russellma Member

Can I add just a little bit? Although I agree that having kids is no excuse to let yourself go, there are probably some moms who were like me and despite sincerely trying, they still found it near impossible to gain control of this part of their lives. A year ago, I would have found this post very discouraging and it would…

I'd have to say I agree with this. OP, what a great topic!

Raising my cals helped me reach my goal weight and broke my stall. Basically, I set my goal to 0.5 lb. per week and then ate back part of my exercise calories. My goal was to try to at least net 1200 calories. I generally ate 1500-1600 calories per day and lost a pound or so a week, even though my goal was only 0.5 lb. It…

I was 20 and he was 19 when we got married. We've been very happily married for almost 16 years! :love:

This is what I recommend, as well. I also slack a little on Sunday (which I happen to think is good for several reasons), so I expect my weight to be a little higher on Monday and Tuesday and then it drops again Wed. - Friday, and then maintains within a pound or so on Saturday and Sunday.

How long did you eat the exercise calories? Sometimes, it can take up to a month for your body to feel comfortable with the extra calories and register a difference.

I like to chop up an apple (granny smith is the best!), sprinkle it with cinnamon and nuke it in the microwave for a minute or two until it's tender. Then I put a big dollup of cottage cheese on top of that and enjoy! I also like it with fruit and just plain. I'm going to have to try mixing it with tuna!

YES! It worked for me! I've battled hormone imbalances and insulin resistance ever since having my daughters, so I lost and gained the same 5 lbs. over and over prior to joining MFP. After joining, I stalled after a few lbs. again and a friend suggested upping my calories. I lowered my weekly weight loss goal from 1 lb. to…

Do you like peanut butter? It's awesome with fruits and vegetables, graham crackers, etc. It's got protein and good fat. Love it!!!

This is me, too. For meat, I try to remember that a deck of cards is approx. 3 oz. For other things, I visualize 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, etc. cup and fit my portions into those. I wouldn't do well if I had to measure everything I put onto my plate, but that's just me. I don't think it's a total necessity, but I think people that…

That would help, too. Or, you could just jot down what you eat on a piece of paper and then see how close you came at the end of the day. My goal is to decrease my dependence on MFP.

I love sweet potatoes! My favorite way is just to throw one in the microwave and then cut it up and put a couple teaspoons of brown sugar and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. It's almost like dessert! Yum!

I'm just getting ready to plunge into the maintenance part of this journey. I've been going strong since August and have succeeded in losing the weight I initially set out to lose. So far, what I've tried to do is to cut back on the amount of time I spend on MFP. As you know, it can become an obsession and almost an…

I use mine occasionally for a break from the norm. I like to rotate my time between several different techniques such as: quick/hard jumping, jumping jacks, landing in a squat position and swiveling my knees from side to side. Anything that burns calories will help you lose weight if you do enough of it! Good luck!

I love this! My husband is the same way! Congrats and keep up the good work!

You might be surprised! Maybe you could ease into it byy just decreasing your goal, effectively allowing yourself more calories per day. As long as you're being honest and MFP is still projecting a loss, the only thing that COULD happen (technically) is that your weight loss will slow with the extra calories. Give your…

All right. I've tried it, but I've got a question.... Do you bend at the knee or at the waist?

Me three! Thank you for the challenge!

I would agree that you might need to lower your weekly goal and increase your calories, as you're getting closer to your goals. As you lower your weight, your body is not willing to give up as much fat. It's wired to survive, so you have to convince it that you're eating enough that it can afford to shed some pounds. I…

This probably sounds crazy, but I would make sure you're getting enough fat in your diet. Fat sends a signal to your brain to let you know you're full. Obviously, too much fat isn't good, but some good, healthy fats may be just what you need!

My weight loss stalled, too, which caused me to make a few changes: 1. Initially, I lowered my carbs to around 100 grams per day. I had issues with insulin resistance, so my body was having a hard time handling carbs. Since I've lost weight, I've been able to increase it and hover around 150 grams now, but that's still…

I'm also pear-shaped and run 3-4 miles, usually 4 times per week. I ride the stationery bike 2 days per week. I didn't notice my thighs looking bigger (although I do remember thinking that my rear end was bigger!:huh: ), but it did seem like they weren't getting any smaller, to speak of! I remember complaining to my…

I'd agree with you on this. As I said, I'm not slamming anyone who has conquered the low carb lifestyle, but it's not for everyone. For most people, I personally wouldn't recommend starting at the bottom of the carb ladder, just like I wouldn't recommend an 800 calorie per day diet. From my perspective, they both tend to…

Good for you. You don't have to agree with any of MY findings because they are MY experience. I haven't AT ALL attacked anyone that enjoys their low carb lifestyle. However, since the OP asked our experience regarding low carb, I gave her my experience as a mother, who has children and who has not had success with low…

I had insulin resistance as well. The good news is that it's self-limiting, so once you lose enough weight, it won't be as much of an issue for your weight loss. For me, I have found that lower carb is more sustainable that low carb. It's very hard to go off of a low carb diet and not gain back the weight, so you might…

For me, I wasn't really able to moved the scale until I started eating! I started trying to hit right around 1200 calories, per MFP's recommendation, but it was really disappointing, because I stalled after 5 lbs. or so. At that time, I wasn't eating back my exercise calories, so I struggled to stay under and felt…

I've done low carb in the past, and found out 3 things: 1. It works, as long as you continue doing it. 2. For the average American mom who wants to be a model for her children, it's very hard to maintain. 3. If you don't maintain it, you gain most if not all of the weight back. I don't think I personally know anyone who…

How many calories are you eating per day?

This is a very interesting post and is the first time I've heard of actual carb intolerance, which is very different from insulin resistance. Would it help to explain that your condition is very similar to lactose intolerance or gluten intolerance? Those are conditions that normal people can relate to more easily because…

I would agree that you might want to play with your macros. For myself, I needed to lower my carbs to 45% and spread the other 10% out in protein and fat. Also, do you elevate your heart rate significantly when your workout and/or break a good sweat for most of it? I can't tell if you're using a heart rate monitor,…