paxbfl Member

Definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing.

I'd say do whatever you want to do, but count the calories. I enjoy decent microbrewed beers (not cheap light beers) so I'm looking at 150 calories per beer. I can't afford too many of them in a week, so I have them rarely. I'm really focused on the weight-loss right now, so I'm going without the alcohol and my friends…

I only eat sweets on my "free day" once a week. When I first cut out the sugar, I had a headache for 3 days and felt terrible. Detox I guess. Crazy, right? I feel SO much better away from the sugar. I notice my moods are more even, and my energy level much more consistent throughout the day. This week I had a slice of…

As others have said, you have to look inward. This isn't about other people, unless you make it so. It's about YOU, what's best for you, and the promises you make to yourself. I'm motivated for a bunch of reasons... friends and family with health problems related to obesity, desire to be healthy for my family, etc. But…

I find I lose more weight if I work out on an empty stomach. But maybe that's just because I end up eating less in the day, I don't know. I used to say I couldn't work out without some food to work with, but now I've gotten used to the empty stomach and actually prefer it to having all that food sloshing around.

Great job! Keep it going! Agreed about Wreck It Ralph... my kids and I really enjoyed it.

One thing that really helps me is eating "mini meals" throughout the day. I eat about 300 calorie "meals" every 2-3 hours, so I'm never hungry. If I walk into a feast like you described really hungry, I am going to eat way too much. It's just a fact. So eating like this keeps me on an even keel so I'm never really hungry…

LOVE HIIT workouts! I'm loving them and losing a lot of weight doing them. Intervals are self-adjusting. If I tell you to "Sprint", you may run a different speed than I do. That's ok - you will automatically adjust to your ability level. I've adjusted my speed upwards as I've been doing them. It's amazing how much they…

I would definitely ask your doctor and do what he or she recommends. Personally, I don't think you should set a goal of a specific weight to achieve after your pregnancy - there's too much beyond your control and more importantly, the baby's health to think about. Why not just do this: instead of cutting calories, just…

It's different for every person I guess. I'm really enjoying logging because I don't feel like I can trust myself to just do it without keeping close tabs on things. I will eat half the bag of pretzels and think that's ok. My idea of a reasonable portion is not really reasonable. No kidding... I can eat 4,000 calories in a…

I like this answer... just turn the music up to drown out the "voices" in your head! :) One other thing... take real joy, pleasure and satisfaction from the fact that you WON the battle today. I get angry at those voices because I know they are the ones that lead me to the couch and the box of donuts (yum). Those voices do…

Your warning is a valid one... all things in moderation. I've done a lot of yo-yo dieting where I'll get very serious about losing weight and then just get bored with the whole thing and go back to my normal diet. I'm determined not to do that this time, and I think MFP will help since I'll know exactly how many calories…

I look at it this way... if I'm going to post publicly (or allow people access to my diary), I have to have a bit of a thick skin and expect some negative comments. That said, most of the comments I've received here have been overwhelmingly positive and supportive. They more than make up for the occasional negative remark.

I like how you're addressing the root causes of the problem instead of just wrestling with the symptoms as most people do. You're already heading in the right direction. I also like how you recognize the cycle. Now turn the cycle around. Eat healthy, exercise, lose weight, feel better, feel better about yourself, recommit…

Dave, good job! I wish I would have stayed with it all these years and made into a "way of life" also. I struggled with converting the intense 12-week program into a maintenance mode for day-to-day living. I'm thinking MFP will help with that going forward - I'll continue the workouts and "mini-meals" of BFL and adjust my…

Agreed that it's hard to give an answer without knowing more information. You've already lost 42 pounds so obviously what you're doing has been working. Remember that as you get closer to your ideal weight, you won't lose weight as easily as you did 40 or even 20 pounds ago. Make sure your caloric needs have been…

Recognize that the first week is the hardest. Get away from all the fatty, sugary, calorie-dense foods and get moving again. For me I get very strict - basically zero refined sugar for the first week. You'll probably feel like crap (I usually do - sugar withdrawal I guess... drinking lots of water helps) but after a week…

How close are you to your ideal weight? It's going to get harder to lose the closer you get. You're burning calories like crazy. I'd recommend you do the cardio every other day and LIFT on your off days. Then adjust your diet with more calories and definitely more protein to try to build some muscle. If you build muscle…

There was a thread about this yesterday! On that thread, I talked about how my wife motivated me... after seeing her get in great shape, I finally got off my butt and really started making the effort myself. I didn't want to be the "Fat Husband". You won't be able to talk him into it. Just do it for yourself and when you…

Your photo hits home with me because it reminds me of the progress my wife made. She didn't lose as much as you but she firmed up and looks so incredible now - as you do. What an amazing transformation. I couldn't stay 40 pounds overweight with my wife looking like she does, and I doubt your husband will be "OK with…

I do... but you might not like it. lol. I am the unmotivated spouse. Or, more accurately, I WAS the unmotivated spouse. As I slowly gained 30 pounds, my wife got up every morning at 5:45 and hit the gym before work. Early on, she asked me about going to the gym a few times and I blew her off like her husband did to you. I…

First of all, I agree with the comments on here that you look good and probably don't need to lose a lot more weight... which is why you're having a tough time losing. But you sound like you know your goals and I respect that and will try to help. What kind of cardio are you doing? The long, slow runs you did training for…

You should have told the guy, "I may be fat, but you're a jerk. I am going to lose the weight and look awesome, but you'll still be a JERK!" You don't want negative people like that around anyway! Feel free to add me as a friend. I'm a guy, but I can relate to the emotional eating thing. For guys, we call it the "Screw it"…

LOVE Dorkothy's response! Most people use MFP to avoid overeating. But in your case, you need to make sure you're eating the right amount of calories - not too much, not too little. Eating disorders are real and a LOT of people deal with them. You need to take steps to make sure you're healthy. Losing your period is a…

I would just log it. Don't eat any of the calories back unless you absolutely need to - your body may require some additional fuel for all those calories burned. Just because you enjoy hiking doesn't mean it can't be a part of your weight-loss effort. Just try not to obsess over it! :)

I've found not eating 2-3 hours before bedtime helps my weight-loss for two reasons. First, I'm cutting calories for my daily calorie total, and I don't have to suffer with being hungry. I just go to sleep! I also find I sleep better on an empty stomach - sounds like the opposite of what you'd expect but that's been my…

I'm hooked also! I update every day. Everyone should feel free to add me also! I'd love to compare notes and talk about what's working.

I've been having really good success beating plateaus with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I do it on a treadmill but you could do it on a cycle, elliptical, whatever. Here's what I do: 3 minute walk warm-up Interval: Walk 1 minute (fast walk) Jog 1 minute Run 1 minute Sprint 1 minute Repeat 3 times, then do 1…

Marie, I just joined MFP so I'd love to be your friend. I'm pretty knowledgeable both at losing weight and of failing to keep it off - a situation I plan to correct this time around! Maybe we can help each other! I like what Apazman said... it's easier to lift weights than carry the burden of weight around. I've lost 16…

I lost 30, gained it back, lost 10, gained back another 20. Now I'm using MFP for the first time and really liking it. I'm recognizing the mistakes I've been making... now I understand where all the calories are coming from. In 5 weeks I've lost 16 pounds. I've been using MFP for a couple weeks and I think it will be the…