Those who have lost weight using MFP, how'd you do it?
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shatteredsmile
Posts: 20
What was your calorie goal, what sort of exercise did you do, what did your diet include/not include? Hw much did you lose in how much time? Thanks:) I need some motivation right now.
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Don't focus on Calorie goal, thats a no no, if that was the case, by the end of the day people that see the need to reach a certain number my run to Taco Bell just to get there numbers. That is not what you want to do. What you need to focus on is Protein, carbs, and fats in sizes of grams. Focusing on those three will pretty much take care of your calorie goal without you worrying about it. I dont know what your weight is so I couldn't tell you what your daily amount should be like. You want to lose fast, include weight training in your workouts. Building muclse, even just a small amount will help you burn a lot faster and lose. Like the guy i workout with who is a professional body builder always says, "You can run to death like those same people on the threadmill everyday, but they never get the results they want." Pretty much weight training is the key...Some advice...0
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My calorie goal is 1300 roughly.... it goes up or down depending on my weight I think. I've lost 23kg or 51lbs in 181 days. I workout every single day, have no cheat days & if I go over my allowance I scold myself. I run, I do Zumba, Tiffany Rothe & Pop Pilates... youtube the last 2 to find them.
I run 7km each time...even when I am in pain. I walked for 2 hours today & did 5km & that was just to go shopping.0 -
15% daily carbs tops mostly veggies and mostly leafy, no (non-sweet) potatoes, no grains, no legumes, minimise sugar and processed psuedo-food, eat enough so that I am not hungry, a fair bit of low level cardio (i.e. walking), a bit of resistance training (i.e push-ups) when the mood takes, drink red wine at the end of the day, annoy calorie-fixated forum members, rinse and repeat.
Weight unimportant, body composition more so.
Sorted.0 -
the objextive here is not about meeting the goals that mfp sets out for you but about you learning through your own personal diary and what you eat and how many calories you burn. It is a slow frustrating process sometimes. You will see many people who have their diary to view at the end of their day and look at some of those and you might get a good idea to know how to eat or at least give you some ideas. You can get a lot mor technical with it and really watch all the contents for nutrition but usually that is for those of us who have a very specific long term goal they want to reach. For you setting short term goals is the key. For example set a short term goal of losing five pounds in one month. For me I need to find the balance between all my healthy eating and exercise so I can become a better runner si I can run and qualify for the Boston Marathon one day. I am starting a half marathon training program next week and it will take time and dedication on my part to get it done.0
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My calories are set at 1350 with no exercise. I monitor what I eating during the day while keeping eyes on carbs, fat, protein, sodium, and fiber. I eat my meals based on which one I need to up or keep down.0
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I started back in late Jan at 195, with a goal of 150-155 lbs, which got me into a "normal" BMI range for my height of 5'7". Started with an aggressive goal of 2lbs/week (which equaled 1200 calories daily, not including exercise). I also upped my running from ~25 per week to ~35-40 per week, which gained me usually an additional ~500 calories per day. I make sure to drink 64oz of water daily, and not to eat back all of my exercise calories.
(as an aside, I've been running a lot for a few years but actually gained weight during that time because I figured I could eat whatever I wanted because I was doing 25 miles per week. Oops
As of last week, I'm down just over 40, with ~5 to go. Feel free to add me, I could use to get, and give, some motivation 0 -
takes time... painteience switching things up
falling down
getting back up
keeping yourself busy ALL THE TIME
so you dont overeat
LOW CARB
switching up caloreis
oh and did i say it takes time......0 -
15% daily carbs tops mostly veggies and mostly leafy, no (non-sweet) potatoes, no grains, no legumes, minimise sugar and processed psuedo-food, eat enough so that I am not hungry, a fair bit of low level cardio (i.e. walking), a bit of resistance training (i.e push-ups) when the mood takes, drink red wine at the end of the day, annoy calorie-fixated forum members, rinse and repeat.
Weight unimportant, body composition more so.
Sorted.
yep this too0 -
instead of tracking cals, i track carbs.
i 'try' to stay below 20 grams a day, but sometimes i go over. no big deal anyway. i didn't gain my weight overnight, i won't lose it overnight.
lots of meat and veg, and that's how i like it0 -
What percentage do you recommend for carbs, protein, and fat?0
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I did the 1000 calorie daily deficit which you get by setting the goal at "lose 2 pounds per week". When I started I weighed 252 pounds and wasn't exercising. My BMR + calories from "sedentary" activity was high enough that my daily calorie budget was about 1500. Even after switching to a high protein and low carb diet I was left feeling hungry most of the time so I started exercising to earn back calories that I could eat.
For the first three months I just walked. At first about 20 minutes per day, 3 days per week. Pretty soon I was up to 6 days per week, then 30 minutes, then 40, 60, and 75 minutes, then added 5% incline, then up to 3.5 mph and eventually 4 mph. After 3 months of consistently losing 3-4 pounds per week I began to add in push-ups and sit-ups. At first 2 sets of 10 reps each, then 15 reps, then 20, 25, and eventually 3 sets and finally 4. I kept that up, gradually adding a bit more each week.
After 6 months of maintaining a 1000 calorie daily deficit, walking, push-ups, and sit-ups, I had dropped 75 pounds. After that I lowered my daily deficit from 1000 to 500 calories and added in real strength training at a gym, at first on the machines and as I grew stronger I moved to free weights. I dropped another 10 pounds within two months.
Yes, there were a few days where I went off program and didn't hit my deficit, don't worry if it's only once or twice a month, it won't destroy your efforts, and learning how to manage "real" life is a good lesson for when you eventually switch from actively losing to simply maintaining.0 -
What percentage do you recommend for carbs, protein, and fat?
60 fat 30 protein 10 carbs for me.0 -
What was your calorie goal, what sort of exercise did you do, what did your diet include/not include? Hw much did you lose in how much time? Thanks:) I need some motivation right now.
I have lost 58 lbs since getting serious about using MFP and dedicating myself to making this a healthy lifestyle change back on January 23rd (3 lbs heavier than when I had registered on MFP a week or so earlier). I was 281 lbs then, 222.5 lbs as of this morning. My profile pic is me at 230 lbs on July 7th. I'm a 6'2" man. 6 1/2 months, 58 lbs lost. My original net calorie goal was 1900 when I was using a 2 lbs per week loss goal (~1000 cal per day deficit from TDEE). As I have been approaching goal weight I dropped back to 1 lbs per week loss goal (~500 cal per day deficit) and my net calorie goal is currently set at 2300. My BMR is ~2100-2150 calories. Due to exercise and eating back my exercise calories I have been consuming 2800-3000 calories on an average day and continue to lose weight.
Exercise...started only in the gym 3 days a week for 35-45 minutes and have worked up to a lot more. I started on the elliptical and walking on the treadmill, doing some situps and pushups and leg press to strengthen my legs. Now, some elliptical, leg press or squats and lunges, core exercise for abs and back and pushups. I also now run 3 days a week. I could not run (conditioning & knee problems) when I started this journey and now will be running my first timed 10k race in just over a week. I've run two 5k races and really enjoyed them. I grew up hating distance running but not being physically able made me want it and now it's nothing to me to go run 5-6 miles. I am kind of relentless and stubborn about making sure I get my exercise in.
As long as you really want to be healthy for yourself, you can do this. All it takes is patience, dedication and some common sense. Portion control and food choices are key.0 -
I did it by busting my *edited for swearing* sack off!0
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I did the 1000 calorie daily deficit which you get by setting the goal at "lose 2 pounds per week". When I started I weighed 252 pounds and wasn't exercising. My BMR + calories from "sedentary" activity was high enough that my daily calorie budget was about 1500. Even after switching to a high protein and low carb diet I was left feeling hungry most of the time so I started exercising to earn back calories that I could eat.
For the first three months I just walked. At first about 20 minutes per day, 3 days per week. Pretty soon I was up to 6 days per week, then 30 minutes, then 40, 60, and 75 minutes, then added 5% incline, then up to 3.5 mph and eventually 4 mph. After 3 months of consistently losing 3-4 pounds per week I began to add in push-ups and sit-ups. At first 2 sets of 10 reps each, then 15 reps, then 20, 25, and eventually 3 sets and finally 4. I kept that up, gradually adding a bit more each week.
After 6 months of maintaining a 1000 calorie daily deficit, walking, push-ups, and sit-ups, I had dropped 75 pounds. After that I lowered my daily deficit from 1000 to 500 calories and added in real strength training at a gym, at first on the machines and as I grew stronger I moved to free weights. I dropped another 10 pounds within two months.
Yes, there were a few days where I went off program and didn't hit my deficit, don't worry if it's only once or twice a month, it won't destroy your efforts, and learning how to manage "real" life is a good lesson for when you eventually switch from actively losing to simply maintaining.
wow!!!! your doing awesome.. that is a LOT of wt loss!!!0 -
I lost 23 pounds by kind of hit and miss diet controls (no snacking or seconds, not eating again after dinner, rough portion control) over 18 months or so but no intentional or regular exercise. (Fall 2010 to May 15, 2012) At that point I started exercising (walking in the mornings besides my knee PT and sit ups). In the next two weeks I lost 6 pounds and then my friend introduced me to MFP. I have tweaked my settings based on the nutrition training I have had with my diabetic husband and try to keep my gross intake between 1200-1400 because if I eat more than that, I gain. So even though I get allowance for alot more through exercise, I don't eat it all back most days. But also if I build in the low end goal, and something unexpected happens or there's a special day I can have a small piece of birthday cake or pie or cookie without necessarily blowing my calories for the whole day; gives me a cushion, just in case but I don't take advantage of it most days. But when I do, it's not really a "cheat" as the calories ARE there and available. Don't know what my deficit is most days as I don't pay much attention to the net, just the gross but I know I eat less than I expend each day so mathematically that has to add up to weight loss eventually. I watch the carb/protein/fat levels and was watching cholesterol but as that seemed to be under control most days, unless I had an egg for breakfast. So after I stayed on a plateau most of July, I decided to give the stuff I was reading about lowering sodium intake to reduce water retention and lose weight a whirl, just as an experiment. So I changed cholesterol tracking to sodium tracking and set the goal to 1500, the recommendation (according to the Mayo Clinic) for those with high blood pressure, which I have. It seems to be working cause my numbers are moving again --downward. I basically use the tools here to help me meet my own goals, not necessarily just blindly going with the default recommendations. This is just a way to keep track of what I am eating and my exercise to make me more aware of what I am doing. Anyway, for all that - since joining MFP on June 4 of this year -- a little over two months ago, I have lost about another 20 lbs meaning that since I started exercising and joined here I have more than doubled my weight loss in a fraction of the time. As far as exercise goes, I started with just walking 15-20 minutes in the mornings and worked up to where I can go 45 - 60 minutes at a time without aggravating my bum knee. I also did 3 - 5 minutes of step ups. I do my knee/ankle PT, some situps and crunches and other abs stretches. I recently changed things up to try to get off that plateau I mentioned and started biking instead of walking 30-60 minutes. I also found some low-impact and beginner workout videos on YouTube from fitnessblender.com that I can actually stomach and don't make me want to punch the model in the nose for all the heavy handed overdone so-called "motivational" body nazi patter. I have to modify some of the exercises in some of the routines because of my knee issues but as workout videos go, they are fairly palatable. (I can't go so far as to say I actually enjoy any form of exercise but some are a little easier to tolerate than others) Other than that, I'd say I lose weight this way because I don't allow myself the option, time or flexibility to decide whether I want to do it or not (because the answer will ALWAYS be NO, I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT!! So I just get up in the morning and do it, before I can think too much, question myself, talk myself out of it or make excuses. It's totally discipline to stick with it by the grace of God. I am now 1.2 pounds to reach an even 50 lost in total (plan on making it by next Tues!) and 8.5 pounds until the halfway to goal point (end of month goal) and 15.8 pounds to pre-kids weight (October 1 goal -- my son's birthday-- my oldest so fits that I should be back to pre-him weight by that date). And at that point, I can make an appt. to see my doctor again and see if he will take a new look at my knee issues as he will have no room to argue that I haven't been doing my part to see if weight loss will help. I will be back to what I was the first time I met him as I started going to him when I got pregnant with said son. My goal is further on down the line but he has never seen me lighter than that ever. So anyway --that's my MFP weight loss story...hope that helps.0
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My philosophy has been to make it as easy on myself as possible. I try to stay under the calorie limit MFP set for me, and that's it. I don't worry about macros or sodium or sugar or eating "clean". I eat a decent source of protein in every meal, not because I'm trying to hit some magic number, but because a meal generally isn't satisfying without it. I know I like to eat late at night, so I ignore all the talk about big breakfasts and light dinners, and save a bunch of calories for my late dinner. If I'm really hungry some day, I eat more, and I don't fret about going over. If I really want candy, I get candy. Same with fast food. I don't stress about it, or punish myself the next day, I just keep in mind that it cannot be a daily occurrence.
For exercise I've just been walking (but long walks, up to 2 hours) and doing basic body weight exercises like squats and push-ups. You're probably much smaller than me though, so more vigorous activities are probably a better use of your time.
So far I've lost 24 lbs in just over two months. It hasn't been difficult at all, and I see nothing to make me think I can't stick with MFP's plan for the next year or so it will take to get to a healthy weight, which is a vastly different experience than the other two times I've tried to lose weight in my life. Making it simple and flexible gives me easy sustainability, which I think is far more important than faster results or nutritional perfection.0 -
I eat 1690 calories. Ignore my macros. Don't focus on eating clean, though I am getting more aware of what I'm eating (had NO IDEA about processed cheese. Ick) Try and walk 30 min a day. Play sport. Have just started going for log walk/runs with my partner every night but I'm doing a 12km fun run at the end of the month. I'm lucky as even at my heaviest (300lb!) I was still doing sport. So I had a good level of basic fitness that a lot of people who were same sizes didn't have. (my current level of fitness puts me at athlete level. This is based on my resting heart rate) I drink nine glasses of water a day.
In just over a year I've lost 37kg/81lb. And that's with a four month plateau.0 -
For the first months (of success) on MFP - when I lost 30+ pounds - I was tracking calories and had two low-carb days (<20g) per week. I was also exercising in a spin class, elliptical, etc but no weight training and no eating the calories back.
After awhile I did start tracking exercise on MFP and was amazed by how much my calories went up. But I ate them back, plateaued for a few months and lost all my motivation, resulting in leaving MFP for awhile and gaining some weight back.
So my main advice is: DON'T TRUST THE MFP EXERCISE CALORIES!!! They are widely ranging estimates that have rarely (if ever) been anywhere near correct for me when I finally got an HRM and started comparing.
If you are going to eat back calories, I'd suggest only eating a fraction of them back - or get something more reliable like a heart-rate monitor.0 -
Don't make it too difficult. What has worked for me was calorie counting and exercise. Do I also monitor my fat, carbs, protein, etc? Yes, but I don't go crazy about those numbers. I don't do low carb, it doesn't work for me. In my opinion, this has to be a lifestyle change to work, and that's what I've done.0
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