Where to start

Flourisher

I don't know what to do. I have failed so many times. I am going to give it another go tomorrow but not sure how to start. How many calories etc? I'm male 6ft and currently around 250lb. I'm losing the will to live here. I'm so down in myself as I always fail. No sense of what to do exactly. I'm a magician and love performing and previously when I was slimmer I exuded confidence. But now, I feel ip uncomfortable, not only in my tight clothes but also, I feel hot and sweaty and get a little anxious around people.
I need support and please feel free to add me as a friend so we can help each other.

Belle8312

I feel the exact same way you do. I have failed probably a dozen times and I have to make this one work. I'm not sure how many calories you should have. I know based on my height and weight and what I want to lose, I should only have 1200. MFP should be able to tell you what you "should" have based on your weight loss goals (2 pounds a week, 1.5, etc. and how many minutes you plan on working out.)
I know we all need a little help sometimes, so good luck!

emdeesea

Hi all,

It's really easier than most people think. Here's what's hard: sticking to it. It takes a long time and people lose their patience with it. But you have to KEEP GOING. I've been on this since November 2013 and have lost almost 30 pounds. So yeah, it's slow.

I'm going to post a calculator that I've used. I use this calculator to figure out how many calories I need to eat per day. You plug in your stats, then estimate how active you are, and it figures out how many calories you should eat every day. And then for every 10 or so pounds you lose, you have to update your weight so it can reevaluate your calorie intake.

And then I come back here and log my food. Advice on that: get a digital kitchen scale and WEIGH EVERYTHING.

And then just be patient. Ain't going to happen overnight, that's for sure.

Here's that calculator, good luck: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

jetsman32

Stay strong- it is doable! Have you tried a low carb high fat plan? I've been low carb and lost 30lbs in 3 months. Check out this video on how it works. There is awesome science behind this. You can also google LCHF plans to help get you started. Good luck!!!! http://youtu.be/fL5-9ZxamXc

Machka9

Eat less than you burn.

Set yourself up for a 1 lb or maybe 1/2 lb decrease each week using the settings and goals. Doing that will provide you with a recommended calorie intake.

Log your food intake. On the first day, just log what you eat normally. That will give you a good idea where you are now. For most of us, it has been a bit eye-opening ... perhaps even alarming ... how many calories we eat vs how many we should be eating.

Then, eat your recommended calorie intake. Simple as that. Only, it isn't quite so simple because you will feel hungry, and you will have to start making better food choices.

One of the things I discovered is that I can easily consume 500 calories a day in fruit. Fruit is good for you, right? Yeah ... but not 500 calories worth! And I find that a very small quantity of crackers and cheese has more staying power than a whole bunch of fruit.

So you read labels, weigh your food, and start really thinking about everything you eat.


As for exercise ... walking is free. Get a decent pair of shoes (maybe you own a pair already) and start walking. 30 min a day for the first week or so, 45 min a day for the next week, 60 min a day the next week ...

Flourisher

Great advice here good to see I'm not alone. Let me get today under my belt. That will be an achievement for me.

tangelm

Good Morning, take one day at a time. You are not alone. I started here on Monday, 23rd and here it is a week and a day. So lets all do this together. Think before you eat. I see the people here are very helpful. Thanks.