2nd day on MyFitnessPal....does it get easier?

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  • pennyrtyler
    pennyrtyler Posts: 79 Member
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    Its a real eye opener when you first use this program. If you are honest with yourself and the amount you eat you'll probably figure out why you are overweight.

    ^^This^^ was so true for me. After a few weeks of logging my food, I found a few habits that were packing seriously sneaky calories into my diet. My peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk?? Nearly 800 calories!! I had no idea!! On the other hand, some of my favorite foods were surprisingly good for me AND my weight loss!

    First, just log your food for a little while and see if you notice any patterns. Then try to plan your meals to support your goals.
  • Nteeter
    Nteeter Posts: 190 Member
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    definetly start tracking even if you dont stick within your goals. This way you will see and learn what your taking in. Go for the healthier choices. I still go to wendy's every now and then but I dont get the large burgers and fries. I get the grilled wraps minus the sauce :) Still taste great and I know Im doing my body a favor by not putting crap in it. It will get easier, one step one day at a time and next thing you know you will be jogging then running then doing 5k's lol
  • Deej53
    Deej53 Posts: 12
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    Hi--and yes, it DOES get easier as long as you stay motivated. Believe me, I know! In '97 I weighed over 320 (I don't know how much over-I got so scared I jumped off the scale!). In a little less than 18 mos., I went down to 148. But being twice-widowed AND losing my first born just after he turned 23--all in 10 yrs.-- took all the fight out of me and over the last 10 yrs, I got back up to 215. I recently went home to the midwest on a short trip and the pix taken then--well, let's say the motivation is BACK! I wanna live to be 101 and a half (Between my 2 great grandmothers) and the gal who's so beat up she has to use a cane and has thighs the size of basketballs won't make THAT goal. But I KNOW I can do it--and so can you. Just remember your motivation and that it's a LIFESTYLE CHANGE, not a "DIET"!
  • itschristine
    itschristine Posts: 119 Member
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    Hi Mary,
    First off, good luck with your weight loss journey. In order to "get on board", you have to be confident in yourself. No one is going to make the change for you, you have to set your goals and start them. With that said, you can't wait around for the calories to magically fall off, you have to do it yourself.

    Start eating better, exercising more, and soon enough the weight will start falling off.
    But, have fun too! This is a lifestyle change, and should not be considered a temporary diet.

    :drinker:
  • ctryfan28
    ctryfan28 Posts: 5
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    I did the one week trial period of just putting stuff in. When I started seeing how many calories and fat grams I was eating I understood why I'm overweight! I mean good grief when you are eating 4,000 + calories a day I can see now how that packs it on. It got a lot easier when I came to that point. I also agree that making sure you are honest with yourself and record everything even when you know it will go over gets you in a great habit. I love this program and think it is one of the best tools I've seen out there I wish you much success. Feel free to add.
  • bikinibeliever
    bikinibeliever Posts: 832 Member
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    Heya Mary!

    Are you trying to loose the 1 or the 2 pounds a week? (no need to answer, just getting the thought in there)

    if you are trying to loose 2 a week, that's one hard pill to swallow! It is the same one I am doing and let me tell you...NOT EASY.
    With having a baby and a husband who love to eat...staying on track is a pain in the ________.

    So, how long? I gave myself 1 practice week!
    During this week I tracked everything, tried to stay on task, started exersizing more but knew I would slip up that one week and knew it was okay.
    It was my grace period.
    the week after that I buckled down hard core. Still slipped on a few days and by week three I had it.

    Are there weeks I mess it up? Yes. Does that mean I have completely given up? nope. Is it hard some days? Yup! Is it worth it?
    Well i can now jog/run without having an asthma attack every time! So yeah...it's worth it!

    Good luck and feel free to add me if you would like!



    Well said, exactly what I was going to say!
  • Janiot
    Janiot Posts: 187 Member
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    I do not know about easier but if you commit to being truthful to yourself and log everything -good or bad - you will have good days and bad days - just do not give up!
    It works!
    Welcome, feel free to add me as a friend.
  • raerae514
    raerae514 Posts: 171 Member
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    Logging my stuff is like second nature to me now. At first everybody was like "WHY are you so obsessed with this it's stupid" and now I've lost 15 lbs in 2 months and they're like "Oh, what did you say the website was?" :laugh:

    Before I started, I would eat a meal and then have dessert. Now I eat a meal, log everything, have a smoke, and by then about 7 minutes have passed and I realize I'm not actually hungry. No need to eat those extra 300 calories of cookies!

    I've heard that it takes 21 times of repeating something to form a habit, so maybe if you do it 21 days in a row it will be easier for you. Shortly after I started I got tired of logging everything and kind of gave up for a day, but then I realized how badly I want to lose weight, and it's really not difficult just to log stuff!

    And NOOWW 2.5 months later I'm on this website ALL the time reading other peoples stories and such, even at work it used to be Facebook all day, now it's MFP all day, haha. If you don't love it now, you will!
  • Trice367
    Trice367 Posts: 7 Member
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    This is day number three for me on 1200 calorie diet and both me and my daughter was able to stay under 1200 calories right away. I am even shocked that i get my entire 8 cups of water in. I think you can do it if you logged in everything and after week assessment you can determine what foods are your friends and which ones are not. I wish you well and you can add me as a friend and look at my diary. My schedule consist of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack and I always full. I eat every two hours which is the hardest since I usually only ate once a day.
  • katejkelley
    katejkelley Posts: 841 Member
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    Baby steps! This is an avenue to change your life, not just lose weight, so take it slow and steady. At first, I didn't have much energy to exercise, but I started to walk every day. Pretty soon I increased my walks, then later added pilates. The better I was eating, the more energy I had. It didn't happen over night, though. Keep at it - you will see results. And, yes, it does get easier!
  • bartcal
    bartcal Posts: 40 Member
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    It does get easier, just don't expect it to show right away. Remember, all this is geared toward helping you change your lifestyle - it's definitely not a sprint to the finish.

    The hardest part for me when I first started, was finding the patience to log all the foods and/or figuring out reasonable approximations. I found that after I had figured out what foods I liked to eat (and were good for me), it made my logging much quicker and easier, thus I was more likely to actually do it on a regular basis. For the exercise portion, I was using the stuff in the database, but recently got a couple gadgets to make it easier for me (heart monitor and a fitbit). Just find whatever works best for you, and do it.

    Relax, have fun, don't sweat the slip-ups and keep moving forward.
  • Jkmumma
    Jkmumma Posts: 254
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    Yes, learning to manage food intake gets easier with time.
    I'm hardly ever hungry with this type of food management.
    I have lost 42 ish pounds.
    I feel a lot healthier.
    I am a lot stronger.
    I have a lot more endurance.
    AND I've learned how to manage calories in a way that lets me STILL have an occasional treat when I want one.
    At first logging is cumbersome, but toughing that out, it becomes second nature in no time.
    A combination of the phone app and the web site works out best for me, as I'm on the go a lot.
    GOOD LUCK and welcome!
  • duckieee
    duckieee Posts: 7 Member
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    It gets so easy that it's ridiculous. You know why? Because it becomes habit. It becomes a habit to measure out your food. It becomes a habit to pick up the celery and the carrots instead of a cookie. It becomes a habit to eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning topped with fruit sans brown sugar.

    And as soon as it is engrained as a habit, it becomes a lifestyle.

    I remember how hard it was when I first started. Now, I didn't start on MFP. I started on Spark People, and I honestly didn't try and stay within my calorie range for the first week. I just consumed and logged. I also recorded how I felt after meals, which was a biggy. And then the second week was my real shift. I planned out my meals and snacks for the week, and stayed within my calorie range and I recorded how I felt after my meals. And I saw the difference and that was enough motivation to keep going and keep tracking and changing my lifestyle. And now 2 years later, I can't go a day without tracking at least what I eat on MFP.

    It gets easier. You just have to work for it.
  • missjewl
    missjewl Posts: 214 Member
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    Exactly!

    MFP is NOT a diet. Diets don't work!

    MFP is a lifestyle change. And you have the whole rest of your life to make it work.

    Totally AGREE~~
  • Larisonlj
    Larisonlj Posts: 426 Member
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    Hi, all! I'm Mary, gonna be 41 in a few weeks, would love to lose 45 pounds, and am living in Missouri. I started this two days ago and have not been within my calories yet, but I figure I will have to get used to the idea of eating less, right??

    How long did it take you to get on board with the program and start staying within your calorie range the majority of the time? Any advice?

    Thanks.

    Hi Mary!
    I'm from the KC area myself but have now lived in the Tulsa area for about 15 months. It actually gets a little addictive not just easier.
    You'll find that you can better recognize a 'portion', that you're body will adjust to a new eating schedule and style, and you'll be on your way in no time.
    Advice;
    make your meals and snacks more protein and fiber based for a more satisfied feeling and not hungry again so soon.
    plan ahead, I'll key in the morning (or even the night before) what I'm having for dinner so that I know where I'm @ for lunch, breakfast, and snacks.
    break your meals/snacks into 5 or 6 smaller meals - I eat @ 6am, 9-9:30, noon, 3-3:30, 6 and maybe a small treat after dinner.
    plenty of fluids to stay hydrated (dehydration can also make you sleepy) and helps you adjust to lower calorie intake
    do you have a digital kitchen scale? that helps too.
    do you have MFP app on your phone? I love the ability to scan my food barcode and know the nutritional value without doing a 'search"
    Feel free to friend request me, welcome, and good luck on your journey! Show ME!
  • rooster70460
    rooster70460 Posts: 206 Member
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    Mary
    Yes it gets easier. Just stick with it and before you know it your addicted! You'll be in MFP more than Facebook..lol
    Good luck.
    Colette
  • texaslonghorn42
    texaslonghorn42 Posts: 34 Member
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    Welcome!!!! I don't always stay in my calories.. though I try. I am on the 1200 calorie plan... HOWEVER... usually 6 days out of the week I exercise and manage to burn at least 600 or so calories doing that. I tend to eat back at least 300 of my exercise calories so at 1500 calories a day it isn't that hard for me to stay in my range. The days I don't work out (like today because I worked a 12 hour day) I usually go over a bit because eating only 1200... I Starve. : I just watch what I eat and count tthe calories and adjust my portion size and try to eat healthier stuff than that I really want (which is pizza and other not healthy stuff). :) Good luck!
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    When I first started at MFP, I took about 3 weeks just getting into the habit of recording everything I ate everyday. I tried staying in the 1200 calorie recommendation, but I just can't. Now I have my minimum calories set at my BMR, and that is much easier for me to handle.

    Since I signed up I've made tiny adjustments to my diet here and there. I'm definitely eating more fruit and veg and am making a point to exercise more as well.

    Just keep plugging away. It gets easier as you go along.
  • richesandwonders
    richesandwonders Posts: 15 Member
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    I've been on MFP for about 5 months tracking my food like it was my religion. Some days, it really really stinks. However, after a while it becomes second nature. I normally measure my portions. To cut back, I'd have 3/4 of a cup of something instead of the whole cup, or if I wanted to sprinkle cheese on my pasta I'd just use a tablespoon or two so I could have the flavor, but not the extra calories. Portion distortion was one of my biggest problems.

    Other tricks when I feel so hungry I think I could eat an entire horse: drinking a whole glass of water before my meal, eating a few stalks of celery before indulging in something really dense so I don't eat without thinking, and cutting down and out on my bread products. I might make a sandwich with one piece of bread, eat only one dinner roll(or skip them all together), so I can enjoy the rest of my meal(and save lots of calories)

    Now I'm normally in under my calorie goal(dangerously so lately, because I've been sick and have no appetite), because the way I eat now is second nature. Some days I splurge on special meals with friends and family, but the next meal I try to be right on track.

    I'm positive that if you want this change you'll make it work. It's hard, but when you finally get motivated accomplishing it becomes the easy part.

    Good luck!
  • gjwillia1
    gjwillia1 Posts: 3
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    As I've always been a fit guy, I won't pretend to know how hard it can be to start from "0". That being said, it is not the easiest thing staying fit and roughly 7% BF all the time. I think the best thing to keep in mind is that you've started. Always keep that in the forefront and I think you'll find it's easier to stay on track. Simply put, you've already started why stop now. So don't stop now. You will make it to your goal. If I believe in you, and I'm a total stranger, then you should be able to as well. Good luck and you WILL succeed.

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