It can't be this easy can it?

ragenhay1
ragenhay1 Posts: 158 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been at this 35 days now and I'm shocked by how easy I'm finding it to stay within my calories. Going to the gym five days a week is feeling great. I keep thinking I must be doing it wrong. I even bought a food scale because of all the posts saying you could be over eating and so far most things I've been overestimating. I've never really tried to lose weight before but now that I've had my second boy I need to lose the weight I put on while pregnant. I'm down 15 lbs and have 55 or so to go.
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Replies

  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Good for you !!!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I found it all to be pretty easy...others do struggle.
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    I found it easy until I hit the last 10lbs. Good luck, and well done!
  • ragenhay1
    ragenhay1 Posts: 158 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I found it all to be pretty easy...others do struggle.

    Oh yes of course others struggle and I get that. That's actually why I put off losing weight for so long because of how hard I've heard it can be. I have been at least 50lbs overweight for five years because of my fear of it being too hard.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    It's simple, but how easy it is can depend on so many factors. I usually find eating at a deficit easy, but there are days when it isn't so easy.
  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
    I love this!! For me, It really is simple. It does get more difficult as you get towards your goal weight, but I cannot believe how many fad diets I had tried and failed before coming to MFP. For me, it was all in portion control....duh!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I found everything to be "simple," but some days were harder than others. That is, knowing what to do is easy. Making it happen each day . . . sometimes not so easy.
  • Nuke_64
    Nuke_64 Posts: 406 Member
    Everyone has their own barriers, some with easier or fewer to overcome. But once you have, it does seem to be pretty easy.
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member

    Some days easy and some days hard. Congrats and keep up the great work.
  • alnvann
    alnvann Posts: 4 Member
    Well done on your achievement. It is so simple work out your maintenance for your current weight and then decrease your calorie intake by 300-500 calories a day. Eat healthy foods, avoid processed products and don't feel guilty for that odd treat. Most people struggle and turn to gimmicky diets/pills/quick fixes (which don't work) due to being impatient or not wanting to put the effort in. Keep up the good work and you'll achieve your goal :)
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Yes, it really is that easy. :)

    You may find, as time goes on, that the pounds come off slower than they did at first. Don't be upset if that happens. It's part of the game.

    Congrats on your loss!! :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It's been easier than I thought, but it gets harder and some days really suck. Just be ready for those and don't beat yourself up and don't give up!
  • ragenhay1
    ragenhay1 Posts: 158 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Yes, it really is that easy. :)

    You may find, as time goes on, that the pounds come off slower than they did at first. Don't be upset if that happens. It's part of the game.

    Congrats on your loss!! :)

    Yup. I know it will slow down and there will be ups and downs.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    The first month was super easy for me and then it became more difficult on the second month. Once I got past that and settled into a routine its been very easy. I honestly feel like I could do this forever and I keep asking myself why I didn't do this years ago.
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
    WTG! I was hungry, myself, on some days. And now I've slowed down on dropping the pounds. But boy, if you're doing this well, then maybe you won't have such trouble at the end.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    Great loss. For me the first 45 pounds, 4-5 months, were pretty painless. Now I struggle more and have taken breaks where I ate at or near maintenance. The thing was, unlike before, I didn't put on weight, before starting to lose again. I think I have successfully made this into a lifestyle change, this time instead of another yo-yo.
  • siluridae
    siluridae Posts: 188 Member
    You could make it harder for yourself going full bodybuilder, optimizing your macros and micros, keeping track of bodyfat and exercise. :D
  • ragenhay1
    ragenhay1 Posts: 158 Member
    siluridae wrote: »
    You could make it harder for yourself going full bodybuilder, optimizing your macros and micros, keeping track of bodyfat and exercise. :D

    I don't think I'm willing to put that much into it ha ha.
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,157 Member
    MarziPanda95 wrote: »
    I found it easy until I hit the last 10lbs. Good luck, and well done!



    Exactly. For me, too.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Congrats on your weight loss! :) Keep doing what is working for you.
  • OneHundredToLose
    OneHundredToLose Posts: 8,523 Member
    I don't go to the gym at all or get any real exercise besides walking 4 miles per day. All I've done is reduce my calorie intake according to what MFP suggests, and I've lost weight at exactly the rate MFP predicted. When the solution is backed by science, it really is that easy.
  • Melwillbehealthy
    Melwillbehealthy Posts: 894 Member
    yes, creating a calorie deficit isn't that hard, but doing it day after day is hard. I'm never going to say that weight loss is easy. There's a whole other dimension to weight loss that involves emotions and after 7 months of trying to eat right, I'm still learning how to handle them. I think it's a real achievement to keep the weight off after it's been lost. I applaud people that can do it...not many can.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,611 Member
    Yep ... if I had known how easy it was going to be, I would have started a whole lot earlier. :)
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    Good for you!

    Once I figured out how this site works, I also found it quite simple. You make all your puzzle pieces fit (carbs, fats, proteins, exercise) and it all comes together nicely.

    Patience is the key ingredient. And dedication. Lots of dedication.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    I didn't find the end any harder than the beginning. The very beginning was the hardest for me hunger/cravings-wise, and there were no results yet, so motivation wasn't as easy to find.

    I do have days where it's really hard! Fortunately, that's not most of the time. I just get very hungry randomly sometimes. I'm in maintenance now, so I have no clue why, lol.
  • rmtdoug
    rmtdoug Posts: 4 Member
    It really is easy, although I would hesitate to try and lose 15 lbs per month. I've lost 25+ lbs in 7 months and am within 10 lbs of goal. Not once have I felt hungry and feel better than I have in 20 years, so I don't care if the last 10 lbs take another year. I'm happy. I still have a glass of wine with dinner every day and the occasional pizza and junk food. Don't sweat the odd break in discipline, focus on your overall diet and track EVERYTHING you eat. You will then know what are your problem foods. Starting truly is the hardest part.
  • ragenhay1
    ragenhay1 Posts: 158 Member
    rmtdoug wrote: »
    It really is easy, although I would hesitate to try and lose 15 lbs per month. I've lost 25+ lbs in 7 months and am within 10 lbs of goal. Not once have I felt hungry and feel better than I have in 20 years, so I don't care if the last 10 lbs take another year. I'm happy. I still have a glass of wine with dinner every day and the occasional pizza and junk food. Don't sweat the odd break in discipline, focus on your overall diet and track EVERYTHING you eat. You will then know what are your problem foods. Starting truly is the hardest part.

    I'm definitely not trying to lose 15/month. It just kind of happened. I have it set to 1lb per month. I think it just went quick this first month because it's so new and I'm breastfeeding. I expect it will level out and settle into a more reasonable loss rate.
  • jaqcan
    jaqcan Posts: 498 Member
    My first 100 days were a piece of cake. Then I went on a 6 week road trip where I wouldn't have data or internet, so I didnt bother tracking. It's been a fight ever since I got back. I've lost 20lbs more since then, but it's taken a LONG TIME.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,611 Member
    HappyCampr1 wrote: »
    I found it very easy, but then I'm a detail-oriented person. I love making my numbers match every day. I've never minded looking up nutrition information to double check entries or creating new ones.

    I think that some people aren't as organized though. Some people don't enjoy working with numbers. I think that for those people, it might seem harder to track everything, especially in the beginning. I tend to think certain personalities probably find it harder than I have. That's not to say they can't succeed...just that they probably don't find it quite as simple as others might.

    I'm the same.

    I've been logging various details about my cycling since 1990, so coming on here and logging my food wasn't much different.

    In fact, I've found MFP extremely easy to use in comparison with some others.

    In the past tried, I have at least 3 other sites, and have lasted about 3 weeks on them. The 3 weeks was enough to give me an idea of what I should be eating, and since I wasn't particularly heavy, I lost enough weight for me to be satisfied. But the reason I only lasted 3 weeks was because those sites were too difficult and time consuming to use.

    This time I debated about using one of those other sites, and went in and had a look at them, but still wasn't impressed. So I asked around about what other sites there might be figuring that by now there might be some other options available. The two main choices were MFP and one other. The other only had North American food, so it was immediately scratched from the list.

    The whole idea of staying under a certain calorie number makes sense.
    I like how exercise calories are added into the calorie limit.
    I like that I can adjust the exercise calories lower to a more realistic number.
    I like that I can just go in and spend about 5 minutes clicking my choices, and my food log is done.
    I like that I can play with "what if" scenarios.

    Yeah, the whole number thing is good. :)
  • CrazyMermaid1
    CrazyMermaid1 Posts: 356 Member
    The logic is simple but for me it hasn't been easy. I am more motivated to exercise now because it allows me to eat more.

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