What I wish I knew when I was just starting out
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HappyCampr1 wrote: »ETA - Oh, and I wish I had known that for entries in the database, the serving sizes had a drop down so you could change them. I wasted four months or so, searching entries for ones in grams because the default serving size wasn't showing grams. Things like...sweet potato, raw, unprepared. The serving size on the official entry shows 1 cup cubed, but if you click the serving size, you can change that to grams. So much time wasted looking for entries that I couldn't find because I didn't know that.
I have been using MFP since Oct 14 and I did not know this. I now feel like a real dingbat. Thanks for sharing it though!
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Bruceapple wrote: »The most important thing: portion control.
This is so true! When I think that my husbaand and I used to eat 125g pasta each as a normal helping!3 -
CiCo and you dont need to starve to lose weight
there is no shortcut in losing weight
you dont need to deprive yourself of anything or forcing yourself to eat things you dislike just to lose weight6 -
HappyCampr1 wrote: »ETA - Oh, and I wish I had known that for entries in the database, the serving sizes had a drop down so you could change them. I wasted four months or so, searching entries for ones in grams because the default serving size wasn't showing grams. Things like...sweet potato, raw, unprepared. The serving size on the official entry shows 1 cup cubed, but if you click the serving size, you can change that to grams. So much time wasted looking for entries that I couldn't find because I didn't know that.
I have been using MFP since Oct 14 and I did not know this. I now feel like a real dingbat. Thanks for sharing it though!
I didn't know it either. I'm excited to use it!!!1 -
- Clean eating, detox, and 1200 calorie days are not required to lose the weight.
- You really do have to weigh everything and know exactly what you are eating to make the weight go down.
- Don't cut out anything that you can't cut out forever - make changes that you can sustain for life.
- Incorporate heavy lifting as early as you can to maintain lean muscle and see greater measurement progress.
- Listen to the people who have been here a long time. You might not like what they say but they have been through it and are trying to help.
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When I was 15 I started going to the gym. At the time, I had no idea what I was doing so the gym recommended me a personal trainer. The trainer made it seem like the only way to loose weight was to work out. Never ONCE did anyone explain to me how important diet was. In a span of six years I went through five personal trainers and three gyms. I lost nearly forty pounds but was never able to make it to average weight. It wasn't till last year- after nearly six years( on and off) of gyming and training that myfitnesspal explained just how valuable counting calories is. I literally did every diet in the book to try and get the weight off. I did 17 Day Diet, low carb, Atkins, Advocare, South Beach, Paleo, vegan, pescatarian, and vegetarian. I honestly feel like I've wasted so much time, money and energy for plans that never worked. The 'worst part' is that by counting calories I lose weight like crazy- I just don't understand why it took six years of wasting my time for someone to tell me the truth about weight loss. On the plus side, this has led me to find that I have a passion for nutrition and dietetic- in fact, once I finish my current degree I will going back to school to pursue a degree in it.9
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IILikeToMoveItMoveIt wrote: »CICO. This would have saved me two ish years of sheer frustration!
What is CICO? (Nevermind I read more and found it sorry )1 -
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That working out is never gonna get comfortable. That it's not supposed to. You feel cheated on when you realise that later on...
AND CICO, all the way!2 -
I wish I had known to take "before" pictures and measurements. I wish I had known to take regular progress pictures (weekly?) and measurements (monthly?). I did finally start with both of these but I'll never know how big my waist was at the start.
I wish I had known I didn't have to deny myself anything to lose weight. While I am making better choices overall due to the regular logging and review of what impact foods have, I can have a piece of chocolate or a Christmas cookie as long as it fits within my calorie goal. And, because I eat so little of it, I can splurge on the really good chocolate.
I wish I had known that what works for one person, doesn't necessarily work for another. Apparently, if I eat too many grams of sugar, even though I stay well under my calorie goal, it will result in a scale gain. Carbs in general don't seem to be a problem but sugar is. Now I watch it but I've been able to fit in birthday cake and an occasional piece of chocolate. The blueberry donut and deep dish pizza aren't worth the calories though.
I wish I had known years ago that I could do this without being miserable. I'm 51, have lost 82 lbs (30 to go), am in the best shape I can remember (cardio and lifting) and just wonder why I didn't start sooner. I still don't know why I started when I did - I don't have any health issues, my blood pressure was normal, there wasn't any scare that prodded me off the couch. I just got up one day, joined the gym with DH and got moving. A couple of months later I discovered MFP and then got my Fitbit; the rest is history.8 -
It all comes down to the basic math of calories in and calories out. Burn more calories than you take in, and how many more you burn will determine your rate of loss. Accuracy matters. Don't half a s s this *kitten*. Don't listen to what others say about 'counting calories is unhealthy.' Counting your calories accurately by weighing with a food scale, and using a heart rate monitor to give you a more accurate calorie burn during your cardio workouts will give you the best results.
Oh gosh yes. Counting calories, at least for a while REALLY shows you exactly how much you are taking in, and especially forces you to see that without calorie counting/portion awareness, you can have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that costs you 500+calories!
My friend doesn't count calories and they assume a salad is their go-to, but when I pointed out the cheese, the meats, the SALAD DRESSING dousing it all, once we counted it up, they may as well have been eating pizza for lunch. It was an eye-opener for them, and hopefully everyone realizes to count EVERYTHING. the sweetener, the oil, the seasonings, the marinades, the butter pats
Loving all the advice and knowledge I'm getting from these articles!4 -
No single set of data points truly mean anything out of context. I've lost close to twenty pounds, but in theory, the majority of that could be water weight. I've lost around an inch off of my hips, and a half inch off of each thigh, but that's "about it." However, the chest/waist/hips/thighs measurements don't tell the whole story, either. They don't take into account every other place on your body that weight is coming off... depending on your genetics, it could all be coming off in places you would never think to measure. If I looked only at my hips and thighs, I would be ignoring the fact that I now have to arch my back to have the back rolls that I had standing up straight a month ago.
Weight loss is definitely a big-picture deal.2 -
To ignore the scale and just focus on what you know works (and is healthy, obviously)2
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I just started my weight loss journey. This has been very insightful especially the part of weightloss being a new life style. I always figured after I lose all the weight I'll go back to eating whatever I wanted. Definitely an eye opener. Thanks alot guys2
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What I would have liked to know sooner:
1. Just how serious and honest I had to be with myself.
2. Being consistent in logging is as important as logging accurately.
3. Finding a good balance with meals (i.e. a little treat, a little more fiber, a little more protein, etc.).
4. Finding my weakness = late night snacks, and then killing it = no more late night snacks.
5. The healthier I ate, the more I craved healthier foods.5 -
Unless I ate an extra 3500 calories, its not a pound of fat that came back when the scale goes up. Sodium and exercise both cause the scale weight to go up and thats not a bad thing. Fat is essential to good health, not the enemy. Avacado calories are so worth it. Drink your water, its important.9
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I wish I had known
Stick to what works for you.
Information overload leads to confusion.
Be balanced.
Some of us will always need to log what we eat....and its ok.
Do not give up, no really, don't!
Motivation is temporary, action get's better results.
This is for life.5 -
That a one day derail, or even a weekend derail in terms of food or booze is not the end of the world. In 120+ days of logging I think I have been over the 1200 cal limit maybe 15 times and it is AOK!! Day by day. Week by week. It a change in lifestyle which I am loving.1
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#1 If you cant sustain it for life dont attempt it to lose.
#2. Activity increases activity.- Essentially, keep moving. Doesnt have to be a marathon but just, GO!
#3. Realistic goals with a realistic time frame.2 -
Stop comparing myself to the Biggest Loser! That is NOT "reality".
Losing 10-15-18lbs in one week is NOT reasonable, NOT healthy and Not sustainable!
Be honest with myself! Admit you successes and failures in your food log
Believe in the process5 -
slow and steady wins the race.
cheat meals are alright not cheat weekends.
smaller plates and chew slower.
drink plenty to water.
limit sugar.
high fat is not the enemy.
whole grain/sprouted carbs are not the enemy.
wrap thingy - oh yeah - that don't work.
and those skin tightening lasers (they mostly don't work).
enjoy your food just don't eat too much of it.
We cannot outrun out diets ever...
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thorsmom01 wrote: »These are the myths I wish I would've ignored-
Carbs are bad they make people gain fat - myth( some people with medical conditions may need to worry about carbs ) but carbs do not cause people to gain or prevent them from losing.
You must eat only 1200 to lose- myth
( I suffered for a while be cause I believed I had to starve to lose ,its not true . again, if someone was very old and very short then maybe they would have to eat 1200 but I'm neither )
Its all about the scale - myth.
I've saw people at 110 lbs look terrible, loose hanging skin and flab ! And I've saw people at 180lbs with abs ! So its not all about just seeing a loss on the scale. Those people that are only concerned with seeing a fast loss, may be in for a rude awakening once they hit goal weight. Incorporate a strength training program early and slow and steady weight loss !
So save yourselves the grief and don't believe the myths. For weight loss, cico ! Don't fear carbs. There's some evangelists on here that will claim keto and low carb cures every ailment and caused them to lose tons of weight. Don't be fooled by these derpers , they are as crazy as they sound !
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What I've learned is that even if you're active a LOT - if you ignore sugar (because nowadays it is in EVERYTHING) - and you don't pay attention to what you eat -- you'll stay the same.
The sugar thing has blown my mind. When did tomato sauce get sugar added in?! Most stuff you wouldn't think sugar would be in - it is. So --- learning to scan labels for SUGAR (or, all the fancy ways they say it "organic dried cane syrup") - has made the biggest difference.
It took me a week to get rid of the cravings. I still have it now and then, but it makes me fat! 3 -
Love this post! Especially the scale. I didn't realize it, but I had an unhealthy addiction to the scale. It made things worse because my weight wouldn't move from the sheer stress and guilt over the stupid thing. My resolve? I put the scale where I knew I wouldn't touch it but once a week…and that was after breaking myself for two weeks. I also get skin fold measurements and pay more attention to how my clothes are fitting. I am not cured, but I am working on it.2
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godlikepoetyes wrote: »Just be kind to yourself. No matter what, do not punish yourself or "whip yourself into shape!" Just be kind and keep listening to yourself. You know will figure out what works for you.
Yep, this one. Also: I wish I'd understood that I have to make changes I know I can sustain, not sweeping changes that don't work for my daily life.
I also wish I had known how much I appreciate and respond to data. I think I would have understood a lot about myself sooner in life, if I had just understood how data works with my brain. It wasn't until I was using MFP for a while that I realized it.3 -
- It's fine to eat after 7pm, especially carbs.
- Anyone who utters the words 'you should avoid [insert food here]' is usually bs'ing you based on their own paranoia.
Yes...especially ignore this one. People will say this again and again but it's not true unless you have a medical condition and your doctor has told you to avoid specific foods.2 -
agree with others , don't eat back your exercise calories.
CORRECTION: Don't eat back ALL your exercise calories. You should certainly eat back some of them because in order to work out like a beast, you need fuel. Particularly if running is included in your workouts. A good rule of thumb is to either log only 50-66% of the burn that MFP or the machine gives you (thereby leaving a little bit of surplus) or if you're able, use a heart rate monitor to get the most accurate calorie burn value.1 -
I wish I had known that by eating a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet, that I could lose weight without being hungry. Hungry always derailed my efforts in the past.1
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I wish I had realised earlier that sleep really does make a difference! My body seems to do a whole lot of digesting in the hour or so, and if I only sleep five hours I miss out on that!1
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Go slowly so you don't yo-yo. No matter how many times I heard it, I thought I was special and would exert my iron will to maintain my goal after a 2 or 1.5lb/wk loss. Turns out, I'm not that special, or strong, and every swing up gets higher and higher. Think about what you want your body and lifestyle to be like 3 or 5 or 10 years from now and plan accordingly. Just imagine how great life would be if you'd done that 5 years ago Your future self will thank you. 3
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