paxbfl Member

I like the sandwich thins and also the Sara Lee "Simply Delightful" whole wheat bread. I enjoy both even more toasted. I also enjoy Flatouts flatbread. Basically tastes like a "roll-up" - I put some shredded chicken and salsa (sometimes a little cheese) on 1/2 a flatout (45 cals). Tastes great!

I wonder if it's more accurate for women than men, since men typically have more muscle mass. I'm 6'2", 206 pounds with 15% body fat. My BMI is 26.4 - overweight. In order for my BMI to be in the healthy range, I'd have to weigh 194. So I'd need to lose another 12 pounds. If I lost another 12 pounds of fat, I'd have 9%…

Ticks me off that some people - even health professionals - still use BMI. It's just a dumb number - not taking into account muscle mass or body fat %. Despite the fact that my body fat % is firmly in the "healthy" range and have more muscle mass than at any other time in my life, my BMI still tells me I'm "overweight".

I don't know much about thyroid issues. But I know about sugar cravings because I used to have big problems with it. Foods that are high in sugar cause a spike in blood sugar. After a while, your blood sugar crashes and you crave sugar again. I call it the sugar roller coaster - you go up and then you come crashing down…

I lost the weight before - about 10 years ago - and gained it all back. Now that I lost the weight again, I'm determined not to make the same mistake again. MFP is helping a LOT! I'm still setting a calorie goal for myself to maintain/build muscle. It's a lot higher than when I was losing, so it's a lot easier to stick…

Muscle helps boost your metabolism, and protein helps you build muscle. So go meatless if you wish, but make sure you find good protein sources and incorporate lifting into your workout. It's not impossible but it's going to be more difficult than just grilling a chicken breast as I typically do.

I just lost 40 pounds in about 4 months. From that experience I learned that weight-loss is simple math. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. It's really that simple, but you have to know the numbers. Make sure you know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, the number of calories your body needs to…

I'm lifting heavy now too, and I agree with you. I can't do the cardio like I used to after a heavy lifting session. I think you have to decide what your priority is - losing fat or gaining muscle. For me, it was losing fat. But now, I'm working to gain muscle (thus the heavy lifting). After a few months of gaining muscle…

Thanks! You and I did it differently but we both got it done. That's what matters. Good job on the body fat %. I'm currently lifting heavy to gain some muscle, then I'm going to lose a bit more fat to get "cut". I want to be 12% but with more muscle than I currently have. But like you, it's all a slow process. Healthier…

Congrats on your loss. In order to lose weight at the same pace I did (10 pounds a month) without the cardio I did, you must have eaten at a pretty significant deficit. Figure 2.5 pounds per week, that's an 8750 calorie deficit. So you'd have to eat at a 1,250 deficit every day off your TDEE. My TDEE was 2300, so that…

First of all, don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do it. My wife had two kids and she looks awesome. I'm not going to promise your body will look exactly like it did before your pregnancy but you can look amazing. So put that negativity aside and just do it. To give you help, we need more information. Do…

When using the body fat scales your hydration level is critical. I'd recommend weighing yourself at the same time each week, at a time when you have had plenty to drink. I would weigh yourself once a week... Any more than that and the day to day variations will drive you crazy.

I log everything carefully 6 days a week... I work out hard 6 days a week... and on the 7th day I relax. That's my rest day from exercise. I counted my calories on my first couple of free days, so now I just log "Free Day" with that calorie total and click "DONE" for the day. So it's a mental break too - a break from all…

Yours is a tough one because your numbers don't quite add up. I'd attack your problem on two fronts. First, go over your diet and make sure you're logging everything accurately. The strange thing is I'd rather see you eat a little more so you are at least eating your BMR, which I estimate as 1540 (Per this calculator:…

It's all about focusing on the positives. Think about the amazing progress you've made and then get up and do it again tomorrow. You will never really be "finished'. You can't just hit your goal weight, log off MFP, stop going to the gym and eat whatever you want. Well, you can... but I definitely don't recommend it. :)…

You still have 28 pounds to lose, so I would make that a priority for now. Do all the cardio you want! But keep lifting too! That will help you keep some of the muscle you currently have. When you get to your goal weight, then you can cut back on the cardio, eat more, and lift heavy to gain more muscle.

I agree with LIsaMarie. Consider eating "mini-meals" throughout the day with each meal consisting of a protein and a complex carb. Eat 6 mini-meals of at least 300 calories each. That way you're eating every 3 hours or so. If you're going out to dinner, skip one and double up on dinner. Drink lots of water. You're in…

The food sounds good. Send me a friend request and then I should be able to see your diary. But it sounds like you're on the right track. How many calories are you eating? I'm not sure how accurate the body fat scales are either. I know it's important that you're well-hydrated when you use them. But it should give you a…

I would encourage the lifting. If you're going to do that much cardio, you're going to lose weight. By lifting, you'll help avoid muscle-loss. Listen to your body. If you're tired or sore, it's ok to skip the 2nd workout of the day. You don't want to burn out or get hurt, stop working out and gain the weight back. I…

I work at home too! I used to snack all day long but lately I've been a LOT better about it! Have you seen this before? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 It's a lot to read but the bottom line is that it's better to eat more and work out harder including LIFTING.…

What is your BMR and TDEE? How many calories are you eating? How many calories are you burning on the elliptical? The nice thing about MFP is that it makes weight loss simple math. But you have to have all the numbers in front of you. Also make sure you are carefully measuring out how much food you're eating. I thought I…

Thanks for that. I think I will cut back my calories a bit. As long as I continue to see strength/muscle gains (and don't lose weight) then I'm good with it. Then I'll still do the fat-burning cycle to get lean after I've gained some muscle for a bit.

Thanks for the comments! One nice thing about my experience losing weight is that I'm confident I can drop weight if needed. So I plan to keep doing what I'm doing for 3 months, then drop some fat again to get lean.

Welcome Dan and ukaggirl! At the start of my journey this time I said "I know I can do this, I did it BEFORE!" Granted I suffered a huge failure in not sticking with it and gaining the weight back, but I chose not to dwell on that - except as motivation as I was really pissed at myself for letting it happen. (I'm still a…

Where did you ever hear this? Many diet and nutrition plans recommend the "mini-meals" because of the effect of large meals on blood sugar and insulin levels. Read the link below for more details. I've found the "Getting Hungrier" section to be particularly true:…

If you open your diary, I'll take a look. Two things that have helped me: 1. Give up all sugar and simple carbs (like pasta and white bread). These things have a big impact on blood sugar - which affects energy levels and cravings. 2. Instead of 3 big meals a day, eat 5-6 mini meals. So if you're eating 1,500 calories a…

I just lost over 40 pounds and am now under my goal weight. If you're serious about this, I'd be happy to help! Send me an invite!

Well you're definitely going to get feedback! I'd like to see you eat at least 1,200 calories a day and get more protein. Do you workout? If you eat 1,500 calories (with plenty of protein) and then burn 300 calories at the gym and do some lifting to tone up and build muscle, you'll be in great shape!

Ok first question is how do you know you're 25% body fat? At 6'4" and 195? That seems very lean. Start slow. Use machines at first. Ask for help to learn how they work. Use light weight to start. Don't overdo it at first. Eating protein is very important! Also how old are you? Muscle is easier to build when you're younger.…

Not sure how or why this thread got resurrected but maybe Brian (original poster) can post an update on how he's doing. He's one of my MFP friends. He's joined a second gym and is working with a trainer. I think he's logged into MFP over a 100 days in a row! So he's definitely not giving up, and definitely doing some…