Introduce Yourself

r00kiej
r00kiej Posts: 8
edited September 19 in Introduce Yourself
Hello All,

I just signed up for myfitnesspal as it was recommended on a workout program site that I will be starting in the next few weeks. Congrats to all of you who have been utilizing this site and working towards attaining your goals. I look forward to doing the same and being here to give and get support along the way.

If you are a "veteran" user, i would appreciate hearing about any tricks or shortcuts you have found along the way - knowledge is power.

Happy and Healthy Holidays to all,
R00kieJ

Replies

  • r00kiej
    r00kiej Posts: 8
    Hello All,

    I just signed up for myfitnesspal as it was recommended on a workout program site that I will be starting in the next few weeks. Congrats to all of you who have been utilizing this site and working towards attaining your goals. I look forward to doing the same and being here to give and get support along the way.

    If you are a "veteran" user, i would appreciate hearing about any tricks or shortcuts you have found along the way - knowledge is power.

    Happy and Healthy Holidays to all,
    R00kieJ
  • Lauren882
    Lauren882 Posts: 102
    I'm not a veteran, only been here since July. But, I've lost 31lbs and I know it's from this site. There aren't any short cuts really. Follow the calorie plan and it'll drop off on it's own! We're all proof of that!

    Good Luck!

    -L
  • mlbfan528
    mlbfan528 Posts: 4
    I've been here a short while--a few months maybe? The best thing for me is just the being able to see and keep track of everything that I'm eating & drinking. Oh, sure, we've all tried to keep track ourselves over the years I'm sure. But this set-up and the wonderful food database makes this so much easier. Seeing exactly what I'm putting in my mouth every day helps me to make better choices going forward. I don't always make the best decisions (peanut butter cups are my own personal gift from God) but at least logging it in helps me to make more informed decisions. Yes, I still eat empty calories now and then, but not as much as I used to. You'd be surprised at all the junk you're eating and you don't even realize it until your actually keeping track of every little thing. So just that realization, and the subsequent conscious decision to choose to eat what I eat instead of just randomly shoving whatever is available or easy in my mouth has made the biggest difference in my journey.
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
    :flowerforyou:
  • ranaelynn
    ranaelynn Posts: 115 Member
    Welocome - Best tip I can give you is follow the suggestions. Track your food AND your excercise and and YES eat your excercise calories - no one believes it at first but look at me - I'm living proof and so are tons of others on here that it works!:noway: :laugh:
  • srajkowski
    srajkowski Posts: 13
    Hello, I first came across myfitnesspal last May and used it for about a week or two and then just kind of stopped. It is a great way to keep track of what you are eating and excercise routine. I plan on sticking with it this time. My husband and I just joined the gym also so together we hope to change our lifestyle to a much more healthier one, for each other and our kids. If you have any tips please let me know. Thanks. srajkowski
  • bootsnspurs4horses
    bootsnspurs4horses Posts: 76
    what do you mean eat your exercise calories ???

    :flowerforyou:
  • kellch
    kellch Posts: 7,849 Member
    Welcome :flowerforyou: This place is great :drinker:

    And now you've got Humpty Dance stuck in my head........So just let me introduce myself...My name is Humpty pronounced with an Umpty :laugh:
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    Welcome and good luck! No tricks, no shortcuts. Slow and steady wins the race. :drinker:
  • huffster
    huffster Posts: 14
    what do you mean eat your exercise calories ???

    pambullard :flowerforyou:

    Eating your exercise calories means that you earn back calories when you exercise, since you're burning calories. You have the choice of either using them to lower your daily intake or eat them and maintain a steady intake. Try it. Enter in an exercise in your exercise log and watch it appear on your food diary. It give the calories you've burned back to you. You can use them to treat yourself to ice cream or take an extra helping of whatever. Or not. You can just glory in coming in so far below the wire. :glasses:
  • huffster
    huffster Posts: 14
    If you are a "veteran" user, i would appreciate hearing about any tricks or shortcuts you have found along the way - knowledge is power.

    Happy and Healthy Holidays to all,
    R00kieJ

    If by shortcuts you mean a shortcut to weight loss I'd say their the stuff of fantasy. It took most of us awhile to get so out of shape. It's not going to be put right over night.. But I agree with the others here. You've taken a great step (plus the exercise you're planning). I find (and research supports it) that there's great benefit in keeping track of what you eat and how much. It's surprising how much unconscious eating we do and how devestating it is. Just doing that, keeping track, will go a long way to setting things straight.

    May you meet every urge to splurge with a stalwart heart. Viva la resistance! :glasses:
  • r00kiej
    r00kiej Posts: 8
    Thanks Huffster and all the others who replied with such positive messages and encouragement. One additional, "newby" question, how do you get your tracker onto your post?
  • huffster
    huffster Posts: 14
    How to Add a Weight Loss Tracker
    Click on "My Home."
    Then on "Settings".
    Click on "Change forum signature".
    You will see a link on the right that says Only "MyFitnessPal" trackers allowed. Click on that link.
    You'll be given the choice of using a Premade ticker or Customizing one. Make your choice.
    When you're done with that process, which is explained step by step as you go, you'll be given two bits of code, one for the Forums, and one in HTML for websites and blogs. Copy the code for the Forums and then paste it into your signature (the link "Change forum signature").

    :glasses:
  • ranaelynn
    ranaelynn Posts: 115 Member
    what do you mean eat your exercise calories ???

    :flowerforyou:

    Here is the best and fullest explanation ever for 'EAT YOUR EXERCISE calories'
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    This site differs in others in that it does not assume your going to work out as much as you say you are going to - SO the calorie suggestion it first gives you assumes your going to sit on your backside, takes # calories you would normally need to maintain subtracts 500 and sets your recommened from there. You log your exercies that you ACTUALLY do and when you log them the program adds those calories back into your daily allowance. Thus you still stay at about a 500 calorie deficit which it seems is just about perfect to lose weight while not pushing your body into a deprivation/starvation mode where it starts to freak about the lack of food and stores everything it can get its hands on - - anyway the gal who wrote the post I put the link to above gives a really good and complete explanation of this so PLEASE do go read it.

    Oh yeah - the even bigger plus to this is that it REALLY motivates you to work out because man 1200 cal a day is nothing - with out my work outs which generally net me around 700 calories I would be toast! :)
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