Looking for friends and advice

lessismoreohio

I’m fairly new to MFP and I’m looking for friends and advice.

I’ve seen some co-workers successfully lose weight using MFP and it seems like a great tool. I'm working to lose 60 pounds and get below 200 pounds (back to high school weight). My other dream + goal is to train and to eventually finish a half-marathon.

I would love to hear any advice from those of you who have successfully used MFP to lose weight.

What allowed you to be successful?

leebesstoad

Welcome to the jungle. Glad to have you here. I think really there are a couple of things that made me successful here. First is the commitment to do it. You have to make the commitment to yourself that you are worth it, that this is for you and your life and you will do what you need to do to get it done. As far as here, the most important thing is logging your food every single day. Don't skip days, don't omit meals or snacks. Record EVERYTHING. Anything less and you are lying to yourself about what you are doing. Because in the end, weight loss simply comes down to a math problem: if you take in few calories than you expend, you lose weight. If you take in more than you expend, you gain weight. It's all really that simple. But if you don't know what you are taking in, you are shooting in the dark.

Yes, another reason is vanity. Who doesn't want to look better. And I can honestly say now that I am in the best shape of my life at the age of 57. I have muscles and definition I never thought I'd have. I can do more physically than I could in decades. I'm wearing a pants size I haven't worn since high school, when I was 30 pounds lighter. And yes, it's great to go into the gym knowing that I can hold my own or kick the *kitten* of most of the kids half or one third my age.

Having friends here helps. I have the most amazing group of friends. We are about as diverse as you could get. I have friends on 3 continents, 6-8 countries, male/female, old/young, all races, gay/straight (yes, I'm gay), you name it, I've got it. And none of those differences matter. In fact they bring a different perspective. We all support each other, encourage each other, kick each other's butts when need-be. I can learn as easily from a 20 year old girl in New Zealand as I can from someone identical to me next door. I'm on a 4 week diet right now suggested by one of my MFP friends. Be open to learning from others. Don't think you ever have all the answers. When telling others things, the best way to put it is "in my opinion ...".

There are many other reasons too. I'd be more than happy to accept a friend request if you want to send one. Good luck on your journey. But being here is the first step.