New Here

Michael_Smerbeck

This is my first day on this site. My plan is to lose 45 lbs. I hope I can find the motivation here. I've been trying to start for a couple weeks now with no such luck. Any suggestions on starting and staying motivated?

erikadavis994

Hey there, I've been here for 2 days and so far it's been a good motivator. Especially if your using the food diary! My goal is to lose at least 50 lbs maybe we can help each other out. Either way good luck!

jeremiahshively

Lost almost 20lbs in 48 days, eat often and smart! Fruit, veggies and yogurt, just a suggestion

SarahKhristan

You will find a wealth of knowledge and support on this site. There's no gimmick to losing weight, but it will require dedication.

Whatever your ultimate reason is for losing weight, keep in mind to do so in small goals. Be proud of every milestone, even if it's 10 pounds at a time. Be honest in your food logging and you will see results.

I highly recommend friending people on the site. It's a great support system, and I have found that friends often motivate and respond to your calls for help if you need them.

Forty6and2

Hey there! I've been here for a while, so I'm fairly used to this process. I have a few suggestions for any new members!

1. SET A REALISTIC GOAL. I cannot express to you how important this is. For real. Set a good goal for weekly loss and take it slow.

Here is a good suggestion for how much you should try to lose in a week based on how much you have to lose total:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

That being said, you'll probably lose a little more than this in the beginning because your body will be getting rid of water weight initially.

2. Invest in a heart rate monitor with a chest strap (usually $60-80 for a good one) and a good food scale! If you're not weighing your food, you may be eating more than you think. For instance, I used to just measure peanut butter with a teaspoon and I was eating almost one third more than the suggested serving size!
3. Read these threads and learn all the facts a new member needs to know (ish)

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Good luck!

Liftng4Lis

Welcome to MFP, you've got this!

Michael_Smerbeck

Thanks for the responses. My main goal is to get to a healthy weight for my height and age and then maintain that weight.

cyclingrick73

Welcome to the community! I am also new here. Follow the plan diary for good. Looking for friend to help support me in this journey fell free to add me