lilypond45 Member

I also think it would be beneficial to assess monthly rather than weekly. Weekly goals are too short for me, I need to think about it in the long term. I think I might weigh in a month at my mums, if I feel that the result won’t affect me negatively!

Yes I think the tape measure might also affect me in the same way. I have a very unhealthy attitude to “dieting”. If I track weight then I tend to fall off the wagon because I am just heading to a certain weight rather than focusing on changing my life. I feel that if I do it until I’m happy with how I look and feel,…

My husband is naturally very slim. The weight just falls off him. I make sure he gets double the portion sizes. Or I do something extra for him (for example, he can have some chips with it, bread and butter, garlic bread etc). It works ok for him. Just because he is slender doesn't mean he can't have nutritious and healthy…

This was the first year where I didn't use the whole of December as an excuse to pig out. I maintained for two weeks before Christmas then gained a pound (so far) after. Normally I gain 7pounds over December but I worked so hard to lose that in the run up I couldn't face losing it again. It is hard now. I'm logging but…

Draw a line under any bad eating at Christmas. Life happens. Have you tried planning your meals in advance? I plan three meals and then the calories that are left (usually about 200 ish) can be used on "junk". I pre log too. I'm no expert, I've been trying to lose for a year and go up and down. I'm only 7pounds down but I…

I halve what the machine says I have burned. They aren't accurate, even with the info you typed in. I learnt that the hard way

I started two weeks ago (again). I think it's a great time of year to start. It's good to get control before the floodgates open. Today I'm going to a Christmas fair, previous years I would have eaten normally, scoffed down mince pies etc. This year I'm being careful before I go and saving calories for that mince pie. It…

Thanks for clarifying! Do people tend to half mfp's calorie estimates too? I have been.

I have knees that get sore quickly so I am wary about doing push ups on my knees.

Ooh thank you, I hadn't considered wall push ups!

Agreed, have learnt a lot!

I just spoke to my sister, who is my gym buddy, and apparently she used to lift years ago. I had no idea she ever did it! I feel better now, like I am not going into it completely blind! She has agreed to start it up again too

Thank you so much all, I have begun using utube. Ok, I will make an effort to start this week!

Thanks, this is really helpful! I will continue to do some research, perhaps lose a few more pounds in the meantime and then give it a go!

I have never ever considered lifting until this thread! I mainly do cardio and still have 24 pounds to lose. I will need to research lifting as you all look amazing!

Meal plan and take a shopping list. I try various different online sites that state the recipe and the calorie content. I plan a weeks worth of meals then buy just those ingredients. It saves money and I pre fill my day in the morning so I know what I have spare. One word of warning about the websites, don't assume the…

Ok, thank you. I'm guessing it also relies on me actually going to the gym 3X a week and biking everyday each week without fail :) I do do that but this will ensure I really don't get to a point where I can't be bothered! I will try this.

Thanks, I have followed the link and my daily amount to maintain is 2062 and to lose 20% is 1649kcals. I'm a bit surprised it is so high! I might try upping my calories a bit and focus on tracking within an inch of my life.

I log once a week but I tend to cave in a weigh half way through the week. I become very upset if I gain and it can demotivate me for a day afterwards, which makes life a lot harder, even if I know fluctuations are very normal. I'm actually considering only weighing every 2 weeks while I focus on logging properly and…

Absolutely agree, I try to drink a lot of water too! I think it comes with the territory of being a bloaty person :smile:

Sorry for the delay, been to the gym :) Thanks for all the advice, a lot to think about! MFP says I should eat 1200 calories but I cross checked with various websites and it came out between 1200- 1500. I guess I didn't trust MFP enough! I hardly bother to log the gym and don't log my cycling to work because I'm used to it…

Do you think the calories I aim for is about right, 1200-1500? Maybe I should stick with 1300 everyday?

Thanks for the advice, I suspect I don't log *everything*. I usually scan food but yes, sometimes I find it tricky to find the appropriate food item from the list in MFP. Perhaps that is where I am going wrong! I think I am feeling put out that I could go back to eating a huge bag of haribo sweets a day and still weigh the…

I am, unfortunately, a very "bloated" kind of person! I retain water easily and a change in eating also bloats my tummy for a few weeks until I am used to it so I can't use the pants test at the moment. Some mornings they feel looser but the scale hasn't moved!

Yes, I really am and I try to scan everything too. I electronic scales, good quality ones. Thank you :-)

What an amazing and funny thread, thank you all for sharing! My confessions: 1) I am battling a massive sugar addiction. When I get the shakes, I sometimes have to have a teaspoon of sugar out of desperation. So so ashamed of that one! 2) I can also eat an entire tub of icecream/ pack of cookies/ 12 bags of crisps in one…