nikmaack Member

I logged a work out at MFP of 800 calories (riding an elliptical trainer for over an hour). When I looked at the Garmin Connect website, it told me I'd burned 10,000 calories of activities that day. What the heck? After poking around, I discovered the MFP had sent that one activity to GC over 10 times. No idea why. I've…

I have my activity level set at sedentary, and I log all my exercise. I'm VERY active -- walking to and from work, walking my dogs, using an elliptical most mornings, often working out at lunch. When I was trying to lose weight, I would eat some but not all of my exercise calories. Now that I am trying to maintain weight…

I used to have to sit in the front seat in cars, because back seat seatbelts wouldn't fit around my obese body. I know that, the first time I sat down in the back and clicked that seatbelt without a problem, I was elated. All to say, I know exactly how you feel. :-) Nik (I've gone from 280 lbs to 182 lbs.)

My shoulder sometimes hurts if I use the elliptical too much. Try some stretches after your work out and a few times throughout the day.

I guess I should explain: I have my activity level set to sedentary and track all my exercise. I found this more efficient than simply assuming I would maintain a certain level of activity in general. In my crazy desire to be as accurate as possible, I've briefly toyed with the idea of getting a heart monitor runners use…

Tons of responses out there, but I just want to get this off my chest... I'm male, 5 foot 10, fairly large frame. I've lost almost 100 pounds, from 280 to 182. When I got to 200 lbs (my initial goal) people were very supportive. As I work my way down to 180, they started freaking out. "You're fading away to nothing!" "You…

Incredible and inspiring story. I just forwarded your post to a friend, who is trying to lose weight. Always remember that you're never battling your demons alone. When you win, you're an inspiration to others, and you make the entire world a better place. Nik

What I like about MFP is that you can change your goals over time. Achieve the weight loss you want, then set the system to "maintain" and keep tracking what you eat. I've lost 95 pounds -- took a little over a year. I keep food logging. Why? Because left to my own devices I would eat and eat and eat and eat and eat...…

A big "cheat meal" on Tuesday might still tip the scale Thursday morning. One nutritionist whose podcast I listen to suggests not weighing yourself until 3 days after a cheat meal. She also encourages the occasional cheat meal, as it's another way of letting your body know that food is available and not to go into…

I started using My Fitness Pal on April 17th, 2010. I weighed around 280 lbs. In January of 2011, I weighed 200 lbs. That was my original weight goal, when I started -- 200 lbs. So in 9 months I lost 80 lbs. Weighting 200 lbs, I went and saw a doctor. (I wanted to make sure I hadn't damaged myself in any way. I was fine.)…

The closer you get to your goal, the less you weigh, the fewer calories you get to eat, the harder it gets. You have a few options. 1. Up your exercise. The more you work out, the more you can eat. I know I'm not the only one who has said, "I've got to work out on the elliptical trainer this morning for an hour -- I need…

I eat 5 or 6 small meals all day long. This provides the same comfort of binge eating, but stretched out over time. If you plan your day of eating in advance, it's easy. Measure out a bag of nuts, carrot sticks, apple slices, granola bars, protein bars or shakes, fruit cups, etc. A nice variety is best. If you're always…

My understanding: wake up in the morning, do low impact cardio before eating, and you'll burn fat. (Eg. stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill, etc.) Then, immediately after working out, eat something with protein in it. If you are waking up, going to the gym, and doing a serious work out (weights, etc) -- you need to eat…

What has worked for me: If I eat it, I have to log it. No exceptions. I imagine an authority figure (a stern female doctor, in my fantasies) reading over the list. This often stops me from eating certain things. I find myself thinking: "Well, I don't want to write THAT down! What would the stern doctor say?" So I don't eat…

I remember hearing this one from my mother growing up. The theory is that vinegar will shrink your stomach and reduce appetite. Or so my crazy mother said. Here's a website that debunks the apple cider vinegar weight loss concept: http://www.wisegeek.com/can-apple-cider-vinegar-really-help-me-lose-weight.htm Here's how to…

I started April 17th, and I've lost 60 pounds. 20 more to go, to reach my goal of 200 pounds. And then I'll reevaluate. Yay me! Here are my suggestions for how to make the site work for you: 1. You can't eat it if you don't write it down. That's the biggest trick, I find. OBSESS over tracking every morsel you eat. Watch…

It's my understanding that working out THEN eating the protein is a good idea. It will help build your muscles. The best time to exercise, to burn fat, is right when you wake up. Do your exercises, THEN eat. My source for this information is the Ingredients for Life podcast, which I enjoy and recommend. Hope this helps! Nik

Welcome. I love this site, and keep annoying people by telling them how much it has helped me. I've lost 50 lbs since April 17th. Another 30 lbs to go! My advice, which you didn't ask for: 1. Trust the system. If it says to eat 1500 calories a day, aim for that. Don't break your back trying to live on 500 calories. 2. If…

I wear a pedometer for this very reason -- to calculate calories burned while walking. If you go out somewhere, walk a lot, stop frequently for breaks, how do you figure out the calories burned? A good pedometer can take out all the guesswork. There are a lot of bad pedometers out there. The one I currently own and love is…

I suspect I need lots of fibre for the same reason you do. There's a reason I'm trying to lose weight, and that's part of it. Being fat causes the C word -- CONSTIPATION. I'm hoping to get that issue out of my life. And a high fibre diet, with lots of water, helps. As for protein -- from what I've read, when changing your…

My advice -- trust the system, and keep track of extra exercise you do. It's actually possible to eat a lot, and still lose weight -- so long as you burn more fuel than you use. My diary is open, have a look. I actually do a LOT of walking, because I have dogs and refuse to own a car. The result is I end up with a lot of…

I weighed 250 as a teen, and dropped down to 180 over a single summer. Not smart. I basically starved myself. Then I not-so-slowly worked my way up to 280 pounds. So I know where you're coming from. What I like about this site is that, once I lose the weight, at a healthy speed, I can use the site to MAINTAIN my weight.…

Here's why I feel a little weird including my walks as cardio. Today I did the following: 1. Walked my dogs for 45 minutes. 2. Worked out on my elliptical for 30 minutes. 3. Walked downtown. (30 minutes) 4. Walked back. (30 minutes) 5. Took my dogs for a long walk to a distant dog park (80 minutes) mind you, I am on…

Clearly they were MAGIC Oreos! ;-) A few times I have "strayed" and still managed to lose weight. I suspect in part that's because I've set my goals to lose two pounds a week. Even if I go over my caloric intake by 1000 calories, my goals are set so high that I'm still eating fewer calories than I should to maintain my…

You don't want to hear it, but you must -- muscle weighs more than fat. Are your clothes looser? Looking at your diary, you don't look like you're doing a lot of exercise. When you set your goals, did you say you were moderately active, when you're in fact not that active day to day? Consider going back, reviewing those…

Maritta: This website works. Counting calories works. Every other weight loss plan is a joke. Before I started using this website, I just wrote down everything I ate in a notebook. That way, I was forced to see what I was eating. But without keeping track of the calorie count, that list wasn't much use to myself. I've been…