petitefrancaise

I fell over and hurt myself in June, had shoulder surgery in November and I've been having PT since Christmas.

All this has wreaked havoc on my weight, diet, strength and fitness levels.

As a challenge and a way to get back on track, I've signed up for half-marathon training and I'm now looking at my diet.

Anyone on here keep an eye on their "macronutrient" levels using myfitnesspal for example? I'm wondering how to figure out what the different percentages should be.

Hotscot

I don't want to get into micro managing. Instead I'm eating very healthy, watching portion size, and hiking almost every day. Feels great so far.

petitefrancaise

I know that tracking everything I eat even if just for a week or so, will help me stop kidding myself! I've done this with patients in the past (they always lie...never drink coke, eat sweets etc ) but it's the Hawthorne effect I'm after

According to the Mayo Clinic site, my calorie intake should be 1850 per day.
The WHO guidelines on sugar consumption are 5% of daily calories

According to a bodybuilding site (Tim Ferriss tip) for fat loss then my macros for my body type should be:

Carbs 20%
Fat 35-40%
Protein 40-45%

that means that sugar calories are 23 per day.

I think this is a useful tool, I'm just wondering how others go about it.

BubbleChog

I'm using myfitnesspal mostly because it stops me snacking because I CBA to note it down and I'm horrified when I do

I'm down 22lbs since I started using it, was down 30 then thanksgiving and Christmas happened.

Springy6

I'm another myfitnesspal logger - like bubblechog, it helps control the snacking. I also have it synced with my fitbit which records steps and activity each day. I do try to stay within the % parameters but haven't soent any time looking into it.

Hotscot

I do use an app for tracking my steps and miles every day although I don't snack.

petitefrancaise

WOW!! Well done you!

was it because you cut out snacking? Or did you change something else?

petitefrancaise

which one?

dunroving

Where's Nutek?

Hotscot

Let's see....Walkmeter..free version...tons of data although I think the iphone health app is more accurate for up and down hills.

dunroving

D'you mean better accuracy for steps, or distance?

Mrs Danvers

Neglecting responsibilities of the Funny Picture thread.

My daughter is studying to be a registered dietician. She has told me to write down everything I eat if I seriously want to lose weight. I'm almost too scared to do it. i haven't looked in to apps and such.

I've always done some type of exercise my whole life but since turning forty I put on ten pounds and I can't seem to lose it.

petitefrancaise

Writing everything down is a pain.....it is much easier using an app, especially myfitnesspal because they have a barcode scanner with a huge database. Not quite so great for me since almost all my food is made at home (celiac son....)and I have to enter all the recipes manually.

I think it was Tim Ferriss who suggested using Evernote on your phone and photographing everything you eat into a file...

The Hawthorne effect - basically just bringing attention to what you are doing will change your behaviour. So, even just taking a photo will have a desired effect.

Now, if there was an app that loaded that piece of chocolate cake onto a photo of yourself showing your tummy/hips enlarging!! Yuck.

BubbleChog

Thank you.

I've also started using husbandchogs black friday meltdown from a couple of years back. Elliptical 20 minutes or so that I manage to grab while small chog naps most week days depending on what housework I'm trying to cram into that 90 minutes.
But mainly it's not snacking. I haven't changed what or how I cook at home for meals and we still eat out most weekends

celticgrid

A while back I used myfitnesspal to track intake and teamed it with a wristband pedometer thingy to track activity. Just addressed the basics and slowly increased the activity and decreased calories. Slowly but surely took weight off and also dramatically changed the body numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, all that stuff). Yes, for a while it was almost micro management, but that helped me focus. I was not aware of this Hawthorne Effect mentioned, but would definitely agree that awareness helps.

The knowledge gained during that time has continued to be applied, as part of a reset awareness rather than micro managing since then, and the important fact is that the weight has stayed off.

I have to say that as one gets older everything becomes so much harder - the effort of losing the weight and turning my body numbers around is a great driver for not reverting...I would not want to go through it again! My sympathies, therefore...if I was incapacitated for a while I dread to think what might happen to my weight...