spiriteagle99 Member

Have a great race. I'm sure it will be memorable for you. The first marathon is always special.

Just change the calories the program gives you for the exercise to 0. Or accept the calories and don't eat them all back. If you are doing a lot of exercise, you really should eat back some of the calories. Eating too few calories is counterproductive.

I agree with the above: calories should be the focus rather than macros at this point. However, I do think that since you are very active and have a physical job, you should try to make sure to get enough protein so that you maintain your muscles. Don't try to lose weight too quickly, because that usually backfires either…

You lost 10 lbs. in a month. That's not failure. Weight loss is not linear. Sometimes you'll go up, sometimes down, sometimes stay the same. The body holds on to water and waste in ways that aren't always obvious. Working out especially can cause water retention as the body needs it to rebuild muscles. Undereating is not a…

BTDT I lost 55 lbs. about 10 years ago and still occasionally have issues with how I perceive myself. There are times I look at my belly or thighs and think I'm still fat, but then I see a photo of myself or look at myself in a store window as I approach the store and realize that no, I really am thin after all. Or someone…

I have rhinitis--exercise induced, cold induced, or allergy induced-- my nose runs any time I exert myself. I just make sure I always have a handkerchief handy and deal with the drips as they happen.

I have large calves despite being at a good weight. I was a hiker and biker for years and now run, so basically it's all muscle. I don't love the way they look, but I do love the fact that they get me where I want to go and I'd rather have strong muscular legs than thin flabby ones that won't get me up mountains.

One suggestion: have you had your thyroid checked? An underactive thyroid can mean less movement, which will slow down your metabolism. I had a problem losing weight when I was in my 40s. When I got on thyroid meds, I was able to lose weight. Certain meds can also make it hard to lose weight. Check with your doctor to see…

The steps are within the range of normal movement in daily life. I list my activity level as sedentary, which would include 2-3000 steps around the house and running errands, etc. Because that is simply part of daily life, it wouldn't be considered additional exercise so you wouldn't get extra calories for it. If you list…

Most of the foods I eat are on my Recent or Frequent lists. Frequent is great for things like veggies and staples that I eat at least weekly. I eat a fairly consistent diet, so the only time I need to look up a food is if I eat out. I have about 20 Meals as well. If I don't eat exactly the same thing, I can log the meal…

My watch tracks my steps. It also counts petting the dog as steps. It counts movement of my arms when driving as steps. I've had days I only walked 2-3 miles for exercise, yet supposedly did 10,000 steps. I don't sync my watch with MFP. I do log deliberate exercise (the 3 mile walk) and eat those calories back.

I get that sometimes when I run on the TM, not when I run outside. It may have to do with the intensity of the exercise.

You need to do an occasional speed workout to get used to running faster. Not every run, but once or twice a week (assuming you run 4-5 days a week). After a 1-2 mile warmup, do some faster running. It can be short intervals (1-5 minutes) at a hard pace, or longer intervals (10-30 minutes) at a moderately hard pace or hill…

I use the MFP exercise numbers, for the most part. I am mostly a runner and walker, though I do other activities occasionally and log those too. I burn 500-1000 extra calories a day on most days. If I didn't eat back those calories, I would be seriously undernourished. I lost weight and have maintained my weight for the…

My husband and I just had Covid, starting 2 1/2 weeks ago. It was our first round with it, but pretty light cases, all in all. We went to our GP and he prescribed Paxlovid for my husband, who is 84, and gave me a script to use if I got worse, but I never did so I didn't get it filled. My husband did recover a little…

When I actually walk my dog, my watch says I'm on an elliptical, I suppose because of the constant starting and stopping and frequent changes of pace. I have no idea how to change that.

Active, but even then, they may be inflated. Total calories include the calories you burn just breathing, so if you include those you would be double counting. Your base calorie goal includes them already. i.e. in my case, my maintenance level as a sedentary person is 1600 calories. Walking burns about 40 calories per…

It depends. Normally I try to avoid any caffeine after about 2 pm, but if we go out to dinner and I'm not drinking beer, I can usually drink a diet coke without too much of a problem. Some days, OTOH, it will keep me awake, so normally I avoid it. My parents could drink coffee at bedtime and go right to sleep, but that…

It seems to be working okay for me. A bit high, because the MFP estimate includes base calories burned during the time spent walking, as well as exercise calories, but nothing unusual.

It's up to us to decide what calorie splurges are worthwhile and which are not. We are in control of what we put in our mouths. We decide whether or not to super-size our sodas, whether to buy fattening side dishes or extravagant desserts. Restaurants often experiment with lower calorie, lower carb options, but they don't…

I don't enter my weight at all, but I've been maintaining for several years and have mostly stayed within my 5 pound window. I got tired of being congratulated for weight loss every time it went down when I knew that it was just part of normal fluctuation.

I became a runner, with the goal of running marathons and half marathons. I don't race much any more, but I do still maintain a halfway decent base, running about an hour 5 days a week. I also have a large dog who loves to walk and I take him out for a couple of miles every day. This allows me to eat pretty much what I…

Low ferritin makes a big difference in energy, especially if you are working out. It can take a while for your iron stores to build up again. The levels that are considered normal are not necessarily sufficient if you are an athlete. (i.e. 16 is normal but anything below 50 can affect performance. You can still be active,…

The races that I've done that had a Masters category instead of age groups started Masters at age 45. They didn't have a Grand Masters category. I came in 2nd Female Masters in two races when I was around 60, but they were every small races, (which is why they didn't do age group prizes).

TBH, I pay no attention to the macros. I lost 50+ pounds and have maintained that loss for about 10 years and all I look at normally is the net calories. I do occasionally look at protein, since I don't want to lose muscle (too hard to get back at my age) but that's it. To lose weight, calories are what counts. For health…

My husband toes out, and it affected his knees, but otherwise he had no issues with walking and backpacking long distance. We just joke about his duck feet. For your side pain, it might help to pay attention to your form: walk tall, with a straight back and make sure your arms are not swinging in front of your body as you…

I like the muscle on my legs. I don't do weights, but years of hiking, backpacking, biking, and now running have given a lot of definition to my legs. They will never be skinny, but they are strong, and I like it that way.

I have the same BMI with both calculators: 20/healthy. With the Smart BMI I am on the low end and at my age I shouldn't lose any more. I knew that already. When you get to a certain age, the risk of illness that causes serious weight loss is greater and your ability to recover is less. I still have large thighs and a bit…

My personal experience is the opposite. My husband and I used to hike, backpack or do trailwork together every weekend. When we retired, we hiked even more often as we traveled around the country. When we got a dog, we walked him together. A few years ago, my husband developed Parkinson's. Movement is difficult for him,…