Help I'm New

smatthews1985

I am 31 years old and over 300lbs. I have finally made the choice to change! For ME and my family! I know the basics of diet with portion control and exercise, but with being the size I am it makes it difficult with the exercises that most people do! I have also cut soda pop out completely! Please if you have anything that could be helpful with me starting this journey, it would be greatly appreciated!!

ms_smartypants

Welcome to MFP....I started out at 220....I bought leslie sansone walking dvd's at walmart ...they are great workouts ....also I recommend a food scale if you don't have one already...much more accurate than measuring spoons/cups ....wishing you much success on your journey..Feel free to add me

kommodevaran

You don't have to exercise or cut out anything to lose weight. All you need is a consistent calorie deficit. This means that you have to figure out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight at a healthy rate (MFP calculates that for you at setup) and hit that calorie goal every day (MFP lets you do that in your food diary - buy and use an electronic food scale, and log everything). The tricky part is the "consistent" part. You have to hit your calorie goal every day (or on average, every week) for a long, long time. And this is why we recommend not doing anything that you can't see yourself doing (happily) for a long, long time.

suruda

I would also say focus on the food part first. Be honest and diligent about tracking what you eat. You can get a good food scale cheaply on amazon which is a good start. Drink lots of water, and try new things. Also, find those things that you love and are low calorie meal options...your new comfort food! For me, that's a turkey burger with blue cheese and sautéed mushrooms (on a plate, no bun). It's delicious! Welcome to mfp!

rdubb23

Way to take initiative people are right u can start off with simply walking but your calorie intake will be crucial you can do it feel free to add me as a freind i dont have many on here

abungay

Start slow with just moving a little more than you usually do. That might be walking back and forth or hall way a few times every hour or parking a little further away when you go to the store. Just start slow!!

bsbjrn

Good morning SMatthews! Congratulations on setting your goals! I really love this app. Makes you really face what you put in the "pie-hole" lol! I was super shocked at my input & output. With health problems I'm limited on what exercise I'm able to do .... and finding the motivation to do what I can. The last six months I went from trauma ER floor Nurse to a sedate office position and gained 20 pounds!!! Argh!! I've reworked my goals hoping to get this weight off. Sending encouragement and cheers to you!!

cubbiefan1

Leslie sansone is a great place to start ..I did and it works plus its fun...
Feel free to add me

Icrizz

I started about a year ago and was 316 pounds. I'm now 243 lbs (125 lbs to go (: )
You don't want to make any drastic changes too quickly. Make small changes every couple of weeks. If cutting out soda becomes difficult I'd recommend diet soda or other carbonated drinks. Limiting your red meats and eating mostly chicken or fish would be helpful because they're lower in fat and are healthier for you. Carrots are a good snack when you have the munchies or a sweet tooth because they're low in cal and are filling. Walking would be the best exercise for you to start out with rn until you feel okay doing other exercises. If you have issues with binging, allowing yourself a treat once or twice a week should help prevent that. Whole grains are a healthier option compared to white grains. If you're a cheese lover like me, low-fat cheese could help with not going over your daily fat goal. Mono and polysaturated fats are the good kinds, saturated fat is what is bad for your arteries and heart.

I know that's a lot, but maybe some of it can help. I wish you the best of luck, I know you can do it!