I have been wondering how many calories do you take in daily. I found that I only lose weight when I eat not more than 1200 cal, with little exercise (treadmill 20 - 30 minutes/ day, gardening, weights 20 min 2x week,). the other threads say anything less puts us in a starvation mode and slows metabolism.How can mine get any slower?:noway: I have also found that eliminating dairy and wheat products and junky processed foods helped my weight loss. Also I started eating a seed=based cereal with coconut milk in the mornings and boy am I regular now. I used to be constipated all the time. I am amazed at the power of nutritious eating. The 1200 calories are satisfying if they're dense in protein and good carbs and fats.

Hi Susan,

I start with 1200 calories then when I exercise I try to eat the calories I burn...sometimes it does NOT happen though. That is AWESOME that you get cardio, weight training, and your gardening. That is interesting that you say eliminating dairy and wheat products helps you lose. I actually can see that cause the wheat is carbs..and of course sugar processed food is junky to me, and my nemesis. Since I am a sugarholic I need to eat as little as possible, or PLAN it into my menu. What is the seed-based cereal that you use? Well..congratulating you on your nutrition...Take care :flowerforyou: Deb :drinker:

Hi , I started on 1500 calories but found I was mostly taking about 1200 so now I look for 1200 but don't stresss if I go over cos I know I'll still be losing! Also I go to the gym 5 or 6 times a week! I do body pump, body combat and step, Zumba, Pilates. Most days I do 2 classes, then maybe go For a swim or relax in the spa pool! My weight loss journey has not been fast or easy but I m still losing very slowly which suits me cos I am never left feeling hungry or deprived of my favourite foods!
:drinker:

When I'm losing and doing well I do better with the 1200 and eating back about 1/2 exercise cals. More if actually hungry. When I switched to maintenance I started to up the cals a bit but also slacked off logging as diligently not realizing how difficult maintenance would actually be and how I still needed to work it faithfully, at least in the beginning. And then life happened again, and I was surprised how quickly I reverted back to the old ways of not exercising and major stress eating. Even while losing I had been known to stress eat, sometimes even a lot, but I was able to start over the next day and just go on. But this hit hard.

Clothes are fitting tight and my tummy regained what I had taken off. I had given away all the clothes that were way too big when I lost the pounds and the whole size. Throughout my life whenever I would lose the next chunk of weight I would always give away the bigger clothes and use my new clothes getting tight as a warning bell and take the pounds back off. I have never gone back up any sizes before, and refuse to do it for the first time. Of course as I get older I realize that this is harder than it used to be.

Back in my 20s when I took off my first significant amount of weight a co worker told me about giving clothes away, and it has served me well all these years. So my warning bell has been clanging, and the other week I reset my cals back down to 1200 again and reset the weight to what it actually is again. It has been a slow start, but at least it is a start. I'm trying to get my head focused back on losing with the excitement I had in June 2012 when I joined mfp. Right now the regrets creep more often than not. Maybe writing it here will help :ohwell: .

:flowerforyou:

................Sees I like those fattening warm winter foods so this year I am going to go for beans and soups and stay away from ham biscuits and macaroni and cheese (trigger foods for me)

Well said, brenn24179. I also need to make more soup and have things on hand that I made and like when the other foods are around tempting me. Comforting warm food can be healthy and yummy. I need to be proactive this year also.

Thanks for the wise words :flowerforyou:

Mary

Hi, I'm new to this group. I have been staying within the 1200 calories each week. I have been losing 2 pounds each week. I make sure I track everything I eat, otherwise, I end up going over the 1200 calories. I have been trying different vegetables that I normally wouldn't buy, just to have something different. For example, I tried white asparagus instead of the green asparagus. I really need to add exercise into my day but with traveling for work and caring for my mom, who lives a couple of hours away from me, I haven't gotten to that point yet.

I love the name of this group. I can't say I'm sassy, (maybe others do and I don't know it) but I definitely have those stubborn pounds.

Welcome MaryInIndiana to our little group. I would like to some day think that I am sassy also , so I may as well start on it now lol.

You do have a lot on your plate right now and being busy. Add in a bit of walking in when you are able, but in the meantime you are doing great! That is awesome that you are being adventurous with your new veggies .

Mary :flowerforyou:

I decided to try the exercise bike I have in my basement. One pedal around and wow, I am I out of shape. I don't think my knees have been doing much of anything. I think I'll do some walking and then try the bike again.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

MaryInIndiana & Deb, So true about remembering limitations LOL. But I don't always remember that, but I do try though :laugh: .

MaryInIndiana, I don't buy again all the veggies/ fruits that I have given a try either. But the fun is in the trying :laugh: and maybe finding a keeper.
One of my most fun times of trying something new was this summer when I went to Brazil for son's wedding and had so many fun foods and veggies/ fruits to try. I actually tried to cook one root veggie that can be found here, and it turned out a bit like I ate there, but not enough to eat very much of it. May try again, but in a much smaller quantity someday .

:flowerforyou:

Keep logging!
Keep moving!
Drink that H2O!
Susan

Hi Susan :flowerforyou: ...those are definitely words to live by!! I just got back from the park and playing with my grandchildren...they are a ball of FUN...my granddaughter *loves* to play hide and see already. She is going on 21 months...wow...two years old in January! She chats sooo much, and is even making a little sense now...but she sure understands what I am telling her....and my 3 year old grandson...OMG...he was the "silent" type before he started to talk,...now he is kind of stuttering, so I've been correcting him, and telling how to say a sentence without saying..(for instance)"b..b..b..because". It is non threatening, and he will say what I ask. I ask to say "because why"...as he ALWAYS asks that question LOL...and I want to answer him. I don't know where he got this habit. He never started out talking that way. but, I don't want him to continue with it. He really does remember NOT to stutter when I am with him in the same day. He obviously knows the word, cause out of no where, he goes, "I stutter, Nanang?" My grandkids really make me work out...lol..the little one LOVES to run away from me so I can chase them...and I like going to the park we go because I can let Phoebe run off leash...paying close attention to picking up her poop...and the kids get some sun before their naps!!

MaryinIndiana,:flowerforyou: I hope your cyling in the basement is improving, as far as, getting winded. It happens when we first start out...and the improvement is from our NOT be winded say by the end of the week Keep up posted :happy:

MaryinTexas :flowerforyou: How WONDERFUL that you got to go to Brazil for your son's Wedding!! I enjoy the Brazilians upbeat nature...loving to party and dance....hehehe...that's me too! I have been recently introduced to Kale...and I *love* it...as there are sooo many uses...and I could make great dishes!...but the NUTRIENTS are FANTASTIC. I hope you got to check out the podcast about the Heart Attacks...HAPPY you are soooo healthy, and you are eating so that you do NOT have to take meds...you sound like you have great genes, also! I will be going up to a place located just outside our Capitol City of Sacramento called Apple Hill. I know this is the season for really sweet and crunchy apples...just like I like

If anyone is interested the site is: http://thesmarterscienceofslim.com/jonathan-bailors-smarter-science-of-slim-podcast/

I'm just happy we are all here to post to our 's content! I am munching on broccoli right now, and it is DELICIOUS :laugh:

I hope everyone is planning a grrreat week-end. :drinker:

Deb

Tonight it is pleasantly cool outside so I will sleep well. I know that losing my weight has really helped me sleep better at night. Oh it is so good to get that extra weight off! It is a wonderful transition!
I started decorating the house for Halloween. Tomorrow I have plans to return stuff at Target, grocery shop, work in the garden and start getting it ready for cold weather. I also want to clean some windows before the cold comes and that means dragging the hose around the house. I spray the windows with a Windex product that attaches to the hose and it "power" washes with a sudsy solution. It's not great but it does a decent job, especially on the high windows.
Aloha,
Susan

Hi Susan,

WOW...I love that you decorate for Halloween. We have new neighbors, and they already have there home ready for the kiddies. I hope we get some this year... We didn't have a turn out last year :ohwell: I *still* think it is fun. I want my grandkids to have a good experience...so I will think positively. I want to go with them for a little while. My grandson is 3 years old, and the little one is 22 months...so she will be a little in awe, but, she tries everything her brother does...I am glad they are very close...soooo cute to see them say good morning to each other. :happy: I look forward to Halloween this year. It will be a great walk for my me and my granddog, too.

Wow, with your activity you surely do not have trouble with your calorie intake :bigsmile: Washing windows is a high calorie burn period...good for you. I know this post is a few days late..but I wanted to say hi back...and CONGRATULATE you for your that Awesome BURN! You DEFINITELY keep moving...and that *is* the key!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Take care :drinker:
Deb

I lost weight by staying at or slightly under 1200 calories per day. I have found that if I go over that amount I gain. One of the things I have learned here is that we are all individuals and that what works for one person may not work for someone else. I exercise daily M-F on the elliptical in the gym at work for an hour. I usually take a walk at home in the evening. I have the privilage of living on 10 acres of rolling hills, mostly deciduous woods. We have made trails in the woods over the years and my husband maintains them. A great place for walking and it is up and down hills so it gives me a nice hike. On the weekends I try to walk for at least two hours in our woods. I have a fitbit (my very best motivator to get moving) and make sure I get over 10,000/steps per day. Every 10 feet of elevation gives credit for walking up stairs, so walking the hills adds up to a lot of stair cases.

Hope everyone has much happiness and success on their journeys!

Good for you susanrechter for taking those ingredients back. What a brilliant idea to do that.

How many calories do I take in each day? MFP set me for 1200 when I'm trying to lose (again). I try to eat back my exercise cals. Sometimes I think that my cals might be too low b/c sometimes I'm really hungry late at night when I'm staying up late. But a lot of time when I night time eat it is stress related and probably not truly hungry. Certain foods trigger me to over eat especially when I'm tired and/ orstressed.

This month my goal is to log everything I eat even if I eat at night after closing my diary out. With that goal in mind it made wanting to eat last night not as attractive to me and causing me to be more mindful once again. I'm making myself accountable again with the logging like I used to do. I have really slipped up on logging as accurately as I should again. Or just not logging when I know I'm stress eating.