lyssad86

You are so inspiring! I have exactly the same stats as you (even the same HW!). I have always been rather muscular, and so I have set my goal weight at 130. I'm 10 pounds away. Congrats to you, and I hope I look half as good when I make it!

Calculate your TDEE. Take away 20% of that. Never eat below your BMR. Your body will cling to its fat reserves if you go too low--it's a defense mechanism. If you're working out, I am guessing you will HAVE to eat 1500 daily at least to lose. Very few peoples' BMR is at 1200, so you are likely still not getting enough fuel…

My sex drive was lowered so dramatically by birth control, though I didn't have any trouble losing weight while on it (I didn't gain because of birth control, either--that was all me, lol). It also altered my mood/emotions pretty dramatically. I will say this--after I went off birth control and started using condoms…

Almond milk! I also buy the sugar-free Torani syrups. I've been having salted caramel lattes and raspberry mochas for less than 50 calories a pop. :)

I'm doing the TDEE method where you're not supposed to eat back your calories--unfortunately, when I could see the adjustments on my screen due to TDEE, I was more tempted to eat them back and often did. I've unlinked my accounts for now, just so I don't eat back my TDEE calories and get past my weight loss plateau.

I'm 27 (well, in a week), and I'm very motivated. Been on MFP for almost a year and I log every day. I will say that I prefer to add friends who are eating above 1200 calories and those who don't mind that I eat what I want and enjoy it within my range! :) I'm very supportive and will cheer you on.

Geronimo! So many Whovians here. :) Anyone can feel free to add me if they want!

Oftentimes in the beginning with people who are quite overweight, they will recommend 1200 calories. I'd suggest eating more sometime soon if you want to begin working out. You are really going to need the fuel. Also, you want to KEEP the weight off, right? 1200 calories will NOT allow you to do that. Please read this:…

Mine isn't a success story, but I think you need to hear it. It's my 1200 calorie mistake story. I thought that I could lose weight on 1200 calories---and I did! It was awesome! I had about 10 pounds left (of 30 or so), and began personal training. I found myself tired and dizzy sometimes. But I stuck with it. And I lost 1…

I will tell you this because it is very important--when I was in SUPER good shape, I was eating 1200-1400 calories a day and exercising hard with a personal trainer 3 days a week, exercising alone two more. I did not eat back calories. My weight stalled and did NOT budge for six weeks. I kept up the exact same routine. I…

Anyone? *crickets*

Since you're at 1200, you HAVE to eat back those exercise calories in order not to stall your weight loss. TRUST me on this! Also, are you sure 1200 is correct for you? Do you use the TDEE -20% method of calculating calories? If not, you're probably not eating enough to lose weight. I'm 5'4, 149 pounds, and WITHOUT…

Food comes first. Always food first. Secondly, food scale. I cannot stress how helpful that is in weight loss! A gym membership is not necessary if you can prioritize exercise at home and even use Youtube for workouts. Best of luck to you! I understand trying to lose weight on a budget.

Yep. This.

Fat-shaming is the problem here, people. Yes, the man can do what he wants with his company. And I can call him out for being an *kitten*, because he is one. No, I won't shop there because I don't support that kind of message. Plus-sized shops are there to give options to people who often have a harder time finding…

I started with MFP last July at my HW of 183. I'm sitting at 150 now, and would like to hit 145. Love seeing all the posts of people with a similar journey! Here is from a week or so ago, about 152. I was wearing size 16 capris in the first picture. The dress in the second is a size 8. :) And I am feeling sexy in it!

Now THAT's inspiring! And I'm here to tell you that you can love food, be healthy, and lose weight. You will develop new favorites, new loves, new alternatives. One of my favorite activities is cooking, and it has a lot to do with how far I've come in my weight loss journey. Best of luck to you! There are good people here;…

I am reminding myself how far I've come. Here are my success pics: July 2012, 183 pounds (maybe more) April 20, 2013, 153 pounds--my husband and I chaperoning Prom. I had a bad day today, but I know that I've worked hard. I still have at least 10 pounds to go, but I am getting so much closer.

Ha! I'm sure your HRM burns are accurate, but it will play more "nicely" if you log on MFP with the HRM calories, I have found. MFP asks for the time of your activities if you have it synced with fitbit in your diary settings. This is the answer MFP gives: "By entering the time you begin your cardio exercise, the calories…

I just remembered--I always let it adjust my calories negatively, too. That way, if I'm super-sedentary, then I don't get to eat as much. It motivates me! You have to go in and adjust that manually.

For me, Fitbit tends to cut my calories. I always log all of my food and exercise on MFP. It has a better database and works much better. As for the fitbit, I think it is generally accurate, but I find that I often go over on it if I'm not careful. It allows me less calories than MFP. Are you wearing the fitbit for…

I know this sounds weird, but I got rid of my scales (or put them up out of sight, hard to reach) but my Wii Fit. I weigh weekly because I have to log in, turn on the system, and weigh. This makes it pretty easy for me to weigh once a week. It helps me to avoid obsession. If you want to weigh yourself, you should make it…

Thanks so much! These sites are great. We go meatless fairly often, so I love seeing all the great veggie recipes.

Bump. I was given some Jillian Michaels Vanilla Shake protein powder, but I don't know how much it costs normally. I'd love to know what others use that is tasty and cheap when I run out.

Same here. I would be psyched to hit 135! Add me if you'd like. :)

Honestly, I've been there. Heck, I'm still there! I have just created this rule: if I'm going to have a soda, I have to drink a FULL glass of water first. So I do. Then, if I still want it, I drink it. At least half of the time, though, I don't want it any more. I also like to use Mio or Dasani drops to flavor my water to…

Same here! Feel free to add me if you'd like.

You have the same goals as me! You are welcome to add me as a friend. :) I am 5'4, 26 years old, currently 156, aiming for 135-130. I used to be at 175, so I think I'm doing pretty well!