Swiftdogs Member

Fruit, chocolate and sweet potatoes all the time, for treats fresh baked rolls with apple butter, ice cream, pudding, oatmeal, crackers ... heck, all of them!

Fantastic! Great job by both of you.

I changed to .5 a week at 15 to go, then went to an even smaller cut as I got closer. I liked having more room to concentrate on hitting my macros.

My motto: Will walk for wine. You can lose with just a calorie deficit, but it's a whole lot easier if you have some extra calories. See ticker.

Put most of your effort into accurately logging those items with the biggest calorie hit, either things you eat regularly or calorie dense items in occasional meals. For your salad, estimate the chicken and beans as well as you can, and the dressing too. You can be wildly off on the veggies and not make much difference. In…

If you have kids at home, you are probably not sedentary even with a desk job. See if MFP's lightly active setting gives you closer to the calories you were eating. Also make sure you hit your protein and fat macros - those are minimums.

In addition to all the good advice above, ALWAYS weigh with your scale in the same spot, on a solid, level floor.

They're good steamed, too.

Unless you are quite small and inactive, 1200 is hard to handle. I got that target when I started, too, and did it for a few weeks. But I've done MUCH better set at a lower loss rate with a higher calorie target. If you set a less aggressive goal and increase activity as much as you can, you'll probably find it easier to…

I just hit the bottom of my goal range this morning, coincidentally as I hit 250 days logged. So 36 pounds in ~36 weeks, the last half set at a half pound or less target.

My Fitbit adjustment understates slightly. If your food log is as close to accurate as possible, you may need to adjust your targets slightly. The calculations are based on averages, so individuals vary somewhat.

Seeds (and nuts) are great for helping hit your fat and protein macros. Just be careful to weigh and log your portions. I like to mix them in yogurt.

I usually just slug it down in a large cup of water, but I don't mind the taste. To change things up, sometimes I'll mix it into enough warm water to make a "porridge" with honey or sugar, and eat it quickly before it turns to rubber. I grew up on Malt-O-Meal, so to me it's similar.

Read through the entries carefully. Pick the one with the most detailed description that most closely matches what you're eating. For example, a steamed or boiled vegetable will weigh more than it did raw. Also pick entries with a number of user confirmations. Using the database is a bit of an art.

I can understand just about anything in someone's diary or My Foods tab. But why in the world do they put some of these fictional creations in the main database? :noway:

I changed my cut from a pound a week to a half at 15 to go to goal. I dropped it even further for the last 5 pounds. I feel like the transition to maintenance will be easier that way. Something to check is if your actual loss, averaged over time, has been close to how you have your settings. If so, I think 1.5 a week is a…

eBay has been my friend. What I like is many of the sellers give detailed measurements. So I've found some labels that tend to fit me better. That makes searching easier. If you keep watching, you can pick up good quality stuff really cheap, even counting the shipping. Some times I'll see nothing remotely interesting, then…

Now that's a thigh gap worth striving for! :smokin:

I will continue to log for a good while. I believe I can eventually reach the point where I can keep a running rough total in my head. Unlike many people, I tend to overestimate portions so I can "guess" more safely. I'll probably still log unusual days and to spot-check normal ones. I DO intend to keep weighing regularly.…

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I'm 5'9", so getting down to my original goal of 150 fixed the issue of splitting seams in my size 12s. But this method worked for the first 13 pounds, so I kept dropping my goal. I'm into some 8s now, a number I've NEVER seen. Heck, I wore size 13 Juniors (long, long ago). I'm a bit too boney on top…

Look it up BEFORE I eat it. It only takes a couple of Oh ****! log entries to learn that one. I can pass on a lot of things now that just aren't worth the calorie hit.

OH yes! My original goal was just to get back into the clothes that were getting too tight. That was 21 pounds ago :happy: . I am almost where I want to be, but there's still a bit of butt cheek and thigh that needs work. Now I need new clothes for the opposite reason!:drinker:

Dancing to some classic rock (dating myself) is great. You can keep your feet moving while doing other things with your hands. In general, unlearn everything you've ever practiced about being efficient whenever you can afford the time. I work in a lot of extra "trips" at the office, and they add up.

My biggest pet peeve is demonizing certain foods or food groups. On these boards, I agree about the "I can't eat 1200 calories" line. Send them to me!

Other than physical issues that limit exercise, I've found it easier. At age 55, I've accepted that "one of these days" is not a valid outlook. And taking 30+ pounds off my joints has helped with those issues.

Yep, but I'm a financial analyst. I also look at macros as a balance sheet :glasses:

Also try eBay. At least for women's pants, you can select inseam as part of your search criteria. Then sort on listing date for the most recent. That should make it simple to find things that might fit. I've picked up several things really cheap. A lot of the sellers include measurements, or you can ask.

This is great advice! I'm almost at goal. I really do look a bit skinny around the shoulders and ribs, but want to drop a couple more pounds from the caboose. OP, I don't think you look too thin at all. Drop more weight and keep strength training. You can always put a little back on if you think you've gone too far. You…

I agree! Unless you have other opportunities to try some of these dishes, I wouldn't want to pass on anything. A bite or so of each, and make up the calories later. Enjoy!

I agree with several other posters. If it's GOOD free food, I'll fit it in. The success is in passing on marginal stuff just because it's there. I can take a bite and throw the rest out now.