MFP Weight Goal ACHIEVED - 95 Pounds GONE - Wheelchair User

I have returned to this thread in amazement with the outpouring of positivity!

I wanted to write a bit more about my journey, and some additional practical tips that helped me along the way.

Firstly, in my post I wrote about how I instituted small changes to ensure I never bit off more than I could chew. Around the 9 month mark (and this will be a good tip for those with mobility issues), I purchased a stationary arm bike off Amazon (https://www.amazon.ca/Sunny-Health-Fitness-SF-B0418-Magnetic/dp/B00QIM5CMA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1529782297&sr=8-4&keywords=arm+bike). I thought this would be a great way to achieve some much needed cardio exercise. I figured it would allow for me to 1) increase the amount of calories I am allowed per day if I desired a bit more 2) improve my lung function 3) allow me to getting to goal weight quicker 4) add in a balance of diet/exercise into this new lifestyle I was trying to achieve. I aimed to do an hour of this arm bike exercise, 3-4x per week. After my dietary changes, weight loss, and now with the arm bike - I discovered upon visiting my Respirologist that all of my lung test numbers improved on average by 30%.

When performing cardio, I focused on getting heart rate up, and reaching the point of "sweating". There is no need to go crazy and burn out - that is not the point at all. Maintaining a steady rhythm, and getting the heart rate up is the goal. Lastly, the arm bike is small enough that I accomplished these session while it sat on my coffee table while I watched TV. I encourage those with mobility issues to look into this, as it is something that they can do. I increased my calorie allotment by roughly 200 cals/day, however most days I still aimed and achieved 1200. I did this routine for roughly 5 months, however ramped down as I moved closer to maintenance stage of weight loss/weight maintenance. In case some are wondering, I am 100% sure I did not need to exercise to reach my weight loss goal, but saw the benefits that I listed above.

Secondly, I wanted to fire off some helpful practical tips that I use on the daily to help meet my calorie goals.

1) When I eat meals, I cut my food up very small, chew longer, and drink water between bites. There is a window of time where your body will finally recognize you are full. Eating slower, thinking about your food, and realizing what you are eating will allow you to reach that period of time where you will feel full instead of just shovelling everything in at once, and still feel hungry for seconds.

2) I use a teaspoon to eat rice, and soups (again, consistent with my reasoning above).

3) I have NEVER weighed my food, not once.

So you must wonder how do I accurately calorie count? MFP has been extremely helpful for this. My entire philosophy of weight loss is that it must be manageable, and the steps involved cannot be overwhelming (or I will relapse into old habits, imo).

My method of calorie counting goes as such: I will log onto MFP, and plug in what I will eat. Let's say I am having a chicken drumstick, I will put that in MFP, and take 4-5 suggested calorie quotes (this is the range of calories the chicken drumstick could be), then I will find the LOWEST amount of calorie listed and the HIGHEST amount of calorie listed. I take the highest calorie listed on MFP (and consider the range), and put that in for what I ate in the day. More often than not, that highest calorie item is higher than what mine actually is (because of the way I cook most foods, and how I prepare them), so in the long run my actual calorie intake is lower than what my total calorie for that day will show me.

Is this the most accurate method of calorie counting? NO.
Is this more convenient? YES, for me.

4) I look for alternatives to my favourite fattening foods. (Ex: buy low fat mayo instead of regular mayo, or Greek yogurt, popcorn instead of chips, zoodles instead of pasta).

5) Use google to find low calorie, filling snacks.

6) I eat before I am hungry to avoid over eating on meals (meals are usually higher calorie). For example, an hour before dinner I'll eat an apple/pear/raw fruit/almonds. From my experience, if I am ever hungry during the day it means I have not eaten or drank enough and I've let things go too far.

7) If you decide to snack, portion the snack out in a bowl. Put the bag away after. Snacking is fine, I do it basically every night and factor it into my daily calories allotment. But, COUNT what you are snacking on (use suggested amount on back of bag/box), and control your intake to make sure you are within your allotment. Warning: suggested amount on back of bag/box is not 100% accurate, however convenience always takes priority and as long as I am CLOSE to calorie goal (+ - 50-100) I am satisfied.

8) Prepackage and measure meals beforehand to give you greater control over calories, and portion (for example: I make big pot of brown rice, and then portion out half a cup, put them into ziplocs, freeze). It's easy math from there on out.

I hope you find these tips useful, and once again best of luck to all of you on your weight loss journey. If any if you would like to reach out with questions, or looking for some support along the way, feel free to add me up and shoot me a message!

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