elid Member

Always log, even when you're afraid to see the numbers. You shouldn't hide! But you shouldn't beat yourself up over it, either. Tomorrow is a new day, and you can start right again in the morning. Everyone has bad days now and then. :smile:

Hi, and welcome! :flowerforyou: I love it here! I wish you luck on your journey, but just a word of caution. I started out at 290, and have lost 113 since then. It's taken me a little over two years. I did lose a lot at first (about 20lbs my first two weeks), but after that it slowed down considerably. I've found that this…

I try to spread my calorie consumption out throughout the day as best I can, though I do try to go light earlier in the day because I always like having a little snack at night 1-2 hours before bed. Not to mention, if I eat too much at breakfast, I tend to feel sick. A piece of fruit and handful of nuts or a small bowl of…

I would say having 8 mountain dews a day would be out of control. Having a single one every once in a while when you have the calories for it is definitely in control. :)

Personally, I will probably keep tracking my calories for the rest of my life. I'm too prone to mindless eating if I'm not watching myself diligently. Your mileage may vary, of course. :smile: It's possible. Whenever I go overboard and eat like I used to before I started tracking and counting calories, I end up feeling…

Please don't put so much stock in the number on the scale. Are you working out and building muscle? Take your other measurements and see if you're losing inches/centimeters. Four pounds in a week is a very high expectation. If you try for one pound a week, you'll probably be much happier. Remember, if you lose it slowly,…

Well said!

I have never heard of this. Bananas are very good for you, high in nutrients and fiber. They even have protein. I have bananas often for breakfast and am still losing weight.

Agreed! If you go to the "Tools" tab up at the top, you can find a BMI calculator. Your BMI should be 27.8, which is not considered obese (obese being a BMI over 30). 27.8 is considered "overweight".

Looks like you are getting a good variety of vegetables and fruits in, along with lean proteins. And good job on the water! You seem to be making good choices to start off with! My concern is that you're not getting enough calories. On average, a male adult shouldn't be eating less than ~1800. I recommend going to the…

That's fantastic! It totally is a big deal.

Ooh this sounds familiar... I set Stretchware for every 90 minutes; it nags me to get up and take a brief walk and do some stretches. You could try it, or another similar stretching program. http://www.stretchware.com/

That's the reason mine was closed. I don't really want unsolicited advice, because after a long time and lots of hard work to get to where I am now... I feel I have a very good handle on my exercise and dietary habits at this point. :) But if other people really want to see diaries for ideas, I think that's fair enough.

Ok, I'll open mine too. :)

I do agree that it's important to eat clean, but for some it's just not a feasible goal to cut out absolutely everything processed. Sometimes I didn't have time to cook a big meal the night before, just had some scrambled eggs or something, so I don't have good leftovers for lunch. At that point, my choice is often between…

You say you just want to see some change, but you already have! :) A pound in a week and a half is great, congratulations! Did your husband start out much heavier than you? If you're very heavy starting out, you tend to lose a lot in the beginning (not always, but often). It's not good to compare yourself to others. People…

Congrats on your weight loss! First, I don't think being the same weight for over a week is necessarily a plateau. You might have retained water right before your weigh-in or something. I wouldn't worry too much about plateauing until it's gone on a few more weeks. That said, you could try taking your measurements to see…

Can't answer #1, but I do love unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze. Goes great on cereal and in smoothies, and only 40 cals per serving. I even drink it on its own occasionally, and last summer I kept using it to make iced green tea lattes too (with a little stevia to sweeten it). Very good!

It's very hard to completely avoid a plateau during your weight loss. However, all is not lost! If you hit a plateau, try eating *more* calories for a week to get your metabolism going again. Change your workout plan a little, too. Drink lots of water. (Well, do that when you're not plateauing too!) Also, if you're worried…

Who are "they"? I don't know if I can say with authority how good or bad calorie counting is, but it's helped me lose weight for the past two years. :)

I think it is potentially dangerous to dwell on foods you miss. It's better to work on being able to eat the foods you love in moderation. A healthy lifestyle requires a healthy relationship with food, and pining away for a food will just make you want it more. Believe me, I'm still a recovering food-obsessor!

My first goal was to reach 200, and I thought I'd be happy stopping there. When I reached it though, I felt like I could keep going, so I did. I think it's not unreasonable to get to your goal of 190 and then reassess how you feel. If you're happy there, then great! Congrats! If you think you can keep going, also great! As…

I get up and move, but if I'm really hurting, I don't always do a full workout. Even a 15 minute walk is better than nothing--*some* exercise is always better than *no* exercise!

From the FAQ (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/faq ):

My favorite lunches are always leftovers from a delicious meal a night or two before. I try to make a little extra every time and pack it away for lunch. I also try to take at least two pieces of fruit or vegetables with me and eat them every day. I keep rolled oats and peanut butter at my desk for quick bowls of oatmeal…

Congratulations unipicker! :flowerforyou: I don't know the original poster's starting weight, but mine was 290 and I lost 20lbs my first 2 weeks or so. It tends to come off quickly when you're quite big... with your much smaller weight loss goal (15lbs), to protect your health, I don't think you want to be losing that…

Mmm, little trees! How cute! So glad you're inspiring your kids. :flowerforyou:

Everyone's body reacts differently to hormones (or lack thereof). Mine has only ever been off a couple points, but it had some really awful effects on me that have mostly gone away with treatment. (edit: That is not to say that something else might or might not have caused the hair loss; I am not a doctor and don't know!…

I also have hypothyroid. I'm on levothyroxine, and I'm careful to take it every day. I also avoid soy in most forms whenever possible (difficult because I love edamame and tofu). I've found that one of the most important things (non-medicine) for me has been exercise. Even if I'm feeling fatigued (which still happens…

Very good, thank you. Great motivation for me to keep up with strength training.