I know what my problem is.....

KaidensMom13

There are too many options!!! I don't know what to stick to because of the many options!! Myfitnesspal, weight watchers, atkins, TDEE, 5:2 diet, alternate day diet!!! I'm so confused on which one to do and which has the best result! So lost!!!

67mirunner

I guess you could go with which one YOU like the best. We could all give you our opinions, but at the end of the day it's really about something that helps you be your best self. I'm a big fan of MFP because it fits my lifestyle and is something I enjoy using!

queenliz99

I've tried most of those myself and the one that works for me is keeping track of calories on MFP. It's all about calories in vs. calories out

Alluminati

The commonality in all of those options is a calorie deficit. Pick one that fits your lifestyle that you can do long term. Consistency is the key, regardless.

180not220

It's not which plan, it's how well you implement it! I've done them all, they all work when I follow them and none of them work when I don't -- believe me, I'm not trying to make it sound simple, it's not simple at all!

KaidensMom13

You know what really got me off track with mfp, adding my fitbit and the negative calorie tracking. I think I just need to do my calories straight up.

999tigger

Go through the list and just pick one that you think you can stick with (that will get you the best result), as odes said. By all means learn about each one, but being unable to pick is also deciding on inaction.

ana3067

All of these methods use calorie counting. So basically.. just choose the one that makes your day and diet sustainable. Although TDEE isn't a diet, it means your maintenance caloric intake needs when factoring in exercise and regular daily activity - but you can subtract 20% from that for a standard deficit.

jrose1982

KaidensMom13 wrote: »

You know what really got me off track with mfp, adding my fitbit and the negative calorie tracking. I think I just need to do my calories straight up.

Making observations like this one is exactly how you'll figure out what works for you. You can start by reading descriptions of how different techniques work and imagining what will and will not work for you. But then you have to try something for a few weeks. You'll learn more about yourself and apply it to deciding whether or not to change something (and what to change). You'll find what's easiest for you and what's hardest and over time you'll hone in on what's best. The best program is the one that you can stick to.

Good luck!

obscuremusicreference

KaidensMom13 wrote: »

You know what really got me off track with mfp, adding my fitbit and the negative calorie tracking. I think I just need to do my calories straight up.

I can see how that would happen. There's no reason why you have to stick with one plan. As long as you stay in a deficit, you will lose weight.

tomatoey

KaidensMom13 wrote: »

You know what really got me off track with mfp, adding my fitbit and the negative calorie tracking. I think I just need to do my calories straight up.

Yeah, I'm not a fan either. I did try doing it the MFP way for a bit, and it didn't make sense to me at all. I felt like I either wasn't eating enough or was eating too much. UNTIL I got a handle on it like this:

- I calculated an ideal net intake number that was going to lose weight at a rate that was psychologically comfortable for me (I think it was the 0.5 lb a week one). I wrote that number down on a piece of paper
- I logged my gross intake for one day, during which I stayed away from crap, ate healthy foods in reasonable portions (trying to get lots of protein and veg in), to the point where I wasn't hungry and no more. I ate enough good stuff so that I was energized for workouts and felt good and not pangy before sleep. Like an amount of healthy food that is sustainable long-term, type of thing, but not sick-full.
- This number was really high, like it freaked me out. Wrote it down.
- I also exercised that day, for the time I would normally exercise. Noted that calorie number (used the machine's)
- THEN I compared 1) my original calculation for net calories, 2) my gross intake number, and 3) my actual net number
- My actual net number for that day was lower than the ideal net intake number I calculated. It was as if I'd eaten about half my exercise calories back.

So, you might want to try an experiment like that, just to see what feels good.

RodaRose

KaidensMom13 wrote: »

You know what really got me off track with mfp, adding my fitbit and the negative calorie tracking. I think I just need to do my calories straight up.

YES.
That is a very good plan.

blktngldhrt

I would start off with a simple calorie deficit. Find a TDEE calculator and then create your deficit by subtracting 20-25% from the number of gives you. I recommend getting a scale and weighing solid food. Measure all liquids, too. Track everything

If you find it easy to stick to your deficit and aren't hungry, that's great. You can eat the way you eat now with proper portions. If you are having trouble sticking with your calorie goal..its time to either play around with macros or decrease the deficit by 5%.

Francl27

First advice is to unsynchronize your fitbit and just use the fitbit numbers as a guideline... ie, just set your goal at 15 or 20% under that, and eat that... when you want, whatever you want, just try to stick to your calories. It doesn't have to be difficult.

kbmnurse

First of all I would just relax. See what works best for you and your body. Don't starve yourself or you are setting yourself up for failure. Take one day at a time. Set small goals.

sofaking6

KaidensMom13 wrote: »

There are too many options!!! I don't know what to stick to because of the many options!! Myfitnesspal, weight watchers, atkins, TDEE, 5:2 diet, alternate day diet!!! I'm so confused on which one to do and which has the best result! So lost!!!

Eat less, move more.

Personally, I believe in KISS (Keep It Simple, (cuz I'm) Stupid). I use my TDEE and log calories and exercise, guesstimating to the best of my ability. I'm losing consistently so that is working for me.

For some people the guesstimate tactic doesn't work, and so you can add in weighing food and/or a heart rate monitor to get more accurate calorie counts in and out.

KaidensMom13

Thanks for all your responses, they are all so helpful!! I'm going to either try straight up mfp 1430 calories a day or TDEE with more research.

jgnatca

Great plan!

"What if I chose wrong?" Seth Godin says it doesn't matter. Pick one.

http://empowerlounge.com/seth-godin-on-books-business-choices-and-life-on-good-life-project/

Kalikel

If you're determined to do it, any plan you like will work. If you aren't determined to do it, all the gadgets, apps and plans won't help.

MakePeasNotWar

I watched a really good TED talks segment about choice and the downside of having too many choices. The speaker found that with a few options, people were generally able to pick the most appropriate choice for themselves and tended to be satisfied with their choice later. With too many choices, people can't get through the information overload to optimize their choice and are more likely to question their choices later.

Two of the suggestions in the speech were to set a time limit on the decision (say 1 week or month or whatever time period makes sense to research, then choose) and to eliminate options before starting the research (the example he gave was apartment hunting. First eliminate the ones that don't have all your required traits, like parking, hardwood floors, etc. then look at the remainders. For diets, you could eliminate any that restrict foods you don't want to give up, or that are expensive, or seem too difficult to follow, etc.). I have ADHD and I find that eliminating choices off the bat is incredibly helpful. I can literally spend weeks researching pants before buying. Pants. Then I get overwhelmed, give up and buy whatever is on sale, lol. If I can narrow it down to, say, only black cotton pants with a straight leg and 5 pockets, I might actually be able to make a good choice that I can be happy with down the road.

I think the key is to pick one and give it enough time and commitment to see if it works. If you find a new idea on day 3, tuck it away in case this one doesn't work, but don't switch every time something new and shiny catches your eye. (I wish I could follow my own advice in this case.)

goddessofawesome

KaidensMom13 wrote: »

There are too many options!!! I don't know what to stick to because of the many options!! Myfitnesspal, weight watchers, atkins, TDEE, 5:2 diet, alternate day diet!!! I'm so confused on which one to do and which has the best result! So lost!!!

How about just eating for a healthy life style? Don't think of it as a diet. When you do that you're doomed to fail. Just choose healthier options, count your calorie intake and exercise.