Kevvboy Member

I keep a list of errands I can run on my bicycle and when I have a few of them I go for it, skipping a car trip. It's easy to park and hardly takes any longer.

I don't disagree with anything you say.

Guys, I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, and the support you get from friends here is invaluable. But the way the question is framed - looking for someone to hold you accountable - touches on what I FINALLY learned is the key to weight loss. And that is, not relying on anyone but yourself for that accountability.…

Mikey, what percentage of your day's calories are taken up in fruit consumption? If it is not an outrageous percentage I think you are fine. The sugar in fruit is natural. In my case, I find that sweeter fruits spike my blood sugar and make me crave more - thinks like grapes and oranges. But apples and berries don't seem…

Cant see your diary so we can't tell how you're eating. MFP tends to overestimate the calories burned through exercise. I subtract 1/3 from the number and it seems more accurate. I would suggest upping your exercise to 400 cals per day and see if you start getting results. Be sure to eat enough though, dont want to starve.…

I tend to be a night snacker too. I have learned to eat more lightly in the day and save up some extra calories so I can have a good snack at night and not stop my calorie deficit. It doesnt really matter when you eat the calories (although right before bedtime is supposedly not a good idea) but if you know nighttime is…

Hey rh091, good job getting going on being healthier. I dont see any exercise recorded there. If you arent doing any, can you find something you enjoy doing even with your back problem? Maybe just a nice brisk daily 30 minute walk. I find that it is really helpful (I ride a bike every day) to do a physical activity that…

I second the notion that 30 lbs in 3 months is a LOT. You have done great. Just because you've gone 2 weeks without losing any doesn't mean you should change anything. Only you know if you've added a few calories here and there that could be slowing you down, but the truth is - as you lose weight, it gets harder to lose…

Hi Christy, Welcome and congratulations on making a new start. As you said, you have done really well. The first thing to do is to stop worrying about that number on the scale. Some people (me) go so far as to only weigh every month or so because the scale #s cause me to obsess. I have found that my weight can fluctuate as…

George, I'd get rid of all bread. Personally it triggers me into being hungrier. But that's just me. If instead you had a snack of lean protein - turkey breast or chicken or fish or shrimp - and maybe couple it with some leafy greens like baby spinach I think you'll find your hunger is a lot less. Or try a lowfat yogurt…

There are a group of us who scale obsess and find it is better to weigh only occasionally. When I weighed every day, I would use 1 lb lost as an excuse to eat more. So it was self-defeating. Now I drop by my dr.'s office once a month and weigh on his scale. This really shows me the larger trend lines but I do not obsess on…

Also, MFP overestimates the amount of calories you expend with exercise. I subtract 33 percent from the calories MFP says I burned, and I find that number to be closer to accurate. It depends what kind of exercise youre doing. But I agree with everyone who says eat a bit more, then maybe up your exercise intensity…

Hi Lee, Just do a Google search on "passive resistance workout" and "isometric workout." I have a routine I do about 10 min., 3x a week. The great thing is that aside from a couple of dumbbells you don't need any equipment to do these exercises and they will strengthen core and back muscles. I don't mean you should take up…

Hi Lee - Ask your doctor about the exercise but in my experience bicycling is one of the lowest-impact exercises you can do. It really improved my lower back pain. Key is to ride a hybrid or mountain bike or cruiser for a more upright position than on a road bike. Swimming or just fast walking would also be great, and I do…

Hi Lee, and welcome. May I make a suggestion that was helpful to me getting started? Get a good food scale - you can find one for under $20 - and for right now, begin weighing out your portions of those proteins. I think you'll be surprised at what 4 oz. of meat looks like. One of the real keys to MFP is learning portion…

May I suggest a book called OVERCOMING OVEREATING by Hirschmann and Munter. It has some radical solutions for people who are prone to bingeing. At first I didn't understand the advice, which basically involves surrounding yourself with lots of the food that makes you binge the most, until you stop eating it all because you…

Yes, I get exactly what you were doing, and I appreciate the effort you went in to do it. It is a very helpful way to work your way down that buffet line and make choices. This year I will choose a bit more mashed potatoes and gravy and skip the pie. My usual Thanksgiving/feast technique is to make an amazing "spa plate"…

From what you give as your sample meals, you need to add more salad and fruit and vegetables to your diet. This are bulky with lots of fiber and will help both with nutrition and the "full factor." Good luck. And I agree with those who say if what you're doing is not working - you have to try something different. Try…

When I moved to my current town, I chose an obese MD because I figured he would be more understanding. It wasn't too long before he announced that he was going to have gastric bypass surgery - and I would be next! After that, every 3 mos. when I went in for blood work, there was less of my dr. and he was more certain I was…

You could paraphrase Churchill and say "Yes, I am fat, but in six months I will be thinner, while you will still be the same mean person you are now."

I agree with all those who say you should try logging every mouthful of your food for a couple of weeks and get some hard, cold, reality into those calorie counts. BUT I am not here to rag on you for that - but instead to give you a little tip that has helped me a lot on my journey. Do a Google search for Julia child…

The first 50 lbs I lost - nobody noticed. When you're way overweight I guess it's just a matter of degree so I remember being thrilled when people started noticing. After the next 40 lbs or so the questions/comments kept coming to the point where I was embarrassed with talking about it. Something that strikes me is that NO…

If your maintenance is 2200 and you are only eating 1200 calories a day, my guess is that your body thinks it is starving and is holding on to every calorie in the form of weight. I would try upping calories to maybe 1600-1800 for a few weeks and I bet you'll lose weight again. Good luck.

As long as you don't mind eating whatever combination of "food" "ingredients" that they have combined to make that stuff, I don't think it will make you fat. But seriously doesn't the chemical crap in the dressing kind of cancel out the health effects of eating salad?

If you really want help with the bingeing problem, get this book: OVERCOMING OVEREATING by Hirschmann and Munter. These psychologists explain the problem and they have a radical solution that involves surrounding yourself with LOTS of every food that triggers your binges, then working through a specific technique. This…

vpit432, maybe you could tell us a little bit about yourself - like, what sort of exercise you've done before/like doing, and how much weight you are hoping to lose over what time frame.

I am not a French professor, but I play one on TV, and if we can say "sabotage," we can learn the correct word for those who commit it, which is "saboteurs." Thank you! Have a great day.

I think people with eating disorders may find they do better weighing only occasionally. I weigh about once every two months at my doctor's office. This helps me get a sense of confirmation that what I am doing is working but allows me to be free of the influence of a number that fluctuates too much on a daily scale to be…

I will be the lone voice arguing against weighing yourself even as often as every week. If you really want to see a trend line without exposure to fluctuations limit your weighing to once a month or every two months. People with eating disorders (I am one of them) can become obsessed with the scale and use a "good" number…