sympha01 Member

Walking is a great place to begin, as is FitnessBlender. FWIW, I started from sedentary at over 300 lbs too, and FitnessBlender was great, especially in the beginning. I still use them several times a week, and I've lost >150 lbs so far. You can search their website to filter by difficulty level (and equipment, including…

I have an Ozeri Multifunction "elegant" (the first one) and it gets the job done -- though in spite of the specs saying it weighs in 1 gram increments, I find my unit will only weigh in 2 gram increments. I like that it uses standard AAA batteries, and I like that it weighs negative amounts (my old scale didn't do that). I…

I used to be hypertensive, and once I lost a lot of weight my blood pressure has dropped to the low side of normal. I've switched from a very low sodium diet to a more "normal" sodium intake. During the transition period I just sucked it up and knew that my scale wouldn't show me my weight loss. Once my sodium intake had…

Vegetables have calories. Some vegetables have LOTS of calories (potatoes and corn are vegetables. Squash. Carrots and onions, even. These are all moderately calorie dense and when eaten in large quantities can dig pretty deeply into any caloric deficit you're aiming for), some have only a few (spinach. celery).…

I think it really depends on your size and shape actually. I have lost over 150 lbs over the past year and a half, and during that time I've seen reactions from old friends and new friends I've made along the way. When I lost the first 50 lbs people who knew me well kind of tilted their heads at me and said "Huh. You look…

Not for me. Boo.

I did not realize this, thanks! I have lost a lot of weight but when I was much fatter I would occasionally have issues with having my BP taken by a nurse where it /hurt/ because the cuff was so constricting, and when I complained the nurse would generally just purse her lips disapprovingly (i.e., attitude = "well don't be…

I've been using a fitbit for a little over 10 months. I don't find the calorie counts are accurate as calorie counts, but they are a helpful way of quantifying my baseline so I can tell when I'm slacking off or working extra hard. Fitbit seems to really overestimate walking for me (I walk about 3 mph and it seems to…

No, I get it. The MFP model assumes you eat your daily exercise calories and that exercise calories might vary day-to-day. A TDEE method assumes your exercise burn is averaged out over the week and those calories are simply included in your daily goal up front -- you don't actually "eat your exercise calories" with a TDEE…

Most foods actually have plenty of potassium. You mentioned eating raisins for potassium. A 100g serving of chicken breast (measured uncooked) has about the same amount of potassium as a calorically-equivalent serving of raisins. Boom, problem solved. But beans and potatoes are my go-to when I want a potassium boost,…

I find when I look at the labels of different brands of stevia that they do not all have identical ingredients. Apparently unlike aspartame etc., it's very common for manufacturers to add stabilizers or other stuff to their stevia, particularly the powdered variety. (I'm not just talking about the "baking blends" that are…

I think I average around 40+ish daily without really trying, but on Sundays (I ritually treat myself to a less healthy breakfast and then end up skipping lunch to compensate calorically, so breakfast and lunch both = missed opportunities for fiber) I often am "low" at about 30. I eat lots of beans, lots of fresh fruit,…

To be clear, it does a pretty good job actually of telling whether you got up off the couch or not. For anyone who just needs a little motivation to sit less, even just indoors, it is pretty good actually. But yeah, don't count on any of the models currently available to track workouts accurately.

A fitbit will not magically change you. It will not do the work for you. But if you are committed to working to change yourself, a fitbit or any activity tracker may be a helpful tool for you, depending on your personality. Are you motivated by numbers? Will setting a daily goal for calories burned or steps taken or…

I make this chili all the time and it always shocks me how I get a really big portion, high in fiber and pretty good in protein for very low calories. I use lean pork instead of turkey, but either is good. http://www.snixykitchen.com/2012/09/19/healthy-turkey-and-veggie-chili/ This one is also quite good. If sodium is an…

Oh yeah, if I could get to the beach it would a moot point. I know I could do whatever I want at the beach. But I'll be inland in Orange County. I'm not worried about finding stuff to do, guys. I'm kettlebelling, it's settled. I love my kettlebell: it travels easily, and it's always a dependable workout option when stuff…

I started heavier than you at a "super morbidly obese" BMI and have recently crossed over into "overweight." Including exercise has been a big part of my success so far (frankly because it helps me eat enough so I don't feel deprived, but also because DAYUM my body has been very cooperative about retaining lean mass while…

So it would be okay in SCLA if I were in my 20s? Dude. Middle-aged women of all races have special "IDGAF" superpowers.

LOL I've spent lots of time there over the years, including November and December. It's nice by my standards, anyway.

Who knew Hannibal Lecter was on such a low-calorie plan?

Or this ....

Boom. Cat food.

Actually I'm with JaneiR36. I think that LLL's comment was pretty ugly, and seemed to suggest that LLL has spent a lifetime sour-grapesing her A cups by 1) convincing herself that women who actually have tits are must be "plus size" and 2) not for nothing, passive-aggressively dismissing plus-size women. Hey, I'm not…

Also, look deeper into the nutritional information showing for your most frequently logged foods. There are a lot of extremely inaccurate entries in the database. Some of the member-submitted ones have only calorie information and leave everything else blank, for instance, and many more have calories and macros but leave…

LOL who's the crazy coward who flagged that as abuse?!

Just realizing that and knowing that you have to come to terms with it is half the battle, honestly. I have a fit and healthy friend who -- bless her! -- never used to judge or nag me about my weight, although I know it bothered her to see me so unhealthy at my "super morbidly obese" weight. Once I had lost enough weight…

Good -- then you won't have any difficulty adding some foods that will help you get more calories. Insisting "But I can't eat more calories!" is a mistake oft made by beginners that will quickly escalate into people here calling BS on it. Of course you can. If anyone gained enough weight that they need to lose it, then…

You say you just ordered a food scale. Which suggests you understand the importance of using one, but are not using one just now. Frankly, it's very easy to eat 2100 calories if you are eating "a lot" of anything. My guess is that once you start weighing your portions, you'll be surprised at how big some things actually…

A little soy sauce if you're just eating them plain. But I add edamame to tons of recipes to give me more protein and fiber. Like, bake a foil packet with chicken, mushrooms, edamame, ginger and soy sauce. Or a foil packet of tofu, green onions, and edamame (or you can braise the same combo in a little miso). Or add to…