MyFitnessPal
#76
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what I am seeing more clearly easily is what a difference there is in similar things
example: ran late this morning and got breakfast at our cafeteria.
sesame bagel, 2 eggs, 2 strips bacon 559 cal 55 carb 24 fat 31 protein salt 1009
yesterday made break fast at home
sprouted wheat bread, egg beaers 220 cal, 32 carb, 0 fat 22 protein 530 salt
that visibilyt is helping make good decisions easier
example: ran late this morning and got breakfast at our cafeteria.
sesame bagel, 2 eggs, 2 strips bacon 559 cal 55 carb 24 fat 31 protein salt 1009
yesterday made break fast at home
sprouted wheat bread, egg beaers 220 cal, 32 carb, 0 fat 22 protein 530 salt
that visibilyt is helping make good decisions easier
BB
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Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
#77
You gonna eat that?
Thread Starter
Yeah, not similar, but I have problems when I'm running late as well. I don't have much time to eat, the earlier leave for work and get in, the more I get paid. I eat a bowl of Cheerios every morning, 200 calories, very little sugar. Running late this morning and didn't have time to eat my Cheerios. Grabbed a pack of the kids' PopTarts out of the cupboard to take with me, 400 calories and a lot of sugar (of course, I could have eaten just 1 out of the package, but I didnt'...)
For the days I'm running late, I take a can of V8 juice (the small size) and a Kellogg's Special K Flatbread Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich. I have a microwave at work, so at my first chance I nuke it for a minute or two and take it back to my desk and eat while I'm working. The V8 and the sandwich are 270 calories together.
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I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
Last edited by Doohickie; 10-21-13 at 01:05 PM.
#78
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That's not the only reason, but yes, ANY diet that has the effect of restricting calories will help you lose weight. It's amazing how many carbs are in bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes!
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Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
Formerly fastest rider in the grupetto, currently slowest guy in the peloton
#79
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I've discovered that the reason low-carb diets work isn't just that limiting carbs reduces cravings, but also that carby foods also back a boatload of calories. So I can eat three pieces of fruit for the same calories as a single cookie. The tradeoff, when you put it like that, is simple.
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Brian Ogilvie, Hadley, MA, USA
#82
You gonna eat that?
Thread Starter
That's right, but the calories in the fruit and the calories in the cookie are both carbohydrates. The fruit comes with more fiber and a different balance of starches and sugars, but it's not inherently less "carby" than bread, cookies, and so forth. A lot of cookies and pastries actually get a significant amount of calories from fats, as well as from carbohydrates.
#83
You gonna eat that?
Thread Starter
If you try to use MyFitnessPal and have issues, like it doesn't want to update your gender and other info like that, try going to the MyFitnessPal.com website and setting up your account at a regular computer. Once the account is set up, the MFP app works better. I think the app asks you for info to set up your account, but it can't enter the data into the account until the account is actually created. So it keeps reverting back to the default values, whatever they are. I had that issue; once I set it up from my desktop computer it was fine.
#84
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That's true, and there's a lot of variation in different fruits, but for instance, one strawberry is 6 calories; a full cup of them is about 50. One single chocolate chip cookie is 140 calories. So you can have almost 3 cups of strawberries, or one cookie. Plus, as you said, strawberries have a better mix of nutrients than sugary carby cookies.
Personally, I think that eating a little of everything, in moderation, paying attention to total calories and the balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) is healthier than excluding certain foods categorically. But you can make better or worse choices, and it helps to accustom yourself to the better. The delicata squash I roasted as a side dish for dinner tonight tasted just as good as a baked potato with butter, except it didn't need any butter.
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Brian Ogilvie, Hadley, MA, USA
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Brian Ogilvie, Hadley, MA, USA
#85
You gonna eat that?
Thread Starter
Totally agree. I did low carb several years ago. I'm enjoying just trying to limit calories better. More flexibility. But I've only had about a half dozen cookies in 2 months. I just can't justify the calorie count.
#86
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I've been on MFP for a while (I was on it for a year, lost 45 pounds, and started to gain when i stopped using it).
The thing I like the most is that it forces you to make choices with your calories. A lot of stuff I used to eat I walk away from now. Where I work my employees bring in cookies every single day. I always look at the calories and think to myself that for the same calories as one cookie I could have an orange and an apple. Conversely, after a metric century it's pizza time!
I find there calories for biking a little on the generous side, but I just use the calories from my heart rate monitor when I exercise.
The thing I like the most is that it forces you to make choices with your calories. A lot of stuff I used to eat I walk away from now. Where I work my employees bring in cookies every single day. I always look at the calories and think to myself that for the same calories as one cookie I could have an orange and an apple. Conversely, after a metric century it's pizza time!
I find there calories for biking a little on the generous side, but I just use the calories from my heart rate monitor when I exercise.
#87
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I don't really have a goal. I'm just planning on eating this way from now on and seeing where my weight settles. For the last two weeks I've been plateau'ed around 100 down, but I only rode 20 miles like week :/ With the weather changing, I'm having to change my ride time and routine, throwing me off some. So far loose skin isn't a problem as I still have enough fat hanging around to fill it up Frankly, I'd love for loose skin to be my main problem
#88
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ps--actually, this has been studied quite a bit, it's called "weight cycling" in the scientific literature (get it . . . "cycling" . . . "bike forums" it's cycling realted ), check out this study where they found low number of cycles (1-4) was actually associated with lower mortality (I'm guessing these were successful dieters?) and high number of cycles (>20) conferred no additional risk of death . . .
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22287640
Abstract
Weight cycling has been associated with an increased risk of death in some studies, but few studies differentiated weight cycling initiated by intentional weight loss from that initiated by illness. The association of weight cycling with death was examined among 55,983 men and 66,655 women in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort from 1992 to 2008. A weight cycle was defined as an intentional loss of 10 or more pounds (≥4.5 kg) followed by regain of that weight, and the lifetime number of weight cycles was reported on a questionnaire administered at enrollment in 1992. A total of 15,138 men and 10,087 women died during follow-up, which ended in 2008. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. When the models were adjusted for age only, weight cycling was positively associated with mortality (P for trend < 0.0001). However, after adjustment for body mass index and other risk factors, low numbers of weight cycles (1-4 cycles) were associated with slightly lower mortality rates (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89, 0.97 in men and HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.89, 0.98 in women), whereas high numbers of weight cycles (≥20 cycles) were not associated with mortality (HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.19 in men and HR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.12 in women). These results do not support an increased risk of mortality associated with weight cycling.
Weight cycling has been associated with an increased risk of death in some studies, but few studies differentiated weight cycling initiated by intentional weight loss from that initiated by illness. The association of weight cycling with death was examined among 55,983 men and 66,655 women in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort from 1992 to 2008. A weight cycle was defined as an intentional loss of 10 or more pounds (≥4.5 kg) followed by regain of that weight, and the lifetime number of weight cycles was reported on a questionnaire administered at enrollment in 1992. A total of 15,138 men and 10,087 women died during follow-up, which ended in 2008. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. When the models were adjusted for age only, weight cycling was positively associated with mortality (P for trend < 0.0001). However, after adjustment for body mass index and other risk factors, low numbers of weight cycles (1-4 cycles) were associated with slightly lower mortality rates (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89, 0.97 in men and HR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.89, 0.98 in women), whereas high numbers of weight cycles (≥20 cycles) were not associated with mortality (HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.19 in men and HR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.12 in women). These results do not support an increased risk of mortality associated with weight cycling.
https://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/cycling.htm
Experts need to learn more about weight cycling. Knowing if it is a cause or effect of poor physical and mental health is important. In the meantime, you can help yourself if you are overweight or obese. Try to eat healthy and get plenty of physical activity. If you go through a weight cycle, do not feel like a failure. Just keep trying your best.
Last edited by billh; 10-22-13 at 02:41 PM. Reason: more info
#89
Who has a good sense of humor for going along with my little April Fool Gag (The Admin)
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Just checking back in to say down 38, but stalling out a bit with the cold weather. Cold really makes me want to eat more unfortunately...
#90
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I use map my ride on a iphone. You can enter the food you eat during the day and it keeps track of your calorie intake and what you have burned during the bike ride.
#91
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I have been using myfitnesspal for 195 days and I have lost 72 pounds. I am 196 lbs as of this morning, these things really work!
#92
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Made it to almost 42 down now since the end of June. Yup, it works!
#93
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Over the last year and a half I lost about 60 pounds using my fitness pal. Not only did it give me calorie information but it helped me to make adjustments to my diet for healthier foods. More than going on I diet, it gave me the information I needed to make fundamental changes to the way I eat. It also helped me gauge what I needed to eat to replace the calories I brined while riding my bike. Now that I have a healthy sustainable diet I am not loggingall my food and exercise on a daily basis but I still use it to track my weight. I highly reconmend this program.
#94
Full Member
227 Days using the app and I am down 75.8lbs
#95
Who has a good sense of humor for going along with my little April Fool Gag (The Admin)
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#96
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I started using myfitnesspal.com a few weeks ago. I am only using my computer (not my iPhone) and it seems to log pretty well.
I have had great success following a nutrition plan in the past when keeping a food diary, but couldn't sustain the logging -- I didn't like carrying around the 3-ring binder and book of calorie counts EVERYWHERE.
The exercise calories vary wildly from what my Polar HRM and Garmin/Strava report. There is so much difference in exertion between cycling 14mph on hilly chipseal with stopsigns; and 12mph on smooth flat paved roads with few intersections.
I still have a challenge with some of the foods.
What was in the homemade dessert I sampled at a party? How big is "a slice"?
How much oil/butter was in the entree that a caterer provided at the same party?
It has been an eye-opener seeing where the calories are coming from.
I don't use sugar, but it is everywhere including the fresh fruit that I love. An apple uses up most of my daily allowance.
I am not a big meat eater, but I still get more protein than RDA from all the dairy and whole grains and beans in my diet.
I had been doing a workday grab+run car breakfast consisting of a Clif bar and a Starbucks coffee energy drink this past year. I am going to only do that as a pre-bikeride breakfast and switch to something less sugary/caloric before work.
Right now I am riding like crap. I have lost a few pounds but am still near my recent worst tonnage.
I can gauge my energy levels by how hard it is to climb the 30 stairs to my office with a backpack on.
When I was not minding my diet, I was able to run up the stairs most days (except the day after a hard bikeride).
Now it is a slow trudge and often a stop at the top landing.
My usual 1-hour weeknight ride I used to average 15-17mph.
I am down to 13mph and I am getting dropped on group rides if there is the slightest hint of an incline.
It is really tempting to err on the side of overfueling to be able to ride with my friends. This has been a real issue for me in the past. The group rides are my main social outlet.
So it goes. Hopefully the long-term gains (actually losses) will override the short-term pain.
I have had great success following a nutrition plan in the past when keeping a food diary, but couldn't sustain the logging -- I didn't like carrying around the 3-ring binder and book of calorie counts EVERYWHERE.
The exercise calories vary wildly from what my Polar HRM and Garmin/Strava report. There is so much difference in exertion between cycling 14mph on hilly chipseal with stopsigns; and 12mph on smooth flat paved roads with few intersections.
I still have a challenge with some of the foods.
What was in the homemade dessert I sampled at a party? How big is "a slice"?
How much oil/butter was in the entree that a caterer provided at the same party?
It has been an eye-opener seeing where the calories are coming from.
I don't use sugar, but it is everywhere including the fresh fruit that I love. An apple uses up most of my daily allowance.
I am not a big meat eater, but I still get more protein than RDA from all the dairy and whole grains and beans in my diet.
I had been doing a workday grab+run car breakfast consisting of a Clif bar and a Starbucks coffee energy drink this past year. I am going to only do that as a pre-bikeride breakfast and switch to something less sugary/caloric before work.
Right now I am riding like crap. I have lost a few pounds but am still near my recent worst tonnage.
I can gauge my energy levels by how hard it is to climb the 30 stairs to my office with a backpack on.
When I was not minding my diet, I was able to run up the stairs most days (except the day after a hard bikeride).
Now it is a slow trudge and often a stop at the top landing.
My usual 1-hour weeknight ride I used to average 15-17mph.
I am down to 13mph and I am getting dropped on group rides if there is the slightest hint of an incline.
It is really tempting to err on the side of overfueling to be able to ride with my friends. This has been a real issue for me in the past. The group rides are my main social outlet.
So it goes. Hopefully the long-term gains (actually losses) will override the short-term pain.
Last edited by nkfrench; 12-21-13 at 03:53 PM.
#97
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When I was loosing weight, I only replaced about half the calories that I burned when exercising. This helped my weight loss without putting my body starvation mode.
#98
Commuter & cyclotourist
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The exercise calories vary wildly from what my Polar HRM and Garmin/Strava report. There is so much difference in exertion between cycling 14mph on hilly chipseal with stopsigns; and 12mph on smooth flat paved roads with few intersections.
I still have a challenge with some of the foods.
What was in the homemade dessert I sampled at a party? How big is "a slice"?
How much oil/butter was in the entree that a caterer provided at the same party?
I still have a challenge with some of the foods.
What was in the homemade dessert I sampled at a party? How big is "a slice"?
How much oil/butter was in the entree that a caterer provided at the same party?
Still, it's a useful tool if you are aware of its limitations. I've lost 47 lbs. since January while using MFP.
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Brian Ogilvie, Hadley, MA, USA
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Brian Ogilvie, Hadley, MA, USA
#99
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I stepped on the scales this morning and found I was 9# heavier than I was 2 days earlier. Yikes.
Yep Doohickie, I was horrified looking at the chocolate+chocolate chip cookie nutrition info. At least the cookies are all gone now.
Christmas Eve calorie intake excesses were bad enough, although a good bike ride mitigated the damage so I was "only" 300kcals over goal -- supposedly a net loss.
I am not even going to log Christmas Day! I am pretty sure it was 2-3 days worth of calories on my plate and I did the lazy girl thing sitting around most of the day.
Hopefully all my muscle glycogen stores are filled up along with all the water those cells need.
Yep Doohickie, I was horrified looking at the chocolate+chocolate chip cookie nutrition info. At least the cookies are all gone now.
Christmas Eve calorie intake excesses were bad enough, although a good bike ride mitigated the damage so I was "only" 300kcals over goal -- supposedly a net loss.
I am not even going to log Christmas Day! I am pretty sure it was 2-3 days worth of calories on my plate and I did the lazy girl thing sitting around most of the day.
Hopefully all my muscle glycogen stores are filled up along with all the water those cells need.
#100
Full Member
Last year On January 1st I weighed 277, this morning I am 195. (was down to 193) Ok so I went up 2 pounds over the Christmas Holiday As Brian mentioned some of the MFP estimates are not realistic so what I do is I take the lowest exercise count and the highest calorie count for food and I have been taking the weight off with no problem.