Apparently I had signed up back in 2012, and then never used it in one of my abortive attempts. I do have a smart phone now, so here’s hoping I do better. I got my meals back added to Monday, I couldn’t remember exactly what I had over the weekend so I figured Monday is as good a starting point as any.
I’m not a nutritionist or anything – (and I’ve never had to lose weight, so maybe I shouldn’t be posting here) – but this is something I strongly agree with. I am addicted to exercise (swimming two kilometers every morning in 50 minutes), and I do it principally to keep my mind clear. But I’ve also found that exercise drastically changes my appetite. I have little desire for fatty or high sugar foods. I actually can’t stomach fast foods, or things like pizza. Even though I like the taste of chocolate and other candies, I really don’t like the way they make me feel after eating them, so I just don’t feel like eating them. Most of all, processed foods are not appealing to me. Like Wheat Thins crackers – I can tell that they’re adding sugar or something that just doesn’t sit right in my stomach after eating them.
Except when I don’t exercise. If for some reason I can’t exercise, I suddenly desire all those things, and I’ll eat them–even though I’m not that hungry. I can’t really say why this is, but I think it has a lot to do with stress. And there’s something about the processed food–it doesn’t ever satisfy me, so I end up eating more, despite that (or because) I haven’t exercised.
So, in my case, at least, the exercise isn’t about “burning calories” so much as changing my appetite, and I’d probably gain a lot of weight if I stopped exercising. (It happened to me once before when stopped for several months.)
I’ve sent you an add request in MFP. If anyone else would like to add me, PM me for my details 
I started the Couch 2 5k program today. I’ve done it before, 6 years ago. Today was the first time I ever tried trail running though. I loved it! I already love hiking and I know from past experience that I enjoy running, so it was pretty cool to put the two together. Even though it was 40 degrees outside it was the highlight of my day.
That’s fantastic! Good luck with it
MFP users, please add me: sandra_nz. 
I’ve started tracking in MFP again this year - I started losing weight three years ago, lost 30kg over two years then gave myself last year ‘off’ and managed to maintain the weight loss without tracking. I’d really like to lose another 10kg before a trip home to New Zealand in August.
I’m eating low carb (technically ketogenic but I don’t bother testing whether I’m in ketosis or not) and have recently started an app called Mark Lauren Bodyweight Training to start increasing my strength. I am amazingly weak, I’ve had to build my own custom workout (because I couldn’t do the standard ones) and it’s currently… five minutes long. But that will increase as I gain strength and hey, you’ve got to start somewhere!
All this, all this, all this!
There’s nothing wrong with what I weigh, although losing a clothing size would make me happy. There’s plenty wrong with how I feel. Exercise helps with depression, anxiety, and the chronic pain I feel.
Last year, I left my beloved Crossfit gym (great coaches, great community, very safety minded and none of the stereotypical “uhhhh, working out until you puke is AWESOME” that Crossfit is despised for) for financial reasons and endeavored to lift heavy and run on my own. I don’t do as much and I don’t enjoy it as much on my own, come to find out. So when my old Crossfit coach swung a great deal for me last week, I rejoined.
I’m missjeanlouise on MFP. Add me, I need the incentive to show up there!
Spice Weasel, barring doctor-diagnosed conditions like cartilage erosion and other things that would contraindicate running, running done right (C25K to ramp up sensibly, like you’re doing; properly fitted running shoes) is a lot less damaging to one’s knees and joints than being overweight.
Don’t get me wrong- when I said that exercise is overrated for weight loss I wasn’t suggesting that it’s bad or that people shouldn’t do it. It has many other benefits. I know that I feel happier in general, stronger mentally and emotionally, am better able to handle stress, and sleep better. I feel strong physically as I move through my day. Everyone should do what they can.
Yeah, my reply wasn’t meant to prove you wrong or anything. I just love exercise and what it does for me.
What I hate, though, is trying to get myself to the gym. It’s the weirdest thing, this odd combination of motivated and unmotivated.
I think I’m growing a new fat roll. Time to try to stop it getting any bigger.
I don’t really have the option of joining a gym (not enough money or time,) so I try to get exercise whenever/wherever I can. What I really need to do is eat better. (It doesn’t help that we have lots of chocolate left over from Christmas sales.) Telemark mentioned something that some people do, eating more to “reward” themselves for exercising. I hadn’t realized it until I read it, but I do that sometimes.
Since I got the Jawbone I’ve been walking laps of my lounge room a lot. I try to get to the park or wherever sometimes too, but walking in my own house shoots down most of my excuses. It’s never too hot, too cold, too rainy, too dark, too late, or too far to go. I can do it in whatever I’m wearing so I don’t waste time “getting ready”. I don’t have a problem with blisters discouraging me because I don’t wear shoes. I don’t need to juggle nap times or arrange for someone else to watch the kids, and I don’t have to drag them along (which always slows me down and always, always cuts my time short). I don’t have to deal with busy roads and no footpaths. I’d be useless if I had to go to the gym, as I’d always be finding excuses to not go.
Oh, I should probably add what’d happening with me. Well, today my BMI slipped into the healthy range finally. Yay! 24.9. I still think I should aim to lose another 6kg, but my target is currently set at 65kg and I’m only 1.2kg from that. I’ll probably drop it down to 60kg in a few weeks.
My family are on vacation at the moment so it’s just me here, and I’m finding it hard to remember to eat regularly so I’m having odd meals at odd times. That should improve when they get back at the end of the week.
I’m a bit frustrated that my partner has dropped the diet entirely while he’s away. I hope he gets back into the swing of it quickly when he gets home, and doesn’t derail us both. We had been motivating each other and it’s going to be difficult to keep the momentum if he isn’t in the frame of mind to throw himself back into it.
OK, sign me up. My sister, son and I are taking a tour of southern Utah (Bryce, Zion, Monument Valley, etc.) in May, and I want to be in the best possible shape to enjoy it all to the fullest.
I’m totally with **Spice Weasel **on exercise. I’ve got some serious biomechanical issues with my right foot (PTTD), which is no doubt exacerbated by being overweight, so I’ve gotten into that wretched cycle of not exercising so I feel like shit so I don’t exercise so I gain weight so my foot hurts to I don’t exercise so I feel like shit. Lather, rinse, repeat.
SO…I bought a recumbent bike that’s giving me a good way to get a workout without stressing my foot. And I’m eating low-carb, which seems to do best for me in terms of weight loss and halting the out-of-control sugar cravings and consumption.
I don’t think I’m going to monitor my weight. I feel like I’ve spent my life focusing on the number on the scale. I just want to follow an eating plan, get my exercise program back on track, and let my body tell me things are changing in the right direction.
Yay, another low-carber! And totally with you on the exercise front, it’s so important for good mental health, which helps everything else.
I hope I’m not too late to the party. I’m on MFP, too, but having friend on there might help keep me honest. Also, just started some exercise classes to help get in shape. Hopefully, I’ll be a lot better off this time next year. I’m koonsjr on MFP; please add me!
One thing I’ve found is that running in the late evening sucks for me. Of course I tend to attract late shifts on my gym days…
So…how’s it going for everyone? I’ve had a good loss this past week, although I’d imagine most of it is water weight as I wasn’t eating low-carb over Christmas. Still, any loss is encouraging to see!
I’ve been making large dishes on a Sunday and portioning them out to take to work for lunches. This seems to be working well so far. How do you guys and gals manage your lunches?
lunches are easy! I buy 5 cartons of soup on grocery day and take them to work generally in the 200 - 400 calorie range and not much thought/effort required
Another late arrival. I’ve broken my scales, so I think the first thing I need to do is get a working set! 
I reckon I’m around 115 kg / 250 lb and I’d really like to get to 95 kg / 210 lb. In addition to more exercise, I’d like to try changing the way I eat. I currently have my main meal in the evening, which I know isn’t best, but it’s when I have time. I barely eat in the morning and I’d like to change that. I’d like to have my main meals as breakfast and lunch, with a smaller meal in the evening. Unfortunately, I’m a night owl and a slug-a-bed so I need to change that too.
Just a little “proud of myself” update. I got a fit bit this week, and yesterday I managed 10,000 steps, 4.4 miles, and 10 flights of stairs. The flight of stairs after the treadmill was the hardest.
2 week weigh in tomorrow evening.