Overwhelmed & Confused- any insight is appreciated

AOdell79

Congrats!

happieharpie

I started in April 2013 T 257 on a small framed 5'4". I incorporated a number of health/weight loss based techniques including concepts from Paleo and Intermittent Fasting.

SO- I eat one carefully planned meal/day usually including egg/eggwhites, a rainbow of veggies, nuts, and berries or a green apple.

I've lost 85 pounds, and my internist, gyn, and endo are all happy.

I feel great and my bloodwork numbers have been good.

I'm 70, so old ladies CAN lose, even if they're hypothyroid.

brightsideofpink

I started where you are in May of this year. Fed up with yo-yos and knowing I needed to change my whole lifestyle.

I started at 240 lbs just like you, but am only 5'5". I work a desk job, sometimes as much as 50-60 hours per week. I work in a small building and don't move much during that 8-5.

I have had my calories set at 1400 since the beginning. I am shorter than you though so I'm glad you're following the better advice you've received from others on where to start. I log everything. Even if I take "just a bite" of my son's cookie or have just a splash of chocolate milk. Everything gets logged honestly, and as accurately as I can make it. A food scale is the best investment you can make in this journey.

I use a fitbit and so far have used that as the sole reporter of my activity. Whether biking, running, walking, or going to Zumba, I have relied on my steps more so than entering in "zumba- 60 minutes." I eat back most of my exercise calories logged in this manner, but don't force myself to if its late and I'm just not hungry.

Through this plan, I've lost just about as anticipated, just crossing to 199 lbs last week with 40 lbs lost. I have not readjusted my calorie goals yet as I am still losing at my ideal pace (1-1.5 lbs per week average). Feel free to add me as a friend if you like.

NoelFigart1

Bebe6740 wrote: »

Hello everyone,


Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!!

M.E.

I'm 5'2". I'm a bit heavier than you. I'm also older than you, and a yo-yo dieter (this will be important later).

So, it would be fair to say my metabolism sucks.

I can totally reliably lose 1-1.5 pounds a week if on average eating ~1600 calories a day if I do these things:

1. Use measuring cups and scales not to fool myself about the calories.
2. Get in about 40-60 minutes of exercise a weekday.
3. Weigh myself daily
4. BUT DO NOT FREAK ABOUT THE DAILY FLUX. I plot my weight loss on a 10 day moving average which gives me an accurate enough trend to catch mistakes before they get to be a big deal.

I don't think you, being young, should have a problem on 1600-1800 calories a day, plenty of exercise and making sure you eat your veggies.

svpracer

I noticed when I started paying attention to it, I ate less. It was not intentional at first. I just wanted to be aware of what my daily intake was. After monitoring it for 2 weeks I had lost 7 lbs. I figured that was all I needed, just pay attention to what and when you eat.


As another gent said earlier in the post, I to do not eat close to bed time. For him it was 6 or 7 pm. For me its 6pm. Eating breakfast is tough for a lot of people. For me it was nearly impossible to get myself motivated to eat as early as I get up for work (3am), but once I did... I think that contributed significantly as well. I did a hearty sized breakfast and meals shrank down from there. I usually cut out carbs completely by 1pm and dinner was just a salad chicken, or more veggies. I have fallen back into some old habits of not eating my breakfast and immediately noticed weight increase since I was consuming those calories later in the day and closer to bed.

hortensehildegarde

SueInAz wrote: »

Frankly, if you're just getting started, try not to make it too complicated and take baby steps. You said, "I also read that I should eat above my BMR but Below my TDEE; however I'm 'scared' to eat that many calories- as I feel that is how many I have been eating for the last 6 months when I've gained 15 pounds." You "feel" you've been eating that many, but if you haven't been logging your food how would you really know? One of the things that most people new to this site realize is that they were eating a lot more than they really thought they were. It's so easy to underestimate portion sizes and how many calories are in the foods they eat.

My initial advice to someone just starting to use MFP is to take the first few days and just log what you eat. Get used to the whole idea of entering every single piece of food and things you drink into the tool. It'll give you a really good idea where you're starting from and how much, or little, you're really eating every day. Perhaps you've been eating more like 2000 calories per day and 1500 would allow you to lose a pound per week. You won't know unless you track.

Once you get used to the act of logging everything, take a good look at the things you've logged and find where you can make some simple changes that will make a big impact. 250 calories in Coca Cola every day, twice a day? Replace that with a glass of unsweetened iced tea with lemon. A Snickers bar every day at 2:00pm? Replace that with a 50 calorie apple. You get the idea.

Try to add one new habit or change every week and it'll be a lot easier to maintain than to join a gym, try to eat 1200 calories every day, cut out all sugar, eat "clean" (whatever that is), drink a gallon of water, etc. and everything else you'll get told to do all at once. Trying to make lots of changes at once will only result in you becoming overwhelmed and frustrated.

Most of all, try to make the changes something you can stick with for the rest of your life. Good luck on your journey!

brilliant advice!

Trying to process everyone's advice can make this a lot more complicated and rule-bound than it needs to be.

For example, the people who say "don't eat after x time" make it sound like that is a cure all, but that (like everything else) will only work for you if it happens to make it easier for you to stay in your calorie goal.

I started around your size and first I started with tracking everything to just start to get used to weighing and recording everything.

Then I started off on .5 loss per week following MFP numbers and eating back all exercise calories. This put me at 1930 a day plus whatever I exercised. Of course I lost WAY faster than .5 for the first few weeks because that's just how it happens often when you first begin. I was also meticulous about logging and weighing (not MEASURING. weighing).

I then switched to 1.5 per week which is where I am now, around 1400 a day (it was higher before but I reset it because I lost weight and the smaller you are the less you burn just by existing).

Some days I go under, some I go over but I try to keep average around that. Loss is steady but not linear. I weigh daily but just log whatever it says and don't worry about it. The scale goes all over the place especially around TOM.

Like many others have said, find what works and is sustainable for you. Slow loss you'll stick to permanently is a lot better than fast loss you'll give up on after a month or 2.

Congrats on your successful start! It sounds like you are on the right track.

lavagirlangie

I am at day 40 of logging. About 8 lbs lighter. I'm 65 years, 5'2", and started at 240 lbs. The logging and weighing and measuring food has helped a great deal. Now I plan better when I can see how much I've already consumed in a day.
Here's the problem, I have a pinched nerve in my back and don't/can't do any exercise. The plan allows me 1440 calories a day and I almost always go over. Not as much as I used to but still over. As you can see, the losing is slow. I don't crave or eat sweets anymore, just want more Food. How can I get over this hump?

PaytraB

lavagirlangie wrote: »

I am at day 40 of logging. About 8 lbs lighter. I'm 65 years, 5'2", and started at 240 lbs. The logging and weighing and measuring food has helped a great deal. Now I plan better when I can see how much I've already consumed in a day.
Here's the problem, I have a pinched nerve in my back and don't/can't do any exercise. The plan allows me 1440 calories a day and I almost always go over. Not as much as I used to but still over. As you can see, the losing is slow. I don't crave or eat sweets anymore, just want more Food. How can I get over this hump?

I had a peek at your diary. You could shave some calories off of breakfast and save them for the evening. Maybe have some yoghurt and a piece of fruit or two, as an example.
Air-popped popcorn has way fewer calories than the bagged, microwave popcorn. You can eat a ton of air-popped and fill up with very few calories.
It's all about finding filling, moderate calorie choices for "everyday" and having the high-calorie choices less frequently.
You're doing fine. Keep at it. You'll find your way.

SueInAz

Bebe6740 wrote: »

Hello again,

Thanks again for all the information....I've stuck to eating 1560+ calories for one week, weighed myself today and lost 3 pounds!

Congrats!! Just keep doing what you're doing. There will come a time where that loss will slow or even stop. Don't be discouraged when it happens. At that point, it's time to take a closer look at what you're doing and switch things up. Our bodies get used to a routine so a change can usually get things moving again.