sheltrk Member

When I first hit on the "weekly calorie cycling" thing, I was still logging rigorously every day, including weekends. That way, I would know both how many calories I had "banked" for the weekend, and how many calories I *actually* splurged on the weekend. That was how I ended up finding a weekday deficit that worked for…

I'd say 'obsessing' is a bit strong. I think the key is diligence. I've been in maintenance for 5 years and I still log my calories rigorously (on weekdays--I practice weekly calorie cycling). I weigh myself everyday, but I don't worry about fluctuations--I do it to track trends. When you decide to lose weight, it's a…

I've been in maintenance mode for about 5 years. I've managed to keep my weight right around 150 lb (+/- 5 lbs) during that time. What works for me: I eat at a ~500 calorie/day deficit Monday-Thursday, and sometimes Fridays. I log my food intake and exercise calories *rigorously on weekdays*. I usually get a workout in on…

I've been at or near-maintenance for 2-3 years now. I eat at a deficit on weekdays, and splurge a little bit on the weekends. My net weekly calorie total stays right in line with my maintenance goal. It works great for me. Weekends are typically "fancier" meals for me. My weekday meals are fairly spartan, predictable…

One observation that might help with the "mind game" aspect... Unless you ate at a surplus of ~10,500 calories, you certainly didn't gain 3 lbs of fat! I've been in maintenance mode for a while now, and I still weigh myself every day. (I like to eat, I like to exercise, and I like charts!) Lately, I've been maintaining a…

I often dress my salad with salsa. Lots of flavor with very little extra calories. Typical salsas have 10-20 calories per 2 tbsp. Sometimes I just use balsamic vinegar--same idea.

I love a good beer, and partake several times per week. I really like a local Imperial IPA which is probably in the neighborhood of ~300 calories for a 12 oz bottle. I find myself spending extra time on an elliptical to fit my beer habit into my calorie goals! :D

Yellow, blue, green or pink? ;) I like sucralose (yellow/Splenda) and aspartame (blue/Equal). Sucralose is a bit more expensive, so I typically buy the aspartame packets for my coffee or tea-sweetening purposes at home. Sucralose can be used in baked goods without losing sweetness, so it's handy for that. Note however, it…

Our bodies are constantly burning calories. There's nothing magical about accounting for calories on a daily basis v. a weekly basis. Weight gain and loss is a continuous process. Most people burn 1800-2200 calories per day just being alive and going about our day. Exercise burns even more calories. Because we need energy…

A little over a year ago, I started consciously banking my calories for the weekend. I net 300-500 calories under my daily goal Monday - Thursday. This gives me 1200-2000 calories "extra" for the weekend. ("Beer AND a slice of cheesecake? Don't mind if I do!") This strategy has worked very well for me. (I'm essentially in…

I love daily weigh-ins! They give me lots of data for my spreadsheets to crunch. More data helps me more accurately calculate my calorie needs. (Plus, I like to make graphs!) :D

I add unsweetened cashew milk and Equal to my coffee. Negligible added calories, but still creamy and sweet, like I like it. I greatly prefer the cashew milk over almond milk--the almond flavor can be quite strong when hot, but the cashew flavor blends quite nicely. Sometimes I'll use coconut milk. It blends nicely, but it…

Looks like Movie Tavern has "only" 19 locations, so they won't be required to provide nutritional information under the new FDA rules, unless they continue to expand (which I'm guessing they will, eventually...) I'm always torn when dining out: On the one hand, I really appreciate it when restaurants provide nutritional…

I've struggled with plantar fasciitis on and off for about 15 years now. I can tell you, the best thing I ever did for it was lose weight! I'm ~60 lbs lighter now than I was when I first started having PF flare ups, and I rarely have serious pains with it now. Besides losing the weight, other things that have helped: 1.…

I splurge pretty much every weekend, but in a controlled manner: I meet my calorie goal on a weekly basis instead of daily. I eat at a larger deficit during the week, saving up extra calories for the weekend. I log my weekend meals just as thoroughly as my weekday meals. I started doing it about a year ago. It's been a…

If you're in a pinch, a fair estimate is that 2 oz of dry pasta will absorb water while cooking and weight 4.5-5 ounces once cooked (about a cup in volume). It will vary a bit depending on how long it is cooked and what shape of pasta you're cooking. So, if you want to be accurate, it's best to measure dry.

As a general rule, I eat at a (greater) deficit during the week so I can splurge a little bit on the weekends. It's been working out really well for me!

I've had to deal with plantar fasciitis for ~15 years due to my flat feet, but I've managed to nearly rid myself of it for the past two years! The biggest things for me: 1. Custom orthotics help, but just any kind of cheap arch support is better than running around barefoot or in flip flops 2. "Strutz" elastic arch…

Weight....BF%........Fat...........Lean.......Fat Loss..........Lean Loss...F/L Ratio 236..........41.8%....98.6..........137.4 225..........39.8%....89.6..........135.5.......9.1...................1.9.................4.78 208..........38.1%....79.2..........128.8......10.3..................6.7.................1.54…

Looking at the Goya label, I see two possible sources for the discrepancy. 1. Goya's label says a 1/4 cup weighs 32 g. Most other dry lentils list more like 56 g for 1/4 cup. 2. Lentils have a lot of fiber. Goya appears to be subtracting off all the fiber grams from the total carb count to get the calorie total--at least…

Hard to be sure from the picture, but I'd guess that's about 1 cup of mashed potatoes. A scoop the size of a tennis ball, baseball, or a closed fist is about 1 cup. Here's a nice list of portion-size estimates if you are eating out and don't have a scale handy:…

This is a "sticky" thread in "General Diet & Weight Loss Help". Seem like it ought to be in "Food & Nutrition" as well! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1308408-why-aspartame-isn-t-scary

I like the Body Fortress Whey Isolate from Amazon. 130 calories per scoop, and 30 g of protein. It's pretty cheap on Subscribe & Save, especially if you order 5 or more items and get the 15% discount, it's $9.34 per pound (free shipping!): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EQR53Q/ Oh, I just re-read you post where you…

Glad I could help! I'm more-or-less in maintenance mode currently. I eat at a deficit during the week and a surplus on the weekends, so I cycle in and out of calorie debt frequently. Consequently, I've noticed some large swings in my weight (relative to when I was eating at a constant deficit). Being a data-driven sort of…

OK. Here goes my attempt at a primer on rapid initial weight loss known as "water weight": As you first enter in to calorie debt, one of the "easiest" things your body can do in response is to use up the energy stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. The amount of glycogen stored in the body varies from person to…

Just an observation: The OP's link http://www.vitalitypower4u.com/ericfrank/nutrition-and-dieting/body-fat-percentage-pictures-of-men-women/ is a total Copy & Paste - ripoff of: http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/ Marc Perry [ http://www.builtlean.com/marc-perry/ ] needs to have some words…

I like to have a nice beer most evenings. Most of the beers I tend to enjoy range from ~150 calories to ~250 or so. When I need to work it in to hit my calorie goal, I "pay" for my beer by taking an hour long leisurely walk. Or a 20 minute jog or similar if I'm in a hurry. It's really not a big deal. Exercise is good, and…

My solution is to just buy whatever plain, non-fat greek yogurt is available and cheap. Current favorite is the Aldi brand (Friendly Farms) with 24 g protein per cup (227 g) and only 120 calories. Then I add my own flavorings. Torani has a nice lineup of sugar free syrups, as does Jordan's. I personally like the blueberry,…

I've been essentially in maintenance mode at ~147 lbs for about a year now. (With a a few ups and downs for holidays and vacations...) I weigh myself every day, and my observed maintenance range is about 9 lbs: 143 - 152 lbs. This is consistent with my expected glycogen + water storage capacity, so I'm pretty happy about…

Olives are good for you. Very nutritious. Just have to be careful with portion control with them, as they have a high energy density. The mono- and poly- unsaturated fats in these foods are "an important part of a balanced diet." Much like avocados and almonds. "Good for you", but high-calorie.