paxbfl Member

Think long-term success. It doesn't sound like you're very happy eating 1450 calories (I wouldn't be either!) so set up a program that you can live with. I think the 1900 goal is reasonable. Maybe a little lower, like 1800. I'm 6'2" and was 250 pounds, and I ate about 1800 calories many days - and was not hungry. I worked…

Usually I agree with the posts about being patient and weigh yourself once a week (at most)... but you have 91 pounds to lose. If that's true (that you are 91 pounds or more above your ideal weight) you should be losing weight pretty easily. We need more information. Did you calculate your BMR and TDEE? Use this calculator…

I think this varies by person. When I eat sugar or a simple carb like pasta, I get a sort of "high" from it. Then I suffer a sugar crash, and then I really, really, really want more sugar. I'm not diabetic, but I could see how I could probably become one if I kept on this path. Keep in mind, I normally have very strong…

Usually when something bad happens I eat for comfort. So basically I do the opposite of what you're doing. That said, I do have experience with what you're talking about - seeing very traumatic things. It was many years ago but I was pretty messed up over it - nightmares, depression, etc. It helps to talk to people about…

I'm kind of sensitive about this. For me, this whole journey has been about CONTROL. I am in control of what food I eat, and I am in control of how much alcohol I drink. If I have difficulty with control, as I do with SUGAR (I am a total sugar addict) then I control that very, very carefully. Basically I only allow myself…

EAT MORE!!! Also, eat more protein. You want to lose fat, not muscle. What food you are eating is rabbit food. :)

I just did it. From October to January I lost 42 pounds. I'm male, 6'2"... went from 250 to 208. Despite lifting the entire time, I think I lost some muscle along with the fat. It's almost inevitable when you lose the weight that quickly. That's a big part of why it's not recommended. But personally I'm ok with it... I'm…

YES!!! And up your workouts. Get a heart-rate monitor to figure out how many calories you're burning. Are you standing there watching the DVD or are you really pushing yourself? I've just lost 40 pounds in the last 4 months. The biggest thing for me is that I can't believe how EASY it was. Granted I'm a big guy and had…

I used to laugh that I wasn't sure if my body was shrinking or my head was growing! You'll get used to it. Don't sweat it!

Rav, You can totally do this. I know it's hard when you have so far to go, but you'll get there! Just be consistent every day. I have some good news for you... if you calculate your resting calories (BMR) and the number of calories you burn in a day, you'll see that you have a tremendous number of calories to play around…

I've been through the same thing. I was really depressed, thinking I must have a pathetically slow metabolism to put weight on that fast. Or maybe a genetic predisposition since my father was overweight his whole life and my brother is overweight too. There had to be a reason, right? It's just not FAIR! Then when I started…

This is how I feel. I was shocked to learn wings you get at a restaurant are around 100 calories a piece. I could easily eat 8-10 of them. So I go without except on my cheat days.

I don't give up pizza. I still have a slice now and then. But I have one plain slice instead of 3 "meat lovers" slices. Have 1 slice of plain pizza and a side salad and promise yourself you won't have more than that. Good luck!

I eat every 3 hours or so, so I would suggest that your breakfast be about 300 calories and then have a mid-morning snack that's about 300 calories. Large meals cause a spike in blood sugar and put a strain on your body to handle it. Small meals help keep your blood sugar and metabolism stable throughout the day. 700…

INCREDIBLE!!! Awesome job!

I had a friend ask me how I lost so much weight, and when I told him about MFP he said, "So you're basically just counting calories and exercising? YUCK!" Now if I told him I had a magic pill that could make fat disappear, then maybe he'd be interested. Sheesh.

I like to think about it this way: We aren't defined by the days when we screw up - because EVERYONE does that. We are defined by what we do the next day.

Great story - and great job on your transformation!!!

If your TDEE is 2500 and you eat 2000 calories a day, you should lose 1 pound a week (500 x 7 = 3500 calories). If you burn an additional 500 calories per day in exercise and you DON'T eat those calories back, you should lose about 2 pounds a week. Make sure your logging is accurate - look for hidden calories. Measure the…

Protein is really important. If you lift and eat protein, you will really see results. Protein shakes and bars help - just make sure they don't have a lot of carbs (especially sugar) in them. You want to gain muscle, not fat. Otherwise, eat eggs, (or egg whites or commercial products like eggbeaters), chicken breast, fish.…

That's been my experience too. If I had known it would be this easy, I wouldn't have waited so long to do it. Learn your BMR and TDEE. Log everything and eat between these two numbers. Do some form of cardio every day. Lift every other day. Push yourself a bit and really strive to be "fit". Avoid refined sugar and simple…

I'd say you should do whatever works for you. I work out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and have no problems. On the weekend when I sleep in a bit, I find I need to eat a little something before I go to the gym - or else I feel tired and my workout suffers. But during the week when I'm at the gym a little…

It will all be ok! Seriously... I think we need more info. How tall are you, what do you weigh, what is your age? Are you exercising? 2500 is a considerable amount of calories. My TDEE is around 2700... I've been trying to eat around 2,000 calories and exercising, and the weight is coming off fast (2-3 pounds a week). With…

For me the opposite is true. I feel so disgusting after my cheat days that I'm much more motivated to have really good days the rest of the week - and so I do. Then, by the end of the week I'm ready for a cheat day again. :)

I totally agree that diet is more important than exercise. If you want proof look at me... I worked out 6 days a week and didn't lose a pound until I got my diet in shape. Because I did the "I workout so I can eat whatever I want" thing too. Still, I love exercise. I would encourage you to do SOMETHING... especially if…

I do the cheat days and have consistently lost weight while doing it. I'm actually at the point where I'm going to scale back the free day a bit... maybe make it one meal and a dessert. I find if I eat like crazy all day long I actually feel like crap. I still won't log that day, though... and if I want a piece of candy or…

I kinda did. Well, it was 35 pounds and about 4 months. lol. I'm going to post my story with before/after pics when I reach my goal weight which should be in a week or two. People think I'm doing something drastic or magical to get these kind of results. When I tell them what I did, people seem almost disappointed. They…

There's a LOT of variables into this question. First, are you eating over your BMR? If it's close, you need to eat back calories in order for your body to be healthy. Second, is your goal to lose more than 1 pound a week? If you have your MFP goal set for more than 1 pound a week, then you should basically eat right to…

I'm a total sugar addict. Honestly. I can't moderate sugar. If I have one cookie, I will crave more cookies. Even simple carbs like white bread or pasta increase my cravings and overall hunger. So... if this sounds like you, I'd recommend you go cold turkey like I did. Eliminate ALL sugar from your diet. You don't need it!…

I think it's ok to be under BMR for short periods. It's just important to understand that you shouldn't stay there for long periods as 1) it's not particularly healthy and 2) your weight-loss will eventually slow down or stop entirely. This is why some people like the idea, some people hate it. Think of eating under BMR as…