dubird Member

OP, there's a lot of great advice in this thread, though a lot of things are all over the place. Just for a different view, here's what I learned through my journey: 1. Everyone's way of losing weight is valid for them, but maybe not for others. We can all tell you what worked for us, which can give you directions and…

You can still drink Pepsi, just limit your intake. Look at how many calories a day you have to work with and fit some into it. Keep in mind that it's still not a healthy option, so make sure you fit it in with whatever your daily sugar amount is too. You can lose weight on a fully unhealthy diet, but that will still mess…

So, I actually did a blog about this a while back. I had issues with motivation as well, I tend to be lazy and that doesn't really lend itself to weight loss! So I had to go find my own motivation. I realized I can't depend on others to provide it for me, it has to come from within. Not saying friends cheering you on isn't…

Time of day you eat doesn't normally matter. Some health issues mean it's not a good idea to eat right before bed or you have to eat to take meds, and a lot of T2 diabetics eat at specific times to help regulate blood sugar. But it doesn't have an impact on weight loss.

Pre-ordered Mass Effect Andromeda. I'll probably disappear for week or so once it comes in! XD

Yeah, the closer you get, the harder it gets. Part of that is you lose slower, so when you have weight fluctuations, it's much more frustrating. Just keep doing what you're doing, do let the scale discourage you.

Exercise didn't play much (if any) role in me losing weight. So yes, it's totally possible to lose weight without it. Exercise can make it easier, though. If you're burning off extra calories, you don't have to limit your intake quite as much. However, you should still be watching what you eat so you don't end up eating…

As long as you're on track most of the time, going over one day isn't going to hurt your or sabotage you unless you let it. Hell, I can go out on my birthday and have super special awesome cake and ice cream at a high end restaurant and still manage to lose weight. So if you go out to eat with friends or whatever, do your…

Are you weighing everything? That's a common mistake; portions listed on nutrition facts are often smaller than people realize. If you've been working out a lot, espically if it's more than you're used to, there's probably a lot of water weight that your body is dealing with. That will go away with time, though it always…

Weight fluctuates daily for everyone. Your best bet is to not pick a single number, but a range of weight of about 5lbs to stay in. That will help account for TOM, water retention, etc. Keeps me from stressing out that's for sure!

Are you weighing everything? And I mean EVERYTHING, including a couple bites of something? How are you calculating calories burned? 1200 is normally below recommendation for males, but without knowing your stats, I have no idea if you're at the right spot.

I usually end up ordering child portions and lunch portions when possible, espically hamburger joints. A lot of restaurants will go ahead and let you get a lunch portion of some things, so doesn't hurt to ask. But...but...garlic bread!! XD

What do I eat? Whatever I want, just less of it. If you're feeling hungry, carbs and protien are good for helping you stay full for longer. You might also look into splitting up your calories differently so you're eating smaller 'meals', but more of them spread out over the day. For some, that helps a lot.

I would enter all of it. Fitbit should report all the calories you burn that it logs, so if you're entering them manually, I would enter that. Keep an eye on it, though, because when the sync works again, you'll probably end up with double exercise calories when it finally syncs!

Log best you can and make sure to walk around more. Don't worry as much about calorie limits, but keeping up the logging is good for building the habit. But don't stress over it; it's a vacation! Chances are you'll be burning more calories than you usually do, which will help offset any extra you eat. ^_^

If you have an impacted colon, you may need more than just a laxative. And it's NOT fun. Voice of Experience. >< But you can ask your specialist about it when you see them. Prune juice never worked well for me, what worked best when I was a kid was that powdered fiber you add to drinks. Not a laxative, but just powdered…

As mentioned above, unless you have a medical condition, carbs don't matter. There are some that do best on a low carb diet, but part of that is by cutting down on breads and the like, they have an easier time keeping on track. That's a personal choice, not a medical one, but if it works for someone, more power to them! If…

15, but the first five were courtesy of Noro. ><

We do Costco for meat, mostly. They have a very good meat department. Works best with a chest freezer though. XD We go about every other month. I also get my G2 there since they have large packs and I drink a lot of it, but there's lots of other things there. Even with just the two of us, it's been worth the cost of the…

Laxatives have their use, but if you're at the point you're using them constantly, you may have other issues you need to get checked out. Upping fiber and water intake will help as well. You can also try the fiber one brownies, that's what I do for breakfast. Low calorie, high fiber, and very very tasty. There's other…

I don't. Exercise does nothing to relieve or prevent cramps for me, I don't know why. They're not any better after having lost some weight, either, so on those 2-3 days, I take heavy meds and live on the heating pad. Side note: whoever invented the Thermacare patches should be nominated for Sainthood. Just sayin'!

Because so many people are conditioned to the "10 lbs in 2 weeks!" type of ads, not realizing that that kind of diet isn't really a useful diet as it will cause them to yo-yo. So many people don't realize that losing weight permanently is a long, slow process of reestablishing eating habits and adjust activity levels. It's…

Try calculating your daily calories manually. Scooby's Workshop has a good one, but I would suggest using 3 or 4 and averaging them. See if that matches what your app is telling you. I don't know what app you're using, so I have no idea how accurate it is.

Protein works well for me. I also make a LOT of popcorn. Granted, with butter not the most calorie-conscious choice, but it's not as bad as you think if you limit your butter, and since it's also a way for me to really up my sodium, it helps a lot!

Have you recalculated your calories? When you lose weight, you will eventually get to a point of maintenance since the lower you weigh, the less calories you need.

Are you talking your calorie count on MFP? That depends on how you have it set up. If you have it set up to account for regular exercise, then your normal exercise is accounted for you and you don't have to eat extra. If you have it set up WITHOUT exercise, any exercise is extra and should be eaten back. Be aware that MFP…