help a begginer!

xxapplecx
xxapplecx Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
I'm at the start of teaching myself to eat better and healthier. All the information is a bit overwhelming.

What are you top 3 suggestions for where to start?

Replies

  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    1. set a reasonable weight loss goal (1 lb/week)
    2. Weigh everything.
    3. Eat back only about half of your exercise calories if using MFP's estimates of calories burned.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    edited October 2014
    I agree with ^^. For me, not cutting out everything I love has made it work long term. For example, any other time I would think about "dieting" I would worry how much I was going to miss creamer in my coffee and then decide I wasn't ready to give it up, yet I felt that I needed to do things like that if I wanted to lose weight. Well, when I discovered MFP and straight calorie-counting, I decided to use 70 - 105 calories on French vanilla coffee creamer. This meant a lot to me. It wasn't too long before I realized that 2 tablespoons (70 cals) was plenty, especially if I didn't pour a huge cup of coffee and now I generally use just 1. But it is my choice. Same with condiments and sugar in my oatmeal. Being willing to "spend" these calories on things that made me not feel deprived, allowed me to enjoy what I ate while eating in moderation. I am doing good now at choosing smaller portions and being satisfied, and know that I will reach goal and maintain the loss. I am losing slowly, but I am losing and it is working!

    55835802.png
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    1) Set a reasonable goal.
    2) Log everything.
    3) Learn to cook if you don't already know how.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    ShannonMpls wrote: »
    1) Set a reasonable goal.
    2) Log everything.
    3) Learn to cook if you don't already know how.

    This ^^ and part of 1) is don't beat yourself up for eating a cookie - be reasonable.

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Some good answers already....

    Eat less processed stuff....food that is closer to it's natural state retains more fiber, protein, may have less fat, less added sugar, etc. (this kind of goes with learning to cook).

    Pick your battles. I'm not a perfect eater (I never will be). I have a sweet tooth; I need to manage my sweet tooth. Going cold turkey on sugar only works while I'm "dieting" .....it's not terribly useful for maintenance.



  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    1. Eat at a calorie deficit.
    2. Play around with your macro settings until you find what feels good for you.
    3. Don't deprive yourself.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    1. Log everything (even on days you're over)
    2. Measure/weigh everything
    3. work to weekly rather than daily calories (this allows for more flexibility in the long term)
  • pope66682
    pope66682 Posts: 249 Member
    1. Weigh everything
    2. Log everything
    3. Cut out liquids except water. You'd be surprised how much more you can eat without drinking juice, milk, soda
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Read the stickys and educate yourself.
    Get the right mindset.
    Make and apply a sustainable workable plan.
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
    1. Read this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242
    2. Follow what you read in that post.
    3. Keep following what you read in that post.
  • strynn
    strynn Posts: 3 Member
    I've done Weight Watchers and other things that have worked to one degree or another. What has worked best for me with MFP is remembering the key thing I learned in WW. Choices count. You can mostly eat what you want but make smart choices. Portion control goes a LONG way.

    1. I log everything, good and bad
    2. I generally eat what I want but I log it and try to stay under or at my daily calories. I find this means that I know if I had a big lunch, I need to make different choices for dinner. I've had what I wanted for the day when I had B-day cake for lunch at an office party.
    3. If I have a higher calorie day, I know I can offset it with exercise and keep it balanced. I find that doing this means up my activities levels on those days where I eat more or picked higher calorie options than I normally have. I paired Digift app to MFP to track my exercise.
    4. I don't deny myself or say I can't have it. Instead, its I'll have something different or I will have a smaller portion.
    5. I choose to weigh every day. It was depressing when my weight went up but what I found over time is that more data points gives me a better indication of what happens when I eat X and exercise Y (or not). So if I had Chinese or something salty the night before, I don't get depressed if I'm up 2 lbs the next morning. I know its water and an hour or two at the gym or walking the neighborhood will pull it back off when I sweat it out. If I weighed only once a week, I wouldn't have that perspective.
    6. Along the lines of choices, try small changes. I stopped getting cheese on my eggs. I found it didn't add that much flavor but it added calories. When I want it, I get it, but general I don't any more. Small changes like that go a long way and you cna see in the calories you log....that's why you should log everything. It makes you think next time around.

Categories