1BlueAurora Member

Way to go! Not only are your pants looser, but your face looks thinned out and your chin more defined. Congratulations on your success!

I admire your discipline. Congrats on your impressive success!

I had a couple weeks here and there where I didn't lose weight, despite eating my daily calorie allotment. Keep going, you'll most likely start seeing the needle on your scale showing lower weights. If you'd like another way to measure progress, take your bust, waist and hip measurements. Check them again every month. You…

One thing I found helpful in addition to daily weighing: taking body measurements. Grab your tape measure and record your bust, waist and hip measurements. Next month, take them again. You may find some changes in your body shape over time. My guess is water retention. See whether you can get by on 2 litres of water a day.…

If you're snacking while you are sitting down studying, it's hard to maintain any kind of portion control. It's basically mindless eating. Drink a beverage while studying, like coffee, tea, flavored water, or water. After you've hit a wall studying, get up and go outside and eat your snack. Feel refreshed, go back in and…

Hi. You mentioned you take Restoril for your insomnia. My understanding is that it is a medication prescribed for the short term, usually no longer than 14 days. I know that for my insomnia, meds would work and then eventually lose their effectiveness. I tried Ambien but did that sleep-eating thing and had to switch to…

Five ounces of merlot is 140 calories. Add that to your regular logging and see whether you can drink it and still stay within your calorie goal to maintain a calorie deficit. If so, enjoy that glass of yummy goodness!

Well, I went from 173 to 140 pounds in about 5 to 6 months (I should have lost more slowly, though - I think a half pound to 1 pound a week instead of losing 2 per week is a much better choice). For me, I ate scrambled eggs (74 calories each) for the protein energy, apples with cheese, veggies and fruits. And a treat…

MFP logging got me from 173 to 140 in five or six months. I'm 5' 6". Frankly, I lost too fast and lost some muscle tone in my arms, despite some small bit of weight lifting. So don't necessarily set your daily intake at the bottom 1200 calories! I started the Couch to 5K program and worked up to being able to run a 5K last…

Eat ALL your 1200 calories every day. Then eat something you enjoy! It can be fruits, veggies or a treat. As long as you're in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight. For example, I sometimes I will log a cookie it so I know whether I can eat it and still meet my daily goal. If you're having trouble eating the whole 1200…

Give yourself permission to save up some calories one day and have a slice of pie. It's filling and it's sweet. The next six days, eat an apple or pear instead when you're overcome by that sugar craving. I found that giving in to the craving once in awhile didn't trigger a non-stop blow-out backslide. And since I was still…

A week ago I hurt my toe and can't walk well enough yet to exercise. Total bummer. I've put on a pound, but decided that's okay because it's a temporary thing. I'm substituting some other activities to keep my mind off my disappointing situation, like sewing and painting. Those things keep me occupied for a few hours and I…

Log every day, as accurately as you can. Set up a rewards system: lose 10 pounds, you get a new pair of running shoes. The next 8 pounds you get a pair of jeans. The next five pounds... you see where this is going. I found that a non-food-related reward was a nice motivator. And if you keep plugging along, you'll be…

Eat the foods you like and stay within your calorie budget every day. I lost 30 pounds by logging on MFP and having a dessert (slice of pie, 2 cookies, small portion of cake) nearly every day. I don't feel happy when I feel I have to give up everything I enjoy. I did start drinking a lot more water between meals, which…

I remembered that when I was younger I could climb stairs without feeling like I was lugging an invisible 30 pound lead weight. Oh, and there was that picture of me at a BBQ where my head looked so tiny compared to the bulky body I had. That's 2 things, but it was that combo that got me going.

What types of motivating things did your loved one say to you? Think those things. Say them out loud. It'll help keep that person close to you and help you continue on with your progress. I found that getting some daily exercise was a big help. Sure, there were times when I was in a Zumba class and started to cry, but I…

Oh, man, those up and down cycles! I found that just plugging away and logging faithfully into MFP helped me a lot. I started to keep pretty happy about developing a new disciplined habit of watching what I ate. And when I get sad or mad, I go outside for a one to three mile walk (the longer one takes about an hour). I…

I was glad I had a "before" picture, because it made the progress photos and "after" pictures look pretty good. But I didn't post any pictures here until I was very close to my goal weight. I did go through a period of time where I thought, Oh my God, what a loser... but you really have to look at it as a mere starting…

KatyCSTinPNW be sure to post what you decided to do and whether you felt that was a successful plan for you.

I don't think it will hurt to give your new plan a try. See how you feel after a few weeks. Changing up your routine will get rid of boredom.

One thing I do to stay motivated about exercise is I write down what I am going to do for the next two weeks on the calendar IN INK. I write in the time (like, "8:00 a.m. Run 2 miles") just like it was a doctor's appointment and I keep that appointment with myself. I go whether I really feel like it or not. I'm not always…

My sister-in-law has been doing Weight Watchers for 15 years, and I've watched her weight go up and down 30 pounds at a time throughout that time period. She swears it works, then falls silent when she packs on the pounds again. I will say that she was successful (again) two years ago, and gained back a lot when they made…

I have a Garmin I'm happy with.

Walking definitely helps! As far as outdoors vs. treadmill, it really depends on your preferences. I like being outside. I like listening to the birds, saying hello to other walkers, hearing the wind in the trees and seeing the sun dappling the ground, and of course those mountain views. My husband, on the other hand, just…

Maybe next time you're thirsty or want to grab a glass of water, grab a protein shake instead. Somehow you need to develop a new way to feel full that incorporates actual fuel for your body.

My guess is that neither rate of loss will affect whether you are able to conceive. Either rate is a healthy rate of loss. I'd personally just go with whatever feels right. Since I'm goal-oriented, I'd just go for the 1 pound per week until I was 5 pounds away from hitting my goal, then re-evaluate. The key would be: how…

MFP says the absolute minimum calorie limit for women is 1200 calories a day, and for men 1500. This is regardless of starting weight and assumes the person is sedentary. I can't comment about whether a "leading medical center" is giving the right advice to your friend, but since they will be seeing her often I guess her…

Congrats to committing to your goals! I've found MFP incredibly helpful in losing the weight I needed to get rid of. Here's to your continued success!

Be sure to take photos of yourself: front, sides and back. In a couple of weeks, do the same. You can compare the pictures to see what your progress has been. It's very difficult to judge progress just by looking in the mirror every day! Try the free phone app PicsArt. You can make a side by side comparison of your…

Please please please do not eat fewer than 1200 calories a day. MFP sets that up as the lowest calorie level for a woman, and it is basically geared toward a person who is sedentary. You will indeed lose weight eating more. I recommend in addition to weighing yourself, that you take your measurements at bust, waist, and…