echofm1 Member

It doesn't really take a recipe. I'm sure there are other ways to do it, but my ex-roommate had an electric yogurt maker. You heat up some milk, add in some yogurt bacteria (a packet we'd get at the local co-op. Also online. You can also use already-made plain yogurt, but I haven't had as much luck with that), and then…

I usually measure myself (or rather, get a friend to measure) once a month or so. Seriously though, even if you were perfectly good on everything, you might not lose weight every week. Or you might not lose as much as you're aiming for every week. I see on your profile that you've lost 8 pounds since January 6 when you…

A big loss on the first week weigh-in is common. It's because our bodies have a bit of glycogen stored up for quick use, which gets depleted quickly when we are in times of "famine." Keep in mind that this weight tends to return when you start eating at maintenance, so you will probably see a 3-5 pound increase in weight…

Weight loss is not linear. Some weeks you might lose nothing, some weeks you might lose 3 pounds. You're looking at the big picture, not week-to-week. Even if you have lost fat that week, you might have had a lot of sodium before weigh-in day, or it might be your time of the month. This causes water retention, which can…

If I know in advance that I'm going to need extra calories for the weekend, I start "saving" for it. Basically, any exercise that I do over that week gets put onto the day (Saturday in this case), and I plan my exercise around when I need to eat so that I don't just want to eat everything after working out. Since you're…

Welcome to MFP, and the forums specifically! What is it about food in particular that you're struggling with? As for the staying full, if you go into your settings and make your diary public we can help with that. In all likelihood you need to eat more protein and fat.

I lost 100 pounds in my first year here. Had a stall after I moved in with my boyfriend (no gain, woo!), but am now on to lose another 70 :smile: Feel free to add me

Also, even if you never exercise or even walk around at all, doing a quick estimate it looks like you can lose 2 pounds a week eating about 1500 calories. 1750 calories to lose 1.5 a week.

This. I lost 3 pounds a week when I was 340 pounds (I'm also 5'9"). That is a goal that is extremely difficult to manage. Going for a more reasonable goal, like 2 pounds or even 1.5 pounds, will help you maintain this until October and beyond. To get a calorie amount for that, simply put your info into MFP and then select…

1000 is not a healthy or sustainable goal, and if you actually have 70 pounds to lose, it's most likely entirely unnecessary. The absolute minimum recommended for the average woman is 1200 calories a day, and hence why MFP doesn't let you go lower. Did you get your calorie goal from the general practitioner you see, or a…

It's almost all genetics and luck. Being young definitely helps, but that's just because your skin is more elastic when you're younger. I'll give you my personal experience. I'm 25 and I've lost 100 pounds. I lost it in about a year, and then stalled for about 6 months. So far, I have no hanging loose skin. When I first…

All of my breakfasts are 300-350 calories. I love yogurt, so each one has a greek yogurt mix that's about 115 calories. It's 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt with 1.5T sugar free jam and .5T honey. It's got 12g protein and that's what really helps to keep me full. 1/2 of an everything bagel with whipped cream cheese on it. 1/2…

You don't even need to necessarily add in extra snacks and foods and shakes. If you're making meals, you can make her stuff more calorie dense. Kind of like the Michael Phelps approach. Full fat dressing on her salad, use oil instead of the oil spray, put real butter on/in mashed potatoes, etc. These things don't add a lot…

What I do is, rather than the recipe builder, if I have an set that I use frequently I'll add it as a meal. For instance, I eat scrambled eggs pretty frequently. Except I use one egg, one serving of egg whites, bacon, cheese, and onions. Rather than putting all that in every time, I put it all in once, saved it as…

I went to the doctor's and she hounded me about my weight before she even asked why I was there (which I was a bit upset about). She encouraged me to see a nutritionist, which was free through work. I agreed to see the nutritionist, dropped the doctor, and started MFP to track what I was eating for the nutritionist to see.…

No, that's a very valid question, and part of the reason I'm here. I just tried a lower body Russian twist to check. While it's not as painful, I can definitely feel my tailbone pressing into the ground. If I were trying to do several of them, I'd probably put my hands beneath my butt to try to keep it a little more off…

Thanks for the helpful comments! I've done the hands under my back, which helps, but the exercises recently have been using arms too, so I couldn't to that. It very well may be that I'm not strong enough or not keeping my abs tight enough. The dumbbell is a great suggestion too, in order to remind myself to have proper…

I'd suggest doing more strength stuff. It's a completely different switch from walking around all day, so it might be easier to convince yourself to do. It'll also make your muscles shape up nicely. However, if you're exercising because you're looking for some more calories in your day, strength isn't ideal. But it'll make…

I'm not a senior, but my aunt is on here (and has been for about 10 months) and she's 70. Her username is millimarie44, and I think she could benefit from having some more friends to cheer her on. She lost about 50 pounds last year (we got a dog), but started MFP after about 20.

Also, this. Eat back at least some of your exercise calories, if not all, if you're using MFP the way it was designed. You already have a deficit built in, and don't need to work for more of a deficit. Exercise is for general health and being able to eat more.

You say you're exercising and that's making you hungrier, but when is it making you hungrier. Planning out when to eat/exercise can really help control the hunger issues. I know I get super hungry about half an hour after working out, regardless of how much I've eaten the rest of the day. When that happens, it's really…

Basically, listen to your body. If you feel like you can take a walk, take a walk. Since you seem to have trouble with long distances, it might be better to start off taking short walks. Much like runners have to work up to running long distances, if you haven't walked much you might have to work up to longer walks. Your…

I used to be super anti-fish, but as I've started eating more of it because my aunt (who did the cooking) liked it, it's not so awful. First tip: start with white fish like walleye, tilapia, swai, etc. It's significantly less fishy tasting, though usually not quite as nutrient dense. You can also opt for fresh fish, which…

Assuming you're not eating way too little, you shouldn't feel particularly cold due to eating below maintenance. It really has been chilly in general in the US though, and (as an experienced Minnesotan) it can make your heating system struggle a bit so the temperature inside isn't quite where it should be. However, I'm…

I don't know about DailyBurn as I haven't used it, but I want to second the YouTube workouts. I recently discovered the FitnessBlender channel on there. They have tons of workouts (both strength and cardio) for free. If you want a fitness plan you can even buy an 8-week plan for $10, and the money goes back into making…

This. Yes, most people put on a few pounds when they start maintenance because you keep some energy stored for quick use. It's the same reason people drop weight so quickly when they first start. Focusing on a range rather than a hard number helps alleviate some of the issues with this, and with general week to week…

Looking through your diary some more, there also seem to be instances of a mix of homemade items and cafe items for each meal (1-4 and 4-7). Items made at home vs. made at a cafe vary a LOT, so if you're making it at home try to use the recipe builder or put in each item individually. For example, putting in 2 eggs, any…

First, you should be comparing the nutrition info on the packages of food you're eating to the entries in the database. The database is user-generated, so there can be wrong information. There's also a difference in brands, and sometimes it can be a huge difference. Second, are you actually weighing your food, or at least…

If I drank black coffee I wouldn't log it. I also don't log Crystal Light or plain tea. The amount of calories in any of them won't realistically affect weight loss, unless you drink gallons a day. Whether you log it as water depends on you. The counting tool is just there for you. Do you want to make sure you're getting…

Thank you everyone! These look great, and I'm excited to try them out. And I agree, meat IS delicious and good for you, which is why I eat it.