amy8400 Member

Watch the sodium levels on your Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones foods. High sodium levels in food are counterproductive to weight loss. Good for you to get on the treadmill this morning when you're fresh and ready for the day. Develop habits you can keep for life. I got lazy for many, many years working a highly sedentary job.…

I'm 5'5" and currently weight 153. Started at 188 lb and lost about 1 pound a week. Now losing 1/2 pound a week with a 500 calorie average daily deficit. As you weigh less, your body becomes more efficient and you don't need as many calories nor will you burn as many calories for the same period and intensity of exercise.…

Sounds good. Hopefully you can get some helpful feedback from the community to help you figure this out.

We're at a similar point. I'm 5'5" and 153. My goal weight is 145. The weight is dropping much more slowly now than when I started at 188. I've lost 5 pounds in the last 2 months and I'm exercising 5 days a week (1 hour/cardio and weights) with a calorie goal of 1,330 calories a day. You haven't said if you're weighing all…

You've listed 4 excuses to not lose the weight. If you feel you are good enough where you are, you don't have the fire in your belly to do it now. And that's okay. When you are ready, you can do this. Having lost weight before, you know it isn't easy and nobody likes to do things that are hard or we'd all be skinny and…

6 days a week at 2-3 hours a day is 12-18 hours of exercise a week. And you're eating no more than 1500 calories a day? You need fuel to power those workouts, not just grind through them and expect your body to just take the abuse. I agree that you are putting way too much emphasis on gym time. Are you weighing and logging…

This probably sounds odd, but I have colorful BPA-free 20 ounce drink containers from Contigo that make water look appetizing :) I think they are called Shake and Go, maybe? Got a three pack at Costco last year for 19.99. Has a straw in the top that you can remove for shaking up drinks. I just drink straight water so no…

Welcome back to the fold, OP. Congrats on losing 50 pounds. That's a super accomplishment. Gaining 20 back isn't a happy thing, but then what's the alternative? Keep going and gain back the other 30? Of course not. I'd suggest to not weigh yourself every day. It can be so defeating to go three days in a row with no change.…

This will help you. It sounds like you are eating way too few calories. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

I'm over 50 so everything is harder LOL Took me almost 4 months to lose 20 pounds. Started at 188.

I'm impressed with your planning and organization. Your containers look like the 21 Day Fix containers on steroids :)

My sister in law was diagnosed last summer with fatty liver disease. Her doctor said if she didn't lose weight, her liver would fail within 10 years. The doctor immediately advised her to get a form of gastric bypass surgery. Within 6 months of diagnosis, she had lost the required weight and did counseling to be approved…

Are you weighing and logging your foods? If you find that the 4 pounds doesn't back down after a week (when your TOM is history) then you might want to get serious with more carefully tracking your intake.

Eat back half of your exercise calories means if you burned, for example 400 calories on the treadmill, you would 'eat back' 200 calories. That leaves you with a 200 calorie deficit on top of whatever the MFP calculator has set for your daily calorie goal.

Welcome aboard. I started with Map My Fitness almost 2 years ago and just logged my food and exercise. But there was no community. Then I found MFP in January 2014 and having friends and a forum made a huge difference in my motivation and focus. Look for friends with similar goals and the kind of attitude you want to be…

I'm 5'5" and fit into 10's at 160 but now I'm 153 and they fit much better without a muffin-top :)

It wasn't any single event that inspired me to lose weight, rather several over a few years time. Left shoulder pain (went in emergency room for heart check), pain in legs from veins/bad valves, hurting my back during a small twisting motion, and finally huffing and puffing up 4 flights of stairs. I'm down 46 pounds from…

I'll be 54 in 9 weeks. If all goes well, I'll be at my goal weight of 145. I look and feel better now than I did at 40. MFP is life-changing stuff :)

Love my Whirley Pop! You have to use a small amount of oil in it so the kernels don't stick to the bottom. And yes, you can use a mere teaspoon in the bottom so you can keep oil calories to a minimum. My air popper is nice but I find the popcorn from it to be a little chewy? The Whirley Pop popcorn never has had that…

OP, I noticed the same thing--foods appear to not be weighed and very low intake. If you aren't using a food scale, start asap. It's the only way you'll know exactly what you're taking in every day. It worked wonders for me and is now my best tool in the kitchen next to my Vitamix. I started off at 1200 calories, too, but…

I should add that I do interval work on the treadmill. You can do 3-5 minutes of high intensity (high incline/speed) and then 1-2 minute of lower incline/speed. If you're just walking outdoors, try varying the intensity of your pace, eventually working up to a walk-jog-walk-jog-walk pattern. Walking doesn't have to be 45…

Walking is a great form of exercise but there are different levels of intensity. Walking has been my primary form of exercise mostly because I have veinous insufficiency and my doctor said I shouldn't run anymore. So until I knew I could take on a little running, I walked--fast. I never walk slower than 4.0 mph. If you are…

I have about 1 tablespoon a week. Honest. I use 1/2 T in my chocolate protein shakes. For 50 calories it makes them soooo good <3

Going through new clothes like they're water. Nothing worse than having a great fitting pair of jeans that 6 months later look like you've got baggy butt going on. Gotta start over and spend more $$.

Boobs are no fun when they smack your chin on a jog.

OP, when it feels the worst that means you're close to seeing good thing happen. Your hard work now will pay off eventually (don't be surprised if it takes 2 weeks for that stupid scale to go down...that's normal). Focus on the here and now. Drink more water to keep yourself hydrated. Weigh everything. Log everything. Be…

If you're not a fan of cooking, I highly recommend a pressure cooker. Crock pots will do the same thing only take longer. I made beef burgundy over brown rice last night--10 minutes prep; 30 minutes cooking time. 1 pound of lean beef chunks, onions, carrots, red wine, 3 T. flour, 1 T. oil, no-sodium beef stock and spices.…

I've been free of my diet soda habit for almost 2 years now. I was terrible with the stuff and drank almost a 2 liter a day. My job as a voice talent kind of made it easy to drink all day long, and I got used to it. Water didn't seem to lubricate my throat as well, if that makes any sense. So when I got on my health and…

5'5" 154 pounds 53 Lightly Active setting on MFP at 1 lb per week 1330 calories I exercise 4-5x per week. Focusing on weight training now so weight loss has slowed to 1 pound loss over 2 week period.