelle650
    Michelle650 Posts: 218
    I wish I knew that I could eat more and lose weight! At the beginning I restricted my diet to 1,100 caliries. I lost weight, but it stalled for MONTHS! I was advised to increase my calories to 1,500-1,600 calories, which I did and I have been losing ever since!
  • chauncyrenayCHANGED
    chauncyrenayCHANGED Posts: 788 Member
    I wish I knew that strength training was important.

    I did a lot of cardio, dancing and walking. I lost 30lbs, but was still a little flabby.

    Strength training toned me up quickly, but it made me gain.

    I should have started my strength in the beginning to make weight loss a lot easier!!!
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
    How important it is to eat the proper amount and not skimp on calories...starvation mode is costly to the journey. Buy clothes at a thrift store as your not in any one size very long.
  • Skeebee
    Skeebee Posts: 740 Member
    "I wish I knew what I know now when I started"...

    ...that I would gain it all back quickly and it would take twice as much effort to get it back off....oy!
  • JoyceJoanne
    JoyceJoanne Posts: 760 Member
    That exercise would have made a HUGE difference when I started. It would have made the process SOOOOOO much easier.
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
    Importance of heavy lifting.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    How easy losing weight is if you do it the right way and stay dilligent. I spend all those years wishing....when I could have just done something about it.
  • elfy66
    elfy66 Posts: 138 Member
    Just this.....To keep going, .. This is the long haul, lose some, stick, go on holiday, gain a bit, lose some more.
    Don't sweat if you go over, make up for it the next day.
    Learn to count your calories.
    Eat a few less calories and do a bit more exercise.
    Don't believe the hype.
  • ttkg
    ttkg Posts: 357 Member
    I wish I had known...

    - that I was worth the effort and that if you make a bad choice SO WHAT, it is one bad choice and the next 30 could be great ones. Don't give up on yourself.
    - that strength training is an excellent way to transform your body
    - that hours & hours of cardio a week are unnecessary for weight loss (still important for other health reasons)
    - that 15 minutes of HIIT is more effective for fat loss that 45 minutes on the elliptical
    - what my TDEE & BMR were & why they were important to my weight loss ( do the research )
    - that I do not have to eat 1200 calories a day and go bonkers trying to accomplish everything in my life on such a little amount of fuel/energy
    - that eating below your BMR for extended periods of time is harmful to your body
    - the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger
    - that using ALL MFP tools really does help (Join a group & make friends, they are your support system!)
    - that nothing will happen overnight and I have to accept this. It took years of neglect for me to get here and it will take some time to rectify it and that is ok. I think for weight loss, slow is better because it means you are learning, making lifestyle changes and less likely to put all the weight back on down the road.


    Just a few off the top of my head, hope they are helpful.
  • cjpg
    cjpg Posts: 433 Member
    I wish I knew that it was OK to trust myself to eat junk food every once in a while.
    There's a reason why they are called 'sometimes' foods.

    Don't get me wrong - it was important for me to stop outright to teach myself new eating habits. I just wish I knew from the beginning that the only way this will be any form of easy is if I have complete trust in myself in what I eat and holding myself accountable.
    Understanding this has made my 'diet' a 'lifestyle' - which is so much easier to manage.
  • Kailel
    Kailel Posts: 61 Member
    I wish I knew that confidence was more important than numbers.

    I wish I knew that being embarrassed about being fat was not worth avoiding my close friend for... before he died.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I wish I would have started lifting at day 1 and not 2 months later. Really set myself back.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I wish I would have known it doesn't have to be "all or nothing". This is real life. You get to start over every day. Dieting doesn't work. Lifestyle changes do.

    Agree x
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    I wish I had known MFP existed 4 years ago. I'd be where I am aiming for by now
  • LPCoder
    LPCoder Posts: 404 Member
    Pre-weighing your meat on a scale and then packing them in a vacuum seal bags for the freezer is a great way to be sure you have ready to grab food that you have controlled the portions. Also, using the small snack ziplock baggies for your snacks can be pre-measured and stored in the fridge for a quick, grab-n-go snack.

    Pack a lunch from home and balance your carb, fat and protein intake to get the optimal nutritional benefits.

    When, not if, you stall, go vegetarian for a week, or go low-carb for a week.
  • justfungrandma
    justfungrandma Posts: 91 Member
    bump
  • Anaconda62
    Anaconda62 Posts: 181
    Bump
  • elfy66
    elfy66 Posts: 138 Member
    I wish I would have understood the concept of lifestyle change.. You don't have to be perfect but you do have to realize that there are consequences for all the choices you make. Those choices may cause you to take longer to reach your goals but you'll get there so long as you keep pressing forward and DON'T GIVE UP!

    ^^This too x
  • BecksgotBack
    BecksgotBack Posts: 385 Member
    I wish i knew not to stick to 1200 calories for so long.

    I wish i never stepped on that damn scale in the first place. and then step on it again after i knew i shouldn't have.

    I wish i knew about TDEE before now

    I wish i knew about the importance of balancing carbs and protein at every meal. Oh and fat is okay.

    I wish i knew to love myself for who I am and not try to please others so much.
  • elfy66
    elfy66 Posts: 138 Member
    Oh yeah and you're not alone :)
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    eating 1200 calories is not a good idea. it will lower metabolic rate too low and cause weight loss of muscle as well as fat... wish i would have started at 1500 calories... would have lost slower but mostly fat loss. now i'm working to recomposition and build muscle. could have saved myself the trouble if i did it right.
  • samcee
    samcee Posts: 307
    I wish I invested in proper running trainers so I wouldn't do my knee in jogging in cheapo ones.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,337 Member
    A big deficit is not a good thing.
    Don't eat below your BMR.
    Measure yourself, scales don't always reflect what is happening to your body.
  • Alacey88
    Alacey88 Posts: 486 Member
    What is BMR????? I wish I knew what this means!!!
  • lja20
    lja20 Posts: 54 Member
    Bump
  • adietron
    adietron Posts: 155
    What is BMR????? I wish I knew what this means!!!

    Basal Metabolic Rate. Lots of online calculators, or you can do the math yourself. Just one of many equations:

    Venuto's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle:

    body fat percentage x body weight in kg = fat weight in kg

    body weight in kg - fat weight in kg = lean mass weight in kg

    so your BMR would be:

    (lean mass weight in kg x 21.6) + 370 (x activity level) = BMR

    activity level would be between 1.2 to 1.5 upwards, ranging from sedentary to very active.
  • JoyceJoanne
    JoyceJoanne Posts: 760 Member
    I wish I had known...

    - that I was worth the effort and that if you make a bad choice SO WHAT, it is one bad choice and the next 30 could be great ones. Don't give up on yourself.
    - that strength training is an excellent way to transform your body
    - that hours & hours of cardio a week are unnecessary for weight loss (still important for other health reasons)
    - that 15 minutes of HIIT is more effective for fat loss that 45 minutes on the elliptical
    - what my TDEE & BMR were & why they were important to my weight loss ( do the research )
    - that I do not have to eat 1200 calories a day and go bonkers trying to accomplish everything in my life on such a little amount of fuel/energy
    - that eating below your BMR for extended periods of time is harmful to your body
    - the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger
    - that using ALL MFP tools really does help (Join a group & make friends, they are your support system!)
    - that nothing will happen overnight and I have to accept this. It took years of neglect for me to get here and it will take some time to rectify it and that is ok. I think for weight loss, slow is better because it means you are learning, making lifestyle changes and less likely to put all the weight back on down the road.


    Just a few off the top of my head, hope they are helpful.

    ^^^^ EXACTLY THIS!
  • dorseykm
    dorseykm Posts: 412 Member
    The pride and self confidence I'd discover developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, plus achieving new running goals. The amount of support and compliments I'd get from my coworkers, friends and family along my journey.
  • megannicolex33
    megannicolex33 Posts: 82
    I wish I would have known that it's okay to eat! I was trying to eat as little as possible for the first couple of weeks, and I was always hungry. But I just thought that's what weight loss was about. Luckily I learned that's not the case AT ALL, and now I'm doing much better. Losing steadily + not starving... it really is possible! :)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I wish I knew.....
    - that it doesn't really matter which "diet" you follow. If you are eating less and exercising (with moderation in both) over a long enough period of time, you will lose weight.
    - daily or weekly fluctuations don't affect the long term picture. If you keep doing the right things, the weight will come off.
    - no-one ever loses weight fast enough!
    - you can't sit around and wait for motivation to come to you. You have to just do it!
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