Trying this out

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rileypadron7
rileypadron7 Posts: 1 Member
in Motivation and Support
I used MFP in the past, had some success but nowhere near my goal. In truth, I was not good at staying below my calorie limit. Got lazy and stopped tracking. Trying again now, wondering if the community aspect will make a difference this time. Looking to hear success stories, motivation, find accountability partners. I’m lying to myself if I think I can do this all on my own, as I’m sure some of you might have found.

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  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
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    I think the major key I've discovered in about 12 years of using MFP on and off is that I need to make it as easy as possible for myself. Some ways I've found to do that are:
    • Take it slow. It's not a race. I'm aiming for about a pound per week; at that rate, I should reach goal by roughly the end of 2022, but it's not the end of the world if it takes longer. This is a lifestyle change so even once I do reach goal, I'll still be paying attention to what I'm eating; nothing will radically change at that point. The difference between loss and maintenance is only like, a candy bar's worth of calories per day.
    • Make a plan and stick to it. I log as much in advance as I can - up to a week or even two weeks out at a time. Meal prepping is great for this; I prep breakfast and lunch, and plan dinners that yield leftovers (I'm only cooking for 2, so it's easy to make a meal for 4 and save half for another night). I use a food scale to make sure the portions in each container are identical, so all I have to do is grab one and eat what's in there. It's already chosen and counted, I don't need to fuss with the scale or dig through the fridge when I'm hungry and it's harder to make decisions. Having my day pre-logged also gives me more flexibility to deal with unexpected food-related opportunities - I already know what I'm going to eat the rest of the day, so I can see if I have room in the budget for surprise bagels, or remind myself of the tasty lunch/dinner waiting for me later.
    • I wanted to incorporate exercise into my daily routine, and realized I was spending 35-40 minutes doomscrolling through social media in the mornings before work. So, I decided that time could be much better spent exercising. I keep it simple for myself here by bundling together my workout clothes - pants, top, undergarments, socks, all rolled up together into a convenient package. I have six sets and they sit on top of my dresser, easy to grab and change into first thing in the morning (or grab and toss into my gym bag, now that I'm back to working out there).
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,466 Member
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    Another vote for the easy road.

    Fact is, I’m not all that good at “just say no.”
    But I am pretty good at planning and also good at delay. What do I mean?

    If I can plan meals and snacks that are appealing to me, and know what’s coming next, I can generally wait for it. Like a baby, I operate pretty much on a feeding schedule.
    I plan 3 meals and 4 snacks. Plus I make “cookies” with just quick oats and overripe bananas that I keep around for just before bed if needed. About 60 calories.

    I put cookies in quotes because if I gave one to my late grandmother and said it was a cookie she’d fall down laughing.

    Maybe this seems over the line OCD but I’ve lost 100+ lbs and have maintained for years. I had to face the fact that I was going to have to do things my way to succeed and this is how it turned out.

    Just my unscientific observation but it looks like a lot of people wreck themselves with plans that are too strict and trying to go too fast. They go together as people try to end the suffering of their plan ASAP. The best plan is the one we will actually follow.
  • pysickleah
    pysickleah Posts: 11 Member
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    Hi!

    I also have been on and off the MFP train. I lost around 25lbs between January and March, but as the world opened up and my social life began again- tracking got tricky as I was eating out & drinking more often. I've gained 10lbs back.

    Even while I was on top of it and seeing results I struggled to track dinners. I don't do the cooking in my home. My roommate was helpful in knowing I was trying to eat cleaner but I still didn't know the exact calorie counts of what I was eating most nights when I got home and dinner was already waiting for me.

    I am beginning again. I know that I won't be perfect on this attempt either but I'm hoping to be more organized this time. I'm going to pre-plan my calorie counts as I was previously counting after each meal to see where I was for the day, not always knowing that I was over eating until after I tracked it. I was also estimating how much I was eating, never did I weigh out my portions, I hope to implement that as well.

    Hoping to stick with it this time although the busyness of summer, a carefree attitude after a tough year and spur of the moment plans make staying on track rather difficult. Best of luck to you, you've got a friend in me!

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