tomandshell Member

I'm not hungry until lunch, so I don't eat until lunch. I am hungry late in the day whether I eat breakfast or not, so I tend to save my calories and use them when my body is actually telling me to eat instead of forcing down food in the morning when I have no appetite.

Thanks, everyone, for the kind and supportive comments. I really appreciate your encouragement!

I felt better before I looked better, at least in my opinion. I picked up a 50 pound bag at the store and imagined carrying that around all day. I used to be tired and sore all the time. I creaked and popped and needed a hand up from the couch now and then. The change in energy level and comfort really motivated me to push…

I tried to reward myself with food, but every time I grabbed a treat at the store, I would look at the calories and put it back. Can't break out of my new healthier mindset, even when I tried, lol. However, my wife has found ways to reward me as I have lost weight. I'm just not going to go into further detail...

It can be done. I like to eat out for lunch but have learned to change what I order. I can have a chicken fajita rice bowl at Chipotle for 400 calories, mixed veggies and broccoli beef at Panda Express for 350, 6 oz sirloin and soup for 450 at Chili's, or shrimp skewers with rice and broccoli for 300 at Red Lobster. I have…

I knew that I had gained a lot of weight and had to buy new (bigger) clothes, didn't like my appearance, etc. but it was a year ago when I discovered that I was three pounds over the obese line that I knew I had to make changes. It was really a red flag for me. After I got serious, getting back down to overweight happened…

I stopped drinking Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke and have instead had a Cherry Coke Zero 3-5 times a week throughout my diet and I am down 60 pounds. I guess that's my kind of trap.

I went on a four day cruise weighing 176. I came back at 183. Four days later, I'm at 182.4. The post-vacation water retention drop back down is not happening so far. But I won't worry until next week. I know I didn't eat enough excess calories to have actually gained more than 2-3 pounds, not 6-7.

My own philosophy: I have been on a diet. Eating at a 1000 calorie per day deficit is NOT a permanent lifestyle change. It is a temporary diet. Now that I have reached my goal, I will be switching to maintenance. It has been important for me to recognize that the drastic calorie reduction I've been living with is…

I just had a cheeseburger and french fries. I have enough calories left to have a bowl of soup for dinner. Counting calories allows me to eat things I enjoy now and then as long as I spend my calories according to the MFP app. But if another method works for someone else, go for it and I wish you great success!

I bought a treadmill and hated it. Then I bought a new bike and loved it. I always hated exercise and now I hate it when a day passes without going on a ride--hot or cold, rain or shine. My 90 minute bicycle route is now a 60 minute route because I've gradually gotten healthier. So I think the trick is to try different…

My doctor didn't say that I was fine just the way I was. He said I needed to lose fifty pounds if I didn't want to end up having a heart attack or stroke.

I know everybody is different, but this is definitely not true for me. The key to my success has been increased exercise and strict counting of calories.

I started my diet on October 1st weighing 230 and hit the 190 mark at the end of my 20th week in February. I counted my calories with the MFP app and rode my bicycle about 3-5 days a week for about 30-45 minutes. The holidays were the hardest time to stick to my diet, but I did it. I started eating 1500 calories a day, but…

Once before I go to bed, once when I wake up in the morning. It's interesting for me to see how much weight I take on during the day and what my body does while I sleep. It has given me some perspective on fluctuations and has also really taken the pressure and stress away compared to when I weighed more infrequently and…

I came home eight pounds heavier and lost it in about eight days. Not as quickly as many others, but it still came off.

I don't get hungry before noon and so I have stopped forcing myself to eat when I'm not at all hungry. (Starting to eat early in the day also gets my appetite going at a rate beyond what my available calories can keep up with.) Skipping breakfast gives me more calories to play with in the late afternoon and evening, when…

I've been riding my bicycle to work and to the store, etc. My asthma doesn't permit anything too heavy duty, but even doing a little something has helped.

I weigh myself every morning in between the bathroom and the shower. I also weigh myself a few times a week at night before bed, just because I'm curious to observe the overnight changes. I log my morning weight every day because it helps me to see all of the little fluctuations. I don't freak out any more when I go up two…

My wife tried the salted caramel core last week and she thought it was too salty. I'm about two months away from switching to maintenance and that extra 1000 calories a day will hopefully allow me a few little indulgences every now and then. A whole pint on the couch during a movie? Never again. But I might get a scoop or…

I have been reading a lot of these success stories, but I couldn't help but comment on this one. It was very inspiring and I didn't know I could feel so proud of a complete stranger. Your story will continue to be a positive motivator for many others who are trying to lose weight and get healthy. Well done!

I've already planned out and logged my usual 1300 calories for Friday, which includes one See's candy truffle.

I started out on October 1st at over 230 pounds, which was just past the obesity level according to my BMI. My goal was to go back to my wedding day weight of 180, which would take me out of obesity, all the way through overweight levels and back to healthy weight. My goal was to lose those 50 pounds in six months, and I…

Over 2500 calories for an order of onion rings at Red Robin. Those are apparently a thing of the past for me. But they now advertise unlimited broccoli as a side instead of fries, so there's that. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a bowl of my favorite soup at Olive Garden was only 130 calories. I…

I have weighed myself (and logged the results) every morning since starting my diet in October, and understanding the fluctuations has been helpful for me. When I reach my target weight and transition to maintenance mode, I will eventually move towards weighing in once a week--but for now, the fluctuations and slow, steady…

I've never been a big breakfast eater, but started the habit when I began my diet back in October. I tried forcing myself to eat in the morning despite not being hungry, and I found myself just as hungry as usual later in the day. Now I have started moving away from breakfast and saving those calories for later in the day…

I'm going to be at Disneyland for four days starting next weekend, and I really wish they provided nutritional information so I could log my meals and snacks. I've been losing weight slowly and steadily for almost three months and I don't want to blow it while I'm on vacation. If I can make it through Thanksgiving and…

I went on a trip with my wife to celebrate our anniversary, and we had to come in under a weight limit for an excursion with zip lines--I was less than two pounds away from not making the cut. Then we had our picture taken (something I rarely do) and I just didn't like the way I looked. So I've been working hard at…

Don't shame yourself. Shame as a motivator only works for so long. Be honest with yourself, set goals that will point you in the right direction, and encourage yourself with positive reinforcement. Don't improve yourself to decrease shame, do it to increase your health and joy in life.