ottermotorcycle Member

How you track is up to you. You won't see the same, consistent results if you don't track everything you eat, but it's still up to you. I personally do track them - I want the people on my friends list to know I've been eating them! I also track my water intake to be sure I'm getting enough. I think the point of the log is…

Meaning, if you ate your maintenance calories in junk food? You would maintain your weight... You would just probably feel like crap.

Have you measured yourself in any other way? There's a good possibility the scale is stuck, or just that you're losing inches and looking smaller without losing weight for whatever reason. Take measurements and pictures. Take new ones in a few weeks and compare. If your clothes are feeling looser, you're probably losing…

Do you know what your BMR is? You can calculate it here if you don't: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ Whatever that number is, I would choose the weight loss option that is above it. From there you can be aggressive as you want. I know people like to contest this as a rule, but your body uses that number of…

I see there is talk of "obsessive" behavior in this thread.......... Nah. We're all "obsessive" here because we log everything we eat into an online database, and on TOP of the time it takes to do that, we're all here perusing the forums and debating on the benefits of weighing/measuring your food for the sake of calorie…

I just got a food scale recently. I certainly wouldn't do it for the rest of my life, but since I did not appear to be losing weight at a slight deficit, I needed the accuracy of it. And I imagine for many things it is much easier than measuring cups and spoons... how are you going to measure a chicken breast? Are you…

There is a direct relationship between the calories you intake and the weight you lose. This is the idea that MyFitnessPal is built on. There is no direct relationship between the weight of the food you consume and the weight you lose (or gain). It will show up on the scale directly after consuming it because it is still…

You're already at a healthy weight, so that is probably counting against you and making it more difficult to lose. I say up your exercise intensity (as measured by your flex.) Walk faster. Jog at a few intervals. You can try "Couch to 5K" to get you up to actually running, if that's what you'd like to do, or you can try…

Buy a food scale. I got one on Amazon for about $12. It should be easier for you, as a picky eater, to measure and log accurately. Don't forget drinks, condiments, etc. The little things there do add up. Eat at least at your BMR. Eat 1500 calories a day. 1200 is not enough. You're too young and tall. It isn't necessarily a…

Running isn't necessary if you don't like it. Bicycling makes great legs, as do squats.

Increase protein (1g protein per pound of total body weight, minimum.) Lift weights to keep working on those muscles you want to keep. Create a caloric deficit. You don't want this to be a steep deficit - don't even go near 1200 calories. The greater your deficit, the more you risk losing lean body mass. Try losing at a…

It helps you to fuel your workouts. If you don't have the energy to perform at the gym or wherever you do your exercise, you won't burn those calories as efficiently either during your workout or after (there is some amount of afterburn with all exercise, though it is more pronounced in strength training and interval…

Well.... to be honest I kind of want to say "too bad." Consistently eating below your BMR can cause metabolic damage. Your body needs that 1929 calories to keep your organs functioning probably. If you are weighing and measuring all your food, you need to be eating at that level. If you're guessing a whole bunch you may be…

I'm slow on this thread! Yes, eat back the exercise calories you earn, especially on a 1200 calorie diet since it is so low. ETA: No matter what time it is.

Wha - oh. Meal timing doesn't matter. Almost all of my workouts are after 7. Tonight's doesn't start until 10pm. I'll eat the majority of my calories after that. You don't have to stop eating at 7 or anything. And no. Your body won't go into starvation mode from one day. It won't go into starvation mode for a long time…

How tall are you? What's your BMR? You don't want to be netting below your BMR, and that's a good baseline to use for what's "okay." Since your BMR excludes any incidental exercise, it'll also be okay if you are overestimating your calories burned (as both MFP and exercise machines often do.)

Squats. Seriously, that's the only secret to a better butt. You don't need any equipment to do them, but doing 50+ body weight squats can be boring. Try holding something heavy and doing some squats. Anything heavy will do as long as you can hold it. You can even try the program at twohundredsquats.com. It's basically a…

It's not as healthy as it touts, no. But it is delicious. And enriched, so I guess that counts for something.

Yes. Rome wasn't built in a day, but yes, you need to get above that in order to really gain weight. Go slowly, don't stress yourself out too much, and aim for the calorie-dense stars.

Ugh. Sorry, I think I'm allergic to terms like "toned" and "girly abs." LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS. Eat at maintenance or higher. That's how you build muscle. That's what you want to do, is to build muscle.

Oh dear. I think the main issue here is your anxiety. Stress causes weight gain. Anxiety attacks cause blackouts. It's all one in the same, and I think it's all related. I suffer from an anxiety disorder too, and the symptoms are concerning if you're not 100% sure they're anxiety: blackouts, weight gain, chest pains,…

If I'm not on birth control, I ALWAYS have period issues. I think my body's natural cycle is longer than it's supposed to be (by like 2-3 weeks?!) and I'm like 80% sure that when I go off birth control and decide to conceive, I will become pregnant with twins. My body just kind of likes to double up on it. Diet and…

Take what you're doing. And then don't do that. Like, not in a million years, do not ever do what you are doing right now. It's fine that your goal weight is low, especially because you have a reason, but you absolutely NEED to do it in a healthy way or you will develop a horrible eating disorder that will ruin your life.…

I would definitely classify you as "active." I know the calories seem like a lot if you're coming from a place of recovery from an eating disorder, but you can do it! Definitely try to incorporate more fat into your diet - it's the most calorie-dense macronutrient. Full-fat versions of everything are your friends (though I…

You're 5'4"?! ?!?!?! ?! ?!?! ... maybe I should bulk up instead of cutting down.

Maybe you can convince your family to eat a mixture of white and wheat? Or get that "smart taste" enriched pasta? White carbs aren't the end of the world, but I do see where you're coming from. I feel like switching to whole wheat was the easiest healthy decision I ever made, and wheat products tend to have more protein…

Congratulations on getting to your goal! Maintenance should be easy. You can still keep using your system - just lower your deficit on weekdays to even out with the surplus you're getting on weekends. You may find you need to raise or lower your calorie goals from what MFP says your maintenance is. That's fine, just take…

I think the simplest answer to this is dairy! Greek yogurt, milk, froyo, cheese. There are nonfat versions of all of these that should help keep you in your calorie numbers. A more interesting suggestion: take a look at your fruits and veggies. Broccoli surprised me in that it has 1g protein per every 10 calories, and I…

If you're using TDEE, you don't eat back exercise calories. If you do something exceptional and are starving, you can definitely eat more, but TDEE takes into account your regular activity, so eating exercise calories on top of that would bring you right back up to maintenance. If you're not losing doing this, make sure…

Hey there! You're not weak. You're addicted. It's addictive! But you can overcome it :) I helped a close friend quit. I did this by clapping my hands and cheering every time she took out a cigarette, telling her things like "What an amazing decision!" She didn't get mad at me like she would have if I had been mean about it…