Third try the lucky one?

vannaly92 · February 2014

Being only 21, I've gone through a lot in the last few years that has made my life pretty hard to deal with.

My first time losing my weight I managed to get up the motivation I needed to be able to fit into my grad dress for the end of my school year. That goal came easy to me. Once grad was over life started, and I started to gain again. I gained an amazing bf, but the one problem being is he only weighs about 120 pounds and can eat whatever he wants whenever he wants and lose weight.. Drives me crazy. I started eating the same portions as him for a while and that's how I gained my weight back.

My second time losing weight was last year. I was to the point that I was starting to feel great about myself and be able to buy new clothes without it being XL. That felt amazing. Had lost almost 30 pounds. But after I switched jobs and then got let go due to lack of work a week before Christmas I managed to hit rock bottom and within the few weeks that I spent with my family and the time around new years I gained my weight back again. My body seems to settle my weight around 180 when I gain.

This is my third time losing weight. What can I do to make sure it stays off? I need more people to motivate me; having a bf that has never had to watch what he eats is hard because he just doesn't understand how hard it is. This time around I made sure that starting to lose my weight during winter would be easier by buying an elliptical trainer. Is there anyone out there to motivate, to give advice, or share their plans on how they manage to not gain the weight back?

vannaly92 · February 2014

bump

vannaly92 · February 2014

hello?

sijomial · February 2014

You have posted in the maintaining weight forum - getting started forum might have been better!

Best of luck anyway.

jmrock3 · February 2014

You're on the right path... you have an achievable goal. The key, get moving every day towards that goal. Make your Sunday your day to prep yourself for the week to come. I prepare my food on Sundays, marinate chicken breast, cut veggies, whatever you're eating make ahead what you can. This will limit the amount of dinning out, or grabbing an unhealthy snack when you're hungry. I pack my workout gear, always the night before, so I'll never have the excuse I didn't have time to pack it. I have a daughter your age, who has had similar issues with weight. She has turned the corner her weight and with school, work and exercise, she is making it work. She'll get up at 4:30 to hit the gym if she's working at night. She has made herself a priority and you should too! I track my food daily, and before I think about eating something bad... add it to my diary and see how it affects my overall goal. It's an eye opener for sure! You got this!

trogalicious · February 2014

advice? here ya go.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

vannaly92 · February 2014

Thank you. That's great to hear.

vannaly92 · February 2014

Any ideas on what food scale to get?

trogalicious · February 2014

Any ideas on what food scale to get?

any relatively cheap digital one works. I ordered mine from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Digital-Kitchen-Capacity-Stylish/dp/B003E7AZQA/ref=lp_289787_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1393357707&sr=1-1

is what I picked up.

vannaly92 · February 2014

Ok thank you. I'll start my search for one.

themedalist · February 2014

advice? here ya go.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

I wish there was a "Gems of MFP" award. I would be nominating you.

Seriously great advice. Please take it.

beamer0821 · February 2014

sounds like your emotions impact your weight (like most of us) when there is a big life change your weight becomes unmanageable. to keep weight off (not just lose it) you will need to get in your head as well and find out what about the life changes (like a new job, finishing school, etc.) drives you to not take care of yourself. not taking care of yourself = not eating well and not getting some form of exercise in. this will be a critical key imo to keeping weight off.

also having a heart to heart with BF about being supportive of your new lifestyle. just b/c he doesnt have a weight problem doesnt mean he's healthy. maybe he could exercise with you? go for walks, play tennis, throw a ball around outside or play 1 on 1 soccor, there are a ton of things to do together that dont mean you have to hit the gym.

good luck!

Third try the lucky one?

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