Wish I would've... (at the start of my MFP journey)

13

Replies

  • runningagainstmyself
    runningagainstmyself Posts: 616 Member
    To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

    Me:
    Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
    Wish I would've taken measurements
    Wish I would've included weight training

    Pretty much this exactly.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    I wish I would have taken measurements back in March when I started. I did my first measurement in early May.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    * Don't wait too long to try on those "too small" clothes you have been saving... If you wait too long you wont get to wear them. There were a few in my closet that went from being too small to being way too big. Every few pounds or inches lost try them on. You never know!


    Completely true! I missed the window of opportunity on a few items because of this. I also think it's frustrating in a way when your body changes in ways you don't expect so sometimes you don't ever get to wear a certain item.
  • mytime6630
    mytime6630 Posts: 4,186 Member
    I agree with the pics and measurements.

    I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

    What is the TDEE-20%?? I am trying to eat around 1200-1400 calories, and am barely losing. I am 62, so figured maybe that was why, but I always use to lose easier. I exercise a lot, so get very frustrated! Any suggestions?
  • tc41586
    tc41586 Posts: 136 Member
    These are great tips. Thank you!
  • sherry666
    sherry666 Posts: 36 Member
    I wish I would have started sooner! I'm 24 and have been overweight my entire life... I feel like I've missed out on everything that "regular people do"... if that makes sense....
  • clareyoung80
    clareyoung80 Posts: 177 Member
    * Don't wait too long to try on those "too small" clothes you have been saving... If you wait too long you wont get to wear them. There were a few in my closet that went from being too small to being way too big. Every few pounds or inches lost try them on. You never know!

    Yup, same here!

    I'm also glad I started measuring and taking before pics from the start.

    But I wish I'd started exercise at the start. Even if it was only 20 minutes three times a week, it would have been better than nothing!
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
    Congratulations! That is awesome! I just started MFP today and I am hoping to reach my goal loss, 30 lbs. in at least 9 months...

    30 in 9 months is do-able (as long as the final weight isn't at the low end of your norm. Once you hit your 'normal weight range' then it slows down. The important thing is to go ahead and start some weights for some toning (not bulking) to help with calorie burn at rest. It may make you gain a couple of pounds of water weight, but it will go away once your body becomes accustomed to the strength training

    (it will also make you look better once you have the fat removed! it's a double win!)
  • redwngs13
    redwngs13 Posts: 194 Member
    To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

    Me:
    Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
    Wish I would've taken measurements
    Wish I would've included weight training
    These were all exactly what went through my head when I read the topic title.

    I took some "before" pics when I first started MFP in 2010, but I never made much progress from that time so I ended up deleting them off my computer from shame. Kinda wish I would have kept them now!
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
    I agree with the pics and measurements.

    I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

    Very true! It took changing to this to get over one of my 3 month plateaus! (that and reducing the amt I was exercising..

    OH, I guess that is one lesson:

    Exercising extreme does not equal losing faster.

    My HRM has a 'weight loss' function to where it tells you how much to exercise. At one point, it got up to 9 hours a week (starts off around 2.5)...that's when I hit my plateau. I don't know if it was because my body was conserving for the mass energy expenditures or if my HRM just wasn't accurate enough and adding that many calories caused it to cause an issue, but when I went back to (5) 45 minutes sessions, I started losing again (and I felt a lot better!)
  • healthymissfit
    healthymissfit Posts: 648 Member
    I wish I woulda realized that my eating habits didn't have to be the same as anyone elses!
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
    Other then joining five years ago, I wish I had more/better before pictures. I also wish I knew my highest weight. I was so ashamed/ afraid of the number it would say so I didn't weigh myself for over a year, and had lost some before I bought a scale. Not that it matters much now, but it would be kind of nice to see my ticker say 40 or 50lbs down instead of 30.

    You can guesstimate! (It is a real mental motivation to see good weight loss)
    Each pant size is approximately 10 pounds (depending on your build) and is an accurate statement for me.


    And for the 'ugh weight training' statement-
    I agree that I soooo prefer cardio and still have a hard time getting in strength training. I don't mean 'using weights to get ripped' I mean doing stuff like planks, arm curls, squats to clean up the definition of your body (my back completely changed after doing the 30 day shred--that is my profile photo atm).
    I agree with the pics and measurements.

    I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

    What is the TDEE-20%?? I am trying to eat around 1200-1400 calories, and am barely losing. I am 62, so figured maybe that was why, but I always use to lose easier. I exercise a lot, so get very frustrated! Any suggestions?

    BMR stands for "Basal Metabolic Rate", and is equivalent to the number of calories you burn daily just by breathing/living. So, if you were to literally lay in bed all day like a zombie (aka..every Sunday for me), this is how many calories your body would burn.

    TDEE stands for "Total Daily Energy Expenditure". It takes your BMR and multiplies it by the "Activity Factor" to show a more realistic number of how many calories your body is burning. Do not include any workouts you do daily, as it makes the calculator less accurate. Instead, calculate how much you burn off with your workouts separately, than add them on.

    Just googling and selecting a random calculator:
    my BMR is: 1496 calories
    my TDEE : 1796 calories-- (takes BMR and adds a few calories for what I burn in my sedentary lifestyle)
    so to lose 1 pound a week, I take 500 from my TDEE so I have a deficit of 3500 in a week. If I exercise, then I get to eat more.

    Hope this helps!
  • T0FatToB3S1ck
    T0FatToB3S1ck Posts: 192 Member
    To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

    Me:
    Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
    Wish I would've taken measurements
    Wish I would've included weight training

    This completely except the weight training. I had way to much to lose and there was no way I would have been healthy enough at the time to just jump in.

    I really REALLY regret not taking a before photo/measurements.
  • uwsmama
    uwsmama Posts: 31 Member
    Bump
  • ril0riley
    ril0riley Posts: 54 Member
    Bump
  • goalss4nika
    goalss4nika Posts: 529 Member
    To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

    Me:
    Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
    Wish I would've taken measurements
    Wish I would've included weight training


    Yea, pretty much!
  • cclarkcts
    cclarkcts Posts: 97
    I wish I would have taken measurments
  • AprilJG79
    AprilJG79 Posts: 56 Member
    Other then joining five years ago, I wish I had more/better before pictures. I also wish I knew my highest weight. I was so ashamed/ afraid of the number it would say so I didn't weigh myself for over a year, and had lost some before I bought a scale. Not that it matters much now, but it would be kind of nice to see my ticker say 40 or 50lbs down instead of 30.

    You can guesstimate! (It is a real mental motivation to see good weight loss)
    Each pant size is approximately 10 pounds (depending on your build) and is an accurate statement for me.


    And for the 'ugh weight training' statement-
    I agree that I soooo prefer cardio and still have a hard time getting in strength training. I don't mean 'using weights to get ripped' I mean doing stuff like planks, arm curls, squats to clean up the definition of your body (my back completely changed after doing the 30 day shred--that is my profile photo atm).
    I agree with the pics and measurements.

    I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

    What is the TDEE-20%?? I am trying to eat around 1200-1400 calories, and am barely losing. I am 62, so figured maybe that was why, but I always use to lose easier. I exercise a lot, so get very frustrated! Any suggestions?

    BMR stands for "Basal Metabolic Rate", and is equivalent to the number of calories you burn daily just by breathing/living. So, if you were to literally lay in bed all day like a zombie (aka..every Sunday for me), this is how many calories your body would burn.

    TDEE stands for "Total Daily Energy Expenditure". It takes your BMR and multiplies it by the "Activity Factor" to show a more realistic number of how many calories your body is burning. Do not include any workouts you do daily, as it makes the calculator less accurate. Instead, calculate how much you burn off with your workouts separately, than add them on.

    Just googling and selecting a random calculator:
    my BMR is: 1496 calories
    my TDEE : 1796 calories-- (takes BMR and adds a few calories for what I burn in my sedentary lifestyle)
    so to lose 1 pound a week, I take 500 from my TDEE so I have a deficit of 3500 in a week. If I exercise, then I get to eat more.

    Hope this helps!

    I think this is the best description I've read on MFP of BMR and TDEE Thanks :)
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member

    I think this is the best description I've read on MFP of BMR and TDEE Thanks :)

    Wow, and there's a lot of descriptions out there about it...thank you very much :)
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
    Lol-starting up again and was great to read through these!

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