Confessions

I'm eating all of my calories
I eat some but not all of my extra earned calories.
I exercise 6 days a week.
I log EVERYTHING and assume that I'm underestimating my calories since I estimate serving sizes.

I've lost 12 pounds since December and 7 inches overall. That's only a drop in the bucket for what I need to loose but I'm encouraged. I think the reason I've been more successful this time than other times when I've done the same things is that I've added weight training to my exercise routines. I do low weights/high repititions twice a week.

I firmly beleive that having to log all of my food helps me to make better choices. Logging all my exercise motivates me to work out when I might have talked myself out of it.

Good luck!

Here I go...

Are you eatting all of your calories each day?
Absolutely!
Do you eat the bonus calories if you earn them?
Again, absolutely! I believe that they are not "bonus" calories and are actually mandatory - you burned them, you need to eat them back to make sure you don't drop your metabolism. Remember, we're still at a deficit, even with the "bonus" calories.
Are you exercising?
Yes. I have to, so I can eat all those calories! I exercise 6 days a week and alternate weight training, running, biking, and swimming. I jump rope in my basement if I miss the gym or there's too much snow outside to run safely.
Do you log everything in?
Yes - obsessively. I make the best guesses I can with unfamiliar foods or "bites" here and there of something.
Based on what you are doing what has your success looked like? Are you losing or maintaining?
I am losing - I've lost 8 lbs since I started less than three weeks ago, so I'm thrilled with that. The one thing I'm NOT thrilled with, though, is how hungry I feel. I really do work out a lot and am just hungry all the time. I am eating all my calories (including the "bonus" ones - I contend that they are not "bonus" and are mandatory - it tells us to eat them, after all!).

My first confession is tonight - my fiance roasted a turkey breast and it was ready when I came home. I know he basted the darn thing with about half a stick of butter, with rosemary and thyme, and it was seriously good. I went a little nuts. I estimate that I ate at least four servings. I ended up - wait for it - 900 calories OVER what I was supposed to eat, including the calories I earned from exercise. I started to get upset and then hey - I need to practice what I preach. I'll just work out a little extra this weekend, and darn it, I don't feel like I overate. I feel GREAT. It was really, really good. I feel satisfied for the first time in days.

Love the topic :happy:

Do I eat all my calories: YES!
Do I eat my bonus calories: 99% of them
Are you exercising: Yes, six days a week and recreation on the "day off"
Do you log everything in? Yes...even on my "reward day"
Am I losing weight? Yes. Not as fast as I'd like to, but then I also take one day a week off, so given that, I think I am doing well.
This site really helps, and we have made wonderful friends here.
Cowboy

I am usually always at my daily calories of 1800. I may go over or under a little. This past week I have tried to cycle, but have averaged 1800.

I don't ever eat the bonus calories

I try to exercise 1000 calories a day.

I am obsessive about logging in everything, and being correct on it.

Based on what I am doing, I have gone from 262 to 232 from Dec. 28 to Feb. 2 or 37 days. Although most of it was lost in the first 3 weeks.

This site has totally changed how I think, how I eat and exercise, and I am now constantly thinking about eating healthy. I have given up all soda and have gone from about 32 to 40 oz of caffeine a day to 6 or 8 or sometimes none. I don't really have cravings for old junk food, and my energy is way up. My memory and focus on my job seem to be better as well.