Some advice/opinions to get started

Taylor4012015

Hi all! I hope you're all well.

I'm new to the MFP community and have decided to start my weight loss journey, and I'm after some advice/opinions to get me started and help me gain my bearings.

I'll start by saying my start weight is 93kg and I plan on dropping 30kg. I'm 5'3, twenty years old, female and relatively sedentary.

I've started riding my exercise bike and I'm thinking I'll aim for 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise a day. I also plan on doing some reps of push ups, sit ups and squats!

From the number crunching and research I've done I think my BMR is 1740, give or take a few calories. I'm thinking of cutting down to a 1400 calorie diet and working off some calories with exercise to meet a 500 calorie deficit per day.

Is there a way to figure out what macros I should have?

Has anyone had any experience with meal replacement shakes? I'm considering trying Rapid Loss to get me started. One of my friends had a lot of success with meal replacement shakes, losing 20kg.

Alternatively, does anyone have any simple meal plans I could take a look at?

How long should I wait to expect a change on the scale? If there's no change, what should I look at changing first?

This is all I can think of right now, but please feel free to add things I haven't asked about! I'm after all the advice I can get. I want to be set up for success.

Thanks for reading!

frankscammelliii

Please look into changing to a ketogenic lifestyle. Look up Jimmy Moore on You tube, Dr.Caryn Zinn,Dr. Eric Westman. Grains and Sugar are the enemy!!
I started down the Keto road to help my diabetes and since Mar1 I've lost 15 pounds with little exercise and NO HUNGER. My blood glucose levels are stabilizing around 90-100 thru the day and I've reduced my insulin shots by 1/2. I am shooting to completely cease the shots in another month maybe sooner.

queenliz99

Welcome!!

start here

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p1

queenliz99

frankscammelliii wrote: »

Please look into changing to a ketogenic lifestyle. Look up Jimmy Moore on You tube, Dr.Caryn Zinn,Dr. Eric Westman. Grains and Sugar are the enemy!!
I started down the Keto road to help my diabetes and since Mar1 I've lost 15 pounds with little exercise and NO HUNGER. My blood glucose levels are stabilizing around 90-100 thru the day and I've reduced my insulin shots by 1/2. I am shooting to completely cease the shots in another month maybe sooner.

Not this^^

kommodevaran

First, don't overthink this! Weight loss is a simple equation of fewer calories in than out. Sticking to your calorie goal is the tricky part.

Diet is way more important than exercise to lose weight. You don't need any particular diet - what you need is to eat at a calorie deficit, consistently, over time. This is a lot easier with a healthy diet that gives you the nutrition you need in the form of food you like and find it easy to prepare, in a meal plan that fits with your schedule and appetite pattern. Weigh and log accurately, so you know how much you are actually eating.

I too have estimated your BMR to around 1700. But your deficit should come from your TDEE. That includes daily activity and exercise. You can most likely aim for 1 kg per week for the first leg of your "weightloss journey", but as you move out of "obese", 1/2 kilo per week is better.

Do not worry about macros at this stage. Go by what MFP tells you.

Forget shakes. They are hyped and overpriced garbage. You need plenty of delicious, nutritious food, and clean water.

If you weigh daily, and log accurately, you should be able to see a shift in weight already during the first week.

We have been through keep it simple, have realistic expectations, log accurately, weigh yourself regularly, and be consistent. The last tip is - be patient. Weight loss is a slow process. Sticking to something that doesn't give instant gratification, is hard. But it's the only thing that works. Trust the process.

frankscammelliii

I'm sorry . Whats wrong with what my input was. It's working for me. Do the research . Make your own decision. That's all I stated.

MamaMc3

My advice is this; this more restrictive you make your diet, the harder it's going to be to stick to it. You want to eat the foods you like, but eat smaller portions so you can maintain a calorie deficit. There's not one diet plan that works for everyone. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you have to figure out a diet you can live with.

If you plug in your stats into MFP and let it calculate at 1 lb. loss per week, is it relatively the same as what you calculated yourself? My suggestion would be to plan to eat at the deficit you want (cut 500 calories, for example), and then eat back some or all of your exercise calories. That way you aren't relying on the exercise to hit your deficit. MFP's exercise calories are grossly inflated - you may want to only eat back about half of those calories to start.

If you eat at a deficit, you will lose weight. If you don't, the first thing I would look at is how much sodium you are consuming. Water retention can make the scale do crazy things. If your salt is reasonable, then look at the accuracy of your logging. Keep in mind that one week of no loss or even a gain is totally normal. Weight loss isn't linear.

I have been eating well and exercising since January 5th, and I am down about 32 pounds. I go out to eat, I have snacks and treats, and I don't often feel deprived. I can tell you that this will work, but you have to approach it like a lifestyle change rather than a diet. Good luck!

ElizabethOakes2

frankscammelliii wrote: »

I'm sorry . Whats wrong with what my input was. It's working for me. Do the research . Make your own decision. That's all I stated.

Because for many people, keto is not only unsustainable but also deeply unhealthy. It doesn't work for everyone. It's a fad, and yes, it has many supporters, but it's not something that should be given to a newbie who is trying to learn how to eat healthily and get fit. After someone has tried sensible smart eating with portion control for awhile, and isn't seeing results, maybe something like keto makes sense.

ElizabethOakes2

Best advice I can give is to start slowly! It's way too easy to leap in, cut down your intake and start exercising and end up hungry, sore, tired and even injured.
Baby steps will get you where you want to go. Trying to 'jump start' with energy drinks, meal replacements, etc, isn't going to help much. You'll feel deprived, and you'll want to splurge. It's better to make small sustainable changes that you can live with- swap out those afternoon cookies for an apple, eat whole-grain cereal and nonfat yogurt for breakfast instead of that big bowl of cornflakes, etc. Little things go a long way in this process.

jandsstevenson887

I'm your same height. I set MyFitnessPal to lose 1lbs a week. I've been walking, using stationary bikes, running, and taking fitness classes. I've been staying under my calories all but just a very few days. I've lost a pound a week for the last 10 weeks in a row. It works. When people ask what I'm doing to lose weight, I tell them I'm on the math diet. I just had some chocolate chip ice cream. I could have it because I ate very light all day. It fit into my calorie budget.

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

My advice is to be patient. Take the first two weeks to get your bearings on MFP and become comfortable with logging. Don't be too hard on yourself for the first couple of weeks while you adjust to the learning curve. This can seem overwhelming at first but eventually it will become an every day habit.

kgirlhart

My advice is to worry most about diet and then about exercise. The diet will help you lose weight, the exercise will help you be fit. It is really hard to get your deficit from exercise alone. Figure your weight loss goal and start logging. I personally don't do anything restrictive. That does not work for me. I just feel deprived and end up over eating later. I mostly eat the same things that I always ate just smaller portions (really just normal portions lol). I have given up candy to some extent. But I don't restrict myself from having it, I just usually choose not to waste that many calories on something that doesn't fill me up or help me meet my goals. I just use the default macros that mfp set, 20% protien, 30% fat and 50% carbs. I really only focus on hitting my protien goal and don't worry about fats and carbs. The main change I have made in what I eat is trying to fit in more high protien foods. So for an evening snack instead of a candy bar for about 200 calories I will have a Chobani flip greek yogurt for about 200 calories plus 12 grams of protien. I could have the candy, but I'd rather have the protien. Plus I find that foods with more protien help me stay satisfied longer so I don't go to bed hungry.

Taylor4012015

Thank you so much for the replies! I'll definitely take it all into consideration.

I have a bit of a soft spot for pasta and rice...I was wondering, if I switch to wholemeal pasta and brown rice, and watch my portions, should I be okay to eat them?

I haven't lost anything in my first week of exercise, unfortunately, but I figure my week was a bit sporadic in terms of food I ate and exercise. I gained 2kg and then dropped it within a few days, so I figure it was a result of DOMS.

I've been trying really hard to watch what I eat. It's so odd because last time I tried to lose weight I mostly just watched what I ate and started losing slowly, but this time around I've had no luck, and this was only a little more than a year ago.

upoffthemat

Food is most important, but even right now you have to start thinking about how you are going to live after you have lost the weight. If you can lose the weight without keto, or shakes or anything but just eating 500 calories less a day of foods you want to eat for the rest of your life then it will mean a smooth transition to maintaining your weight loss as well. Think of this is a lifestyle change that you can relax on just a little bit when you get to goal weight instead of a temporary diet.

MichelleH1304

I agree with advice about food being most important! I think the best thing you can do is eat portions of food you like within your calorie goals. You can switch to wholemeal pasta or you can just eat normal pasta. Whatever you prefer - this way of eating has to be sustainable for you.

I suggest using a weighing scale to accurately measure everything you are eating. It is amazing how easy it is to underestimate and to eat a few hundred too many calories each day, which really affects your deficit. I weigh everything and am slowly but surely losing weight. I exercise when I can and eat back about half my exercise calories. How much you eat makes the greatest impact on weight loss.

In short. Weigh what you want to eat on a scale. Anything you want. Eat an amount that fits your goals. Lose weight happily

k80flec

A couple of things to think about :

*1 - a pound is a pound regardless - feather/lead, fat/muscle. The difference lies in their volume or how much space they take up. Some people may try to tell you that 'muscle weighs more'

*2 - scales are your best friend, weigh everything.
Double check entries on the food data-base. There are some weird entries in there - scanning barcodes helps!!

*3 - there are NO wrong foods - you may wish to decide whether or not the calories are worth it, but the main issue is whether or not they fit your plan/calorie budget for the day/week

*4 - weight loss is driven by burning more calories than you consume (CICO - calories in v colorise out), nor is it linear!!

*5 - NSV (non scale victories) are important too - does the tape measure say your shrinking, are your clothes getting baggy?? Can you jog for a minute now?? Lift more weight?? Walk for longer??

*6 - there are excellent stickies at the beginning of each topic and they're full of SOLID advice and information. I'd advise any nooby to devour them.

Keep on and trust yourself and the process.

Maxematics

I am your height. I started here at the end of June at 63kg (139 pounds) and by mid-February I weighed 49kg (109 pounds). To answer some of your questions/statements, even though other people have given great answers:


I've started riding my exercise bike and I'm thinking I'll aim for 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise a day. I also plan on doing some reps of push ups, sit ups and squats!

Good, even taking walks are great. I started out doing 30 minutes of exercise at home and the C25K running program. I also took walks in the park. They all became habits that stuck with me. There's no need to spend hours exercising, but you're doing the right thing by trying to increase your activity level. It's not necessary for weight loss, but it makes things a heck of a lot easier and it is better for your health.


From the number crunching and research I've done I think my BMR is 1740, give or take a few calories. I'm thinking of cutting down to a 1400 calorie diet and working off some calories with exercise to meet a 500 calorie deficit per day.

Sounds good. There may be days when you feel less hungry, but try to net at least 1200 calories, as less could have detrimental effects on your health. If you lose faster than your intended rate and it's more than 1% of your bodyweight, increase your calories a bit.


Is there a way to figure out what macros I should have?

Everyone works differently with regard to what makes them feel satiated. I found that 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein kept me really full. You'll figure this out with your eating patterns.


Has anyone had any experience with meal replacement shakes? I'm considering trying Rapid Loss to get me started. One of my friends had a lot of success with meal replacement shakes, losing 20kg.

Meal replacement shakes are a bad idea. I like to drink a protein shake for breakfast since I'm on the go, but it's just protein powder, almond milk, and fruit/vegetables blended together. No special shake with the promise of rapid weight loss or fat burn. Save your money.


Alternatively, does anyone have any simple meal plans I could take a look at?

I don't use meal plans, but I've heard from others that sites like Instagram are a great source for meal plan/prep ideas.


How long should I wait to expect a change on the scale? If there's no change, what should I look at changing first?

Some people say up to six weeks, but honestly I'd say if you don't lose even half a pound within three weeks then you're probably eating too much. However, pay attention to your cycle; some of us hold onto water weight during ovulation, some during menstruation, and some women hold water weight during both. Your first week you may see a bigger drop on the scale and it may level out for a few weeks.

Good luck!

TrailNurse

frankscammelliii wrote: »

Please look into changing to a ketogenic lifestyle. Look up Jimmy Moore on You tube, Dr.Caryn Zinn,Dr. Eric Westman. Grains and Sugar are the enemy!!
I started down the Keto road to help my diabetes and since Mar1 I've lost 15 pounds with little exercise and NO HUNGER. My blood glucose levels are stabilizing around 90-100 thru the day and I've reduced my insulin shots by 1/2. I am shooting to completely cease the shots in another month maybe sooner.

^^^^^^^ Yes!

A Ketogenic diet will treat most chronic health problems including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimers, epilepsy, etc. It is not a fad diet as suggested by another poster and there are a lot of peer reviewed medical studies supporting it. It is very much sustainable. I have lost 116 lbs on it and it has been almost 4 years since I started it. There is a very scientific ketogenic group on Face Book that posts awesome studies related to the lifestyle, including cancer survivors. The group is called KetoGains.

forsakend1

You want to get in shape and that's awesome!

I think you need to find what works for you and what you can SUSTAIN for a while. It's going to take some time to lose the weight, believe me I've been there and I'm currently there.

Start small and set concrete, realistic goals. I think the biggest reason people quit their diet is because they take on too much, get burnt out, and then stop. I have done it several times. And realize that it is going to take some time. I'm now down about 6 kilos and it took my about 6 weeks. 6 weeks can feel like a long time when you are dieting and it's easy to get discouraged, but if you keep it up you will see results.

So your first step could be something like this:

" I want to lose 10 Kilo's to start. The healthy rate fat loss rate is 1 kilo per week so it will take about 10 weeks."

That's the goal. Then think about how you want to accomplish that goal.

" I have to be at a caloric deficit so that means I have to track my calories. I also have to monitor my weight so I need to way in every morning so I can track my trends over time."

That's the diet. If your goal is only to lose weight then this is all you really need and the area you need to focus the most on. But it would be a little healthier and free up some calories if you threw in some low impact, light intensity exercise. I started walking 30 minutes a day, just fast enough to elevate my heart rate and be a little short of breath and it did wonders.

I do weight training to, but if it's not part of your goals then don't do it. The point is to find what works for you. I hope that helps!

zyxst

My advice:
1. Put numbers into MFP and set weight loss to 1 pound/week.

2. Buy a food scale, liquid measuring cup(s), and measuring spoons to you can start accurately logging your foods. Yes, it's a PITA, but it get easier.

3. Eat back about 50% of your exercise calories (if you follow MFP method).

4. BE PATIENT. It takes time to see consistent progress. Give things 4-6 or 6-8 weeks before you decide "it's not working".

5. Unless you have a medical condition, you don't really need to follow a "special" diet/WoE like keto, low carb, Paleo, DASH. Stay within your calorie goal, eating back 50% exercise calories if you follow MFP method, and give it time.

6. You're not going to gain everything back because you went over 1-2 days, or ate a chocolate bar or potatoes or pizza.

eric_sg61

frankscammelliii wrote: »

Please look into changing to a ketogenic lifestyle. Look up Jimmy Moore on You tube, Dr.Caryn Zinn,Dr. Eric Westman. Grains and Sugar are the enemy!!
I started down the Keto road to help my diabetes and since Mar1 I've lost 15 pounds with little exercise and NO HUNGER. My blood glucose levels are stabilizing around 90-100 thru the day and I've reduced my insulin shots by 1/2. I am shooting to completely cease the shots in another month maybe sooner.

LOL Jimmy Moore is very overweight and has terrible health caused by that diet