The trick behind the success

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  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    I've found that home made vegetable / fruit smoothies have been awesome to help me manage my weight. High in nutrients, low in calories, lots of volume to help make me feel full.

    Calorie balance is the final determinant of weight, natch, but some things do help to make that balance easier to maintain for me...
  • stargirl85
    stargirl85 Posts: 50 Member
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    jaga13 wrote: »
    I can't think of any tangible trick, but I had an "aha" moment a few months ago. Although I had slowly lost weight over the last couple years, I was stalled (mentally). A friend said she had a fitbit and "earned" her dessert or wine each day with extra activity. I liked that concept. I already had an MFP account from years ago that I never really committed to, so I pulled it back up on my phone earlier this year and calculated how many calories I could eat for a .5 lb loss, and since it's only 1210 (well, a few months ago it was 1270), I figured out how much I have to MOVE each day to earn closer to 1400, because FOOD. I kind of enjoy the challenge of earning more good each day. In fact, I pre-log the night before so I always know generally how much I'm going to eat and therefore how much I have to exercise.
    Really? For me it's 1350 for a 0.5lb loss. Sedentary. 5ft3. Don't quite understand the logic behind it.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited June 2015
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    stargirl85 wrote: »
    jaga13 wrote: »
    I can't think of any tangible trick, but I had an "aha" moment a few months ago. Although I had slowly lost weight over the last couple years, I was stalled (mentally). A friend said she had a fitbit and "earned" her dessert or wine each day with extra activity. I liked that concept. I already had an MFP account from years ago that I never really committed to, so I pulled it back up on my phone earlier this year and calculated how many calories I could eat for a .5 lb loss, and since it's only 1210 (well, a few months ago it was 1270), I figured out how much I have to MOVE each day to earn closer to 1400, because FOOD. I kind of enjoy the challenge of earning more good each day. In fact, I pre-log the night before so I always know generally how much I'm going to eat and therefore how much I have to exercise.
    Really? For me it's 1350 for a 0.5lb loss. Sedentary. 5ft3. Don't quite understand the logic behind it.

    It's also calculated on your *current* weight, not just your height.

    Two women of the same height, with the same basic activity level, choosing the same amount of weight loss per week will be given two totally different calorie allotments depending on what each of them currently weighs. For example, a woman weighing 150 lbs will be given a *much* lower daily calorie allotment than, say, a woman whose current weight is 250 lbs. :)
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
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    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    stargirl85 wrote: »
    jaga13 wrote: »
    I can't think of any tangible trick, but I had an "aha" moment a few months ago. Although I had slowly lost weight over the last couple years, I was stalled (mentally). A friend said she had a fitbit and "earned" her dessert or wine each day with extra activity. I liked that concept. I already had an MFP account from years ago that I never really committed to, so I pulled it back up on my phone earlier this year and calculated how many calories I could eat for a .5 lb loss, and since it's only 1210 (well, a few months ago it was 1270), I figured out how much I have to MOVE each day to earn closer to 1400, because FOOD. I kind of enjoy the challenge of earning more good each day. In fact, I pre-log the night before so I always know generally how much I'm going to eat and therefore how much I have to exercise.
    Really? For me it's 1350 for a 0.5lb loss. Sedentary. 5ft3. Don't quite understand the logic behind it.

    It's also calculated on your *current* weight, not just your height.

    Two women of the same height, with the same basic activity level, choosing the same amount of weight loss per week will be given two totally different calorie allotments depending on what each of them currently weighs. For example, a woman weighing 150 lbs will be given a *much* lower daily calorie allotment than, say, a woman whose current weight is 250 lbs. :)

    Yep. @stargirl85 I am 4 inches shorter than you, and presumably weigh less. Therefore, I get 1210 and you get 1350. I also update my Goal/profile section every time I lose a pound, so MFP automatically lowers my calorie count every couple of weeks (rather than waiting for me to lose some random number of lbs, like 10 lbs).
  • stargirl85
    stargirl85 Posts: 50 Member
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    jaga13 wrote: »
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    stargirl85 wrote: »
    jaga13 wrote: »
    I can't think of any tangible trick, but I had an "aha" moment a few months ago. Although I had slowly lost weight over the last couple years, I was stalled (mentally). A friend said she had a fitbit and "earned" her dessert or wine each day with extra activity. I liked that concept. I already had an MFP account from years ago that I never really committed to, so I pulled it back up on my phone earlier this year and calculated how many calories I could eat for a .5 lb loss, and since it's only 1210 (well, a few months ago it was 1270), I figured out how much I have to MOVE each day to earn closer to 1400, because FOOD. I kind of enjoy the challenge of earning more good each day. In fact, I pre-log the night before so I always know generally how much I'm going to eat and therefore how much I have to exercise.
    Really? For me it's 1350 for a 0.5lb loss. Sedentary. 5ft3. Don't quite understand the logic behind it.

    It's also calculated on your *current* weight, not just your height.

    Two women of the same height, with the same basic activity level, choosing the same amount of weight loss per week will be given two totally different calorie allotments depending on what each of them currently weighs. For example, a woman weighing 150 lbs will be given a *much* lower daily calorie allotment than, say, a woman whose current weight is 250 lbs. :)

    Yep. @stargirl85 I am 4 inches shorter than you, and presumably weigh less. Therefore, I get 1210 and you get 1350. I also update my Goal/profile section every time I lose a pound, so MFP automatically lowers my calorie count every couple of weeks (rather than waiting for me to lose some random number of lbs, like 10 lbs).

    Oh OK, thank you for the responses. I didn't realise you were 4inches shorter than me and all the adjustments you both say. Guess that's another reason why it makes sense to weigh yourself regularly. Am quite new to this and understanding things like that.
  • stargirl85
    stargirl85 Posts: 50 Member
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    jaga13 wrote: »
    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    stargirl85 wrote: »
    jaga13 wrote: »
    I can't think of any tangible trick, but I had an "aha" moment a few months ago. Although I had slowly lost weight over the last couple years, I was stalled (mentally). A friend said she had a fitbit and "earned" her dessert or wine each day with extra activity. I liked that concept. I already had an MFP account from years ago that I never really committed to, so I pulled it back up on my phone earlier this year and calculated how many calories I could eat for a .5 lb loss, and since it's only 1210 (well, a few months ago it was 1270), I figured out how much I have to MOVE each day to earn closer to 1400, because FOOD. I kind of enjoy the challenge of earning more good each day. In fact, I pre-log the night before so I always know generally how much I'm going to eat and therefore how much I have to exercise.
    Really? For me it's 1350 for a 0.5lb loss. Sedentary. 5ft3. Don't quite understand the logic behind it.

    It's also calculated on your *current* weight, not just your height.

    Two women of the same height, with the same basic activity level, choosing the same amount of weight loss per week will be given two totally different calorie allotments depending on what each of them currently weighs. For example, a woman weighing 150 lbs will be given a *much* lower daily calorie allotment than, say, a woman whose current weight is 250 lbs. :)

    Yep. @stargirl85 I am 4 inches shorter than you, and presumably weigh less. Therefore, I get 1210 and you get 1350. I also update my Goal/profile section every time I lose a pound, so MFP automatically lowers my calorie count every couple of weeks (rather than waiting for me to lose some random number of lbs, like 10 lbs).

    Also I've only just started recently so it hasn't automatically adjusted my calorie count. Im not sure I could keep to that... I think some days will be bad and others good and I'm not feeling too optimistic at the moment. At least it's making me more aware I guess.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,029 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    My tricks ...

    I eat fewer calories than I burn.

    And if want to eat something outside my calorie limit, I work for it. I exercise until I have burned more than enough calories to compensate for whatever I want to eat.

    Pre-logging helps too. I don't pre-long much in advance ... sometimes maybe just an hour or two, sometimes the day before, to see how much exercise I need to do.

    Another tip ... go to your grocery store, food and veg markets, Asian markets, etc. and look at the foods. Check calorie contents of everything. You might be amazed at the variety of food available that is low cal ... and tasty. :)

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