albionjen Member

In the beginning I think that most people find it hard - I know I did :laugh: I also started running with C25k and it was hard for me to break though to 30min runs. Now I can run for 90mins and do 15k for fun, just 1 year later. It did get better for me and I hope it will for you as well. Don't run too fast but keep…

Once you hit maintenance, you get to eat a few more calories, as long as you stay active. I still continue to log and work out, same as when I was focused on losing weight. If you're feeling miserable, you should take a look at your calorie target and types of food you eat. Are you set for 2lb per week? That is a bit steep…

I started lifting weights as I heard it helped reduce losing muscle as you lose weight. But, I have noticed a lot of "real world" benefits. I found I was much better a chopping wood for my stove - split logs easier, did not get tired and sore afterwards. I don't get sore any more from digging in my garden or bending over…

Wow! Great story and lovely writing style. You started about the same time as me, glad that we both made it to a healthier weight :smile: plus your dog is really cute. Lol

Haha, totally agree. It annoys me so much that there is not a range "on target" but that stupid red green thing. Sigh... I just ignore the daily page, I never complete my log for the day and I just use MFP as a tool to make a food diary. This comes up again and again as a suggestion to change the site and app, but nothing…

That 1lb per week really is a good target to aim for at the beginning. Like everyone else I put in lose 2lb per week. Of course I ended up averaging 1lb anyway, especially once I realised the error of my ways and upped the calorie target :laugh: Bacon sandwich are ok on a "diet" and anything else, so long as it fits into…

Tonight at the gym, a guy I see all the time in the weights section said he thought I had perfect form. It is particularly awesome given he clearly knows what he is doing and I sometimes watch him teaching others! He then followed up by asking if body building was "my thing". I did laugh a bit because I absolutely do not…

I weigh every morning. But I know that it is not that accurate as a measure of my recent diet. I can easily go up a couple of pounds for no reason, or lose a couple with no obvious effort. It is more helpful if you take a note of the trend over a month or more. If it will stress you out to see gains, then weigh less often.…

I wish there was a like button. 100% agree. Glad I found these forums and got the same advice early on :smile:

I started at 200lb and 5"3. Now down to around 135lb and no major issues with loose skin. E.g. Stomach looking fine, though still a work in progress lol. I guess you won't know till you try. I was also a bit worried at the start whether my body could recover from the abuse I had put it under. Glad to say we humans are…

Short term reason: wanted to get in shape for skiing. I used to be way better than I was at Christmas 2012, and I hated realising how bad I had let my fitness decline. Long term reason: I had just turned 30 and I realised I only had bad health in my future if I carried on with my crappy lifestyle. I always knew I should…

Ok, so I am replying to this without any knowledge of ed and also trying not to scare you. But, I really think you should go see a doctor. Your loss of appetite might be related to your ed. it could also be caused by something else... Appetite loss is a really common symptom for a whole load of medical issues. If a friend…

I had the same when I started running, first time getting real asthma symptoms (at age 30!) I hope you have gone to see your doctor and got an inhaler in case it happens again. Mine is worse in the cold or when my hay fever is bad and I just take a puff to recover. I was pretty inactive for most of the previous 30 years,…

I've nothing to add on the cauliflower rice conundrum :laugh: Posting to tag the recipes for when my 15 cauliflower plants produce a crop. I live alone and that it a lot of cauliflower to get through. Though I do like it of course, hence sowing cauliflower seeds in the first place! Just not sure I need 15…

Try to find some cardio that doesn't bore you so much. Could you take up a sport. I used to play squash with a friend, a good work out and fun to meet up as well! Do you like running, then try outside or join a running club. If I have to get cardio at the gym I watch TV or listen to music, but much better to just enjoy it…

Don't worry too much. I think every woman has this! It probably will even out a bit over time. For me I seem to have some months where it seems more uneven than others. Luckily for me it seems mostly balanced at the moment or at least as balanced as it ever was, haha :wink:

Couple of weeks ago for me. I ate a whole pizza (1200kcal) plus half a bottle of wine fir dinner and felt really ill the next day of course. I know the reason though. I'd been away at a meeting for work, got back really late, went to m&s really hungry and bought the first thing I saw. Kind of stupid really as I knew I…

Great thread:smile: I'm about 1kg from my goal. I'm still debating whether to lose another 2kg, since I still have a bit of belly fat. But to be honest I'm happy with my body, so I think I'll switch to maintaining for a few months at least. I'm UK size 10 (us 6) and I don't really want to be any smaller! I'm only 5"3 in…

You've already got some great advice in the replies here. My number one tip is to realise there is no end point. That is not meant in a negative way, just that your new lifestyle has to be something you will be comfortable with for many months and years to come! I view it like this: my body will change to match the…

Sorry there is nothing you can do to stop there being some reduction in calorie needs as your weight goes down. A smaller body just needs less food to sustain it (presuming you keep the same level of activity). Calorie needs will decrease less if you exercise to maintain as much muscle as possible while you lose weight.…

1. Pounds lost: around 70lb, some before I started on MFP 2. How long it took: 14.5 months, but 60lb was in the first 11 months. 3. How many calories you were eating a day: for first 11 months about 1400, plus 200-300 exercise calories. Now my target is set to 1500 plus exercise calories, but I will go over this on meals…

I just wanted to say there is nothing wrong with a big bum. I have even sung that song to myself while looking in the mirror, I have a big but and I cannot lie! Proud of my big but and gained this through serious effort in the gym nowadays :happy: I remember hearing in the street when I was 50+ lb heavier that someone…

If you have a big deficit at the moment (more than 500kcal per day) then I think you might consider upping your calorie target. Otherwise I would say keep going and worry about maintainance calories when you get there! I'm also close to my goal, only planning to lose a couple of kg more (about 4lb). So, I can share what I…

I agree the usual advice to drink 8 cups of plain water is silly, what is important is getting enough water but that can include plain water, soft drinks, tea, etc. However, 3-4 litres is not that much, especially if you are active. I'm sure on an average day I probably drink 3+ litres of drinks. I need even more if is hot…

I agree with all of the above. OP, please try to start with realistic changes that you think you will be able to stick to for months and years. If you want to keep the weight off you will need not to go back to your old habits and instead keep the new healthy habits. I don't know about you, but there is no way I could do…

Just had to reply to say awesome first post! You've obviously got it sorted out. Hope your words manage to convince a few more women to ditch the focus on weight and instead focus on being healthy and happy with ourselves inside and out. :drinker:

I think BMI is a reasonable guide for people who are just starting on the road to fitness. It is mostly useless if you are within "healthy BMI" or only just overweight and do a reasonable amount of exercise. The BMI formula ended up being a reasonable guideline for me: If you do little exercise and have BMI of 35 then yes…

I eat back my exercise calories and it has worked fine for me. However, MFP website calorie burns are way over for me. I use a heart rate monitor and that gives maybe only half of the MFP estimate! At the beginning I had a lot to lose so had MFP set to net about 1300kcal with activity that was around 1500kcal. Now I have…

Thanks for all the inspirational stories! Lots of success in this thread. I started at just under 200lb in January last year, now down to 137lb (I'm 5"3). My original goal was 140 but I changed to 130 goal once I got close and realised I could do to lose a bit more. However this last bit I'm not trying to lose that fast…

Thanks so much for the post. It's really helpful to hear how maintaining your weight worked for you. I'm going to be starting that soon, as I only want to lose another 2-3kg and already passed my original "goal weight". I've been setting fitness goals to have something to work towards in the hope that will keep me on…