jensiegel39 Member

Geez. I was feeling good about my rate of weight loss until I read all this. I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. I've been at it for five weeks and have lost 11.2 lbs. I am at the gym 1 - 2 hours a day, playing tennis a few times a week and taking Zumba 3 - 4 times a week. I think I'm working hard and meeting my calories…

I feel your pain, and I totally understand. At first, I was up and down the same three pounds, for like two weeks. Then, I lost a little, then one week, I was up and down with one pound, then I lost a little. Now, I've lost a solid 10 lbs, but I'm at the gym every day and always a little under my calories and measuring…

I think if you weigh yourself before Thanksgiving and don't like what you see, you may throw in the towel. Knowing you'll be weighing yourself after may cause you to be more careful!

Thanks! I think I'm following most of your "rules" or suggestions! Whew!

So, let me get this straight. You're letting your family have control over you and your efforts to improve your health? Why would you let them discourage you? If they're not supportive or don't realize your efforts, find some others who are. I have a lot of support, but it has grown exponentially since joining MFP. Don't…

I have the same problem. What to eat / make??? IT's a lot of effort to figure out! I have gone online and found recipes that are healthy and 5 ingredients or less. Try that. Just get some basics and then you can build on them. That's what I'm doing. I found a great recipe for chicken parmesan, but then I modified it for…

I understand what you're feeling. My first week, I was up and down the same three pounds. Then, I lost five more in a few more weeks, but all week, i've been gaining and losing the same stupid pound. I am trying to eat more calories (I'm working out a lot and not eating enough), but I think this plan will work. Look how…

Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us! I'm new to MFP and I'm trying to figure it all out. I realized I'm not eating enough calories a day, so I've made adjustments. I've been eating too much sodium and sugar, so I am trying to watch those. You look great and are a total inspiration to me! I think as I'm aging…

Is there anything is particular you like to do? I love dance, and I was doing that until I had an injury. Do you like walking, biking or anything where you can move? It doesn't matter what you do as long as you're moving... I just started about a month ago. I have explored many things. I joined a gym which I actually…

Anything Italian or Chinese. Can't stand red meat left over though. It's always funky to me. And corned beef is just weird.

Oh, and although I'm new to working out, I actually am finding the cardio exercises I do (the arc trainer and bike) to be sort of relaxing. And I listen to good music and lifts my spirits. It's almost like meditating and it's "me" time. A few times in the past few weeks when I felt stressed about other stuff, I went to…

I totally understand. I've a person who has suffered my whole life from anxiety and depression. Recently, I finally decided to go on anti-depressants, and I'm not sure if they're helping or all the endorphins from exercising, but I feel a lot better than usual. I'm sleeping better and just not as worried. If you're afraid…

Since I never know when mine will be (it changes monthly), I always feel a little relieved when I get it. I'm always like, no wonder I'm all *****y and bloated! And then you can look forward to when you lose that weight back. At least you do and it doesn't stay. I didn't know about the water thing helping. I think I will…

I don't think your concern is silly at all. I have had the same concern. Thanks for posting the question. I know they also have fairly expensive creams on the market to reduce stretch marks. I'm not sure of the name or if they work, but it's something you can check into if you'd like.

I've recently started (three weeks ago today), and i can tell you the first thing I did was empty my fridge and pantry of anything "bad". I've also done a lot of research on what I should eat (healthier choices), although I'm still learning. I also joined a gym and looked into the free gym at my work. I hired a personal…

I'm new also, and it has been quite enlightening to enter my exercise and food every day. I didn't realize that I wasn't eating nearly enough calories until I did. I thought I was eating so much! And likely your exercise will vary each day unless you do exactly the same thing. Another tip people on here gave me is to…

Believe me, I'm struggling with the same thing! Understanding what I'm supposed to eat or not and how much. It's better to ask than to be wrong, right? One thing I found today at others' suggestions was eating peanut butter and apples to increase my calories (yesterday, I had a serious deficit). That helped my numbers…

I got a heart rate monitor / calorie burner, but stupid me didn't read the directions. I just went to the gym and spent an hour on the arc trainer (and increased my resistance - my heart rate was in the right range and my legs didn't hurt - is this what they call progress?!?!?), and the monitor said half of what the…

If you had it run a few months ago, hopefully all is fine. That's interesting about the alcohol. Maybe you're clumsy when you drink?! Just ask what your platelet count is. It should be 250K - 400K. If it's low, it's treatable with meds. And like with me, the cause is unknown for this condition. Could be from a virus or…

Thanks, all! I think I will get a heart rate monitor ... I can't imagine I'm burning that many calories like it says too. I mean, I think I'm working hard, but not that hard! It'll be interesting to see what I'm actually burning once I get it.

According to http://caloriesburnedhq.com/zumba-calories-burned/, I burned between 664 and 886 calories from an hour of Zumba. I put 600, not knowing. I would say I'm doing it medium intensity (my back sometimes prevents me from some of the twisting and jumping, so I walk some steps), but even low intensity is 664,…

Zumba isn't my main workout. I"m hitting the gym 1- 2 hours a day. I'm lifting weights (different muscle groups) and trying to do an hour of cardio a day (usually the bike and the arc trainer). I do Zumba on the side and have played tennis a few times also.

I actually put the calories burned in manually in here. When I type in the machine I use and time I was on it, the MFP system puts a certain amount that is more than I know I burned (or what the display said), so I change it. I don't know if it's enough or the right amount. I'm just going on what it said. I'm also making…

I've never been a big eater. I just ate the wrong things. I'm trying to find things I like that are healthy. I've always struggled in general with food because I don't like meat too much but don't like enough veggies to become a vegetarian. I like carbs, and that's my problem area. I'm just rethinking everything I thought…

I've always done the salad dressing / fork trick. My mom taught it to me when I was little. I'm a type of person who doesn't put a lot of sauces on stuff. People laugh at my pb&j sandwiches; there's barely anything in between the bread. When I have spaghetti, I like the sauce on the side and I only use enough to lightly…

Yes. I think the more I'm learning, the more I'm realizing that I really am eating some of the wrong things. I love peanut butter and nuts and fruit and some veggies. And eggs sometimes. I will look to incorporate more of those items and look for others I like to help me reach my calorie goals. Thanks for the feedback, all!

Ooh, peanut butter on apples. That makes me smile! And I love pistachios. I have always been in "diet" mode with all the low fat and low sugar stuff. In my head, fat is bad, cheese is bad, meat it bad. But now I'm learning it's not. When I go grocery shopping again in a few days, I will have to buy a lot of different…

I understand what you mean about not buying diet foods, but I am trying to watch the sugar and carbs. That's why I get the sugar free fudge pops and stuff instead of the regular. As for milk, I've always had skim milk. I couldn't fathom drinking whole milk. I think for other things though, I will look for healthier choices…

No, I'm totally wrong. I don't know why I typed 1600. I burned 1050 calories working out. I burned 450 doing the arc trainer. I also lifted weights for a half hour but I didn't put those because I have no idea. And as for Zumba - which is aerobics to music from all over the world - the system said around 800 calories for 1…

Hi Michelle, I'm so sorry to hear about your mother. I have a mother who has always been very sickly. I cannot tell you how many nights I have spent in the emergency room with her. And she refuses to do anything to improve her health; no exercise, won't quit smoking (even though she lies and says she has). She's diabetic,…