Are you new? Find help and friends here!!

katew221

Happy New Year everyone

The idea of this thread is for it to be a positive and non-judgemental way for anyone experienced on MFP to share their top tips for losing/gaining/managing their weight and health for those who are turning over a new leaf this New Year and joining us in this wonderful community, so you will be able to stick to your guns and go the distance with us backing you up

Obviously this is a public forum, and people can post what they like, but here are some guidelines of what would be most helpful to post:

• Nutrition and exercise tips
• Images that motivate you
• Tips for others to stay motivated through all stages of their journey
• Possible pitfalls and stumbling blocks you have overcome
• Personal stories that may encourage others - hurdles you have overcome that they can overcome too

Please understand that EVERYONE is different, and we have all taken many different paths to get where we are, and we have all found success in a variety of ways. Please don't judge or 'hate' anyone for sharing their own method of success, and equally please don't take anything we say as the gospel truth either! The most important thing is to find the method that works and is enjoyable for you. After all, no one else is making your journey, only you are, and we are all here to support those just starting out on theirs This thread is not just for those losing weight, it is for anyone losing, gaining, maintaining or improving their general health, new and experienced. We can all learn from each other!

If anyone does post negativity, I would invite everyone else to rise above arguing and to allow others to have their opinions without causing big drama. Remember, you don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.

So without further ado, you have ridden the trains of ignorance, excess, illness, emotional trauma and bad choices, and here you are at the end of the line in Regretsville. Welcome, and you are among friends!

NoSugar2015

Hello
I am new here
I would love some friends

Southerngalpal

Happy New Year! I'm new and I would like to have some pals!

caringgal

Hi,I am new here & would like wish every1 a v happy new year.All the best for 2015☺

crybol

Hallo und frohes neues jahr allen zusammen.
Auch ich bin neu hier und vielleicht ist ja auch irgendwer da der jemanden zum austauschen sucht
Würde mich über Nachrichten freuen

IslandLifenFitness

Hello I am new here also and trying ti loose 30pounds.

sftjojo

Hi All and Happy New Year!!! Cheers to a fantastic 2015 full of health and happiness. I have been on MFP forever, but never consistently or actively. I'm definitely trying to engage a bit more with the community in hopes of helping me with the process. I'm looking forward to building supportive relationships that allow me to gripe about the process some of the time but to keep me accountable and encouraged the majority of the time. I have a good amount of weight to lose, but I'm not focused so much on the outcome as I am on the process.

I'm thinking about starting a blog on the site. Any thoughts?

(picture to come)

Jojo

bdspruill

Hello I am new need help

colepoler27

Hi everyone, Happy New year!! I'm new to the fitness pal, but have been apart of many other fitness programs.

Nicole

sandrarowley62

Hi all happy new year!
Im new to this site and like most of you and looking for inspiration into loosing some weight. I have made a start by logging my food intake and exercise as i have quite a way to go. Look forward to mking some new friends on here in hope that we can support each other alo g our journey.

amilynmc

Add me please need friends and support!

MzHarlequin

Happy New Year!

I'm new, and just looking to lose that last pesky 15 lbs. I've been a part of other fitness apps, but I heard too many good things about MFP to ignore.

In the past, I lost 50 lbs by calorie counting, and I've kept it off through the years with a moderate diet. I just would finally like to get rid of that extra -- the kind of pounds where you go "I'm not overweight, but I could look better."

Ashlei_V

Happy New Year,

Ive tried doing this alone. I could use some help. I don't really have a goal weight in mind and I just want to feel like I look good. I'm excited to us progress

butterflylady86

Happy New Year just turned 50. I was on track. But I fell off the wagon. So my daughter and I are challenging each other. Today is the first day. Plus I'm engaged. I love to look thin for my big day. Peace Julie

Haschol

Hallo. Wünsche euch allen ein Frohes neues Jahr
Bin auch neu hier und würde mich gerne ein wenig austauschen bzw. gemeinsam die Erfolge feststellen

hotjodels

Hello all, and welcome new users. I'm not new infact, today is my 421st day here, but I wanted to let you all know that if you'd like a new friend on here, I'd love for you to send me a friend request.

A little background about me is that I am currently 22 years old and I'm definitely not perfect on here all the time. I started my journey on here at 210 lbs (I was 220 but lost 10lbs before starting here) I'm now currently sitting at about 145lbs.

I'd be lying if I said every day was always easy, but if you remember to log your food accurately which is very important you will already be started on the right track. I recommend investing in a food scale if you're looking to lose weight because that way you will know that what you're eating is being counted for accurately. One thing to remember is if you lie on your diary the only person it hurts is yourself. You might think that if you show your friends on here that you had a slip up that it would make them think less of you, but if they are worth having on your weight loss team here they will understand that we all slip up once in a while and will help encourage you to get back on track.

Another inportant weight loss tip is to drink your water! (seriously, it helps!). try to get in at least 8 glasses a day. it helps to flush out toxins and one cool thing I've learned is that when you have an urge to eat when you know you shouldn't be hungry, drinking a glass of water can actually help fight that urge.

Oh yeah, another important thing is to find some sort of exercise that you enjoy that does not feel like a chore. If your workout plan takes everything you have to get up and do it, I can tell you now that you wont stick to it very long, so find something that's fun to you (just because your friend loves to go to Zumba classes doesn't mean you have to love it)

I know you can be successfull. and reach all the goals you want to reach, but its not going to happen over night so be patient with yourslef and you will go far! Remember that weight loss is not a race. You don't have to be losing weight faster than someone else to be successful. As long as you are trying, even if you only lose half as much as your friend in the same amount of time, then you are doing better than you were before you were before you started your journey. weight loss is never linear either so don't be discouraged if you have weeks or even months of no scale movement, it happens and its tough but keep plugging away and I know you be back to losing!

I'm still a work in progress and I am in no way an expert on diet and weight loss but I hope some of what I said helps atleats one person in this coming year to work towards their fitness goals and just incase you needed a picture to help motivate you realize that this site actually can help you drop weight I am going to post a picture of my progress so far. First pic is me in October 2013 at 220ish lbs and second is me last week on Chrismas eve at about 145lbs. I'm still not where I want to be but this picture proves that if I could lose weight, I know anyone can!


ETA: opening your diary to the public, or even just your friends can help people help you when you have any questions on if your diet needs any tweaking, so that's another thing to think about doing to get the most out of your time on this site.

mollymcdonald0

Hello all!! I am friends with the op (Kate) and I think this post is such a great idea!! I have lost almost 60 pounds and here are some tips that have helped me get where I am!

1. Log everything good AND bad
2. Drink tons of water
3. Have a cheat meal or a cheat day once a week (LOG IT!)
4. Find a fun way to exercise---so it's not a chore
5. Set realistic goals that are not too aggressive

I hope some of these have helped! Good luck in 2015 new and old MFP users

vickpreston

I've been on here for a while but trying to be a bit more committed this time around. All friend requests would be greatly received.

brendamac464

Hi Everyone, I am back here after 9 months off and all my former MFP friends are no longer active. I'd love some new friends! My goal is to lose 30 pounds.
Thanks!

SamLD88

Hi all, I've been here and active since June 2014. Since then, I've lost 35 lbs and plan to lose another 30 at least. You're welcome to friend request me, as I post updates pretty frequently, and my diaries are open.

I've found that focusing on eating reasonably; on cooking delicious food; and on cultivating patience are the best way to do this. You can't gung-ho it and exhaust yourself, get defeated, and go back to consistently overeating. Eat reasonably, exercise when it's enjoyable, and relax. You have a whole life to live while you're losing weight.

fitmumnz

Hi everyone ! I used to use mfp all the time after the birth of my first child, and am looking to get back into it after my second child. Looking for motivating and supportive people to help each other through this journey ! feel free to add me !

Cathalain

Good evening

Welcome to your new life. You'll love it here!

I've been here since January of last year, but started my road to health on September 11, 2012 after a devastating T2 diabetes diagnosis. I've managed to lose nearly 120 pounds since that date (although I've recently put a bit back on due to holiday overindulgence, ugh). I've went from a 14.something A1C to (at last reading) a 4.9 A1C - if you're not familiar with these terms, an A1C test measures the amount of sugar in your blood, and it's vital for diabetics to keep track of this in order to avoid problems with kidneys, vision and circulation (especially in the feet). Diabetes is devastating - once you have it, you must watch your diet FOR LIFE.

Hopefully you don't have it and you're here to avoid it, but even if you've got it, this is a great place to get help and support, for sure.

I've had to change nearly everything about my previous life. I now exercise at least 3 times a week (walking up to 5 miles a day on some days), I cook MUCH more at home (though I'm still prone to an occasional take-out attack, and I'm working on that), and I'm committed to being medication-free, both now and in the future. So far I think I'm doing pretty well.

My advice to those starting out - this is a PROCESS. It is not something that will happen overnight. You will not wake up tomorrow, or next week, or even next month, and experience instant results. Do NOT give up if it's not coming off as quickly as you'd hoped - it WILL come off over a period of time.

DON'T OVERDO IT. I know, you're eager to get started - but know your limitations. There's nothing worse than exercising harder than your capabilities, then waking up with your body screaming the next day - that's when you're going to say, "Oh, God, I'm not cut out for this." You ARE. Just because you might not be able to run 5 miles the first day doesn't mean you won't eventually. Even 15 minutes on a gym machine, or 10 minutes of walking, it's a START. Work up to what you can, and always push for just a little more - but no more than you can handle. Still a little sore? Normal - it's called DOMS. Aspirin or Advil fixes it if it's too much. It won't last forever, I promise. Just DON'T GIVE UP.

Don't always go by the scale. A scale only gives a number - it doesn't measure inches off your body, it doesn't define who YOU are. Celebrate what we call "non-scale victories" (NSV for short) - that could be your jeans fitting just a little bit looser, or being able to walk 15 minutes longer than you could yesterday. Every day marks progress - as long as you don't give up. DON'T GIVE UP, whatever you do. If you need motivation, support, a shoulder to cry on, you'll find it here. Make friends on MFP - some of the best friends I have are here and they carry me on the days where I think I can't make it anymore.

You don't have to be social - I know I'm not, for sure. But it helps. We all understand here - if we didn't, we probably wouldn't be here to begin with, right?

Never forget, though, where you came from. When you lose the weight you want to lose (and you will!), don't ever forget to pay it forward. One day you might see someone struggling - so give back. Encouragement goes a long way.

Again... welcome to your new life. Feels good, doesn't it? You haven't seen anything yet, I promise!

- c.

sallyanj

Hi.
I'm new to this app as well. Have been on another one before and really liked it but works with USA denominations. Was frustrating. So finally I've made the change.
Would love friends so any friend requests would be greatly appreciated.
Being pay off a community of like mined people certainly keeps me on track.

charlenio1023

I'm new

katew221

Hi all! There has been some great advice already on this thread

I thought I would add my own to help out

1. Log everything, even if you are ashamed to admit it to yourself. Noticing trends and patterns in your eating, exercising and weight/fitness can help to identify areas that are positive and those that need change
2. Don't beat yourself up! You are human, and it matters that you are going in the right direction, not that you are perfect
3. Weigh your food more, and yourself less! Each gram of butter is important, but each inch is more important than each pound
4. 100 calories of healthy food will make you feel better than 100 calories of junk
5. Start strength training now! Yes, even if you are female, YES even if you have 100+ lbs to lose! Building muscle is a fantastic foundation for your health
6. Use the blog function - it's free, fun and a great way to look back on your journey and learn from it

Also I want to share some quotes that have helped me over the last year

"Don't give up on a goal because of how long it will take to achieve it. The time will pass anyway"
"You don't have to be good, you just have to do it"
"JUST DO IT!!"
"We don't stop when we're tired, we stop when we're DONE"
"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it."
"Do not wait until you reach your goal to enjoy your body"

Sending lots of good vibes to you all out there! Remember we are all always learning, no matter where we are in our lives.

Angelina_M_43

Hi All, I'm new to the site! Only looking to lose 30 lbs, but have tried in the past with little success. Also wanting to adopt a healthier lifestyle. I'm hoping this site will give me the boost I need to stick with it! All new friends welcome

msj378

Looking to make some new fitness pals! I'm new here so I've been feeling my way around alllll day, offering a little motivational help when I thought I could. Weight loss is a hard beast to tame, but we can all achieve our goals.
Good luck on your journey, we can do it!

nickylynnsullivan

Looking for some friends. I lost 50 lbs a few years ago using a similar website but just starting to try and lose some more. Short term goal is 40 lbs. My ultimate goal would be to lose 85 so I can be at 150. Mom and dad have type 3 diabetes and aunt just got it as well, also I am having hip and knee problems so I am doing this more for the health part than the looks. Need some more motivation though.

StaceyLou1995

Hello.
I'm looking for some friends to help keep me motivated and on track.
I am currently the heaviest I have ever been after having my daughter 10 week ago
I am aiming to lose 7 stone 1 lb at a steady pace.
Please feel free to add me x

NoStoppingNow77

Hi, I started MFP back in September and I'm down 50lbs with another 60 to go. I'd love new friends to keep me motivated and I'll do the same for you!

-To share what works for myself I'd say it's logging EVERYTHING. Even mustard!
-Weigh out as much as you can. You'd be surprised how much you get in a true 1tbsp serving compared to what you think is a tbsp.
-Stay focused and motivate yourself with small goals. I finished C25K...it got me off the couch and burning tons of calories.
-Drink lots of water. Some people debate this but I drink a gallon a day and it helps me stay full in during the day and the evenings. In the beginning, I would drink water with lemon and stevia. It tasted a little like lemonade and that worked for me. Everyone has things that work for them you just have to figure it out.

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out" -Robert Collier

mshort405

Hey all!

I'm not new, tomorrow is actually my 1 year fitversary! It has definitely been a rough road and some days are still really hard. I've currently lost 88 pounds (62 with MFP and 26 before I joined.) I've still got a way to go but thought I'd share what I've learned so far.
I have PCOS so my journey has been a little different.
-Log everything! Even the bad days.
-Protein is your friend (it's definitely mine). It keeps me from reaching for snacks.
-Don't eliminate foods because they're "bad". Treat yourself from time to time.
-I've found keeping my carbs from getting to high is helpful.
-Learning what vitamins I need for PCOS and taking them everyday.
-Find healthy foods you enjoy. Give new foods a try; you may find a new favorite.
-Most important for me is interacting with my friends list. Try and find people similar to you and those who are different. I'm friends with the OP which is how I knew about this thread.

If you're new and need a friend feel free to add me. I love new friends!
Its a new year and you're in control of the outcome