Just signed up at 'My Fitness Pal'. Any advice, experience, or desire to join me?

[worriermum]

I read about the website, myfitnesspal.com on MN. Am truly desperate to stop the ever rising weight gain - I have just topped my full term pregnancy weight. I've never really been a dieter, or even believed in diets, but I Have To Do Something. Would love to do it with some other Mumsnetters - anyone interested in joining me?

All the weight loss threads seem so bloated, if you'll pardon the metaphor. I'm intimidated by 537 messages, or 219 messages. Feel I cant be arsed to read through all that and I will never be part of the club if I dont read the history. Advice please?

Forever - you are so right about the overcompensating - for a year I had a personal trainer and my body shaped really changed but if I had significantly altered my eating habits I would have easily been a size 12 if not less because I was doing more exercise I thought I could get away with more food or at least a few treats. I know I have said it on here before - I could easily eat in one meal what I now eat in a day , but obviously mentally I was not prepared to lose it! Not in any serious fashion anyway, now I just think waht a waste as I don't have the same access to the gym/creche facilities or personal trainer that I did when I lived in the city!

I'm still really struggling with the whole exercise calories thing. I've been burning around 700 each day through exercise (20mins shred; 40 mins cross trainer), and inevitably have eaten back 200 or so as after reading MFP and having a panic about NOT eating them, I thought I'd better have some. I usually have a small bowl of museli and some low fat greek yogurt after exercise (It said you should have some protein and carbs after you have finished, and I exercise on an evening after my meals). And now I'm worried that I'm overeating. Flippin' heck, this is complex stuff!

hi everyone :)

Gilbonzo - gutted i missed your pics!! Love the hair tho! :o

I know i shouldn't have temptation in the house and now that DP has joined me in the quest for smaller portions, healthier food and weight loss, i could probably cut out all the crap from the freezer! I generally dont buy a lot of frozen food, just maybe the odd pizza for nights when i get home from work late or for when DS (20) is hungry and wants to raid the cupboards. As a rule tho, i only buy fruitflakes for DD and some Geo Natural fruit/nut bar things for me. I've always got fruit in and 99% of the time i always buy fresh veg etc for dinners.

My main problem is portion sizes. I am just greedy. End of. I need to sort it out and be more realistic of my portion sizes and what my body actually NEEDS rather than what i would like to shovel down my greedy cakehole lol.

Mealtimes can be a PITA tho because DP is a veggie and has never eaten meat in his life (he was brought up as a veggie) so i generally always have to cook a meat dinner and a veggie version. Having said that, i dont eat meat every day so it's not tooooo bad. DD is a fussy little bugger tho, but that's another story lol.

At the end of the day, everything is in place for me to do well - i just need to start the engine and start the slow steady drive to Slimsville.

JAMMY Hello!!! :o The other thread is somewhat quiet isn't it!! Well done on your losses so far!

In fact, well done to everyone on their losses so far! :o

Marian - i know what you mean, it's all very complex isn't it! I like to believe that i should be eating back my exercise calories but that's only because i am greedy (see my previous post!).

Forgot to say - i went for a bike ride today for 1hr 45mins and burnt off 645 calories! :o

Marian - in terms of exercise calories def ok to eat some, but I think I did almost 1000 calories of exercise today (bootcamp in park at 6am plus full on gym trip), and eating all of these would just be greed.

That being said I was genuinely more hungry this morning because of the exercise so had a much bigger lunch than normal (probably extra 200 calories) and thats ok.

If you are hungry after exercise eat a bit more, but see the exercise calories as a maximum extra to eat rather than calories you HAVE to eat. Don't over analyse. Eat a bit more if you are hungry but don't feel you have to eat them all.

Is anyone here eating all exercise calories and posting good weight losses?

I find that the more exercise I do, the less I want to eat. I have to force myself to eat something because my brain tries to convince my body that it doesn't want to 'ruin' the work it's done which is actually a really unhealthy attitude.

RG thanks . I bought myself a different plate to the normal ones that is halfway between a dinner plate and a side plate. That way I can fool myself that I'm having a huge meal because the plate is full but I'm actually having about half of what I would have packed a normal plate with. Massive congrats on the bike ride. I find 20 mins kills me so that is impressive!

I meant to say as well, I had fish and chips last night...mmmmmmm. And it was only 370 cals! I had 100g french fry style oven chips, a lidl breaded fish portion, broccoli and carrots. It was the most delicious thing I've eaten in ages but wasn't too naughty. To balance it out I had fruit for breakfast and a chicken salad for lunch. It got rid of those 'greasy food' cravings without actually having to eat greasy food.

Hello!

Thank you for help with this, forever, I'm inclined to agree it is over-analysis. Like Gil I rarely feel that I want to eat after exercise (it actually makes me feel a bit sick) but then (immortal words) I read that my muscles would all be crying out for a bit of protein and a few carbs to help them to heal and had a bit of a panic because I was super sore that I should have been eating to help them. In fairness, I am still losing, although it is very slow compared to losses I've had before, including on xenical. I have some of the evil blue pills in the cupboard still and I am fighting myself to resist the lure of greater losses by taking them. I know I lose quick on them. I also know I pile it back on in seconds if I stop. And that's not to mention the side effects . I feel so much more virtuous doing it properly, and, more importantly, I feel better in myself which is very important.

RG I am super greedy too, so you are not alone! I let myself have big portions, but I am bulking them out with loads of veg. Plus I am finding that appetite has decreased some, but I think this is a combination of higher protein/exercise/supplements. I have started taking a vitamin B complex to help with my mood, and I've felt so much more in control of myself since taking these. I'm a rubbish-eating vegetarian, so I suspect I was deficient in all manner of vitamins and minerals. I am so much brighter, and my skin looks okay at the moment. I'm even naturally weaning off caffeine. I keep making coffee but not wanting it. So, this all sounds great, until the next bag-load of stress lands in my lap, then who knows?!

Well I fell off the diet wagon last night we had a Chinese and wine. The really sad thing is that I woke up in the small hours feeling guilty about it then couldn't get back to sleep

We are also going out for a pub meal tonight and BIL is having a birthday party Saturday night. I am doomed.......

forever - hows the maintance cals going? does it feel good to be able to eat more? or is it a bit stressy?

RG - i too can/could eat large portions. For about a month before i actually started 'dieting' i started cutting down portion sizes. Eating what i would usually eat but just a bit less of it. Your stomach does shrink so it takes less to fill it up, or it takes less to make it feel full. I didnt actually lose any weight during this time, but i didnt gain any more and i think it helped. To go from big portions to salad and mostly veg would have been really hard, id of felt hungry all the time and then just binged because of it. I dont know , just an idea?

Peg - its hard isnt it, when life gets in the way ( have had two big birthdays in so many weeks and ive got the camping trip next week) I think you either have to accept it, make as good choices as you can and move on. Or just accept if you do just think ' sod it' then you are unlikely to lose and its just going to take longer. The key thing though is getting straight back on it ( and the most difficult thing too)

I should probably confess this time last year i was 11lbs lighter than i currently am, after losing 3 stone ( gall baldder) then gaining 2 of that, then losing 2 of that ( all in the same year) Then last summer i just let go and gained 2.5 stone only to lose 1.5 of it by xmas. Come xmas i was only going to be off my diet for xmas day and boxing day... but that didnt happen and then... yep. you guessed it, 1 stone of the 1.5 lost went back on.

I am the queen of yo-yoing by quite a lot. I dont have a problem losing weight but i do have a problem maintaining it and if i fall off the wagon i find it very very very hard to get back on it again.

But i think the key thing is with birthdays or slip ups is to get back on it straight away without feeling too guilty.

Well ladies I am going to be loud and proud - weighed myself this morning and am 1lb lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 more lbs and I will not be 13stone ANYMORE!!!!!

I am one of those people who is eating my exercise calories, however I am not doing the hardcore exercise that you are all doing, I am just walking the dog at a fast pace everyday - poor dog doesn't know whats hit it! It is knackered!!!!!!!!!!!!!

However I only increase my calorie allowance by 100 calories or so rather than the 600+ that I am in awe of for some you ! Also there is nothing to say I haven't been calculating some things wrong so adding more weight than it actually is? I am not sure.

awesome figgy. AWESOME!!!!!

red - well I still only have 1550, which isn't really that much, esp if I want to eat a couple of bigger meals if we go out etc. Does mean don't have to worry about not having enough for an extra apple, or a few carbs here and there. But I can see that if I do want to maintain my new shape (which is pretty good IMO!) I will need to stick pretty much to this WOE long term.

Well done figgy! Great work! :o

Red - yes you are right. I do need to portionate a bit better. DP and I were doing really well at just having smaller sized portions etc but i think him being away last week and this week has left me feeling like i have a bit of a free rein, food wise and so i've been eating bigger than i normally would. Greedy guts and comfort eating combined i think!!

I am at work today and will have to be good as i'm skint so no money for the vending machine or posh shop bought sandwiches! I have brought in my lunch today which consists of a cup-a-soup and two rolls plus a cereal bar. I also have a snack pot of couscous if i feel peckish later so i should hopefully be ok until i get home!

Another MFP tip!

One of the keys to loosing weight and indeed to maintaining your weight is to ensure that you eat enough fibre - I now have this being tracked on MFP so I can see that I am eating enough each day.

I was tracking sugar but I found it a bit annoying as a couple of natural yoghurts (ie no sugar added) and pieces of fruit would put me over, so have now taken that off. I always try to go a bit above for protein and a bit below for carbs.....

Ooh might go and change my settings!

Am very pleased (although think a cold is on the horizon!) as I wanted to get to this weight for my holiday and have so far achieved it! I have then worked out that by my next target date (August) I could be somewhere near 21 lbs off, lets hope it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am off on holiday on Saturday so expect that I may have some cheat meals that being said the food isn't that great where we are going so we shall see!

Well done on your weight loss Princess; I'm wanting to get under 13st too. I was 13st3.5 this morning, so 4lbs will just take me under. I'm aiming for a couple of weeks.

Forever thanks for fibre tip. It was reassuring to have it update on my past diaries and see that I've been getting plenty. I was concerned as I've dropped so many foods that I usually associate with fibre, but apparently my super veg intake has more than made up for it.

red I too am a drastic yo-yoer. I've lost and regained the same 1.5st 3 times in the past 2 years. I'm so sick of being like that: I lose a bit, feel more confident and then it creeps back on. I'm still miles off my original target weight, so I really need to stick with it.

I need to shred but have overeaten stew/soup-type tea and feel bleurgh. May have to wait a couple of hours, lest I explode all over the living room.

ha. thats what i do. get my bmi to about 26.5 then suddenly seem to think im immune to putting weight on, and bam! a month later im 10lbs heavier.

Im going to get to a bmi of 25 and see how i feel. I might go below that. Then im going to really need help maintaining that. On the odd few occassions in the past 10 years when i have got to 9stone ive not been able to maintain it without a totally unrealastic lifestyle. HOWEVER, the genuis that is mfp might hopefully help.

Figgy -thats great that you are where you want to be for your hols. have an absolutley lovely time!

Thank you, am really looking forward to it, also by being at my goal I am a) hopefully going to stick with it or be more careful b) gives myself a little bit of leeway for holiday gluttony if it is required! Still 11s7lbs is the goal for August

red As you can see by how often I post I am scared about maintaining..... eg kept to 1200 calories for whole extra month but realised when I got to 8 12 (ie BMI of 21.2!) that I wasn't going to maintain 9 stone with just 1200 calories.

Now am eating a little more, which mainly seems to amount to 2 couple of pieces of fruit and a small portion of carbs at dinner time. I plan to keep on doing MFP for at least 6 months of maintaining because I think you are very vulnerable to putting weight on during this period. Sadly the period after a diet you a very vulnerable to weight gain, which is why so many people yo-yo diet.

I hope not to have to do MFP in the long run though, we'll see.

wow - i bet you cant believe your bmi went that low!

Thats the most difficult bit i think, once you get in the right mindset dieting to lose isnt actually that hard ( please dont shoot me!!)

but maintaining it is just not something ive ever been able to do. I either half maintain it for awhile, going up and down by the same 10lbs Or, just stop thinking about what im eating and somehow totally fail to notice the weight going on.

I still find it so surprising the whole maintance is so low and not much more than to lose ( shows how little difference between losing and staying the same is) but also shows what utter crap the whole ' women should eat 2000 cals a day' is.

red indeed - my weight is the lowest its ever been as an adult and for the first time ever (even at 15 I thought I had fat thighs) I am really happy with the way I look, and for that reason I'd really like to maintain this weight.

I can see now, that if I want to stay this weight I can't eat a boost bar each day mid morning and lots of pasta with my dinner, and crisps with my lunch. Basically that's 750 calories a day, and over the course of a year that adds up to my whole weight loss.

I look at the chocolate kiosk on my way home and I think - thin people don't eat boost bars!

Can I just say, I was just on MFP and everyone is doing so well with exercise! So much so that it motived me to shred tonight. Wasn't going to and still aching from yesterdays bootcamp....

Wow, anyone on this thread who hasn't befriended us, less us know your name and we'll befriend you!

Should we try and encourage those who haven't logged on???

That Boost and pasta analogy is bloody scary but very effective! I'm trying to convince myself that food is for living, not enjoying - a nice taste is a bonus! I can't wait until I can count myself as 'slim' and be happy with how I look

I'm loving my new routine:
6:20am wake up in denial
6:25am accept that I'm getting up
6:30am go for bike ride
6:40am decide i'm definitely insane as I should be in bed, not swallowing flies.
6:45am reassure myself that I'm nearly home and I'm not dead
6:50am fall off bike and crawl up steps to house
7:00am take coffee for me and dh up to bed
7:10am shower and get kids up and begin day with a slightly staggerered gait

I get to add exercise to MFP as soon as I get up and it doesn't matter what happens or goes wrong during the day, the exercise is done and if I have time to do more then it's a bonus and if not it doesn't matter because my halo is already sparkling

gibs - that is amazing :) When i was shredding i was doing it at 5.50am. I cant seriously believe i was getting up at that time to do it. CRAZY!! but like you say, its good it get it done :) polish away at your halo ( thats bound to lose more cals, right?)

forever - i think some skinny people do eat a boost bar, maybe just one a week rather than one a day!!! ( god, ive not had one of those for years..) My sweets of choice would be malteasers. But i wouldnt buy a normal bag, oh no! id buy a sharing bag and eat the lot. STUPID!!!!!!

Im sure i read in some JIllian michaels book that she saves 200/300 cals a day for 'treats' and if its something she really really wants but isnt all that healthy she will just have one or two mouthfulls. Im kind of hoping once i get to my goal thats how ill manage it.