Hi, I'm new.

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JenW1973
JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
I'm Jennifer and I just joined this group. I'll be honest. I joined this group because I'm really short (4'10") and I love to eat. At the standard 1200 calories per day that MFP gives me, I find that I have to be 'perfect' (depending on your perspective) or at the very least exercise daily to earn enough calories so I don't feel deprived and miserable. I find that I'm reasonably comfortable eating around 1350 cals per day (and come to find out that's near my BMR!), though I'd like to eat more and not feel that I can't do that on a day when exercise doesn't fit into my schedule.

I've been using MFP since early April and have lost 12 lbs. After the first week and a 5.2 lb loss, it's been coming off very slowly...0.8-1 lb on a good week...maintain or a small gain on a bad week.

I have to admit that when I just changed my custom goals to those recommended in the sticky about BMR/TDEE I had to take a big gulp before hitting that 'save' button. There's something so scary about doing this. I'm afraid to undo all my hard work to this point. But I also know that I will never be happy eating at 1200 cals per day permanently. I suppose even if I continued that path, I'd get more calories allotted when I move to maintenance, but still...that could be awhile at the rate I'm going.

Any encouragement or tips you could give would be welcome.

Replies

  • cinico
    cinico Posts: 294 Member
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    Welcome!! Just read the stickies the info on the, will help you get through this!!!
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
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    Hello:flowerforyou:

    Here's the Scooby site for you to calculate your BMR and TDEE and cut %:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/


    Try to read as many of the stickies as you can (when you can), there's a lot of great information in them that has helped all of us!
  • mbts08
    mbts08 Posts: 284 Member
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    Read the stickies, especially what to expect.

    Welcome to the group and good luck!
  • mommamuscles
    mommamuscles Posts: 584 Member
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    Welcome! Take advantage of the Awesome support family on here and stay away from the scale for a few days and focus instead on how great you feel!
  • mturgeon05
    mturgeon05 Posts: 204
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    Welcome to the group!
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
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    Welcome to the group! You will love it here!
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
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    Thanks so much for the welcome. I'm just so afraid. This feels so wrong! I ate on my 1200 calorie plan for 2/3 of the day today and then had a bigger dinner with my new, higher calorie goal. After I ate the dinner I felt just gross! Too full..ick. Eating this way is how I got fat to begin with! Won't I just get fat again if I eat like this? I know..I need to read up. Just scared....
  • mgaither
    mgaither Posts: 115
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    Welcome!
    I'm a shorty too: 5 feet tall, and I know that feeling exactly!
    The good news is, if we're all crazy and wrong, you can always go back to starving...but if we're not, you WIN :)

    Take a deep breath and know that the experience is worth it. Food (and life!) are too good to miss!
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
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    Welcome!
    I'm a shorty too: 5 feet tall, and I know that feeling exactly!
    The good news is, if we're all crazy and wrong, you can always go back to starving...but if we're not, you WIN :)

    Take a deep breath and know that the experience is worth it. Food (and life!) are too good to miss!

    That's a great outlook. I just don't want it to be wrong. It seems like one of those 'too good to be true' things and I'm always wary of those.
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,376 Member
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    Welcome!
    I'm a shorty too: 5 feet tall, and I know that feeling exactly!
    The good news is, if we're all crazy and wrong, you can always go back to starving...but if we're not, you WIN :)

    Take a deep breath and know that the experience is worth it. Food (and life!) are too good to miss!

    That's a great outlook. I just don't want it to be wrong. It seems like one of those 'too good to be true' things and I'm always wary of those.

    Don't worry...You are doing the right thing....As long as you are eating above your BMR and below your TDEE you are going to lose weight...Just make sure that when you get your numbers that you are honest with yourself about your activity level - quite a few people actually take it too low b/c they are afraid to eat more...Just relax and be CONSISTENT with eating your calories each and every day (even rest days)...You are going to do great!!

    Btw, Welcome to the most supportive group you will ever find...IMHO!! Best of luck and we are all here for you!! :)
  • rat70
    rat70 Posts: 129 Member
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    Hi! I'm 5'3" and I have lost over 40lbs by eating lots! I did it without feeling starved or deprived. I allow myself treats (anyone who looks at my diary will see 2 squares of Lindt dark chocolate there most nights!) and no food is off limits. You can't eat everything you want all the time (that's how I gained my weight) but you can be kind to yourself and it makes it so much easier to lose the weight and keep it off.
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
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    Welcome!
    I'm a shorty too: 5 feet tall, and I know that feeling exactly!
    The good news is, if we're all crazy and wrong, you can always go back to starving...but if we're not, you WIN :)

    Take a deep breath and know that the experience is worth it. Food (and life!) are too good to miss!

    That's a great outlook. I just don't want it to be wrong. It seems like one of those 'too good to be true' things and I'm always wary of those.

    Don't worry...You are doing the right thing....As long as you are eating above your BMR and below your TDEE you are going to lose weight...Just make sure that when you get your numbers that you are honest with yourself about your activity level - quite a few people actually take it too low b/c they are afraid to eat more...Just relax and be CONSISTENT with eating your calories each and every day (even rest days)...You are going to do great!!

    Btw, Welcome to the most supportive group you will ever find...IMHO!! Best of luck and we are all here for you!! :)

    Thanks SO much! Ok...over BMR and under TDEE. I can do that. It's certainly easier than doing 1200 per day. I just had a snack and I still didn't hit my TDEE-15% for the day. I'm full, though, and I don't plan to eat any more tonight. I hit the 'complete entry' button and got that 'in 5 weeks, you will weigh...' message. It told me that I'd weight the same as I weigh now if every day were like today and I didn't even get to my calorie goal. So should I completely ignore those message and not let them freak me out? If I'd hit my calorie goal, it would have said that I'd have gained weight in 5 weeks.
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
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    Hi! I'm 5'3" and I have lost over 40lbs by eating lots! I did it without feeling starved or deprived. I allow myself treats (anyone who looks at my diary will see 2 squares of Lindt dark chocolate there most nights!) and no food is off limits. You can't eat everything you want all the time (that's how I gained my weight) but you can be kind to yourself and it makes it so much easier to lose the weight and keep it off.

    I agree! Even on my previous 1200 calorie plan, nothing was off limits. I don't believe it cutting out particular foods altogether. You have to eat what you like and enjoy eating. I would just make sure that I exercised enough on those days I planned to indulge a little.
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
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    I'm a shortie too....only 5'2.5 (that half inch counts...LOL!)

    Try to eat a big breakfast, small snack, big lunch, small snack, medium size dinner, small snack. That's how I space my food out so I'm not stuffed silly at any one particular meal and it works well for me!
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
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    I'm a shortie too....only 5'2.5 (that half inch counts...LOL!)

    Try to eat a big breakfast, small snack, big lunch, small snack, medium size dinner, small snack. That's how I space my food out so I'm not stuffed silly at any one particular meal and it works well for me!

    Good advice! Thanks! I'll try that. I am not much of a snacker during the day unless I'm truly hungry. I do like an evening snack whether I'm hungry or not. :-)