10 days in - my experience so far

lukewood1989
lukewood1989 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, 10 days ago I downloaded this little app with good intentions and low expectations.

I have to say, my low expectations were a long way off.

From day 1, I decided it'd be best to get the premium version. I'm quite the newbie when it comes to nutrition and weight loss. But having as much info as possible could never be a bad thing.

Anyway, I started day 1 at a colossal 25st 3lbs. Limiting myself to a calorie goal of 2200, I got stuck in straight away. Logging absolutely everything I eat and drink.

I've split my macros goals as 50% carbs, 20% fat and 30% protein. I'm not set on this by any means. It's just a guide more than anything. I'm mostly interested in making sure I stay under my calorie target. The rest will come.

So, 10 days. I've gone over my calorie target once by about 200 calories. But, during the last 10 days, I have lost a decent 9lbs and currently weigh 24st 6lbs. I've found it incredibly easy compared with other "diets" I've tried in the past. I genuinely think I can stick to this. It's so easy to track what I'm eating, and I find myself subconsciously questioning weather I need certain foods, or I just fancy it because it's there.

My goal is to hit 17 stone. It takes as long as it takes. As long as I can do it happily and healthily, I'm good with it.

Here's to the next 10 days!

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,388 MFP Moderator
    Congrats!!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,540 Member
    edited March 2021
    Sounds like you're on your way. You may also want to visit the Larger Loser forum where a few people with a good amount of weight to lose tend to hang out. The sticky posts throughout the main forums all contain threads with valuable information... An inquiring mind and an exploratory spirit to figure out what will work the best for you long term... I found both to be quite valuable during the past ~7 years during which I've decided to actively manage my weight.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,386 Member
    Congratulations!
  • Poobah1972
    Poobah1972 Posts: 943 Member
    edited March 2021
    Love the positivity emanating from you. I find tracking food intake, empowers us to make better choices and to easily be able to adjust depending on what your planning. For instance, I'm having 6 ounces of chicken wings for lunch today, so automatically I know I will need to drop one of my snacks to zero in on my daily goal. As time goes on, it all becomes second nature. Completing the journal daily is just another way to invest in this whole process and keep myself fully committed. (I'm in my 10th week now and 8th week of logging daily).

    My fiancé who is on this journey with me is only 4'7", and I finally nudged her into joining MFP last night. Being so "Vertically-Challenged", really cuts her calories per day to astonishing low levels. Eventually at goal she can only eat 1000-1200 per day (not including exercise). And I noted to her, that even though she eats 1 less egg then me at breakfast, she then puts peanut butter on her remaining half of toast every morning essentially bumping up her calories to the same level as I on that meal. So last night she logged her food for the first time, and has been happily making slight adjustments to get her down to a level where her weight loss should be steady to moderate for now as she works here way from 180ish (to a goal of eventually 100-120 pounds).

    I'm just glad I don't have to deal with her restrictions.... Aye Aye Aye. :)

    Very nice to here from you! Hope to see you around more!
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,400 Member
    So pleasing to hear someone with a positive “can do” attitude.
  • lukewood1989
    lukewood1989 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks everyone, really appreciate it.

    I'll definitely check out the larger losers section. I really like this community side of things. So much more than just a dieting app.

    The only thing I'm struggling with a little is snacking. I'm finding I'm hungry after just a few hours from a meal. I end up snacking on what I see as good food, but it then obviously lowers my calories left for dinner. I used to like a large dinner and lately, it's been reduced drastically to make sure I'm within my limits.

    Has anyone got tips or advice for things to have to either reduce the calories when snacking, or cut out snacks altogether?

    Thanks again!
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,400 Member
    edited March 2021
    Remove “trigger foods” from the house, at least til you’ve accustomed yourself to not go hawg wild at will with them. Then allow X calories per day for treats. Life without treats is no fun, and this has to be sustainable.

    Put certain treats in the freezer. That’s where I keep chocolate. I don’t know why, but it helps. Maybe because they’re not sitting visible (and available) in the pantry.

    Small snacks staggered throughout the day: fruit, sugar free fudgesicles, ranch dressing with cut veggies, Trader Joe’s fruit wraps, small hard candies, small tubs of yogurt, Fiorucci mozarella/prosciutto packs, my holiday holdover of Oreo flavored candy canes (45 calorie long lasting delights available year round by mail order).

    Water. Dehydration cues can be mistaken for hunger cues. Many here suggest drinking a glass of water, then waiting ten minutes to see if you’re still hungry.

    (For me) hot drinks like tea, chai, coffee stave off munchies. I like to make a ceremony out of it. Brewing the tea, pressing the coffee, frothing and heating the milk, cinnamon on top, nicest mug. Only takes an extra minute or two to do so but the thoughtfulness and looking-forwardness of the ritual help as much as savoring the drink itself.

    ETA: beef jerky, sugar free jello with a couple tbsp canned whipped cream.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,540 Member
    edited March 2021
    Snack? At the 2200 Cal level (and I lost most of my weight eating just over 2500 on average after including all the adjustments for being above MFP very active), consider that a 650g tub of 0% sucralose yoplait and 20g of all bran buds and 3-5g of cinnamon or cocoa is well under 300 Cal! Lean cuisine cheese cannelloni 230-250, and Canadian McDonald vanilla cones 250-300 most of the time (especially good for me when heading out for a walk)

    Part of the experiment is figuring out what seems to fill you up for less calories and for how long it does so....

    Check out the calories for a big bowl of broccoli, chopped up carrots, onions, maybe some tomatoes and mushrooms.... all nuked and seasoned with lemon pepper.... add turkey, or sprinkle with Greek yogurt, or low cal Italian dressing, or crack an egg....

    Don't be scared to have a snack for dinner or a dinner for a snack!!!
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    Great progress so far, and love your attitude!

    I started at 330 lbs, current at 240. Or, translated into Brit, 23 s 8 lb to 17 s 2 lb. So I kinda know where you're coming from.

    All I can say is, "it takes as long as it takes" is the wisdom of the ages for dieting, and as long as you truly believe that deep inside, and stick to it through thick and thin, you'll do great. Impatience and an inability to regroup after a bad day are the two Achilles Heels of dieting, for most people.
  • charmmeth
    charmmeth Posts: 936 Member
    edited March 2021
    On snacks: if you are really hungry (that is, if you are still hungry after you drink a glass of water and wait 10-20 minutes), then try to snack with a bit of protein added, it will help to fill you up. So some blueberries and a dollop of natural yoghurt, or a cheese biscuit or two with some cottage cheese, or a carrot with some hummus.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,400 Member
    I average 2500 per day on a weekly view, but hover around 2100-2200 per day, with one large overage allowed for pizza, bakery cookies or for the occasional ravenous day.

    I have two snacks per day in the 250 calorie each range. Usually cottage cheese with fruit, balsamic, and spoonful of grape nuts for afternoon, and sugar free pudding mixed with Greek yogurt, a dollop of whipped cream, and pinch of honey crystals for evening.

    I “fill out” any leftover calorie space with small but impactful snacks that are 45-90 calories, as per the list above. Just that feeling of allowing myself smaller nibblys or fancy drinks during the day helps a ton with satisfaction.

    If I ever need to drop my calories, I’ll still have my same “big” snacks but cut the size. It’s fabulous having a giant bowl and knowing it’s gonna take a while to eat.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,257 Member
    edited March 2021
    I love snacks. Something that has worked for me is lite popcorn (Smartfood makes a good one). I used snack on baby carrots. I realized that I was just wanting to munch. That's why it's so easy for me to blow through a bag of Cheetohs without realizing it (mindless eating, not even looking or paying attention to what I'm doing). So baby carrots did the trick. I get to munch, but I don't blow my calorie goal. I have started buying those big bags of sugar snap peas too. It's a 2-fer because I get a couple of servings of veggies in. I keep Junior Mints handy for my after lunch sweet. A serving is 12 for 130 calories. Usually, I'm OK with 6 of them.

    It's kind of a fun game playing with the satiety of foods, how you spend your calories, what you actually *want* to eat... I log ahead of time so that I can see how my food "plays out" for the day. Then I can adjust if I want to. It sounds like you're off to a good start! Beware the comfort zone of "I've got this. I don't need to log anymore." Check back in if you choose to do that after your goal. Here I am five years later, working on 15 of the 22 pounds :neutral: I have decided that I'm going to have to log for life, probably, but it's just not that hard for me, so if that will keep me on track, then so be it. And slow weight loss is frustrating, but so much easier. I've lost 5 pounds in 3 months. I gained 10 pounds in 10 months, so I'm hoping for a loss of about the same.

    Hang in there and keep up the good work and positive attitude! :)

    (ETA: I realize that the math of my loss doesn't add up, but basically, I'm OK with a really slow rate of loss rather than making big changes that I may or may not be able to stick to. If I can continue to lose 5 pounds every 3 months, I'll be at my "where I should be" weight by Christmas.)
  • lukewood1989
    lukewood1989 Posts: 4 Member
    You are all awesome. Thank you for the response and suggestions. I think this is going to be my go to place for actual lived info.

    On a side note, I'm trying to stick to weighing every Friday, and today, I hit the scales at 24st 1lb. So another 5lbs lost this week!

    I'm fully aware and ready for the losses to slow down to a pound or 2 a week. But for now, this is pretty bloody amazing.

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