Share Your Best Practices

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Hey all! This is my first time posting to the forum. I've been a member for awhile but I'm just now beginning to get serious about tracking. I was wondering if you'd be willing to share your best practices? Basically, how have YOU been successful using this site? Have you used the app? Do you meal plan and pre-log your meals? Do you leave the screen open at work? How often did you check the forums? Do you have an accountability partner for finishing your log each day? Do you post to the forums a lot? Has the community support helped?

What's your best advice for a person new to the website???

Thanks in advance (no doubt I will be inspired by your answers)!

Replies

  • heymirth
    heymirth Posts: 448
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    I swear by loging everything. That's the only way to lose and stay motivated. I also swear by my Body Fit Media aka body bug
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    Don't starve yourself.
    Log everything even if you have a really horrible day
    Figure out how you got where you are now and what you need to do to permanently change to never go back there
    Find a good fitness program and stick to it

    Consistency and patience mean more than anything else

    P.S. Stay the heck away from the fad diets and diet plans that eliminate entire food groups. They aren't necessary and the overly-restrictive nature of them can lead you to failure.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    I always pre-log because I find it helps me to know exactly what I'm eating throughout the day. I have been in the situation a few times where I've got to dinner and realised I only have 200 calories left.

    I use the app a lot and check the forums every day.

    The community support here is brilliant, tbh since I've been here I've learnt that pretty much everything I thought I knew about losing weight was wrong. If it wasn't for the people here, I'd still be trying some fad diet or eating as little as possible.

    No accountability partner, but I'd like one!

    Best advice for a newbie:

    1. Read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    before you decide on any 1200 calorie limit.

    2. Slowly does it. Don't be upset if you don't lose 10lb every week.

    3. If you have a 'bad' day, don't hate yourself, we all do it. Forget about it and move on.
  • wwk10
    wwk10 Posts: 244 Member
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    Log everything
    Try not to eat food from a box, can or celophane
    Eat yummy food
    5-10 minutes of exercise a day is not enuf but it is an IMMENSE improvement over -0-
  • wwk10
    wwk10 Posts: 244 Member
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    Also, document your efforts with pictures, scale and tape measure.
    I found thelack of progress so discouraging until I looked at a 6 month old picture.
    The changes are gradual and you may not see them if you do not document.
  • tooliebell
    tooliebell Posts: 177 Member
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    I'll just echo some other things already said.

    1. Log it, no matter what it is , one hersey kiss, log the thing in!
    2. Make small goals in addition to your big ones. Write them down, put them on the fridge, the bathroom mirror wherever you can be reminded you made a goal.
    3. Remember it's a process, it won't happen overnight, it won't happen in a week. Know that you are making a change for the good.
    4. Check the forums. I swear, the forums have been one of the reasons I have been successful this time. The support you get and just read is an amazing motivator.

    Good Luck! You can do it!
  • Queen8shaq
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    Bump
  • xcarinarx
    xcarinarx Posts: 31 Member
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    I have to agree that I have been trying to pre-log as well because it helps me stay on track mentally and if I have physically logged in what I will eat for the day, I tend not to stray as much. Same with excercise. If I log it before I have done it then for some reason, it gives me more motivation to do it! Writing things down for me helps me actually do them. I also keep my log up all day at work so I can track right away as opposed to doing it later and forgetting! Trying to be as proactive as I can with using this site!
  • jeff1061
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    ditto to everything above. i like you do not have any partners but feel ii would help.

    i log in everyday via my phone or computer and log everything that i eat or drink.

    the forums i have just recently started visiting and they are wonderfull. you can get a whole range of advise, suggestions and encourgement.

    hang in there and keep it going, it is a journey that will pay off in the end.

    i read something today on a forum that i really liked." it is not what you loose but what you gain". your health and feeling better about yourself.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    What everyone else said, plus:

    1. Don't set time limits for yourself, like "I am going to lose XX lbs by XX date." I have learned that even if I do everything "right", I may not see a loss at all (or even a gain) for three weeks in a row, then in the 4th week all the weight will fall off. Just because your behavior is consistent doesn't mean your weight loss will be. I almost gave up a few times at the beginning because I didn't understand this.

    2. If you can, invest in a heart rate monitor so you can figure out how many calories you burn during workouts. This helps if you are going to eat back your exercise calories (I usually eat back half) and it gives you an idea of how hard you need to workout to "burn off" something. For example, I know that to burn off one shortbread cookie from Panera, I have to do a tough Jillian Michaels DVD for 40 minutes. Is it worth it?

    3. The community really helped me a lot. I've built a really great list of friends on here and we motivate each other daily through good days and bad. They have often kept me from giving up. The message boards are good when I'm bored at work, haha. I've learned a lot from them (like more protein is good, and women won't get bulky by weightlifting) but there's also a lot of nonsense and mean people. Just gotta know how to sift through them. I usually keep MFP open all day at work (and hide it when the boss comes around!). I use the app on my iphone when I'm at home or out and it has made a HUGE difference. The app is essential.

    Good luck and feel free to friend me!
  • 2013queen
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    I pre log food and exercise, then if I fancy something else, I know whether I can "afford" it.
    I log absolutely everything - and in the two weeks Ive been a member, Ive lost 9 pounds. I know thats helluva fast and I dont expect to lose anywhere like that in that time again BUT its been a massive boost to get me started.
    I measured everything when I started, and wont again until its been 4 weeks, when I hope the inches will start to diminish.

    I read the forums here a lot, I reply to some but some are just brilliant inspiration to read- some of the weight loss pics are incredible and spur me on too.

    I exercise as much as I can fit into my busy life. I swore Id do 30 mins a day, the bare bare minimum being a walk - well I messed up yesterday but other than that Ive stuck to it.

    The only other thing I will say is be honest with everyone around you. People will still be irritating "NO TERRY I DONT WANT A MINCE PIE" was something I had to say all day at work - but one you have the mindset going, its so much easier. I sat at work munching on celery feeling all smug today - not missing the cakes and biccies at all. Something I couldnt have forseen a month ago!!

    Good luck!
  • ninjapixie87
    ninjapixie87 Posts: 124 Member
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    Some of this has been said already, but here's my 2 cents:

    1. Log everything! Even small bites, cheat days, and weekends. This helped me realise just how much my weekends were undoing all my progress during the week.
    2. Eat! Don't starve yourself. You need fuel for those workouts. (Plus, when I don't eat enough, I'm SUPER cranky!)
    3. Exercise! Since I have a low metabolism, I really need to exersise so I can eat more and not feel like I'm starving.
    4. Pre-log your day. I typically pre-log my breakfast and whatever I brought to work for lunch, so I know how much I have left for dinner, or if I can get away with a small dessert.
    5. Set small, achievable short-term goals in addition to your long-term weight-loss goals. For example: by Valentine's Day, I aim to fit in the next-smaller pair of pants I have hanging in my closet. This makes those long-term goals less daunting. Also, document your progress and recognize/celebrate what you have achieved so far!
    6. Focus on calories in / calories out to begin with. Once you feel like you have a good handle on that, you can start paying more attention to macros (protein/fat/carbs), other nutrients (fiber/sodium/sugar/etc.), clean eating, or whatever other nutritional goals you may have in mind. But if you try to jump into all that at once, it can be overwhelming.
    7. Find someone IRL to be accountable to, and keep them up-to date. For example, I'll sometimes tell my hubby that I've been going over my calories, and I'm not allowed to have any XYZ that day. Then if he sees me going for it, he'll yell at me.
  • theshow4jsu
    theshow4jsu Posts: 380 Member
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    Agree with others, log everything. If not, you're only cheating yourself.

    Also, don't be afraid to fail. It's going to happen, we're human. Just don't make failing a habit. I allow myself one cheat meal a week, but even on my "cheat" meal I now make healthier choices.

    Always plan out what you will, if you have a plan, you won't make bad decisions.

    Don't allow yourself to get ravenously hungry. That's when you make the worst decisions.

    And finally, this is not temporary. This is a complete lifestyle adaptation. Thinking temporarily leads to long term failure.
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