shiningpotential

Thank you all so much for simplifying this for me! I guess I've just been so gung ho about doing my best that I kind of let it overwhelm me. You guys are the reason I love MFP. 50% of my successwith MFP is due to the handy app. The other 50% is due to the sport, information, and encouragement I get from so many of you…

So how are you calculating your actual calorie burn? Do you use an HRM, or does your bike have one built in? Hll2465, I totally agree that you really do need to find out a more accurate count on the calories you're burning. I had the EXACT SAME question like a week or two ago, and a lot of people said a heart rate monitor…

You also may want to think about where you are in your cycle. I know that the week to week and a half before I start, I want to eat like crazy. I usually don't, but occasionally, I do have to give in a bit. I do try to exercise the additional calories off, and I try to only eat a small portion of the bad stuff (like…

I totally feel ya on the accountability thing. I'm looking for friends, too, to help with motivation and advice, etc, and I'm a good cheerleader, too!

Thank you so much for checking!! At least that gives me a starting point, until I can get my HRM. As for everyone's suggestions regarding which one to buy, thank you!! I just didn't want to waste money on one that was to cheap and inaccurate, or one on the opposite ends of the spectrum that has way more bells and whistles…

I try to decide what I'm going to choose to eat at a restaurant BEFORE I get there, so I can make an informed, healthy choice ahead of time. I can also plan how much to set aside in a to-go box below I even begin to eat. We don't eat out often, but at least I have a game plan for when we do. Most restaurants have menus…

I'm new here, too. I just keep reminding myself of a quote I saw on Facebook the other day: "You haven't felt failed if you keep trying. "

So does anyone have any input as to what a good, reasonably priced, and accurate HRM brand/type/style is?

That would be so awesome if you could do that for me! At least that will help my calculations till I get an HRM.

Thank you so much for that flip side of the coin! And it's been in the back of my mind that I may be underestimating caloric intake and overestimating caloric burn. I'm very new to MFP, and am trying to find a good balance and what works for me. I'm down 11 lbs in just a few weeks, so I feel like I must be doing something…

Yeah, someone else suggested the HRM, too. I'm going to see about getting one. Is there a moderately proceed brand that gives accurate measurements that you could recommend?

Thank you guys for your input! Maybe this is why I feel Le I'm starving a lot of times. I'm eating a great deal of protein and veggies and such, but I still find myself super hungry before dinner, even with a150 calorie snack.

I love, love, LOVE Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. (If you go look for them, though, they're round instead of the classic rectangle ice cream sandwiches.) And they're only like 140 calories, I think, per sandwich. Also, Edy's Outshine fruit bars are wonderful, and low in calories, too. They have real fruit pieces in them…