Mini Challenge: 10lbs down by Valentines Day? <3

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Replies

  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    LadySaton wrote: »
    LMK20018 wrote: »
    Hi : suggestions would be greatly appreciated 🙂
    Suggestions on mental tricks or distractions that you have found helpful to make it to bedtime without throwing in the towel and raiding the treats after all the hard work!! Thanks, enjoy the day 🙂
    I am absolutely, positively guaranteed to snack at night. I just build my calorie allowance around that. Today I had about 400 calories at breakfast, 300 calories at lunch and 500 at dinner. The rest (including my exercise calories) were saved for evening snacking. I mean, I know I’m going to do it so I plan for it. If I’m not hungry in the morning (which is pretty often as I am prone to waking with nausea), I just earmark those breakfast calories for snacking. I also use my evening snacks to fill in where my macros may be low. So today I ate fat-heavy and had carb+protein snacks. You can either fight the snacking urge or plan around it. It’s definitely possible to just not do the snacking, but I personally feel better with it as part of my daily routine.

    THIS, absolutely as a "sound personal strategy in action". The details of your situation and personality may differ and your final solution may vary, but as a mind-set to start from, DEAD ON!!

    Think big picture when planning your routine-day calorie allotment distribution, and balance across the board. So long as you have a deficit between what you eat and what you burn your weight WILL drop.

    And remember that the suggested calorie goal and macro split MFP provides ALREADY has a calorie deficit built in, based on your stated daily pre-exercise activity level and the # of pounds you say you want to lose per week. (which is why I suggested that you make sure to double-check your profile settings, to make sure you are eating enough quality calories to start with.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Goal 2/14: 148
    12/27: 160
    12/28: 161.4
    12/29: 159
    12/30: 153
    12/31: 155
    1/2: 161.2
    1/5 160.2
    1/6 160.2
    1/7 161.2
    1/8 161.4
    1/9 159.8

    I'm going to keep trying to track every day, but I do know that lifting makes me retain water, and alcohol makes me retain water...I don't usually drink during the week and the only day I don't lift is Wed, so I'm super looking forward to seeing what the scale has to say tomorrow morning as that will hopefully be a weight less impacted by water retention and such.

    Also, totally looking forward to this rest day today...so...sore...everywhere...
  • YadaYadaYada64
    YadaYadaYada64 Posts: 50 Member
    I’ll join - my first MFP challenge!

    SW 8/20/18 225
    CW 177.4
    ❤️ Day goal 168
    GW 145

    I was pretty mindless in my eating the last 4 weeks, so I know several will come off quickly, then back to slower steady pace. Good luck everyone!
  • LMK20018
    LMK20018 Posts: 38 Member
    Thanks for all this very helpful info! To be quite honest I have heard macros and micros mentioned, but I am at a loss at exactly what they are 🙂 and if I need to adjust them. I mostly eat after work since I’m tired or very rarely hungry and then just stuff whatever in my mouth!! I need a routine post work so not to eat junk. As far as junk food goes I have other adults in the house and just mindlessly eat the food because I don’t plan ahead. Thanks for the great suggestion of factoring snacks in at the beginning of the day.
    @LadySaton , how do you manage 1200 calories? What does a sample day look like?
    Thank you
  • LMK20018
    LMK20018 Posts: 38 Member
    edited January 2019
    @BMCc9 thank you for the idea to ultimately google this not that food choices !!
  • SherwoodRachael
    SherwoodRachael Posts: 3 Member
    I'm in! I'm starting a new job on Feb 18th so it would be nice if my suits weren't so snug!

    SW: 170
    CW: 163
    Challenge goal: 153
    GW: 140

    Feel free to add me!
  • MsBaz2018
    MsBaz2018 Posts: 384 Member
    edited January 2019
    Update
    SW (January 2): 210 lbs
    CW : 207.2 lbs
    GW for this challenge: 199.0

    The drop was very encouraging. Especially since I had been at 210 since December pre-Christmas.
  • anarchysdaughter
    anarchysdaughter Posts: 17 Member
    I'm in! Feel free to add me! :)
  • LadySaton
    LadySaton Posts: 500 Member
    LMK20018 wrote: »
    Thanks for all this very helpful info! To be quite honest I have heard macros and micros mentioned, but I am at a loss at exactly what they are 🙂 and if I need to adjust them. I mostly eat after work since I’m tired or very rarely hungry and then just stuff whatever in my mouth!! I need a routine post work so not to eat junk. As far as junk food goes I have other adults in the house and just mindlessly eat the food because I don’t plan ahead. Thanks for the great suggestion of factoring snacks in at the beginning of the day.
    @LadySaton , how do you manage 1200 calories? What does a sample day look like?
    Thank you
    Oh gosh no, I don’t eat 1200 calories, I’d lose my mind. That was just the calorie count from my meals and even that was closer to 1300 yesterday because I rounded down. I ate nearly 1700 calories yesterday with snacks factored in, but I ran 3 miles so that brings my net count back down some. 1200 calories is really pretty low I think, unless you are very short. I’m 5’6” so pretty average. I personally would not suggest trying to maintain a 1200 limit for very long - it can backfire with binge days, headaches, giving up entirely, etc. I do, however, have a cousin who is less than 5 feet tall and she really has to eat that low to lose unless she is doing a lot of physical training.
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    edited January 2019
    LMK20018 wrote: »
    Thanks for all this very helpful info! To be quite honest I have heard macros and micros mentioned, but I am at a loss at exactly what they are 🙂 and if I need to adjust them ...
    Thank you

    Good question ....

    There is a sticky-thread that explains this in detail. I expect it is right near the top of the "Getting Started" message board. If you still have questions after reading it and what follows, PM me and I will help sort you out.

    In MFP-speak, macros are the target totals at the bottom of your food diary. The chosen components are broken out and displayed across the row of each item you actually enter (eat) . That value gets subtracted from the suggested targets in the second-last row as you enter it, and each value in the very bottom row of the food diary is either "green / within target" or "red / more than target".

    "Micros" are specific vitamins and minerals from natural sources and are displayed in the same way if selected to monitor, but called "micro-nutrients" as opposed to "macro-nutrients" because your daily 100% target value is far too tiny to weigh on a general purpose scale.

    I wouldn't adjust the default percentage of the three over-all macro-categories (total carbs=50 / total fats=20 / total proteins=30) at first unless you have been given instructions by your GP / nutritionist for medical reasons, or are eating a plan with documented expectations (eg choosing to go KETO with higher protein / lower carb balance or Vegan, which is probably the other way around - but related Group Threads could explain what that percentage rearrangement should be ... I have no idea in either case .... )

    It doesn't matter so much if you go into red on fibre or protein (assuming no related medical issues) but you want to try to keep by the red/green border most days for whichever of your three main macros (total carbs / total fats / total proteins) you display, because your body needs that much of each to function properly ... and by thoughtfully choosing your carbs, you can meet that number while keeping the sugar number inside the green as much as possible.

    Carbs actually sub-divide into "complex carbs" (grains & grain products, and fibre) and "simple carbs" (sugars - which you can also easily track as one of your 5 choices) - this is an over-simplification by the way, but not the place or audience for detailed nutritional bio-chemistry.

    Fruits and veggies have natural glucose and fructose sugars, and that's good for most people ... and shows up in the same column as the 3 tablespoons of loose table-sugar that were in the soda, or hot chocolate mix, or flavoured syrup in that Starbucks "iced cap".

    So if the total number of one of the 5 things you are watching is higher than you want, you can look back up the same column, then across to see which food items are contributing the most - which will tell you if they are generally-good day-to-day choices or part of your "need to plan this indulgence" items. Especially if it keeps showing up day after day .... and you keep being well into the red day after day ....

    Better to keep the nutritional fruits and veggies, and cut back on the empty-calorie soda and hot chocolate as a day-to-day norm ....

    As another example, the fat in nuts or nut-butters are good for you / fats in fries not so much .... treat the nuts as you would for "sugars from fruits and veggies", and the fries as you would for "processed-sugary-carb" sources.

    As offered earlier (and same offer to any others who think they might need it) PM me if you still what any specific help or guidance about setting your Food Diary display choices.
  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
    I’m 190 right now, I think I can make 180 by Valentine’s Day!
  • karabobera
    karabobera Posts: 26 Member
    CW: 132
    Challenge Goal: 125
    UGW: 115

    I'll do my best! It's been hard for me to consistently maintain habits because of situational things and good ol mental health problems, but I'm trying hard to keep building better habits! I figure every little step in the right direction counts.
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    I can never keep the "meaning of Woo" straight. Is it supposed to be negative as in another way of saying "thumbs down / disagree strongly about something in the post", or positive as in an encouraging "Woo-HOO!" ?.

    I am not very emoji-savvy and don't want to use it in the wrong sense anywhere in MFP. So I tend to either use the other, clearly-supportive choices or none at all.
  • merekins
    merekins Posts: 228 Member
    SW: 195
    1/9: 191
    Challenge Goal: 185
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    merekins wrote: »
    SW: 195
    1/9: 191
    Challenge Goal: 185

    Keep doing whatever is working!
  • MsBaz2018
    MsBaz2018 Posts: 384 Member
    BMcC9 wrote: »
    I can never keep the "meaning of Woo" straight. Is it supposed to be negative as in another way of saying "thumbs down / disagree strongly about something in the post", or positive as in an encouraging "Woo-HOO!" ?.

    I am not very emoji-savvy and don't want to use it in the wrong sense anywhere in MFP. So I tend to either use the other, clearly-supportive choices or none at all.

    Means "thumbs down"/disagree" or even "B. S." if someone is trying to mislead other people.
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    Thanks.

    In my earlier post about "what macros are and how MFP displays them in the food diary" I may have gotten carried away with providing practical examples to illustrate how to interpret the numbers. No "read as Woo-factors" intended. Sorry if it came across being read as "Thou Shalt / Shoulds't Not" pronouncements.

    One's choices are one's own and there are many variables for what can fit within your calorie options at any particular time in your journey, and if you happen to be taller with an active job you will always have more calorie room to play with than I currently do (a short female close to starting maintenance who has a very low-activity desk job). I started with a higher daily calorie allotment more that 18 months ago, so have had time to adjust downward slowly as my current weight dropped.

    There are "must read" links at the top of each main message board, that explain how to set your goals and make best use of your Food diary, and lots more besides. If you haven't read them, I would encourage you to do so.

    If, after reading those, anyone who is new to MFP would still like to ask any specific questions about the mechanics of setting MFP targets, that's all I was offering. And you can still ask me if you wish.

    Just trying to "Pay It Forward".
  • LadySaton
    LadySaton Posts: 500 Member
    BMcC9 wrote: »
    I can never keep the "meaning of Woo" straight. Is it supposed to be negative as in another way of saying "thumbs down / disagree strongly about something in the post", or positive as in an encouraging "Woo-HOO!" ?.

    I am not very emoji-savvy and don't want to use it in the wrong sense anywhere in MFP. So I tend to either use the other, clearly-supportive choices or none at all.

    I think some people get them confused and use it as “woohoo”. Also if you’re on the phone app it’s really easy to slip up and press something when you meant to scroll. I have done it before myself. 😱
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,364 Member
    Good to know. I am strictly a web-site type (don't own a smartphone and not about to put apps on the work-supplied cell)
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Going to adjust goals:
    Start: 160
    1/10: 159
    1/17:
    1/24:
    1/31:
    2/7:
    2/14:
    Goal: 154
    12/27: 160
    12/28: 161.4
    12/29: 159
    12/30: 153
    12/31: 155
    1/2: 161.2
    1/5 160.2
    1/6 160.2
    1/7 161.2
    1/8 161.4
    1/9 159.8
    1/10 159

    I'm going to keep trying to track every day, but really only count Thursdays, and aim for a pound a week!