Confuse

raiderchick02

I need help today I just downloaded the app don't know what to do is there a guideline on food is there a menu to follow I need help can someone stir me the right way I really need to try this this is my last resort

mangrothian

First of all, welcome to MFP!

There's no menu at MFP (although there are lots of recipe ideas in the forums). The premise is that you'll lose weight if you consume less calories then you burn, i.e, the amount of energy (Calories) you get from your food is less than what your body needs, so it gets the rest from your fat stores.

That being said, here is a great list of links for newbies about how to use MPF, exercise, logging food, why quick fixes don't work, and all the rest:

I like old posts and I cannot lie

The ones I would read first are:

A Guide to get you started on your path to sexypants

and, So you're new here...

Best of luck! Feel free to send a friend request through if you want

HeidiCooksSupper

You'll find lots of folks on here with very different eating habits. This site basically provides tools and a support community for those who want to follow eating habits that work for them. There are vegans, vegetarians, volume eaters, high fat/low carb people, intermittent fasters, grazers, one meal a day folks, etc. There are post surgery folks, pre surgery folks, and no surgery folks. There are body builders, distance runners and couch potatoes. We range in age from 18 to infinity. (With the occasional teen who gets chased out by the site owners as soon as they catch them. This is not a site for kids or teens)

No particular diet from any book or website has been proven to "work" better than the idea of calories in/calories out. You must consumer fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. No supplements really help you loose weight. Some prescription drugs may work short term but they have side effects many of us want to avoid.

Start by reading the sticky posts mangrothian mentioned above. Figure out your numbers. Then decide how you wish to make your eating habits fit your numbers.

If you need general information on how to eat healthy, I recommend Harvard School of Public Health's NutritionSource, particularly their Healthy Eating Plate. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/

cerise_noir

Eat the food that you like (with an emphasis on nutrition- hit your protien and fat goals, don't be afraid of carbs). Include treat foods (weight loss is all about consuming less calories than your burn throughout the day just by living, activity and exercise). And relax.

Eat the calories mfp gives you from filling out your diet profile.

Aim to lose at a reasonable weight. If you have 75lbs + to lose, aim for 2lbs per week. If you have 20lbs or less to lose, aim for a .5lb (half a pound) loss per week.