megano_d

I have been on a 7 month plateau and am hoping weight training finally busts me through. We are so conditioned to think cardio is going to make the difference, but I'd like to put myself out there as proof that it doesn't. Thanks for this post!

What you are asking about is similar to cycling and folks do it. They eat a larger amount for a day and then a less amount the following day. If I know that I am in a bad situation, then I try to make sure my calories for the week add up to the proper amount. So if I am eating 1200 cals a day, then I have 8400 cals for the…

I was gluten free for a couple years (misdiagnosed as Celiac) and while I dont have a good bread recipe, I have to say that Pamela's gluten free baking mix made amazing waffles. And Tinkyada's gluten free pasta is the best, hands down.

I love that machine! For context, I weigh about 188 (about 15lbs overweight for my height) and do 45 minutes at level 4 and the machine tells me I burn about 660 cals, but my heart rate monitor says 450. I dont know how much your smaller size would affect that calorie count, but this gives you at least something to do a…

I have to agree with the other folks: water bottle, good shoes, SCALE!, and would have to add Heart Rate Monitor if they are ready to be active.

I did it a couple months, lost 20 lbs, and enjoyed most of the food but I didnt order stuff that I just knew was going to be bad. I stuck to probably about 10 foods. I actually crave their mushroom risotto. The lasagna was decent. The pizza is good. I loved the veggie fajita. The desserts were good and I didnt have any…

I like my oatmeal sweet so I use Torani sugar free vanilla syrup (usually used for latte's) and it adds a nice bit of flavored sweetness. Then I put in cinnamon and either walnuts or almonds.

The nutritionist I saw talked to me more about what I was already eating, advised what to cut out and had conversations about portions. It was awhile ago, but I dont remember her recommending foods. My guess would be that they would talk to you about making optimal combinations given your dietary limitations, but that is…

5'11"+, 188lbs and a size 16. I was also a size 16 at 220lbs. Some 16s are too large now, but some are still too small. Cant win for losing.

One more idea too, make sure you are drinking enough water. Water is required to break down fat. I personally drink about 100-120oz of water a day. You would be well served by also figuring out what your trigger foods are (the ones that cause you to derail completely.) For me, its sugar, hands down. If I have too much I am…

I didnt use dates at first and then went back and figured out I basically didnt lose anything October to Feb. Not good! If you dont like them because you arent meeting them, then its time to kick it up a notch. Make sure they are realistic and then do what it takes. No sense in taking a long time to get healthy. Change up…

I eat at 1200 cals and (when I stick to it) lose weight just fine. However, like folks said all calories are not made equal. Eat a healthy, nutrient rich 1200 cals and you'll lose weight. Eat 1200 cals of crap and your body will start starving for nutrients as it doesnt think its being fed at all. Big difference. As for…

Your brain needs carbs to function so anyone who tells you not to eat them isnt thinking!

To be honest, wraps are hard because the wrap itself is full of empty (and high) calories. I would forget the wrap and use those calories on something else :-) Just eat the fixings outside the wrap!

Lets do some math here, since all of weight loss is about math. Given your current weight you are ingesting about 1600 cals per day, 11240 per week. Your new caloric intake of 1240 per day is 8680 per week. That puts you at a deficit of 2560 cals for a week. A pound is 3500 cals. So in a week you are not decreasing your…

I love doing a bagel thin (110 cals) plus 1 TBS of Lite Cream Cheese (35 cals) or 1 laughing cow wedge and 1 egg as a bagel sandwich. Delicious and only 210 cals! I put hot sauce on mine for an extra kick.

To be honest, I think if we all could have our way we'd be picky eaters. :-) Unfortunately, the foods our body needs are not always the ones we enjoy. I, for one, dont love most vegetables but eat them because its the right thing to do. 50 pounds by May is aggressive. To do that properly, you are going to need to have a…

When I had a week like that I went back and asked MFP to show me my sodium. A real eye opener and at the root of my issue. Its worth looking into. Be sure you are drinking a minimum of 64 oz a day (I do 120oz) and logging everything you eat. This was just one week of a much longer process. I had many weeks like you did and…

Also, remember what makes weight loss sustainable is that you learn something during the weight loss process about portions and calories. Just because you lost it fast doesnt mean you'll gain it back fast. You'll gain it back fast if you lose the weight and then go back to eating like you used to. Once you hit your goal…

If you have more than 50+ pounds to lose (which your recommended calorie levels indicate you likely do), you do not have to worry about dropping more than 2 pounds a week. Folks with more to lose, lose more at the beginning. Once you are getting to around 30ish pounds away from your ideal weight, you'll find a 2 lb weight…

When you have more than 100lbs to lose, you will likely lose more than 2lbs a week to start.

And in case it wasnt clear, I am not a doctor either :-) But the other peice of advice I have is dont ever eat the calories you burn while working out. I cant explain it, but those calories arent the same. Workout because its good for you, not because you want to eat more.

I take my inspiration from a guy who has lost 160 lbs in a year. He is controversial and not always nice, but he can clearly produce results. His blog is almostgastricbypass.blogspot.com He sticks to 1200 cals a day with moderate exercise. As long as your 1200 cals are from healthy food (not donuts or candy) he asserts you…

Another thing about pant size (as you can tell, this is an issue close to me!) I have lost almost 25 pounds and have not dropped a pant size yet. I still wear a 16 at 194. Only difference now is that I can wear a Victoria's Secret or Banana Republic 16 when those were too tight before. And yet, if I was hung up on a label…

And another thought for all of us tall girls, dont get hung up on your clothing size! When I was in high school and 130lbs I still wore a 12 because my hips are wide. And I was too thin! We tall girls dont have the same size standards as the more average heighted folks! When you look good, everyone can tell. They dont need…

I am at least 5'10 (likely more like 5'11 or 6') and my goal is 170. My heaviest was 220 and am currently at 194. I'll re-evaluate at 170 to see if its enough, but I think it will be. However, I am not anywhere as young as you and was around 160 or 150 at your age. At my age, I am only willing to do what it takes to…

If you eat about 1200 (healthy, not junk food) cals a day and drink 94oz of water at least, you can lose those 5 lbs and have some variety! Since losing weight is all math, you dont really need yoplait to lose weight, unless you love it and use it because its a good choice for you like the folks here are using greek…

I am not the kinda gal that gives all positive responses, but I assume that because you asked all of us (who mostly dont know you) you are up for hearing anything. First, You are doing an amazing job. You are on your way to great success! To lose the weight that you are trying to lose, its going to take serious vigilance.…

Also, I just did a bunch of calculators online which all indicated that your weight should be between 145 and 170. If you are really of a medium frame then most likely you should be at 155-160. And remember that muscle weighs more so you should be more focused on being in shape with good muscle tone since you are already…

Your best bet is to talk to your doctor about it. They will be able to give you a better range since they are actually looking at you and basing it on your actual body instead of a random one size fits all assessment.