Help with a question i've been asking for years?

Courtney344

Okay so i really want to get back into trying to lose weight. My problem is i don't exactly know what i need to do in order to start losing. I know most people will comment and say eat healthy and exercise. I understand that i have to do those things. My question is what exactly should i be eating to lose weight. Also i would like to know what exercises i should try? It would be really great if someone could give me incite on this. I also would like to know if anyone has recipe ideas too. If someone would want to be my buddy on here and motivate me that would be great too. Thanks everyone

herblackwings39

You can eat absolutely anything you want as long as you keep it within your calorie goal. Seriously. Eat fruits, veggies, lean meats, dairy, pizza, cookies, chips...anything. It's the deficit that's important to lose weight. Some things will be more filling for less calories, but you can have anything...unless you have allergies and such.

charlenequinn94

Portion sizes are what is working for me.

Courtney344

So would it be smart to eat what i want, then slowly take the higher calorie food out slowly?

herblackwings39

So would it be smart to eat what i want, then slowly take the higher calorie food out slowly?

Always eat what you like. You don't have to give anything up, just....instead of eating out of a bag of chips weigh one serving and eat it... Watch portion sizes, add new foods, throw in a yummy salad to your meal to get in veggies, etc.

lina011

find out your calories needs and then focus on getting some exercise and portion control, when it comes to eating whatever id say choose a healthier option or a smaller portion

MsEndomorph

Hello!

I think the easiest way to start is just by seeing where you are now. Do you know how many calories you're eating a day? Just by tracking what you eat (without any new dieting) can give you a great starting point of what things you can keep putting in your mouth and what things you should probably cut back on to stay in the calorie range MFP puts you in. Buy a food scale and measuring cups and weigh everything to make sure your count is right.

Then I'd say dive on in. Make it your goal to eat your set number of calories every day. No less, no more. Some days you'll go over, some days you'll go under, but it's all a learning experience.

The way MFP works, you don't have to exercise to lose weight. So you could just sit on the couch all day and get skinnier, theoretically. But if you're like most of us, we like eating more than the minimum and we want to look "in shape" so exercise is good.
You could just start out by walking every day, swimming, hiring a personal trainer, trying a group fitness class at the gym, or doing a workout video. The most important thing is that you move more.

jenniferwoodweeg

Do you record all of your cal? Start there. Mfp usually will give average of 1200 cal/day to lose 1-2 pounds a week.

SherryTeach

I record every bite that goes in my mouth. And I have been doing it for over a year.

Momjogger

Do what you like for exercise - here is what I have tried - over a long time, I mix it up to keep from being bored - hiking (love it, but don't make the time to go enough), running (hate it, but have seen good results and now run with a couple of friends), Zumba (my favorite if you can find a good instructor to stick with), lifting free weights (not a fan of doofuses flexing in the mirror next to me, or staring at my chest when I lift, but when I put on head phones and get into it, I feel great afterwards), interval training and aerobics (like it and makes the hour go by fast), spinning (have one class that the play list makes me laugh so I keep going back), riding my bike (love it most in spring and fall), belly dancing (was fun, but not for me), yoga and swimming. Phew! Hope that gives you some good ideas!

prattiger65

Here is what I did. I started 6 months ago. First I calculated my numbers....TDEE and BMR. From there I set a calorie goal and that was my singular focus, not sugar or fat or protein or junk food or veggies or whatever. Just calories. I started walking everyday. I was anal about hitting my calorie number, but I didn't cut out ANY foods or food groups. As time went on, I found I was reading labels and making better decisions.......it happened naturally. Don't force it. As time went on, I found I wanted to exercise more and started going go the gym. I read these forums and I discounted any dogma from any group, but I quickly figured out who knew their stuff and I listened to them. No food is bad. None. Today I have lost over 40 lbs, have Lowered my body fat percentage by about 10% . I run, I lift weights and I feel better than I have in 20 years. Oh yeah, I eat ice cream every night while doing this. I eat fast food about once a week. Don't get caught up in fads, dont eliminate foods you like. Learn to have a healthy relationship with food.

TL;DR....eat less and move more.

Momjogger

Shoot for half an hour to an hour of exercise daily and mix higher and lower impact to give your body a break.

kellzi89

Since food seems to be covered. What exercises would you enjoy doing? I have a mix of things, I go to a dance class that I enjoy, I do weights, I run on the treadmill. I enjoy doing these so I stick to them. If your not sure what you would like try a range of things.

dlionsmane

Here is what I did. I started 6 months ago. First I calculated my numbers....TDEE and BMR. From there I set a calorie goal and that was my singular focus, not sugar or fat or protein or junk food or veggies or whatever. Just calories. I started walking everyday. I was anal about hitting my calorie number, but I didn't cut out ANY foods or food groups. As time went on, I found I was reading labels and making better decisions.......it happened naturally. Don't force it. As time went on, I found I wanted to exercise more and started going go the gym. I read these forums and I discounted any dogma from any group, but I quickly figured out who knew their stuff and I listened to them. No food is bad. None. Today I have lost over 40 lbs, have Lowered my body fat percentage by about 10% . I run, I lift weights and I feel better than I have in 20 years. Oh yeah, I eat ice cream every night while doing this. I eat fast food about once a week. Don't get caught up in fads, dont eliminate foods you like. Learn to have a healthy relationship with food.

TL;DR....eat less and move more.

Basically this! Started in April though but yeah calculate your TDEE and BMR. that is a good place to start. Then log everything. Weigh and measure everything. I even measure the cinnamon I put on my oatmeal in the AM. But in no time you will start to see the numbers change on the scale and on the tape measure. I started out walking and just this week began at the gym, lifting weights, it feels really great. Do what you enjoy as long as you are moving, eat what you like as long as you account for it and don't go above your calories for the day (but don't freak out if you do) and take what most others say with a grain of salt.

Edited: Check out some open Diary's also for food suggestions. Some people have theirs open.

whitecapwendy

Food:

I was in the exact situation you are when I started. I started researching exactly what eating healthy is. For me, that means lots of fruits and veggies (minimum 5 a day and lots of variety). Whole grains will give you good fiber and help future colon health. lean meats, nuts, eggs (egg whites) etc make good sources protein. I was told to picture a plate--have 1/4 be meat, 1/4 be starch, and 1/2 be fruits/veggies. Drink a lot of water (the more the better)

exercise:

take a walk, go swimming, bike riding, whatever you enjoy doing. I have been using Leslie Sansone videos --she gives a full body workout that I could handle as someone who was a beginner. As I have gotten fit, I have been able to keep up with her and it is still a good workout.

prattiger65

Here is what I did. I started 6 months ago. First I calculated my numbers....TDEE and BMR. From there I set a calorie goal and that was my singular focus, not sugar or fat or protein or junk food or veggies or whatever. Just calories. I started walking everyday. I was anal about hitting my calorie number, but I didn't cut out ANY foods or food groups. As time went on, I found I was reading labels and making better decisions.......it happened naturally. Don't force it. As time went on, I found I wanted to exercise more and started going go the gym. I read these forums and I discounted any dogma from any group, but I quickly figured out who knew their stuff and I listened to them. No food is bad. None. Today I have lost over 40 lbs, have Lowered my body fat percentage by about 10% . I run, I lift weights and I feel better than I have in 20 years. Oh yeah, I eat ice cream every night while doing this. I eat fast food about once a week. Don't get caught up in fads, dont eliminate foods you like. Learn to have a healthy relationship with food.

TL;DR....eat less and move more.

Basically this! Started in April though but yeah calculate your TDEE and BMR. that is a good place to start. Then log everything. Weigh and measure everything. I even measure the cinnamon I put on my oatmeal in the AM. But in no time you will start to see the numbers change on the scale and on the tape measure. I started out walking and just this week began at the gym, lifting weights, it feels really great. Do what you enjoy as long as you are moving, eat what you like as long as you account for it and don't go above your calories for the day (but don't freak out if you do) and take what most others say with a grain of salt.

Edited: Check out some open Diary's also for food suggestions. Some people have theirs open.

Yes....very important. If you don't have one, buy a good scale and weigh your food. All of it.

megsmom2

Use the MFP program. Log your food...yes, everything. Stick to your calorie goal, but eat what you want. You'll find you get to eat more if you're eating better food. And yes....DO eat back your exercise calories. Read the FAQs about how to work MFP....because it does work.

Courtney344

Thank you guys so much for all the help. I'm going to try to give some of these a shot.

LadyAsrai

If you're trying to keep within your calorie limit, you might end up eating lots of vegetables and other healthy things anyway, since they don't have a lot of calories. But eat whatever you want-- there was a day when I ate pizza and ice cream, and still ended up netting 0 calories (not that I recommend that-- stay with the 1200.) If you don't exercise much, you don't have to start with super extreme workouts. I just go for walks with my dog, or if a store is only a mile or two away, which is pleasant anyway.