Progress, question, and struggles

momof5wonderful
momof5wonderful Posts: 7
in Getting Started
Today is going to be my second day to change the way I live. Yesterday went very well. I am actually surprised that I was not hungry at all yesterday. When you eat healthy you actually get a lot more food. I had an egg sandwich for breakfast with 1 egg and two egg whites. Thai Iced tea--my favorite! Lunch and dinner was a success too. MFP makes it so much easier because I log everything I eat or drink and I know exactly how much more I can have.

Question:

I was under my calorie count for the day, but i did go -15 for my protein. Is that a bad thing?

Struggles:

Staying off the stupid scale. Seriously I am addicted to that thing. I told my daughter to hide it from me and she forgot to do it. Instead of reminding her I hope she doesn't remember to hide it. It's crazy! Does anyone else struggle with staying off the scale?

Replies

  • jfauci
    jfauci Posts: 531 Member
    Congratulations on your first day! I am totally addicted to logging - it definitely makes is easier to know exactly how much more you can have. I always go over on protein - protein fills you up for a longer period. As for the scale - I am also addicted to the scale. Some will say that weighing daily is not good, but for me, it works. I like seeing how I am doing and it helps me gauge how well I am doing with maintaining.

    IF you will stress staying off the scale, then just weigh as often as you like. If I don't weigh daily, I tend to under-eat because I think I gained. Good luck
  • michelle_816
    michelle_816 Posts: 621 Member
    Congrats on changing your life :) It feels great and sucks on any given day, but it is so worth it!

    As far as the macros (protein, sodium, fat, carbs, etc...), do your best to meet them as this is what your body needs, but do not stress too much if you are under or over a little. It's more as a guide for eating healthier and getting in what your body needs to thrive. But it's more important to meet or come under slightly the calorie count that MFP has set for you. Remember when you workout to eat back some of those calories as well. You need to make sure you fuel your body for success, and not deprive it.

    It sounds like you are on the right track :) Keep it up and you will see those lbs drop!

    As for the scale, I weigh myself every morning and track it. Weighing in once a week made me dread the scale that much more. Weighing in every day allows me to see my progress in a different light as it shows me how what I eat on any given day can affect me (ie high amounts of sodium, lack of exercise, etc...). But again, I don't stress about it. I officially weigh in on Mondays for MFP!

    Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like! My diary is open to friends (you will see that my eating habits are not extreme) and that I have achieved success in losing despite having days when I am over my calorie intake!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Congrats on your progress so far!

    As for staying off the scale...I am a daily weigh-in fan. I weigh every single morning, or almost. I do it when I wake and use the restroom, before I've eaten or had anything to drink.

    However, that's it...I do not weigh at any other time. I find it discouraging to weigh 2 lb more after eating a couple of meals, so I just don't do it. First thing in the AM is my only weight reference, even though I do it every morning. Works pretty well for me. Maybe it will work for you too.

    One more note...you might already know this from past experience, but if you get in a lot of exercise or eat a little too much sodium, you are likely to weigh in at a higher weight on the scale for a couple of days. Don't let that scare you!! It will go away...it's natural for that to happen and you DID NOT gain fat overnight.

    Good luck!
  • sheltol
    sheltol Posts: 120 Member
    Consistently under eating may initially help you lose weight but in the long run it could cause some problems. Definitely don't get in the habit of calories significantly lower than your goal.

    Try to break the scale addiction. Most peoples weight fluctuates 1-2% throughout the day. Then if you are exercising factor in gains from building lean muscle and it will really drive you crazy. Try to visualize the goal as fat loss and not a number on a scale. I can show you pictures of me at the same weight but an 8-9% body fat difference between each picture. I'm much leaner and my musculature is more defined even though I weighed the same several years before. So reprogram to think in fat loss not scale loss.

    Are you exercising?
  • Kita328
    Kita328 Posts: 370 Member
    I jump on the scale almost everyday...its at the same time though Right away when I wake up after I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. Lol. Pretty standard stuff. I make sure I am in my pj shirt and underwear and thats all... BUT I only log once a week if that. Sometimes I only log if I loose (or gain) for multiple days in a row.

    Im not the person to asl about macros I am horrible at hitting mine. i tend to not like a lot of meat... So protein is hard for me. I am always looking for ways to add protein in my diet because it does make me full for longer...but I feel you. If I eat meat I tend to like fattier meats...like beef sausage links or ground beef then I go over on fats....I have a hard time with it... So I understand. The most important thing for weight loss is the deficit.
  • velvet_violence
    velvet_violence Posts: 51
    Girl, you and me have some things in COMMON! I love thai iced tea and my scale is now in hiding citing that it isn't meant to be stepped on every time I look at it. It's true, when I abstain from bad food I feel like I get a lot more and it actually sticks. It's really hard for me to even get the amount of protein I'm "supposed to", but I also changed my macros to reduce carbs slightly. I have a lot of fat.

    Enjoy!
  • teresamurphy81
    teresamurphy81 Posts: 7
    I weigh daily, but record monthly. Measurements are a MUCH better indicator than pounds.

    Think of food as fuel!

    My husband is one of those fortunate people who actually eats to live instead of living to eat. I have been there occasionally and it feels wonderful. Looking forward to getting there again.
  • PippiNe
    PippiNe Posts: 283 Member
    Weighing yourself daily is not a big thing, many people on here do weigh daily (me too!). Weigh yourself in the morning wearing the same amount of clothes (or nothing). Do not weigh yourself multiple times a day or after every little thing you eat. Your weight will fluctuate throughout the day and you cannot base your weight loss (or gain) on readings taken right after a meal. As many have suggested, weigh daily, but pick one day of the week to be your "official" weigh-in day. Keep track of that measurement on MFP. Good luck to you!
  • michelle_816
    michelle_816 Posts: 621 Member

    One more note...you might already know this from past experience, but if you get in a lot of exercise or eat a little too much sodium, you are likely to weigh in at a higher weight on the scale for a couple of days. Don't let that scare you!! It will go away...it's natural for that to happen and you DID NOT gain fat overnight.

    ^^ This is so important! One other thing I'd recommend is measuring yourself (today if you can). I did this a week in and have measured now twice. Even though I am down only 10 lbs, I have lost inches. It's a great tool as well when you do hit those ruts where you may maintain the same weight or go above for a few days. If you are eating right and moving more, you will notice the inches fall!
  • waltcote
    waltcote Posts: 372 Member
    Welcome! I'm sure you will have great success here. It's working for me. For me it's a learning process. i do weigh myself daily as some others have said. We have a weight watchers scale that also track body fat and water weight percentage. I normally only log my weight once a weeke as someone else also said. I track my macros fairly closely but I don't obsess over them. Usually if I have calories left later in the day I will snack accordingly. If I am low on protein I eat something with more of that. To me my daily calorie allowance is like spending money. Do I want to waste it on junk like chips and sugary snacks or am I going to use it to buy something with more bang for my buck, foods with higher nutrients. My biggest issue some days is getting enough water. I have to be aware of my fluid intake. I tend to drink more coffee then I should(the only vice I have left) I am cautiously transitioning to maintenance intake now. Another bridge to cross. Best of luck with this. If you need more buddies on here feel free to ADD me. :bigsmile:

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