laursoar Member

Options that I enjoy on the go include: light Sargento string cheese, carrot sticks, watermelon, snow peas, apples, banana chips, berries, Back to Nature granola (the Sunflower Pumpkin seed variety is the amazing!), rice cakes, and Smartfood Selects popcorn. You don't have to buy all of those things in one week of course.…

It's a personal choice what you add. Some people even add chores like washing dishes. Ultimately, do what you feel is right. One way or another, if you want to eat like a hundred or so calories extra today, go for it. I'd say it's a very safe bet that such an amount would fall into "eating exercise calories" back range.

As others have said, calories come first. It helps me to have priorities for my macros too though. I generally plan ahead a day or so for my meals so I aim to hit calories first, protein second, fiber third, and then get as close as possible for fat. If I do that and go over on carbs or sodium, I still feel pretty good. I…

Ultimately, no. As others have said, it does matter if your fats, proteins, and carbs fall into the right proportions. For example, if you're eating a lot more carbs instead of getting the right amount of protein, you're more apt to burn muscle than fat and most likely will feel hungry more frequently. There are plenty of…

Definitely better than not logging at all. If nutrition information isn't available, there's generally not much you can do other than trying to use a comparable chain. Other possible options are doing some googling about the healthiest generic choices at different types of restaurants or cutting restaurant portions in half…

As a grad student who also works, I tend to have more free time on weekends where I'm not working or in class. This leads to me craving more food out of a mix of socializing, boredom, and having more freedom to buy potential junk. I find that the habits that have helped me most have to do with planning. I generally…

Count me in on the wardrobe buying train. I think about how fun it will be to pick out dresses without worrying about things having to hide as many "problem" areas! It was funny you brought up Modcloth, because I also also want to buy from there. I'm going to have to keep myself in check to not buy too much at once over my…

If you only have three minutes, cut an apple into slices while leaving on skin. Sprinkle on some cinnamon and add a teeny bit of vanilla extract. Mix around a little with a fork. Microwave for three minutes. This is particularly excellent on vanilla ice cream if you can make room to budget that in as well!

Congratulations! I'm inching closer as well. Can't wait!

Hi there! I started a month ago. I'm 22 years old and aiming to lose somewhere between 55-65 pounds. I still have a hard time deciding my ultimate goal weight, as I've always been overweight as an adult. I'm not really on a time limit though, just taking it one day at a time and making sustainable changes. Feel free to add…

I tend to save myself calories for coffee as a treat from Starbucks, as I get free dining bucks that work there. Last time when I bought a pumpkin spiced latte after not having one for a couple of weeks, I found it to be super intensely sweet! I found myself thinking that I'm not sure I really like them all that much…

For me, it's something that I will do on occasion. I'm just a lot more mindful of fitting it in to my calories. I really like craft beer too, which may be high in carbs/calories but is something I find easy to limit myself to having one or two tops. I have cut back on social drinking recently though, but I think that's…

I weigh daily in the morning. I think it helps me stay accountable, but definitely does not seem to be for everyone. Personally, fluctuations don't bother me. If my weight jumps a pound or two in a day, I know that I didn't overeat by 3,500 to 7,000 calories. I actually find the fluctuations interesting to see when they…

I've often been like you in the past. I think the difference this time really has been my mentality. I refuse to put anything "off limits". I just make choices that ideally fit in my calorie goals. I put less demands on myself too in terms of timelines. I try to workout when I'm off, but if I miss a day, I just focus on my…

I log in daily too! It's easily accessible to me on my phone and has become a part of my daily routine. Feel free to add me!

I currently live alone in a different state than my family for graduate school. This has made my life a lot easier by putting me in complete control over what I keep in my apartment. I work at the university I attend, which means I get extra vacation time for the holidays. I will be spending both a week for Thanksgiving…

I've seen WW work for some, but personally it wasn't for me. I feel weary about any diet industry that profits from an individual using their program. It makes sense that they want you to pay for it as long as possible, you know? So while some certainly can learn good habits and get off it, they make it easier to lose…

I think it's generally a good habit to measure vegetables and other foods. Some foods can vary a fair amount of calories depending on size. Once you measure a lot of the same vegetable, it gets easier to eye an estimate though.

I like to pair portion-controlled chocolate or a slice or two of pizza with more filling healthy things too. For example, tonight, I ate a half cup of pure pumpkin, a serving of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a 1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. I heated it all in the microwave for the chocolate to mix in as well. Way more…

Yeah, I've been overweight since fourth grade or so! It's really hard for me to envision myself any other way, which makes things like goal weights pretty tough for me to figure out. I think the lowest weight I hit in high school was around 185 so that's the thinnest I can imagine myself (as an adult-sized person) in my…

I'm 22 and relatively new here too! Feel free to add me.

I weigh myself daily and take measurements once a week. I feel like this helps me stay accountable and see my progress that is too early to see on my body. I also feel like it helps me embrace the daily fluctuations and encourages me to stress about the actual numbers a little bit less. I better understand the patience…

Ah, what a success! You look incredible. As someone aiming to lose a little over fifty pounds, I feel very inspired!

Yay! That's great. I'm really excited to get to the point where all the daily hard work starts to become noticeable weight loss.

Adding something like sweet potato fries can add on some calories too (depending on how many you make and eat) while still being healthy! You could make a smoothie/milkshake as well with a banana, a cup of milk of your choice, and then whatever else you want to add. Peanut butter might be a good choice. There's also a lot…

My number one rule to myself is to make healthier changes that will be sustainable for me. At the root of it all, I think the main healthy things to focus on are eat a percentage less than maintenance, track everything in MFP, modify portion size, move around more, add in more fruits/veggies, and persevere rather than…

Have you tried looking up recipes to perhaps make a healthy version of what you're craving or perhaps something similar to satisfy the flavors of what you're craving? I find that I really like to make things because it's easier to control portions than buying snacks. I do buy healthier versions of "junk food" snacks as…

I generally spend anywhere between $45-$60 a week for myself. Usually more toward the $45 end. I try to shop smartly though, by taking advantage of buy one get one frees when it's a food I eat a lot and usually going to at least two stores to save a few dollars. I probably could cut it down a bit more, but I like to have a…

Personally, I've chosen to add the changes slowly. I've spent a lot of the first couple of weeks mainly working on eating consistent amounts of "healthy" calories, modifying portions, and figuring out healthy meals and snacks. While I keep an eye on all the macros, I'm easing into focusing on those slowly too. I personally…

I just finished day 20! Just take it one day at a time. I find that some are a whole lot easier than others!