Do you like what you are setting yourself up for?

NWCountryGal

Amen to this Ginger, if eating right and exercise added to our stress then I would bag it. It's meant to help us in this world rather than make things worse than they are;) hugs, denise

I agree that being mindful of our foods and for me, not getting into those lazy modes or other excuses to really, be mean to myself. I think that is what I did many times. I love the way your plan works ginger:) You helped me a lot in realizing many things about how I needed to eat right (eat enough mostly) Thank you much, denise:drinker: :drinker:

I love what I am doing because before this I skipped meals and now I eat all day so yes I love what I am doing because for one I never deprived myself of the foods I loved or I would have never been able to do this. The only thing different is portion control and it isn't hard for me because I'm not as hungry as I used to be when I skipped meals. There are days I overeat, but I look at them as rewards and enjoy them, I do however jump right back on portion control and so far this has been great for me. Food will always be a struggle for the majority of us because it taste so good lol.

You have to experiment Denise and find out what works for you. I don't exercise like most of the people in here, my exercise is very very moderate. I've always walked on break at work before I every started on mfp. I used to have a treadmill years ago and wore it out but now I have a new one at home. If I feel like getting on it I do if I don't I don't. I do give myself breaks from exercise, you will see many days I don't log any. To me the key is just being consistent with it weekly not daily. If you get over stressed with it you won't want to do it. I am glad I was able to help you some, it's all about experimenting and see what works for you. I'm hear anytime you need me :}

NWCountryGal

That's the beauty of the workout I do, anytime I can squeeze it in, there it is and done:) denise:drinker: Mine take, right now, 22 minutes total. When I do a few more reps I can bring it up to 30 min. if I want but not necessary:)

I don't know if you would be interested in my workout but you can check it out, partly on my profile and partly here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/discussion/7882-hooya-give-me-more

If you have questions, lots of good folks in there and I spend maybe at most, 30 min 4 times a week and I work out at home, no gym equipment, no gym membership. I work out wearing anything I want and anytime I want;) Write me anytime:) Meanwhile you are a winner because you are here today and knowledge is everything, and being honest and aware of things we ALL need to look at and work on:) denise:drinker:

I workout at home too. Always have. Well, at home or outside. When I had children at home I just didn't have the time or money for a gym membership, so now that I have the money I don't see the point. Time is still an issue. I have a full time desk job, aging parents and a special needs grandson we often have to help out with, so I can't workout whenever I want (I wish!!) but I squeeze it in when I can.

NWCountryGal

I just wanted to add here, that I have a close friend that is eating 1100 per week but she is under the supervision of a doctor and they are working as they go, on details for her maintenance plan once she reaches her goal. Not everyone here is working with a doctor though and it is good to research these things as best you can before you wake up one day at your goal weight and wonder what the heck to do now? I mean, you may be happy and energized with what you are eating now and set for life. It's those that do the yoyo thing because they were "short-sighted", or didn't think about what happens after that goal weight is reached.

Thats why I posted this, to maybe help folks think ahead a bit;) denise:drinker: :drinker:

nxd10

I feel so comfortable with how i'm eating now I can't imagine going back. But I eat what I like - healthy, tasty choices.

I look back over my diary and see I was always making good choices, but sometimes just ate too much. That is something I will need to avoid. Knowing more about calories and nutritional values of different foods will help that I think.

dsjohndrow

I am eating exactly the right number of calories that I will have to eat to maintain my goal weight when I reach it (1700). I am just fine. I work out IF / WHEN I feel like it. If I don't work out I just do what I am doing, I don't have to adjust calories at all apart from tapering down as I age

^^^ This. i just eat my maintenance calories for the weight i want to be. If I work out hard, I may have a little extra.

zyxst

Can I maintain the way I'm eating until I die? Yes.

Do I want to eat the way I'm eating? Nope.

I want the bag of mini Rolos on the shelf and another Boston cream timbit. I want to base my diet off calories rather than sodium. I want to enjoy whole servings instead of only half or a quarter.

elisa123gal

You bring up a great point in your post. Something I've been thinking on. I think the solution is embracing exercise and activity so one can eat more. Eating at a calorie deficit really does suck and that is just the truth. I was on 1200 calories for a while..and I just endedi it because I was afraid of a life of that. Right now I'm seeing if eating at a small deficit and exercising will do it for me. That I can live with.

Sheilav330

Oh i eat normal foods a few times a week...I just measure the amount of food portion control is key and i don't feel deprived at all it feels nice to go at your own pace...sometimes i eat only 1200 calories but its because i am full and i just can't eat anymore but most of the time i do eat around 1400 or 1500 depending on my appetite just have to listen to your own body but u do have a good point there!!

Stefanie99

I have thought about this and I am fine with eating like this the rest of my life. I've only started 10 days ago, and I'm talking as if it will work for me for sure, although I know it's still too early to tell, but what I am doing is eating a fairly low-carb diet plan (20% carb - 35% protein - 45% fat) with restricted caloric intake (1300 calories) and eating every 3 hours (3 meals, 2 snacks).

So far it's been fantastic! I'm never starving, and occasionally my stomach will start to rumble and I'll look at the clock and realize it's a meal or snack time, and what I eat satisfies me until my next meal. I drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day, when before I drank about none. The low-carbness has done nothing negative to my energy levels - of course, I'm not nearly as low-carb as some people. I get to eat a lot of my favorites, including taco salad, cheeseburger patties, omelets, fish, cheese…

I do have a hard time with my cravings for sugar, desserts, chocolate milk, potatoes, bread, and pasta…but I want to be skinny way more than I want those, and I just keep reminding myself of that, lol. Also, I did cheat this past weekend, and just told myself to move on, when, on other diets, that would have been the end of the diet, with this one, this time, I’ve been able to get right back on track. So that also helps me to think it won’t be too hard to maintain after I reach my goal weight – I’ll allow myself to “cheat” on special occasions, and then I’ll just get right back on track. That’s the plan anyway.

I purposefully made this diet NOT too restrictive with the long-term in mind, which is why my calories aren’t set at 1000, and my carbs aren’t set at just 5%. I’ve failed at every other diet, or lifestyle change, if you’d rather, that I’ve tried. This time I made up my own plan, and it’s also the first time I’ve tried low-carb, and so far (and again, I know it’s early) it seems like it’s going to be the one that works best for me. *Crossing fingers!*

stumegsmum

I recently read an article that said exactly this - eat as if you are at your goal weight already. I have been a yo-yo dieter for years and all it's resulted in is me being my heaviest weight ever. So I set my goal as if I was at my target weight, tried to cut out the rubbish (while still allowing myself a relatively relaxed Saturday night) and am starting to see the results.

I am also satisfied, don't really feel hungry (still have to overcome my emotional eating, but that's another issue) and don't feel like I'm missing out.

I sometimes log my exercise but only if I do some of a weekend because anything else is short and sweet but I am definitely trying to increase it slowly but surely. I guess the proof will be in the 'pudding' but I feel more positive this time round than any other

LorinaLynn

I always at most of my exercise calories, so I always ate about 1800-2000 calories.

I've been "at goal" for over a year now, but I'm still tweaking things. I'm still exercising 5-6 days a week and pushing myself harder and harder. I'm still trying to figure out how much to eat. I know I can take a week or more off from logging now and then, but I know I should come back to it after a few weeks, just to keep on track.

I'm currently not including my exercise, but just eating 2000 calories a day (at least Monday through Friday, taking weekends and holidays off), and I'm still losing so I'm going to be increasing soon.

But it's not really much different maintaining vs losing. In some ways, it's harder maintaining because it can be hard to find the motivation. Especially when I think how I used to easily maintain my weight without counting any calories or exercising, and now I'm busting my *kitten* running and lifting and watching what I eat. It's easier to stay motivated when you see the scale dropping or your clothes start getting loose. It's a different story when you're working to stay more or less the same.

That's why I like taking photos, so I can see what all my work is doing: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LorinaLynn/view/it-ain-t-over-when-you-hit-your-goal-423924

CariBgood

I'm so glad you posted this. I have been noticing that a lot of people eat way under the recommended for weight loss. They may be losing weight, but I think they maybe kidding themselves if they honestly think they will keep it off. Sure they may get there faster, but will they have to do the journey again. I for one am done with the yo yo... slow and steady wins the race.

NWCountryGal

I don't even like the word diet. Someone mentioned it at the potluck I went to the other night and I so wanted to talk about it but it wasn't a good time;) Know watt'a mean:laugh:

If more people thought this way there would be no need for the "New breakthrough diet of the day" industry and the economy would crash again. That's just crazy talk!

I agree with you and my eating/exorcise habits aren't a "diet" but just the way I live now.

NWCountryGal

Super awesome and many congrats on your success!! denise:happy:

I am at goal weight...have been for two months...started at 1200 cal/day and now up to 1570. But, like you, I exercise every day (can totally relate to the teeth brushing analogy) and I end up eating about 1850 cal/day. I don't eat "dieting" food anymore (e.g. only salads/yogurts for lunch) but I do make sure I keep one meal light and the other two medium-sized. I avoid fast food lunches and think I will never be able to go back to them...my only "sacrifice". So I think I can stay here. I eat like a fit person now, instead of an unfit person!

Yanicka1

I am setting myself up to be able to eat even more than I am right now. My maintenance is around 2000 calories. October first I will do a bulk and will add to my muscle mass and help my metabolism.

NWCountryGal

That's great! I think that is exactly how it should be. I mean after the initial adjustment to better foods and good water intake plus some form of exercise you actually enjoy doing equals comfort for me. I didn't have to struggle with deleting sugar or chips out of my diet so I had a "leg up" already when I got here but wow, to start understanding the calories needed for healthy weightloss as well as how much protein, carbs, fats (and good fats, wow, I didn't realize so many good things about fats we need to eat).

I think the hardest thing for me to overcome, maybe others as well, is patience (or lack thereof). Losing weight in a healthy way takes a lot of patience. Like I think I mentioned in the original post, seeing tons of people losing tons of lbs and their tickers going down so fast, man, I wanted that bad!! But I am so glad that there were people here that I "caught" the health-bug from:laugh: I just had not a clue what I was actually getting into. I am so glad to be here though.

denise:drinker: :drinker:

I feel so comfortable with how i'm eating now I can't imagine going back. But I eat what I like - healthy, tasty choices.

I look back over my diary and see I was always making good choices, but sometimes just ate too much. That is something I will need to avoid. Knowing more about calories and nutritional values of different foods will help that I think.

NWCountryGal

Ditto, and ditto:drinker: :drinker:

I am eating exactly the right number of calories that I will have to eat to maintain my goal weight when I reach it (1700). I am just fine. I work out IF / WHEN I feel like it. If I don't work out I just do what I am doing, I don't have to adjust calories at all apart from tapering down as I age

^^^ This. i just eat my maintenance calories for the weight i want to be. If I work out hard, I may have a little extra.

NWCountryGal

For me, and my goal weight I need to consume around 1600 a day. Mine is set at an average and I workout 4 times a week. If I do something extra like go kayaking for the day I eat more. The way I'm set up I can eat those rolos or a Boston Cream tidbit if I want. But I understand also, that those things are treats for me, not in my regular diet. So once a week or something. I've also noticed that the more nutrition I get circulating through my bod, the less cravings I have for things like that. That's just for me now.

I will always need to exercise, but the beauty of that is, now I want to. That toothbrushing thing, I've formed a healthy habit. I can't promise and won't promise even myself I will never stop working the "program" because things can change in the blink of an eye. But I am going to enjoy the ride. If you are not happy girlfriend, with your foods or your type of exercise, look into some changes you could make. I'll help you just write me, denise:drinker: :drinker: :flowerforyou:

Can I maintain the way I'm eating until I die? Yes.

Do I want to eat the way I'm eating? Nope.

I want the bag of mini Rolos on the shelf and another Boston cream timbit. I want to base my diet off calories rather than sodium. I want to enjoy whole servings instead of only half or a quarter.

NWCountryGal

Do you mean a deficit from your Total Daily Energy Expenditure or TDEE? I'm 5'2" and at 131 lbs, age 59. My TDEE is 1912 I think, something like that and with a 15% deficit (I had 20% too so I'd have to go look again)takes it to 1600 per day for me to lose .5 - 2 lbs per week. That 1600 comes up for me after putting in "Light Activity" because even though I workout 4 times per week, I only weight-train 20-30 minutes. If I keep progressing in that, I may need to up my calories again to start losing again.

denise:drinker: :drinker:

You bring up a great point in your post. Something I've been thinking on. I think the solution is embracing exercise and activity so one can eat more. Eating at a calorie deficit really does suck and that is just the truth. I was on 1200 calories for a while..and I just endedi it because I was afraid of a life of that. Right now I'm seeing if eating at a small deficit and exercising will do it for me. That I can live with.

NWCountryGal

I agree with listening to our own bodies. If I am not hungry at all, I won't eat usually. But if I see my macros aren't that good for the day like proteins, I will chew on some almonds to slam-dunk some protein. I've woke in the middle of the night when I did a major amount of weight-training or activity like kayaking and I will go grab some nuts, or a piece of toast w/crunchy peanut butter and I am good to go.

denise:drinker: :drinker:

Oh i eat normal foods a few times a week...I just measure the amount of food portion control is key and i don't feel deprived at all it feels nice to go at your own pace...sometimes i eat only 1200 calories but its because i am full and i just can't eat anymore but most of the time i do eat around 1400 or 1500 depending on my appetite just have to listen to your own body but u do have a good point there!!