New and extremely sceptical for good reason

Options
Celanith
Celanith Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
First tried the ariix and lost nothing so far but did not gain. Second I do not buy convience canned foods or packaged foods, I buy bulk and cook from scratch and home can my foods and fruits and veggies. So looking at calorie counter is not working and not letting me add some of them like ONE medium home grated hashbrown with tsp olive oil. For breakfast. Second I am low fixed income we go to the foodbank for food as we cannot afford to buy lots of food. We spend $270 a ,month on groceries. We make do and do without and have no medical. The things given me were a gift from my daughter. We specifically asked if we had to count calories answer NO. Also were told we could eat anything. I cannot afford the spendy fruits and veggies. I cannot afford blueberries every week maybe once a month. I eat a lot of chicken my favorite food. We eat Kosher no pork, shellfish products. No we are not Jewish or even Messianic but we adhere to clean and unclean biblical laws. Also I have low tolerance for a lot of fish some of my family is allergic to any fish. Another is allergic to onions. I do not eat much bread and or pastas or rice. I eat broccoli, asparagus sometimes, brussel sprouts, green beans, peas sometimes, carrots rarely. Peaches, pears sometimes, watermelon, cantalope and doctor said due to cramps in legs bananas, Blue berries or huckleberries sometimes and raspberries and strawberries. Lots of salad lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green bell peppers, onions. Sometimes avacado and olives, I cook with olive oil. I eat a lot of chicken, some trout rarely salmon, my son fishes and provides trout and hunts and provides venison Turkey. Applesauce as cannot chew apples or nuts due to losing teeth and no dental need dentures cannot afford them. So not sure what to do. I am 317 lbs and frusterated. Seems every weight loss program is geared for people with income levels that are 35,000 and above I live on $19,600 a year. So tell me how this program is going to work for me. I cannot afford the stuff ariix sells what I have was a one time gift and it is not working half used now to no purpose as found out it takes money I do not have. So tired of everyone scamming the poor who really need an affordable workable program and OH yes I do exercise, treadmill, ball, cardioglider and go to water aerobics 2 X a week. :cry:
«1

Replies

  • silentnightmare
    silentnightmare Posts: 4
    Options
    Hi there and welcome. I am also new here so thought I will say hi :) I don't think this is a 'program' just a way of helping your track your progress and calorie intake/burning - I might be wrong. From what you have said you sound like you eat things which are really good for you, and exercise sounds good too.

    Maybe we can first work out a goal for you? What is it you want to gain (lose) from this?

    Also have you set up your account with weight, measurements and daily intake needed?
  • mdauclair
    mdauclair Posts: 8
    Options
    I agree with Silent, I don't think this is a "program as much as this is a way of keeping track of what you are doing for yourself. Here you can track all of your food intake, exercise etc. everyday and have friends to help keep you on track and encourage you! This costs you nothing it is totally free. You will get as much out of it as you put into it. I'm brand new to the website but I'm hooked, the people are amazing, and you can set your goals to your personal needs. What more can you ask for?
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Options
    Woah. I would suggest permanently banning all diets with names or gimmicky rules. Eat a balanced diet, track your foods, pick a reasonable calorie goal and stick with it, get some exercise. It really is as easy as that, just be patient. Lasting results take time.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    Options
    I live on less money than you do. Silence the violins.
  • kmluecht
    kmluecht Posts: 37 Member
    Options
    No need to change your foods. Sounds like you are eating a lot of healthy choices! I am a part time maid with a small income so I understand where you are coming from. I haven't really changed my foods since being here, just eating smaller portions. You can do it! Stick with it. I have lost 44 pounds since January just by eating the right amount of calories. I have gone from 215 lbs to 171 just by using this site to track calories! Feel free to friend me if you need some support. You can do it, even on a budget!
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Options
    You have a small budget? Well, you have come to the right place. You know why? Because it's free!! Seriously, you don't need to buy diet products, they don't work anyway. What I find that works is having a plan, having the tools to execute the plan and having a support network to help when you get bogged down. You will find all of that here. Be aware, there is a lot of jargon and abbreviations thrown around in herd, don't worry, you will pick up quickly. Here is how to get started, log your food, that's it...just log your food. If you look through the database you can usually find something close to what you have, if not, add up all the ingredients yourself. After you start logging you will get a picture of what you,are eating and how many calories. In the meantime, read......search the forums. Learn what TDEE and BMR stand for and what they are used for. Lastly, walk, walk everyday just a wee bit further thAn yesterday. That's it. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions.
  • TarshCooper001
    TarshCooper001 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    Welcome,

    Firstly- if you have already started with a mind set that this is not for you, then it wont work.

    What this does is make you aware of how many calories you are eating and records the amount of exercise you are doing. ie. Energy In (Food) must also be balanced with energy out (exercise)

    I do not eat any crazy new foods and didnt have a gym membership at first but I have lost my weight over a 6 month period by eating smaller portions, realising how hard it is to exercise off high calorie foods and in general made me aware of just how much of the wrong foods I was eating in large portions.

    I still have my once a week splurge on naughty foods, go out for dinners and drink- BUT I have learnt that when you input daily into your journal it makes you think twice about having that extra snack. You can cheat in your journal but you end up cheating yourself.

    So my word of advise is- throw away your diet concepts, realistically log your daily food (estimate if you have to based off other similar foods in the MFP) and exercise, walking is free and so is jogging.

    And most of all- remember that this is a change of lifestyle- not a new fad diet :)
  • losingit413
    losingit413 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    To log foods that you make at home is fairly simple. Click on the Food tab, then cllick on Enter New Recipe on the right side of the page. When you cook your food weigh or measure everything you use so you can enter it into the recipe. You can enter the amounts you would cook for the whole family and then enter how many servings. You can also do single serving recipes. This helped me a lot when I was trying to figure out how many calories I was eating. It saves the recipes for you so you don't have to enter them every time. You don't have to pay for a diet program, just eat healthy whole foods and stay within your calorie limit for the day. The best part is MFP is FREE!
  • maybeazure
    maybeazure Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    What is ariix? This is mostly a calorie counting site, so I don't see how you will avoid that, but it is free. And you can eat what you want, just maybe not as much of it. And for the hash browns, track the ingredients...one potato, one teaspoon of olive oil...or whatever.
  • madworld1
    madworld1 Posts: 524
    Options
    I don't believe in gimmicks either. Even if they do work, they don't work forever.

    MFP is not a gimmick. It's a way to keep track of food and activity.

    I gather from your post that you are having a hard time logging food because it's homemade. I eat a lot of things that aren't prepackaged and I'll tell you what I do. If I am eating a salad, I go through and add each item that I have in that salad. I eat avocados, but not the whole thing. Not only are they expensive, but they are also high in calories. So, I eat either a half or a quarter of one. That way it lasts for at least 2-4 days. When I enter it in my food log, I just do .25 servings or .5 servings of a whole avocado.

    It's tricky and it takes some dedication, but it's worth it.

    Hope this helps.
  • itsscottwilder
    itsscottwilder Posts: 317
    Options
    OK let's start easy and answer the question "How is this going to work for you?"

    So let's get a few basic pieces of information to start:

    1. How Tall are you?
    2. What's your weight?
    3. How old are you?
  • KathryneJY
    KathryneJY Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    Honestly, if you look at MFP as some sort of service and what it can do for you, you need to change your approach. MFP is a tool. It doesn't tell you what to buy, how to exercise, or any of that. YOU need to commit to a healthier you. MFP is simply a tool to help you do that. The tone of your post suggests you just want to sit back and have some internet site prove to you it works. It doesn't work that way.

    So, if you are eating healthy, despite your income disadvantages, are you committed to finding out why you have a weight problem? I'll bet you dollars to donuts it's your calorie intake. Want to find out? Start logging your food. Then you'll know.

    There's lots of ways to workout for free. Walking doesn't cost anything. Neither do pushups. If you're going to aquafit, why not start swimming before or after? You've already paid to be there. A couple of hours of exercise a week is probably too little, and since I go to aquafit regularly, I know that it doesn't burn that many calories in a session (200-300 at best and that's working extremely hard). I can't see your original post while I am replying, but if you are burning less than 1000 calories in exercise a week and probably taking in more than you need to lose weight, it's pretty obvious to me that you're not doing enough.

    That said, you can do this if you really want to, but you have to really want to. It's not easy, it's not fast if you're doing it right. There are no gimmicks. Calories in vs. calories out. It's that simple. Start today. You'll be glad you did.
  • RebekahR84
    RebekahR84 Posts: 794 Member
    Options
    Somone else already mentioned to save your recipes (even with the stuff you're canning,) so you have an exact caloric count for the stuff you make. This is VERY good advice. I have so many saved recipes, that I rarely piece-meal anything together anymore.

    Change that attitude into optimism! I have done loads of diets, but THIS tracker has been the best tool I've used. You'll love it, but you have to step into it with an open mind. Feel free to add me and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have.
  • DallastheGemini
    DallastheGemini Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    You don't have to have a lot of money to lose weight. I make a heck of a lot LESS than you do and I have still managed to lose 21 pounds. This site/app is free, you can't get any cheaper than that! I believe it's all in calories in versus calories out and this app helps you keep track.
  • JuantonBliss
    JuantonBliss Posts: 245 Member
    Options
    Woah. I would suggest permanently banning all diets with names or gimmicky rules. Eat a balanced diet, track your foods, pick a reasonable calorie goal and stick with it, get some exercise. It really is as easy as that, just be patient. Lasting results take time.

    ^This. I also live on less and with two other mouths. I really can't say it any better than the person above me. If you set your mind and body to it than it can be achieved.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Options
    Why would anyone here have to tell you what MFP can do for you?.......How about this...What can you bring to this community?
    You have to want to change for it to work, its free and can only be what you make of it.
  • JuantonBliss
    JuantonBliss Posts: 245 Member
    Options
    Also, have you ever tried looking up any vegetarian recipes? It seems that those kind of recipes would be much more helpful to you considering your situation. If you have any questions regarding them feel free to send me a message.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Options
    Well firstly if you eat mostly healthy home cooked food and you're still not losing/gaining weight then you're likely eating too much.

    MFP is pretty simple to use and it's free so you shouldn't have to spend any more money then you are now

    1. Enter your stats and figure out how many calories you should be eating for your height/weight/gender to lose weight.
    2. Log your daily food intake and try to stay as close to your calorie goal as possible. The recipe builder will help you with the home made foods.
    3. Optional (but highly recommended) - throw in some exercise and eat back the calories you burn off.
    4. Monitor your weight loss and adjust your plan according to how your body responds.


    It's really that simple
  • lindaland1
    lindaland1 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    After re-reading your post, I am wondering if you posted on the wrong site! Ariix website looks like an "Amway" type diet plan, and there are no actual "diet plans" here, just food and exercise tracking. Sounds like you are eating pretty healthy so just keep it up, limit calories and get more exercise.

    Remember, it didn't go on overnight so it wont come off that way either. Good luck!
  • itsnowornevercici
    itsnowornevercici Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    have to agree with all the advice here.

    i used to diet like crazy and it was a one way train to despressions-ville. in march this year i decided to take back control of my body and loss weight the right way.

    if you get your mindset right and you have a positive attitude to getting your life back, then the rest is easy. i don't buy into fad products just getting the right fruit and veggies.

    this site is here to allow you to track ur foods. the key to weight loss is simple portion control and exercise. i don't have a gym membership i just go in on days i can and pay on the day, otherwise i walk and jog and run.

    the weight will take a while to drop off. 'you didn't gain weight overnight so don't expect it to come off overnight' is the quote that gets repeated often here and its good to remember.

    feel free to add me, i offer all my pals support and encouragement :)

Categories