SuffolkSally Member

It's my worst area as well. I'm doing a lot of core work, some in my weights routine and also pilates. I'm thinking of buying a hula hoop and using that. Sadly I think it's pretty difficult to change your basic body shape. I used to have a flat stomach but that was when I was very underweight, not a place I want to return…

If I did that in my local supermarket I'd consume (in addition to raw fruit and veg which are also on the outer edge of the shop) mainly dairy, cheese, processed packaged meat, red meat, bread, cakes, frozen desserts, ice cream, and alcohol. I don't think this plan works so well in the UK, although it does sound…

I can sympathise in that I also have times when I get tired of the programme - the results don't seem fast enough/I can't scratch together the motivation/I've plateau-ed for a while/I just make a choice to eat fattening stuff for whatever psychological reason. The great thing about MFP is the support, and (so far) every…

I feel your pain, lol. I wanted to switch to bodyfat % as my progress measure as my weight is now well into the healthy range but I haven't been able to identify a satisfactory way of estimating it... I happened to have measuring scales which work by footpad measurements, and the estimate they give has dropped considerably…

Just choose accordingly from the database e.g. rice dry weight or rice cooked weight, or in your example raw steak or cooked steak (in that case you also need to consider whether it's fatty or lean, of course,as that has a bearing on calorie content) . Other than that it's just down to what suits you best. I weigh uncooked…

I'm undecided when to make the leap, but I'm going to do just the same thing. Hate the thought of grey roots growing out... I'll have very short and my natural grey for a while, then keep it short-medium, wispy cut with purple streaks. When did you decide? Meanwhile, my hairstyle is kind of... on my head really, that's as…

Good point about the BMR, which not everyone realsies they have to deduct from their HRM burn. Your figures are pretty high though - I DO deduct my BMR, but that works out at about 60 per hour...

OP congratulations! I have exactly the same issue with my shape and I have in the past considered lipo in a fantasy sort of way because of it (in reality, I'm too mean to spend the money and too averse to unnecessary medical intervention to ever actually go through with it, lol). I have heard that it leaves minor but…

I count walking as exercise, and use a HRM to estimate calorie burn at over 60% voc. Walking is my principal exercise and as long as I keep within my calorie limits I lose weight just fine. (BTW, my calorie burn on walking is about 240 per hour, and I don't usually eat all of those calories back, just the majority).

I sometimes work part-time as a painter and decorator. I have a Polar HRM and I've worn it (on VOC function) to see how many calories I burn. I then err on the conservative side! I put 150 calories per hour as the extra burn from this activity. MFP database estimates for exercise are pretty accurate for me, so if they seem…

I'm 6' exactly and currently weigh about 160-165lb. I'd like to drop a further 10lb, but I have a small frame - I'd have my goal set higher if I were bigger boned and/or more muscular. I'd like to be using bodyfat% as a goal now as well as just weightloss, but it seems pretty difficult to get an accurate estimate.

I only use frozen in cooking/smoothie making - freezing changes the texture too much. I use the local markets/farmshops as much as possible, but mostly I look for supermarket deals and buy what's on offer. Melon's low calorie and refreshing and often cheap. I like strawberries and blueberries with balsamic vinegar for…

High sodium, high cholesterol. That said, I eat them a lot!

Like the way the Britsh include their pets food, lol. Have to say only the apples and eggs of the things in their average weekly shop ever appear on my shopping list though. Even my animals eat better than theirs... But a thought provoking and entertaining post, thank you.

There's an entry on the MFP database under cardio for "Pilates class". I have a good HRM and I've checked with it, and for me the MFP figure is roughly accurate, so I use that. It's about 230/250 calories for a 60 minute class (after I've deducted my BMR). So your gym's estimate probably isn't way off but you might want to…

I find it pretty good. I plan very carefully and find I can eat a surprising amount on fast days. I have targets for protein and fibre which are lower on fast days but which I still regard as adequate. Usually I have 4 meals as that seems to work best for me. I'm not hungry, I walk and workout just as usual. Haven't had…

I don't have anything to add - sounds like you've got workable solutions there already - but I do want to sympathise. I'd really like to know the nutritional values of my homemade stock for instance, not just calories but if it's a stock made from meat bones, which it usually is, then it's probably got a significant…

Totally agree - except for the bit about fibre. Over 30g should be fine, most people have far too little fibre in their diets and it's more helpful to think in terms of minimum consumption than setting an upper maximum! The important points are to also ensure adequate water and fat intake, to allow time for your body to…

I just use the numbers from the HRM and enter them in my exercise diary. I like to be as accurate as possible, and my exercise tends to be low intensity over long periods (hours walking, for example). MFP factors in your BMR, but HRMs don't - at least mine doesn't - so I reduce the HRM calorie figure to reflect that. I.e.…

I'm keeping one size too large all the time, just so I'll have something to wear if I do relapse a bit (I know myself well enough to recognise that I may have an indulgent holiday or a difficult time which will send me off the tracks a bit, but I also feel that I'm not going to let myself ever get back as fat as I was. I'm…

Point 1 ISN'T always correct. I distrusted MFP estimates, given my received wisdom from the MFP noticeboards. I bought a decent HRM - MFP's estimates of my calorie burn are very close to the HRM readings (slightly lower - by the time I've deducted my BMR from the HRM reading they're so close as to make no practical…

Cheese, dark chocolate, nuts, variety of grains and pulses - there's a lot of different types of beans/lentils, wheat, rice etc to explore for different tastes and textures. Same goes for oily fish - try mackerel, herring, sardines etc as well as tuna. Choosing full fat dairy will add calories too.

I'm doing it - I preplan, and for me that's the key. I find I can eat quite a lot, surprisngly, but I do cook from scratch. I have macro targets of minimum 14g fibre and min 40g protein for fasting days and so far I've been able to meet those. I have four small meals a day - latish breakfast, lunch, early evening and mid…

I looked at your diary and your protein intake doesn't seem out-of-the-way low. I think the main reasons people want to eat more protein are - because they are starting with a poor diet featuring very high carbs and low/poor quality protein - because they are struggling with hunger. Protein is great for satiety - because…

I got myself a decent heart rate monitor because of my concerns about this. In fact, MFP estimates of my burn are near enough the same as the HRM - by which I mean that after have deducted my BRM from the HRM burn, it's within 20 or so calories either way of the MFP estimate. So now I don't bother much with wearing the…

Try using the TDEE calculatotor on IIFYM.com - it breaks down your activities more and will give you a more accurate estimate.

I'm 6' exactly. I'm not sure what my highest weight was, but I'd lost some before I joined MFP last year weighing 208lb. My initial goal was 180, which I reached without much difficulty. I'm now 170 and aiming for 160 with lower body fat and more muscle! I'd have hit my goal long ago if I'd been consistent! But it's still…

There's a database entry for something like "average Chinese buffet" and I tend to use that, think it's about 1,000 calories. Easy to find anyway. But I also then choose the healthiest options possible, i.e boiled rather than fried rice, vegetable options, soup, and withs like beef with ginger and spring onion, prawns in…

I stuff portabello mushrooms,aubergines,or tomatoes wiith cooked brown rice, herbs, and some parmesan or gruyere mixed with some breadcrumbs as a topping. This is usually a main low calorie dish but goes well with meat or fish.

Lol. That's me too! There were never enough things I liked, and opting out/in seemed to take forever on the website.