MeanSophieCat Member

I like it now - and it has been pretty accurate after the first couple weeks quick loss. I will come to hate it as it move closer to goal.

Just heard an interesting NPR interview from an author who wrote about about the history of the processed food industry. I believe it is called, "Salt, Sugar, Fat" and has some sort of subtitle as well. Anyway - one of the points I found most interesting was that Kraft food decided to try to make their processed foods…

I learned this technique in a listening class (seems silly I know) and have found it helpful. Next time she complains, ask her, "Would you like to hear what I would do?" If she says yes, you can talk about MFP and calorie consumption. Don't criticize her plan - just share yours. If she says no, let it go. I've never had…

It is not just teenagers. I have this problem with most adult women. Not friends I choose but coworkers or wives/girlfriends of my husband's friends. I just had a lady at a coffee shop be nasty to me. I am working and she (I can hear her loudly and proudly declaring) is a SAHM. When I dropped my pen, she felt the need to…

I just think it depends on what motivates you. I weigh daily - right after waking up. Because of water weight fluctuations, which seem to be greater because I'm still breastfeeding, I need to see a trend - not a single number in a week or a month. Once a week or a month might be great if you are losing 2+lbs a week - but a…

One of the best things that has helped me stick to a plan is not to quit when I have a bad day (or two). In the past, I would do well for a week, maybe two and then have a total breakdown. Eat two servings of cookies, share a pizza with my husband, just something outside my plan. In the past, I would then (to use a phrase…

Totally normal for anyone over 25. I live in between two college towns. Most of the college kids are healthy weight but the people who live here or stay after college are very, very overweight. I think it actually lessened my motivation to lose weight because only being "overweight" I looked thin in comparison. I got out…

My favorite gym by my house is only group exercise class and personal training. There is no membership fee at all. You can pay per class, buy a package of classes, just pay for personal training sessions or combine. I like it much better than a traditional gym.

My two year old son is wise beyond his years. "Ronald McDonald is a little scary. He's an advertisement."

I second this! If I do a free/cheat meal it has to be dinner or even just dessert. If I start with breakfast, I'm done for. I try to make my free meal less about food and more about fun. Maybe it's the girls night splitting an appetizer or maybe it is dinner at a friend's house not asking them every ingredient in the dish.…

Cable free for 5+ years. We get Netflix and Hulu through XBox Live. The only thing I was bummed about when ditching cable is we pay more than half of what both cable and internet would be for just internet. I have to look at it as a cost savings for something we didn't really use anyway - but you pay more because you only…

Maybe being obese wasn't specifically listed in the policy but all doctors have a "high risk" pregnancy policy. If they determine you are high-risk, which can be a huge range of factors, they typically refer you to a specialist and a hospital equipped for high risk deliveries. My doc has this policy for multiples, Type 1…

Am I still average? You need to drink more.

I love all types of olives. Especially green or kalamata. My favorite pizza is spicy pepperoni and green olives. Like you my husband thinks it is super gross but I adore it. My favorite burger is sharp cheddar cheese, mayo, and green olives. Seeing a pattern?

When I have a "cheat" - which is no more than every 10 days, usually closer to two weeks - I try to stay within maintenance cals and just not run a deficit that day. So for me, a cheat meal is about 500 cals over goal. I don't know if my body needs it but it is a great mental motivator for me. I don't even really look…

Find what works best for you. I get the mid-morning hungries as well. When successfully losing weight, I've done it two different ways. I lost about 10lbs by skipping breakfast and then eating lunch, dinner, and a midafternoon snack. I did not find that was sustainable long-term for me. Some days I was great and others I…

I use a heart-rate monitor (HRM) and calculated 265 calories during Level 1. I did have some small interruptions (children jumping on back, ect...) so it might be closer to 300 straight through for my weight (low 170s) Using the MFP exercises, it comes out pretty close to circuit training so that is what I usually use if I…

One important trick I learned from my husband - taking care of the kids doesn't mean doing exactly what they want 100% of the time. We work opposite shifts right now - so I frequently have the kids (2 years and 11 months). Our living room is our TV room and play area. I will put on a workout video or even just find…

I don't think most people meant this as an excuse to be overweight - I think it is a testament to the importance of a healthy weight RANGE and not a single ideal weight. Frame size and composition make a huge difference - not just the stand-alone measurements of height and weight. Many of us don't have an easy, accurate…

I'm 5'5" and dense. My goal weight is 145-150lbs. At 145lbs, I am comfortably in a size 6. I've gotten as low as 135lbs in my adult life and I was not a fan of how I looked. I have a very large rib cage (bone structure not fat related) and too thin I just look disproportionate. Once I hit 150lbs, I plan to get a full body…

I am 100% with ya. My downfall was, "I'm just making cookies for the kids..." In my heart, I knew I was a nasty liar. I ate those 5 cookies. Logged them. Then jumped (yes, actually jumped) around my living room until I had stayed under my calorie goal. Perhaps that was humiliating enough to prevent a relapse? Probably not…

The general answer is yes. If not, you would be at a calorie deficit and not maintenance. That said, you might have to play around with the numbers and see what works. Even with a heart-rate monitor you don't always get the correct number of cals burned. If you are overestimating your exercise cals and eat them all back,…

Just staying busy. I put in more hours at work. Plan things in the evening. I generally try to be around people other than my spouse and kids. I find it harder to binge eat in front of friends/coworkers.

Not sure of your whole story - but I spent most of my life being a little chubby. Not necessarily even overweight - just soft. Even thin - which I have been a couple times in my adult life - I don't see it. I still see that layer of fat. I think when some of us lose weight we have reverse beer goggles. Especially if your…

Meds stay in your system for a really, really long time. If it is because of the meds you aren't able to lose weight, it might be up to a year. I was on a medication for 3 months and it took another 8 months to fully clear my system. I'm sure it feels frustrating but I would use this time to build healthy habits. Sounds…

A lot of it just depends on your baby. My kids are now 11 months and 2 years (26 months) and my workouts were really different with each. My oldest didn't sleep or nap well due to severe acid reflux and he would cry without constant attention. All workouts were done when my husband was home. We ended up buying a jogging…

Ypsilanti - always looking friends active on the site. Have a great day all!

It has helped me. Not every friend will make a difference but there will be one or two that will help you along the way. I don't have many friends here but I have one who everytime she sees I'm not logging, will send me a friendly message. That notification in my email pulls me back to MFP. Many of my real-life friends…

Up until my daughter started solids at 6 months, I had to eat 2000 plus all of my exercise cals. Otherwise I felt dizzy all day and although I didn't have a supply drop, I think the fat content of the milk dropped and my daughter wasn't gaining weight. The good news is that I still lost weight. I had to very, very…

Yoga helps with my mood and cramps. I typically just try to stay within my cals and not push my body too hard. I'm a cranky mess for at least 3 days.