MFP users

[vtmom]

Did you plateau at any point? I am trying it to lose a few pounds and have it set so I can lose 1 pound per week. Last week I lost 3 pounds and this week nothing! I'm being very careful and recording everything. Thoughts?

[BabyBearsMom]

In any weight loss, the amount of weight lost should be an average over the long term, not an exact amount each week. Was last week your first week? If so it is common to have a largeloss the first week and then your body kind of adjusts and says "Hey! What is going on here? Hang on a second" and it will slow down for a week or 2. But if you continually consume fewer calories than you burn (and verify this by weighing and measuring what you eat, and don't forget to record the oils used in food preparation), you will start to create an average weight loss.

If you have been doing this long term, I might try to switch up what you are doing. Add an extra workout, change a workout you are doing, change what you are eating. I switched my old 200 calorie breakfast for shakeology 3 weeks ago and have seen a big change in my weight loss. I also worked with a trainer at the gym yesterday to try to bring my workouts to the next level since I felt like they were plateauing a little bit.

[kep]

Definitely so, although I wouldn't call a one week stall a plateau. I have found (as I get older) that I really have to hit within a specific caloric target range to lose. If I am too high, and especially if I am too low, I won't lose a darn thing. I have also noticed a distinct coralation between my monthly cycle and weight loss. (Obviously.)

I found this from MFP very helpful:


Copied from MyFitnessPal forums online.

Our basic premise is that losing weight should not be that complicated. There is so much micromanaging that we see that misses the big picture of weight loss, which is the fundamental concept of the energy balance: if calories in are less than calories out, you will be in an energy deficit and will lose weight. Conversely, if calories in are more than are more than calories out, you will be in an energy surplus and will gain weight.

So, with that said:

- Eat within a reasonable caloric intake for your goals. (See http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets for more details of setting this intake)

- Be accurate in your logging. See here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

- Hit your macros for body composition (protein), energy (carbs) and healthy body function (fats) (see link above for more details on setting these)

- Resistance train to retain LBM on a caloric deficit or gain on a caloric surplus. Do cardio if you want.

- Rest

- Repeat

- Stop complicating it. Unless you have a medical condition that indicates otherwise, you do not have to eat ‘clean’, restrict a food group, restrict a macro, cleanse, detox, time your meals, or anything else to lose weight. Eat a diet that comprises nutrient dense foods and enjoy treats as long as they fit into your macros (see also http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym ).

- Be patient

- Eat ice-cream every day...okay, you don't have to do that one, but there is no reason you cannot. The point is, dieting is hard enough, don't over complicate it or make it harder than it has to be.

-------------------


You don't need to eat clean.
You don't need to avoid white bread or potatoes or beans or rice or _____________ (insert food here) unless you've got an intolerance/allergy/medical condition.
You don't need to eat breakfast to get your metabolism started.
You probably don't need to pay any attention to GI.
Your metabolism doesn't get kick-started and you don't rev it up.
Eating frequently is fine but it doesn't "boost your metabolism".
Don't waste your money on Raspberry Keytones and you should probably turn off Dr. Oz.
You are not toning.
You will not bulk up, ladies.
You also don't "gain muscle really easily". Yes, YOU.
Low carbing is not dangerous.
Low carbing is not metabolically superior.
You can eat food before bed.
You can eat food IN bed.
There is no specific time at which eating will cause you to gain fat.
The little pink dumbbells do not constitute "lifting weights".
That glass of blended up "juice" that you're replacing your meals with, probably isn't "cleansing" any "toxins".
"Hot Pants" don't make you lose fat, although they may make your wallet lighter.
You don't need to burn off that bowl of cereal or piece of chicken.
You don't need to worry about whether you're burning carbs or fat.
You don't need to worry about how much fat you burned during your workout, or how much muscle you gained during that set of bosu-ball dumbbell flies.
You don't "shock your body"
You don't "confuse your mucles"
Stop switching up your lifting program. How about stick to something and add weight to the bar.
Just because you saw it in a documentary doesn't mean it's a good idea or even remotely research-based.
You don't need to zig-zag or carb cycle or do the 17 day butt wash or the cabbage donkey stew diet.
2 weeks is not a plateau.

Start here:
1) Eat within a reasonable caloric intake for your goals.
2) Consume adequate protein and fat.
3) Consume at least enough carbs to allow you to train with intensity.

(And can you just use some common sense with food selection?)

4) Lift weights
5) Get rest.
6) Repeat
7) And quit worrying about all the other crap.



Be patient.

Hope you don't mind the copy & paste... I can't find the original link. I loved this.

[Gracemom]

Does MFP really work? I'm having a hard time losing weight now that I am in my 40's. I've been to the dr. and have ruled out thyroid and other issues. I don't really like tracking food, but if this works, I'm willing to give it a shot.

OP, how is it going now?

[BabyBearsMom]

Does MFP really work? I'm having a hard time losing weight now that I am in my 40's. I've been to the dr. and have ruled out thyroid and other issues. I don't really like tracking food, but if this works, I'm willing to give it a shot.

OP, how is it going now?

It has worked for me to lose 40 lbs. For me to lose weight, I need to track what I eat and exercise. Tracking is a PITA, but it makes me more conscious of what I am putting in my mouth and what I have already eaten and where I am on a reasonable caloric intake. Everytime I think "Oh, I know what I can eat, I don't need to track" I plateau or worse, gain.

[elbenn]

It has worked for me to lose 40 lbs. For me to lose weight, I need to track what I eat and exercise. Tracking is a PITA, but it makes me more conscious of what I am putting in my mouth and what I have already eaten and where I am on a reasonable caloric intake. Everytime I think "Oh, I know what I can eat, I don't need to track" I plateau or worse, gain.

Do you have a fitbit? If so, and if it's linked to MFP, do you find that the exercise calories that it gives you through the fitbit are accurate?

[BabyBearsMom]

Do you have a fitbit? If so, and if it's linked to MFP, do you find that the exercise calories that it gives you through the fitbit are accurate?

I had a fitbit but it fell off my wrist and I chose not to replace it. It wasn't making me move more. I already work out 6 days a week and more than hit 10,000 steps a day. I did link it to MFP and I Liked that I didn't have to put in my calories burned as estimated by the machines at the gym or as estimated by MFP. I felt the calories were more accurate with the fitbit. But, I know that if I want to lose weight, I need to eat no more than 1,500 calories a day (assuming I have a good workout that day), so I tended to go by that more than what the fitbit told me I could eat.

[Gracemom]

It has worked for me to lose 40 lbs. For me to lose weight, I need to track what I eat and exercise. Tracking is a PITA, but it makes me more conscious of what I am putting in my mouth and what I have already eaten and where I am on a reasonable caloric intake. Everytime I think "Oh, I know what I can eat, I don't need to track" I plateau or worse, gain.

Wow, that's great!! I know that I underestimate what I eat, so MFP would help with that for sure. My DH does low carb but that doesn't work for me. I need some carbs, just in moderation. I had good results with weight watchers years ago, but MFP seems easier than counting points. Does inputting in MFP get easier after a while? I would assume so, since most of us eat similar things over time. Thanks!

[BabyBearsMom]

Wow, that's great!! I know that I underestimate what I eat, so MFP would help with that for sure. My DH does low carb but that doesn't work for me. I need some carbs, just in moderation. I had good results with weight watchers years ago, but MFP seems easier than counting points. Does inputting in MFP get easier after a while? I would assume so, since most of us eat similar things over time. Thanks!

It does get easier. I have all of our regular recipes set up in MFP, so it is easy for me to pull in dinner (and usually lunch since I eat left overs) because it is already input in. But it is still a pain and i have been slacking on tracking for the past few weeks...and sitting on a plateau as a result.

[arivecchi]

MFP is awesome. Works well for me.

OP, are you eating enough calories? I was stuck for about a month once because I was eating too few calories. Are you also drinking enough? That affects the outcome for me as well.

[vtmom]

Just seeing all these new posts now...thanks for the advice everyone! I'm embarrassed to admit that my "plateau" was due to my cycle starting a few days after my post. I've gone on to lose 10 pounds in total! I'm now maintaining. We eat a very healthy diet and I workout regularly but I clearly had issues with portion control (I love to eat!) and MFP has really helped with that. I will admit that I am still learning what 4oz really is though and sometimes it is not easy. I would recommend it to anyone in a similar situation.

Thanks to everyone on these boards who has an mfp ticker, that'swhat made me look iinto it in the first place. :)

[Gracemom]

Just seeing all these new posts now...thanks for the advice everyone! I'm embarrassed to admit that my "plateau" was due to my cycle starting a few days after my post. I've gone on to lose 10 pounds in total! I'm now maintaining. We eat a very healthy diet and I workout regularly but I clearly had issues with portion control (I love to eat!) and MFP has really helped with that. I will admit that I am still learning what 4oz really is though and sometimes it is not easy. I would recommend it to anyone in a similar situation.

Thanks to everyone on these boards who has an mfp ticker, that'swhat made me look iinto it in the first place. :)

Congratulations!!!!