My fitness pal...can anyone answer some questions please?

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

I signed up to MFP on Monday and am finding it pretty good so far.

There are a couple of things I'm unsure about.

I've heard a couple of people mention the sugar allowance is a bit out but roughly how 'out'? By the time I've had my tea and a yogurt for pudding, I'll be at double the suggested limit.

Also, my protein allowance has been exceeded by 50% today (have already logged tonight's tea). Do they give a reasonable allowance for that or is that a bit unrealistic, too?

Are there other things I can do on the site? Can I meal plan or work out which foods are going to keep me within my allowances?

Re exercise - yesterday, I tried to log a 30minute brisk walk, pushing a double buggy with two large toddlers but there didn't seem to be a relevant box to tick . Is there a way around this?

Sorry for all the probably stupid questions!

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Bump!

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Do you have the app?

I started it on Monday too, and I meal plan each morning so I can see how the day looks. Then if I eat more/less/something different, I edit it.

And there is definitely an option for pushing a buggy!

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Oh and I have a few questions, for if anyone else comes along.

Do you eat all of your exercise calories?

How often do you weigh yourself?

How soon do you see results?

I am concerned that while I am morbidly obese, my intake of food isnt actually restricted. I am weighing my portions and being absolutely honest. But I am struggling to eat the calories and end up with atleast 500 a day left.

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

I had been using the main site but have just downloaded the app.

I'd better go and have another look for the buggy pushing option and see how many calories too many I added to yesterday's allowance

I seem to have calories left over aswell but sugar is so much over that I don't quite know how to spend the leftovers

[Littleturkish]

What is your calorie limit a day?

I would make a judgement on the exercise calories- is it exercise or just normal physical activity? Were you out of breath for twenty minutes?

[picnicbasketcase]

I generally ignore the sugar and make sure that the calories and fat are below target.

[PhyllisDoris]

I just concentrate on the calories. I religiously put all the food I eat down, and the exercise (usually walking).
MFP is great!

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Thanks for the replies!

My calorie allowance is 1,440 and I haven't exceeded it yet

Re exercise...mine has mostly been walking but not getting out of breath (despite pushing two hefty toddlers in a buggy, with a flat tyre, for 30 minutes). I'm going to find someone to come walking with me a couple of evenings a week and pick up the pace a bit!

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Normal activity. Should I only put in concentrated exercise? I am confused by the cleaning, food prep, walking up stairs and pushing a buggy options because they are normal. I thought I had to fill those in.

My calorie limit is 1960 before exercise, to lose 1.5lbs per week, and sedentary.

I think I am confused because being so overweight I thought I would be seeing a drastic reduction in my food intake. But I havent felt hungry at all and could easily stick to the basic limit.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Sorry for the hijick OP.

Are you weighing again on Mon?

[ChookKeeper]

I've been doing it for 290 days today and I've lost 4 stone so far. I've plateaued for a couple months following a gall bladder removal but am back on track now.

I have 1200 calories per day and don't really bother about keeping to the carb/sugar/fat targets. I do try to eat as 'clean' as possible though - plenty of fruit and veg, lean meat etc.

I don't do much exercise but when I do I don't eat those calories back. On the MFP forum it seems most people who exercise a lot do try to eat at least half of those calories back.

I weigh weekly, and take measurements and photos at each stone.

Hope that helps.

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Wannabe - please hijack away! You're asking good questions that I'd like to know the answers to, aswell !!

I have been weighing everyday ...and have done on and off for over a year but have never got as serious as combining it with calorie counting before! I haven't changed my weight on MFP yet, though. I will probably do that weekly...haven't found any info on that yet. Do you just change your weight in settings?

Chook - wow, well done! I haven't taken any measurements yet. I'm hoping that loose clothes will be the sign that the weight is going!

[PhyllisDoris]

I'm aiming for 1000 cals a day, and have been losing about 1lb a week since Jan. If I do excercise, I do tend to use that as an excuse to eat more - to bring me back up to 1000 cals.

Sometimes I exceed 1000 cals, but I look at my intake over a week, and try to average 1000 a day. I find it easier to eat less when I'm at work, and tend to eat more over the weekend, when there's food readily available at home.

I also invested in a trampette, and try to jog on that for a short while every night.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Ok I just checked. On the app if you are on the summary page and you click on the little page icon along the top it goes to your diary. Then more icons are on the top. If you click on the graph icon it brings up a page where you can "record todays weight."

Thats amazing Chook and Phyllis!

It says I am 5188 net calories under my weekly goal and I only have tomorrow to go.

[Megsdaughter]

Ive gone from 222lb to 170lb since boxing day, I ignore the sugar to be honest, but make sure I stay within the carb and fats occasionally the protein is over.

[postmanpatscat]

I ignore all the nutrient data and just look at the calories. I don't usually eat my exercise cals but I'm maintaining now anyway. 20lbs in 11 weeks :)

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Weighed today and I have lost 1lb. Target is 1.5 but as my scales dont measure decimals I am not sure how close I was.

But I have realised I had the wrong pounds in all week so it looks like I have lost 3lbs.

Thats brilliant postmanpatscat! I cannot wait until I get further down the line and am able to say that.

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Postman - that's brill! That's roughly what I'm aiming for (2lb a week but for quite a few more weeks than 11 ).

Wannabe - yay! Do you just have to remember to put in your weight or does it remind you each week/every now and again?

I started off well this morning and had lost 1lb. DS and I went carbooting and I was tempted by a custard cream then had three more when I got home without checking how many calories/fat was in them . I put them into MFP and they were 260 calories . On the plus side, whilst last week I would have happily gone through the whole packet, after I realised their true 'value', I put the packet away . Also, I will skip my one daily coffee to make up for my slip up.

Now, I need to convince my family that I am happy to be avoiding certain foods. My aunt (lives next door) is always bringing me bargains from the supermarket. I have asked her to stop and explained that I'm trying to lose weight and eat healthily but she thinks it's all rubbish and continues to buy the stuff anyway. She tried to convince me that a richtea biscuit is a better option than an apple because the richtea has fewer calories .

Every time I have a different dinner to my aunt and DS, DS has a look of absolute, desperate, pity and says how awful that I have to eat whatever it is that I'm having rather than what they are having. I'm trying to explain that I'm enjoying what I'm eating and it's not a punishment at all but he doesn't get it!! Last night, I had the same as we'd all had the night before which he loved but because he was having pizza last night, he thought that my leftovers were a punishment

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

I am not sure about reminders. I just put mine in.

Any chance one gets extra calories for being sick? I have a chest infection :(

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

How are you feeling, wannabe? The 'old me' was going to say 'yes, you should treat yourself to some extra calories to cheer yourself up' but the 'new me' is not going to suggest that !!

I weighed this morning and have lost 4lb since I started last Monday.

I have noticed an improvement with the sugar cravings. They are definitely less frequent and not as overwhelming .

Still haven't got around to meal planning...I should do that np now while I have a couple of hours by myself.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

A bit better, thanks :)

4lbs!!!!! WOW! Well done. Thats brilliant.

I too have noticed sugar cravings arent as bad. Today I had my "dinner" at lunchtime and really not feeling hungry now at all. Might be the sickness though.

[cinnamongreyhound]

I would say as long as your daily calories aren't too low, mfp won't set them lower than 1200 automatically, then don't feel you have to eat them. My thoughts on it are you are trying to retrain yourself to eat differently and maintain your weightloss so why eat if you're not hungry/ don't want anything.

The entries are only as good as those who entered them so remember they may be wrong or bits may be missing. I don't think I've had a day under sugar intake ever! I keep my eye on fats and don't think I've been over carbs and I'm a carb lover! Mostly though I'm only interested in calories.

Some people go for sedentary and then add any kind of activity. I personally went for lightly active and only add pure exercise. I walk 2-3 miles a day which I don't add and am a childminder so reasonably active but didn't want to over estimate calories. I didn't/don't eat exercise calories unless I want a specific treat or now I'm maintaining I see it as a buffer if I eat more another day.

I know others will disagree but in general I do believe you eat less you lose more to a point of ridiculously low calories.

Mfp will change your allowance as you lose weight too.

Good luck!

[HiccupHaddockHorrendous]

Wannabe - glad you're feeling a bit better. Have you got anti-biotics?

Cinnamon - it's interesting to hear so many MFP users saying they disregard the sugar allowance. It's one of the areas I am very concerned about. There's a family history of type2 diabetes and I really want to change my diet, long term, before I get to the point of needing meds.

I'm also a CM and I think I went for one of the active options. As of yesterday, I've ditched the car for as many school runs as possible and was planning to walk this morning but it's just started to pour with rain .

Another 1lb off this morning which made me because I am now under 15st !!!

One more question...if I am we'll under my calorie allowance, MFP tells me off and that my body will go into starvation mode. Will it still do that if I don't feel hungry?

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Not feeling hungry on very little calories is a sign of starvation mode I think.

No medication. Antibiotics wont do anything for a virus. I am a doctor avoider anyway. Paracetamol all the way here!

[LaundryLegoLunch]

I'm also a big fan of MFP. Lost 30lbs since Jan.

hiccup I think the reason lots of people ignore the sugar is that it's almost impossible to get every measure under its target without beginning to feel seriously deprived. And as all of us larger ladies know if we feel really deprived we won't stick at it.
Another reason I ignore sugar is that fruit is high and yet I refuse to believe I shouldn't be eating fruit. The bad sugar stuff like chocolate and haribo would be excluded because of the calories alone.
Losing weight will automatically reduce your risk of diabetes.

And yes to custard creams. I scoffed 4 the other day and almost wept when I entered them in MFP. But the old me would have eaten 8 and then still eaten a huge dinner...