countcurt Member

The only way you'll know is to try it for a few weeks and monitor the results. MFP is a good tool but not perfect. Though the input above regarding the proposed rate of loss is spot on. So, you may well lose the desired two pounds per week, but you may find it more difficult to adhere to the calorie restriction at that…

What is the worst thing that can happen if your weight is above 200 pounds? Because if it is it will be so whether you step on the scale or not. You don't have much control over what the scale says on any given day. You do have control over what and how much you eat. And how much you exercise. Follow the plan and the scale…

Those last few pounds can be a real bear, particularly when you're where you are in the BMI range. So it becomes important to figure out how well you can manage, long term, at the lower calorie level you'll need to maintain your new weight. In other words, after you attain you must maintain. So in balancing your goal…

Is there a specific reason you don't want to use protein sources (such as lean meats, fish, seafood, eggs, etc.) in your food? Because generally they make a tastier meal. Everybody is different on the sugars and salty foods. You have some specific medical reasons which may necessitate more vigilance to your intake of these…

I think it's telling that it's four weeks out from Thanksgiving and this is what you're pondering. And though you frame it differently, it also sounds like a lose-lose for your family. If they notice, you're going to have to deal with their solicitous concern. If they don't notice, they've not lived up to your expectations…

Sadly, I think you missed the point. If groups like Al-Anon or other ACOA support groups aren't your thing, there are other avenues where you can get the help you seem to need. Individual counseling (with a cognitive behavioral approach) is just one example. And, while it's great that brother doesn't seem to be putting too…

Back when tracking was all done on paper, this was a little easier. I did WW and was a 'points hoarder'. So whatever the end of my day was found me with lots of points. Which I sometimes would use recklessly. The difference for me in reframing the day being that I had much more structured activity in the afternoon (read:…

Good news: it takes only a minute to set a pot of water on the stove and put a dozen eggs in it. Bring to boil and cook until eggs are hard boiled. Rinse and refrigerate in shells. Because they require so little attention and can be made ahead they're extremely efficient. Depending on your appetite, this could be four to…

1. Stop labeling eating 'good'. Because then there must be 'bad' eating. So, on top of making choices that aren't beneficial to your weight loss, you then have to beat yourself up for being naughty. 2. Take a good look at your daytime eating. Are you eating too much at night because you're not eating enough during the day?…

I said it was a possibility. OTOH, I'd wager that your husband doesn't get upset if you choose not to eat the food he brings you that doesn't fit in your calories. That, I think, is what prompted me to wonder if this was about something other than hubby was just being nice. My wife also brings food without always thinking…

Here are a couple of basic questions to ask yourself: 1. Why [in your opinion] are they so skeptical of your ability to achieve this goal? As in, is this about you somehow? How so and why? Or, are they just overwhelming fonts of negativity who couldn't believe anybody capable of achieving your goal? 2. When you say you…

Actually, instead of 'on and on' you might try Al-Anon. Or anything that will allow you to figure out a healthier way to manage this relationship. Because [almost] worse than the harm you are doing to yourself is the harm you are doing to him by allowing him to avoid having to become responsible for his actions. Doing this…

Actually, I think it's quite possible the boy isn't stupid but, rather, extremely passive aggressive. If he knows you're so focused on your weight and that doughnuts would present a significant challenge and he's going to pout if you don't eat your fair share, why is he doing this?

There is lots of sound advice already given here. There is also some appalling advice, particularly when it comes to issues of metabolism and sugar. It seems like there are also all sorts of assumptions about you and your eating/activity level. There are only three things I can reasonably infer from what you've told us: 1.…

Artificial sweeteners do not cause weight gain. Sugar doesn't cause weight gain either. An excess of caloric intake over the amount one's body requires for fuel? Now THAT causes weight gain. There are some studies that suggest correlation between artificial sweetener intake and weight gain. There are studies to suggest…

Before responding, I would want to know what your SO had to say about your weight before you started losing. I get that the people around us can be 'startled' by our changes in appearance after a considerable weight loss. But, honestly, it's difficult to imagine that you look unhealthy at a BMI of 30. So, if he's simply…

A few years back I realized exercise did help with weight loss. It's one of the few things in my life I can't seem to manage doing while eating at the same time. So for me, anytime spent exercising is time I can't spend eating. For a boredom eater, it's a real time-filler. Fortunately I like physical activity. And the dog…

I guess I don’t totally follow. There are multiple demands on all of our lives. And if you’re not at work with all those temptations you’re at home making cupcakes for the PTA bake sale or helping to sell (and therefore having to buy) Girl Scout Cookies. And then there’s the pizza dinner after soccer practice, the multiple…

I don’t know that Halloween is necessarily ‘for kids’. A lot of adults like Halloween. Others like Thanksgiving, some Christmas. Then there’s Mardi Gras, Easter, Valentine’s Day. And let’s not forget the summer barbecues and the kids’ birthdays. Or the Super Bowl. The point is this: there is no end to the ‘special’ events…

I seriously doubt it's the artificial sweetener, but anything is possible. The solution is eliminate the sweetener and leave everything else the same and see what happens. You could also give the current regimen a little more time. One week is hardly enough. Presuming you're not eating too much.

Well, you are indeed lean. And thin. If you like the way you look and can sustain at this level, go for it. You may wish to consider how sustainable it is and go from there.

Well, even marathons have finish lines. Diamonds are not the only things that are forever.

Do you work with a trainer?

What he said. I thought one of the great 'pluses' of MFP was how stealth one could be using it. I, too, reached my weight loss goal using WW when it was still all pen and paper. I told nobody and nobody seemed to notice when I got up from a table that I stopped somewhere to jot down what I'd eaten. And, nobody seemed to…

Just because you never say a word about what anybody [else] eats doesn't mean you don't broadcast moral superiority when you talk about what you eat. Consider this: 1. By your admission you have been inconsistent with managing health, fitness and weight. Yes, many of us have been, but it does send a message when you are…

Better for what? I don't mean to be flippant, but on the surface, the answer here is obviously healthy. In the short term, however, many people don't prioritize long term goals. At 9% BF you are pretty lean. Which begs the question of how lean you want to be. You can also be very lean by adding some additional muscle.…

So, do you exercise because it suppresses your appetite or because it allows you to eat more?

It's such a shame that nobody reads anymore. I see you didn't ask for any input other than luck and, possibly, joiners in on the 'challenge'. I find myself conflicted. As a matter of courtesy, I'd like to wish you luck. As a matter of respect, which these boards require, I don't think I could, in good conscience wish you…

Actually, you should never 'force' yourself to exercise in order to be able to eat more. This is a really bad strategy. There are a lot of reasons why, but one of the reasons is that you end up in situations like this where you really can't exercise and then you don't have a management strategy for your food intake. If…

Here’s a suggestion: in about one week open up this thread, pretend somebody else authored your original post and read it as though you hadn’t written it. Read each and every paragraph and think about what it says. Because as I read it, I pick up on some themes: 1. You do not want to be bothered with some of the more…