laursoar Member

Welcome! Feel free to add me. I think the best thing to remember when you're starting out is to take it all one day at a time in the beginning. As long as you keep going, it will get easier for the most part. Eventually, the results will come too. It just takes all of those days adding up and a realization that it doesn't…

I also advocate logging the full day in advance. You don't have to stick to it 100%. Sometimes, I'll be out and about or have plans pop up that change my day. Still, I'm a lot less likely to delete one of my meals and replace it with something completely unhealthy. It's really helped me learn to look at the big picture…

5'8" female with a CW of 199lbs. I eat 1450 calories a day + at least half of all exercise calories that I burn. I don't really use the calorie amount as a strict restriction as much as a guideline though. I occasionally go over, but that balances out overall with when I go under!

It has been so much easier for me since I started tracking my days in advance. I still switch things out depending on my mood or last minute change of plans, but having a plan makes such a difference! I seriously think one of the reasons I struggled my first time using MFP was because I logged during or after eating.

So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk in both the natural and vanilla varieties PB2 Vegetable "pastas" (think zucchini or broccoli slaw) Frozen broccoli, green beans, and spinach Homemade applesauce chocolate chip cookies (I seriously eat about three a day at 70-80 calories each) Pumpkin puree Pumpkin pie spice Sargento…

When I need motivation, it helps me to look at progress pictures of other people's success. Take a look at the success forum's before and after picture threads. You'll quickly see that many people in there have indeed lost the weight in their stomach area too. It just takes more time than most people like to give.…

Moving to graduate school in a brand new place definitely did it for me. During my second month here, I decided to look back at an assignment I did for a Positive Psychology course during my undergrad. I had written a little story about where I'd ideally want to be in five years. I felt pretty good about most of it being…

I think it's a great idea. I have a dress in my closet that I ordered online last year. It was too tight, which made me sad because I liked it a lot. I kept it anyway with the idea in the back of my mind that I might lose weight at some point. Now I'm glad that I did. It'll feel like such a mini-achievement when it fits…

The biggest tip that I can give you is that it's going to be hard at first. The first couple of weeks will be a lot more difficult than once you get used to new habits. I still have tough days two months in sometimes, but I find it's a lot less frequent. Start by finding substitutes for high calorie foods you like. Two of…

Here are my first in-progress pictures. I'm a little less than two months into this whole journey. I'm feeling pretty excited about how my face is looking after 14 lbs down! My chin's getting a lot more defined and the overall face seems to be less...puffy? I don't even know the right word for it, but it's pretty cool…

My muscles are feeling my first two days of 30 Day Shred pretty much everywhere. I'm finding myself enjoying it so far even though I am horrendous at push-ups.

I am such a snacker too. Planning what I'm going to eat the entire day in advance has been the biggest help for me. I don't make this so strict that I can't swap things out, but it also makes me less likely to go for a much unhealthier option. I run into the problem of superseding calories a lot less often too. I eat 1450…

I eat about 1450 calories a day. I always have room for snacks between meals and everything too. I do plan my days in advance though and then modify from there. My breakfast almost always consists of oatmeal, pb2, and then either pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie spice or berries. That's under 200 calories, but filling. My…

I'd say about 10 to 12 lbs more by Christmas would be a great goal for me!

I think sometimes people feel insecure when they aren't losing weight too. For example, when I even talk to my mom about my weight loss, she's generally really supportive but also a little bit defensive too. I'm not saying anything about her weight, but it's a sensitive topic for her as an overweight individual. It's…

I agree that it's probably not genetics. I think longterm habits you've adopted for years semi-consciously that can make one feel like they're predisposed to being overweight. On top of unhealthy habits at home, you have media everywhere encouraging you to make bad eating choices and many systems in place that encourage…

I almost always pre-plan and then adjust as I go as needed. If I put in all my meals and a solid amount of snacks, I'll sometimes leave extra calories to decide the day of as well. As someone who used to log in real time, I find that having the structure in advance helps immensely with staying in my calorie range and…

Each week, maybe try to keep the indulgences as close as you can to being within your calorie goal too? When I know I'm going to be social at night, I choose to eat low-calorie but balanced meals for breakfast and lunch and usually exercise in the daytime so that I then have a big amount left for the nighttime. You might…

I think breakfast only helps if you get hungrier by skipping it. For example, if you are more apt to eat ravenously at lunch when you skip breakfast, then you're going to have a harder time keeping with your calorie goals. Personally, I find it much easier to keep with my choices if I eat periodically (starting with…

In order to gain 4 lbs of fat in one week, you would've had to have eaten 14,000 calories above maintenance. Some of the weight is most likely water weight fluctuations of increased sodium of eating out, drinking, and whatnot. Just drink a bunch of water the next couple of days and get back on track immediately. Re-weigh…

I always find this scary too. When I usually end up in these types of situations lately though, I realize that I'm developing a good idea what portion sizes and foods are healthier choices (using most of the tips others mentioned). Another good way to cut down on restaurant calories is to only eat half of your portion…

Yay for you! Don't beat yourself up over the tough moments here and there. As long as you keep going in the grand scheme of things, you'll keep on making progress.

I really want to start C25K too. I keep putting it off, mostly because it's still in hot and rainy mode where I live. I love hearing how so many people who never were runners get into running because of it!

I do a lot of the above. I almost always make an extra effort to exercise for the extra calories if possible before going to a dinner party/potluck/out to eat with friends. Then, I eat well-balanced but lower calorie meals throughout the day. While I'm there, I try to make some smarter choices too. I want to enjoy myself…

One of my big habits from before I started this journey was eating way too much in the evening. I've found that the only way to deal with that has been to revamp my whole daily routine. Instead of skipping breakfast, I eat a relatively low calorie but intentionally filling breakfast (usually oatmeal, pb2, and either…

Jimmy John's! Both the Turkey Tom (without mayo and with provolone and avocado) or a Vegetarian (without mayo) are really filling, delicious, and very reasonable calories-wise.

I don't really obsess too much about measuring portions while eating out. I do well with measuring at home, so feel like a minor difference here and there won't hurt too much. I'm generally cool with eating out too if I plan in advance for it to allot calories and think about my options. For me, I get most thrown by…

My family doesn't quite get the whole healthy eating idea. Growing up, there was a lot of snacking and going out to eat. My mom was naturally thin growing up and gained weight after becoming a mother. I think that due to being thin, she grew up eating junky food without gaining weight and learned those habits. When I…

Take things slowly too. Don't make goals to exercise like 5 or 6 times a week if you have a hard time going at all. Your diet's the most important factor to keep in check if you're trying to control weight. I would suggest you work on establishing those habits like portion control and calorie counting first and maybe…

Today, I made a grilled cheese with three slices of ultra thin Sargento Provolone, a serving of the Hormel 50% less fat real bacon bits, two slices of whole wheat bread, and a 1/2 tbsp of butter. I ate it with a side of snow peas and a side of vegetarian refried beans. Rather high in sodium, but worth it for a little under…