HollyPFlax Member

Do you have a smart phone? Most have a timer option on the camera. You can press the button, then have 10 seconds to set it up, back up, and pose. Or you can have someone else take it. If you do use a mirror, you'll see progress if you just use the same mirror.

3 days per week of powerlifting for 2 1/2 hours. I would probably do another day per week if I had time, but I'm also am equestrian and riding horses is more important to me.

For weight loss, macros do not matter. Their biggest effect on weight loss is how full each one keeps you for how long. The keto diet, for instance, works great for people who find both protein and fat filling, but don't need carbs to keep them full. I, personally, have a higher level of protein and carbs and lower fat,…

I find that when my cramps are bad, it's very difficult to get to the gym to lift, get outside in my running clothes, or get up to the barn to ride. But once I begin my activity, the cramps disappear. I think it's partly ignoring the pain to focus on something else and partly using my core muscles to loosen the cramping.…

If you like spicy food, Epic makes a sriracha chicken jerky bar that is so good! It's 13g of protein for 130 calories. Not quite as efficient as protein powder, but tasty! Also, have you tried protein bars? My favorites include the birthday cake flavor of One bars and the chocolate flavor of Pure Protein. They are all…

There is a "recent" tab that has foods you have recently logged. I would imagine that any food you eat regularly, you've also eaten recently. As you begin to type in the search bar, MFP will pull up recent foods that match the text. If I type "ques", for example, I get two quest bars and a chicken quesadilla showing up. It…

I have tried both Blue Apron and Hello Fresh because my family members do them. They get coupons to give out free weeks and give them to me sometimes. Both services are similar in cost and calorie range for the dinners. What I dislike the most about them is the prep time and the cleanup caused by way more dishes used than…

The only thing that matters for weight loss is creating a calorie deficit. Once you track your calorie intake accurately, you can play around with different amounts of macros to see which combination makes you feel fullest the longest. I personally only pay attention to protein as I am working on building muscle. I've lost…

I love my fitbit charge 2. I've got two years of data proving its accuracy. They aren't accurate for everyone, but I have lost weight with it, maintained weight with it, and now I'm gaining a little bit as I build muscle from powerlifting. I find that it syncs well with myfitnesspal and I can accurately figure out how much…

A plateau means that you are no longer sustaining a calorie deficit. If you aren't gaining weight either, then you are eating at maintenance for your weight plus your exercise calories. How are you tracking your intake? Are you using a food scale?

As others have said, the fitbit can be inaccurate at first. I'm curious to know what happened to your calories burned later in the day. I've noticed some wacky glitches lately. Last weekend, I ran four miles (not easy for me, I am NOT a runner) and it told me that I only burned 42 calories 😔. This was with the fitbit…

I'll be your friend! And any other women who lift, feel free to add me as well.I started lifting for the first time ever 6 months ago. I lift with my fiancé and there are mostly men at my gym. It would be nice to have some female lifting friends.

First off, congratulations on making your decision to change! You have already completed the first major step. You did not get to your current weight overnight and you won't get down to a healthy weight overnight, either. Weight loss takes time. You essentially need to create a calorie deficit and sustain it over a long…

I had this issue when I first started here, so I figured out a trick that I use to this day. I'm sure many of you do this, but maybe it'll help someone new. I will figure out what popular chain restaurant would serve a dish that is similar to what is on my plate. I consider portion sizes (my local Italian places have much…

Well, as I'm sure you already know, you have reached a plateau. This means that you are currently eating at maintenance for your weight. To break the plateau, you've got to recreate the calorie deficit. Are you logging consistently and weighing everything? Could you possibly be eating out a lot and underestimating calories…

This is something that takes a long time. I've been in maintenance for over a year now and still have days where I'll approach a mirror expecting to see a bigger me. Overall, I have adjusted to the changes, though. You will catch glances of yourself in the mirror and people will make comments about how great you look. It…

I am in maintenance, but I do this. If you look at your diary and scroll down to the bottom, there's a "nutrition" button. You can see a week view of your past 7 days of calories. My myfitnesspal app is synced to my fitbit, so my exercise calories are automatically removed from the daily totals. I will cheat on weekends as…

My fiancé is a power lifter and I joined his routine about 6 months ago, so I am not as educated on this as many people here are. He wears a belt and bought me one once I started increasing my weight. Some people never wear them, but I personally like having something to brace against. It makes me feel more secure. We work…

I have a fitbit charge 2 and have used it for two years. I started tracking my calories with the intention of weight loss three years ago. I lost 50 lb total over 2 years. I got the fitbit one year in. It really helped me tremendously and I've found it to be pretty accurate. I like knowing exactly how much I can eat on…

I'm 5'7 and my starting weight was 177. My initial goal was 150 and once I got there, I reassesed. I weigh 128 now. There were a lot of challenges along the way. Vacations, plateaus, holidays, etc. But once I was completely determined to lose the weight, I always found the motivation to get back on track. Let me tell you,…

It sounds like you are similar to how I was when I first started. I was logging food inaccurately, but lying to myself. I didn't want to admit that I was eating so many extra calories. We tie so many emotions to food. It can feel shameful to really admit to yourself that you are overeating by a lot. One day, after a long…

I don't have time to look for the video, but my fiancé stumbled across this on YouTube a few months ago. He told me about a couple of crazy videos and I went looking. Eventually I found one where a reporter challenged a woman who claimed she hadn't eaten in years. He put cameras around her house (with her knowledge) and…

I tried running with couch to 5k at my heaviest - 177 lb at 5'7". It was so tough! I could barely get through the motions and gave up after a few painful weeks. Now that I am down to 125 lb, I tried it again. What a difference it made to not carry that extra weight! It was easier from the start. I was able to complete the…

I have found that my fitbit charge 2 is very accurate. I've been in maintenance for a little over a year now. My tracker is able to track my heart rate, which increases its accuracy. I do track all of my intake and weigh myself regularly, so I can tell you that it does add up. I'm so pleased with it in fact, that even…

To me, the term "skinny fat" means "people who are skinny, but live completely sedantary lifestyles". So they are in the healthy weight range according to BMI, but are not healthy. They often have some fat in the midsection because of their lack of activity and little muscle tone elsewhere. You can't be skinny fat as a…

For me (and I'm now at the point where I almost always refuse!) it's low-quality sweets. I have a huge sweet tooth, but some are just not worth it. A pre-packaged brownie or chips ahoy cookie will taste sweet in the moment, but they're just not great and not worth it. I am always disappointed after. Now, if someone offers…

Thanks for your responses! I don't remember having a nightmare, but it could have happened. If this only happens once, I'll chalk it up to that. I don't like the thought that fitbits are less accurate after the logout bug! Hopefully whatever is going on will be fixed. I'll just accept the anomaly, eat normally today, and…

I don't; as I've said, mine is accurate except for today. I've lost 50 lbs using a fitbit synced to MFP and have maintained the loss for a year. My current BMI is 19.3, which I bring up because accuracy of tracking calories in and out matters more at lower weights (there is less leeway). I've been very happy with the…

I will be your lifting friend! I just started about two weeks ago. My fiancé is a power lifter and I have started going to the gym with him. He helps me get my form and spots for me, but I know that women put on muscle differently than men. It would be nice to share experiences with other women!

Absolutely. I didn't during my first 20 lb of weight loss. Once I reached a plateau, I reassesed my habits to figure out where I was going wrong. One reason for the plateau was unchecked cheat days. Now that I made that change along with a few others, I've lost an additional 30 lb. I've been maintaining the 50 lb loss for…