I need some encouragement that this will really work!

krissybohaczyk

Hi everyone! I just started this week and need some input from people who have been using this a while and had success just using this program. Not on Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers (not that both of them aren't great) or anything like that. Simply doing this by themselves without professional help. I'd like to use this website by itself and have it work. I've tried sooo many things (mostly crummy fad diets) and nothing has really worked for me. I'm in desperate need of encouragement.

doyoga

This has worked for me, I've lost 22 lbs to date! At first I wasn't even working out, and lost 10 lbs simply by counting calories and being more aware of the choices I was making and portion sizes. Than I realized it was unrealistic that I would keep loosing without working out, and started using Wii Fit, and walking more. Now I'm only 5 lbs away from my goal - LOVE myfitnesspal.com!

jennmcpherson

Hey there! I've been using this site for 2 and a half weeks and it's literally changed my life. I'm not using any program or professional help either. Just me and the site. I have to work out at home because I have 1 and a half year old twins. I do not believe in dieting, it doesn't work. You have to make honest lifestyle changes that you will stick with. Welcome to MFP, we're all here for you!

trudyu

I started using this website Jan. 2010 because I was working out 3 times a week and not losing a lb. I was frustrated about putting in the sweat but not getting any glory. Secretly, I knew I wasn't losing weight because of all the snacking I was doing.

This website helps me to see what I am doing foodwise to sabotage myself and helps me to stay on track. This site only works by being honest while filling out the food diary - trust me there were some days I didn't want to log that bag of MM's that I ate. But just try harder the next day - we all need to splurge sometimes.

I have lost 10lbs so far.....I do work out 3x a week for 60 min each....I am not near my goal but it is a start. I hope you see those first 4 lbs fall off and then be motivated to keep it up. Everyone on this website is so encouraging. Good luck.

catherine1979

I came back last month after a hiatus and I've lost 7 pounds already, in only 5-ish weeks. So it may not be fast, but I promise it'll work!

profjan6

I am so happy I found this thread! I also just started this journey and would love to keep reading all these success stories. What do you all do when you have a "bad" day or "bad" meal? Also would like to know how some of you handle eating out. That is a tough one for all of us, I'm sure!

krissybohaczyk

:happy: Thanks so much everybody for your responses so far. It was just what I needed. I feel soo much better and have more confidence that this time I'll finally lose this weight. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!:smooched:

pressica

Although I am still pretty new to this whole MFP way, I just wanted to recommend that you check out SUCCESS STORIES in the message boards. There is some great motivation in there including before and after pictures. Whenever I feel like I can't do it, I just marvel over all of the many people have lost the weight in safe ways and have been able to keep it off. Good luck to you!!!

catherine1979

I am so happy I found this thread! I also just started this journey and would love to keep reading all these success stories. What do you all do when you have a "bad" day or "bad" meal? Also would like to know how some of you handle eating out. That is a tough one for all of us, I'm sure!

If I have a bad day (or couple of days, ha ha) I never say "oh well, I'll do better starting tomorrow." I always say "I'll do better starting right now!" As for eating out we don't often, but I always plan ahead and choose a menu item before I go so I know exactly how many calories I'll be eating, and exercise accordingly. I need to treat myself once in a while.

ractayjon

Ive just been doing this site (and exercise) and have lost 15 pounds since Jan 4. Yes, it really works!

sunshineshardz

I have been here almost a week and am down 4 lbs! I love that I can see everything I eat and plan my days food intake properly (with a small margin of error lol) I didn't realize just how much my snacking was adding up, even if it was what I consider "healthy snacks" (ie: pickles, cheese, nuts, etc..) The journal helps me to stay on track, and yes some days I go over my calories, butmost days I'm under and honestly NOT starving myself It helps you to make better chioices I find.

I also don't go to a gym and work out on my wii fit and by walking my dogs (which in the winter is hard and doesn't get done daily )

I wish you the best of luck and I will be here for you!! :happy:

doyoga

I am so happy I found this thread! I also just started this journey and would love to keep reading all these success stories. What do you all do when you have a "bad" day or "bad" meal? Also would like to know how some of you handle eating out. That is a tough one for all of us, I'm sure!

When I have a bad day or bad meal, I just remember that tomorrow is a new day. At first I would beat myself up about it, but then I realized that everyone has bad days, and as long as you start fresh the following day, it isn't a big deal in the long run.

Eating out is definitely the hardest part, luckily for me I am a student so I don't get out to restaurants much. When I do though, I just plan for it, either cut out my usual snacks, have a lighter lunch or consider it to be a "treat day" and enjoy it - than work out super hard the next day!

ttfit2

Krissy, you have come to the right place. Like was said before, diets don't work, but a lifestyle change will. Write down your goals on paper. I find that helps me a lot. Planning is key also. No one plans to fail, but that is what happens when you don't plan your meals and track/log your food. You cannot work out bad eating.

You've taken the first step, now just keep going. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!:bigsmile:

louman3

I started right after the new year and have lost 12 lbs. Like many (most?) others on this board I tried working out without watching my food intake (other than the obvious things like do not eat fries or fried chicken) and always managed to gain weight. To the extent you want any advice, I offer the following based on my own experience:

1. Track as much of your food intake as possible. It is the little things like a handful of gummy bears here or a girl scout cookie there that add up. I just made my diary public today because I thought I would be more likely to admit that I exceeded my calorie goals (i.e. not cheat) if no one else saw. Keeping on plan is really tough at first, so do not beat yourself up for exceeding.

2. Track all of your exercise. I track the strength (even though I do not give myself any calorie credit for it) and it keeps me motivated to do one more pull up or 5 more push ups every week or so. I started without being able to do 10 pull ups, but now do 2 sets of 21 each day.

3. Set your initial goal realistically and then keep adjusting them as you make progress. I stsarted at 1.5 lbs a week, but switched to 1 lb after the first few lbs came off. It is just too hard to stay within the calorie limits at the higher loss rate for months at a time.

4. Do not skip meals. I know everyone says this, but I used to do it anyway. It is much easier to stay on target if you are never starving.

5. Finally, go ahead and start measuring your food to make sure the caloric values are correct for your meal. I drive my wife nuts by counting out chips or chocolate almonds, but if I just kep eating until I thought I had about the right amount I am sure I would always go over.

This really is a powerfull tool. I wish you the best of luck!

TnTHawkins

This site is great. Tracking what foods you eat is the main factor and then exercise. Several years ago I used another tool similar to this to track my food and exercise and lost 50 lbs. I have since put it back on because I stopped tracking the foods I eat, stopped exercising and then started eating fast food. The results will be there if you watch what you eat, drink lots of water and exercise. Any doctor will tell you that and I never go see the doctor. I will make an appointment and get a full check-up once I reach my goal weight to see what my levels of everything.

One thing that I really enjoy about this site is the friends that I have made that support and modivate me to continue.

Good Luck to you.

Todd

kcfva122

Believe me, I have tried just about every diet that's out there. I've lost tons of weight but gained it all back. With MFP it doesn't feel like a diet. I know I'm eating not just the right foods, but the right amount - that's the key! It has become a lifestyle change that I want to continue.

Logging in my food and exercise every day makes me feel like someone is watching and encouraging me to do the right thing - even when I'm tempted - and I'm tempted a lot!!

My ticker shows that I've lost 14 pounds, but it's really 24. I went to the doctor and found out my home scale is 10 lb light :frown: - so I made the adjustment.

Sarandipity

I started actually using the site religeously at the end of January 2009. I am now down 96lbs. I have followed the calories allowed and eaten back my exercise calories and it has worked for me. The main thing is to hold yourself accountable. :flowerforyou:

Good luck! If I can do it anyone can :laugh:

wildjoker81

If you use the log and do it honestly it makes you accountable for all the garbage you put into your body. I used to hork down crap without even taking a breath not realizing that 10 seconds of snacking just cost me a year of my life. As soon as I started using this site I've been dropping weight like crazy. Less than a month and i'm already almost halfway to my goal. If you take this seriously and use your network of peers (these guys are always watching how your doing) this site will fix you right up.

bakergirl62

It works! Be honest with yourself, plan and log everything you eat and drink.

kingking

I'll jump on the bandwagon, too...The basic formula works. Eat fewer calories than you burn and your weight will go down.

I'm at six weeks and 26ish pounds down (I just blogged about it ).

Whatever it takes to get you to regularly eat fewer calories is what you want to do. For me (and for a few others, I can see), that means religiously logging what I eat so I can look at the list and tell myself "Self, that, there, was a dumb decision" and learn from it.

For me, the problem wasn't exercise (though I've certainly added more now that I understand better what's going on in my body), it was portion size and my habit of adding extra meals (mmmm...second dinner, anyone?). Logging my food helped make me aware of that.

Get some friends on here (feel free to add me if you'd like), share your diary (so you feel accountable for your actions), and keep with it...

nolachick

It does work but u have to be patient, be faithful to logging EVERYTHING u eat, even that spoonful of ice cream or handful of chips, everything! workout as much as u can and mix it up so ur body doens't get used to it. and please DON'T get on the scale every single day and expect a drop. ur body fluctuates everyday, try to only weigh in every couple weeks and if possible every month.
Set small goals and work towards them everyday! I have a blog going with my 6 week challenge:

don't eat after 8pm (or 2 hrs before bed)
don't skip your workouts! (schedule ur life around them, not vice versa)
count ur calories!
drink ur water (forget about diet sodas, iced tea, fruit punch, etc)

shellee9tj

I started on this site about a month ago I think, at first I felt like I was being allowed too many calories so I wasn't eating all of them.....don't do that!! I wasn't lossing any weight so I tried eating the amt it said to and eating the calories back that I burned with exercise and started losing right away!! I love this site and the fact that it holds me accountable. As far as eating out I always check out the restaurant's website first for nutritional info and pick my best option, that way I am prepared when I get there. I also plan ahead by eating lighter for breakfast and lunch if I am going to dinner that way I allow for the extra calories. I have two little ones at home so the gym is not practical for me, I use my treadmill and my Wii Fit has been my savior!! Hope this helps!! You can do it!!!

CasperO

Right here, wife and I have lost about 130 pounds just cooking smart, eating right, getting a little exercise and tracking everything on this website. It will work,,,

ScarletTarah

I love this site, It not only makes me feel like i'm not dieting, but my energy has increased drasticaly.
I exercise 4-5 times a week doing 60 on the bike then a few sets of strength training, I have eaten much better tasting food in the last 3 weeks then in years, all because I watch what it is, I used to hate tomatoes now I dice them up and throw them on everything- it's like even my taste buds are working with me, you know how every diet you start you can't wait for it to already be months into it and then 3 days later it's like oh who care and your gobbling down a whopper meal large size with a coke and getting dessert like your making up to your body for those 2 horrible days you denied it junk. I am already 23 days into it and can't believe it I never once felt deprived or frustrated, I just find healthier ways to make what I like, burger- turkeyburger on a natures thin round w/ 120 calorie potato wedges and salt free ketchup, Burgers & salt were my enemy, but no more.

I really hope you stick with this it has opened my eyes and I hope it will yours as well, if you have children, even mine have benefitted from this way of eatting, better attitudes, not cranky, wake up without a problem\go to bed without a problem, even my 8 yr. old son told me he feels better with the way we eat, when I asked him to explain he couldn't really, just that he didn't know he felt bad until now he feels good. , but I know what it is because I feel better to and now I will always remember that my children also felt the effects of unhealthy eatting.

epoeraven

I started actually using the site religeously at the end of January 2009. I am now down 96lbs. I have followed the calories allowed and eaten back my exercise calories and it has worked for me. The main thing is to hold yourself accountable. :flowerforyou:

Good luck! If I can do it anyone can :laugh:

I can TOTALLY agree - I started in August 2009 I am down 45 pounds. I can honestly say I would not have gotten this far without this website!!!! And another suggestion - add some people as friends - it is great support.

Sunsh1ne

Welcome to MFP! I've been using the site since October, seriously since late November, and I've lost 10 pounds so far, and I feel confident that I can lose the rest. All I've been doing is tracking my calories using the food and exercise log (I went from 2,000+ calorie days to an average 1,500) and trying to be more active. I love MFP because it makes the math easy, and I can find great support and information over here on the forums.

clairebear82

Oh my goodness this so works. I have tried for the last two years myself to get back to the place I was 4 years ago. I was 12 stone and happy with how I looked as I'm 5ft 11. The weight just crept back on over time and I lacked the same motivations. My life isn't the same as it was that time ago but my biggest hurdle was discipline in food and not over indulging.

My boyfriend found this site and I started to try it on the 1st Feb, and since then it has changed me, I've lost 13lbs and I've found the motivation that I needed. I love the little detail that tells you what you are likely to weigh in five weeks and it keeps you going. My habits have changed in that short time and I don't feel the need to overdo it but if I do I know that by staying under a max number of calories for that day that I won't go so off track.

It has also helped me to think long term and that I can feasibly be four stone lighter by beginning of July, I have set myself six week goals to lose a stone. I've used this month to get my food under control and from next week I'm going to start more exercise.

Just try it, you will feel different I'm sure!

Sunsh1ne

I am so happy I found this thread! I also just started this journey and would love to keep reading all these success stories. What do you all do when you have a "bad" day or "bad" meal? Also would like to know how some of you handle eating out. That is a tough one for all of us, I'm sure!

If I know I'll be eating out, I try to plan ahead. You can find nutritional information for most restaraunts online, or at least a menu. I pick out what I'll be eating before I leave home, and I stick to the plan. I drink lots of water and try one or two bites of the appetizers instead of eating half. If the portion sizes are huge, I ask for a box and put half away before the first bite, because I know I won't stop halfway if it's all still sitting on my plate.

If I have a bad day or a bad meal, I don't stress out about it. I'll get some exercise if I can, but if I can't - tomorrow is a new day. I'm looking at this as a lifestyle shift, and that doesn't mean being lockstep from day one and never stumbling. I'm just trying to learn new, healthy habits, and it's ok if sometimes I slip.

CasperO

I forget about it,,, realize that it happens and try not to do it again (too often).

The most important thing is to not fall into this trap: "Well,,, as long as I've blown the day, I might as well eat this 1/2 gallon of ice cream". Ooohhh,,, bad bad bad, and faulty logic.

Interestingly,,, I find that my idea of what is "bad" has evolved. Yesterday I made spareribs, and they were ridiculously good. Cooked low and slow all day with a nice sauce,,, wow. I came home hungry, and I was pretty bad last night. I had 5 bones worth,,, probably 700 or 800 calories. So I probably finished the day a couple hundred calories over. Not good, but not huge either.

A year ago I would have eaten the whole rack of ribs! I mean a 2000 calorie supper!?!?!(yeah, just supper). And that's how I wound up so fat. Now that I've been doing this for over a year my whole frame of reference has changed. That's the big change I needed to make to keep the weight off, and I've done it and it's working.