any tips for newbies?

michellefbop

Hello,
I'm Michelle and I'm starting my weight loss journey today- no more stalling, I am ready!

Do you have tips related to things that have helped you the most along your journey??

Thanks!!!

stewarm01

Consistency. Even when you see no progress on the scale for weeks at times. It'll come.

kommodevaran

My top tip for everybody who is ready for something, anything - and this is one of the tips that has helped me most, even though I, like everybody, loathe the manual - is to wait with the tips until the basics are in place: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/
When you've read that, you will know what specifically to ask for tips about, or maybe not need any tips at all!

NickTeim

If you miss one day, you miss every day.

So focus always at the day you are at!

Imatrekkie

Move more, eat smart. It really all boils down to that.

competeagain

michellefbop wrote: »

Hello,
I'm Michelle and I'm starting my weight loss journey today- no more stalling, I am ready!

Do you have tips related to things that have helped you the most along your journey??

Thanks!!!

Move. Sweat.
Underestimate your exercise when logging.
Overestimate your food when legging.
Don’t quit.

musicfan68

Use a food scale to weigh foods.

gstaubs1

I can tell you 2 weeks ago I knew nothing about losing weight. I always had a high metabolism then I turned 40 and boom I gained 25 lbs. Joined MFP and started tracking my food and calories and running 2-3 miles a day 6 days a week for about 30-45 mins cardio, then started strength training 3-4 days a week for 1-1.5 hrs...I have lost 10 lbs already and I can see my abs again starting to come through the fluff. Best advice I can give ditch the fast food and pizza, start eating complex carbs instead of simple. Hit the gym and run until you want to puke. Stay in a calorie deficit and you will lose weight. I actually cant believe how easy this was...I have found great support and motivation here. Add me if you like, and best of luck. Much Love, 🐱‍👓

sdanemrtn

Welcome and congrats on taking the first step! I will be here for a while, but so far I have learned to weigh/log everything, if you can. Yet, at the same time, dont beat yourself if you have an off meal or day every once and again. It's a Marathon, not a sprint. Best of luck in your journey.

AnnPT77

Read the MFP "stickies": These are the items in the "Most Helpful Posts" area in each forum topic. Start with the ones in "Getting Started" and "General Weight Loss, Fitness, and Diet" topics.

They're all user nominated. I've learned so much from them. Pure gold.

Then, in any forum discussion, watch where the weight of discussion leads. Lots of successful people hang around & keep commenting - so helpful. "Woo" is a negative reaction - means "nonsense". Some people don't realize that, think it means "woo hoo" (good), so one "woo" can be meaningless. But if one post gets a bunch of "woo" reactions, it's probably unadulterated c**p.

Best wishes: Sensible, committed people succeed here. You can, too.

Demander2015

Welcome to the community Michelle. Congrats on taking the first step. The first step is the hardest. Here are some tips off the top of my head.

1. Weigh/measure every little thing you eat. A teaspoon of oil, a gummy bear, a sip of wine - every damn morsel and religiously log it in the diary
2. exercise. Start with light cardio. As your fitness improves, Increase the duration and intensity. When you are able to sustain 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity cardio, start adding HIIT intervals every 3rd day or so. When you are within 20-30 lbs of your target weight, add weight training
3. Not just the quantity but the quality of food matters as well. make sure that you are eating plenty of protein and veggies and fruits for a good nutrition and not just consuming useless empty calories. Do not run after crazy diets. Make sure you are maintaining a deficit and getting all the nutrients (macro and micro). Nothing else is needed.
4. for every 10 lbs you lose, your metabolism will burn 100-200 less calories. Readjust your goals every 10 lbs lost. Decrease food intake by a hundred and increase exercise intensity to burn another 100 calories to see the same results.
5. Always underestimate calories burnt and overestimate calories consumed.
6. Always differ in your exercises. If you are using dumbbells try kettlebells or sandbag. If you run, try playing tennis, dancing, kickboxing or MMA. Keep switching it up to prevent plateaus, boredom and mental fatigue.
7. Always always give at least one complete rest day per week. And always listen to your body. If you have aches and pains, do a lower intensity workout and take time to stretch. If you feel you have the energy of 10 men, go harder, faster, longer.
8. Make sure your workout schedule is a little flexible so that you can afford to listen to your body.
9. Take plenty of sleep and drink lots and lots of water.
10. When making changes and setting goals - Set a final goal. Break it down into smaller (2 monthly) goals. Take these and break them into weekly goals and those into daily goals.
11. Set goals that are not only achievable but also sustainable. Cutting down to 1000 calories is of no use if you cannot sustain it to time immemorial.
12. Never go on diets but make lifestyle modifications that become a part of your life and stay with you forever.
13. Celebrate the little victories. (Not by Bingeing, though. I do a celebratory Burpee Burnout every time I am happy at an achievement )Every time you achieve something or like something that you did or how you feel in your body or in your mind, write it down. Every new benefit you discover of working out, write it down. It helps to look at this when the going gets tough and you wanna stop. When you don't feel like working out, look at these write-ups and remind yourself why you must work out and all the benefits you have found till now.
14. Weight yourself at the same time in the same routine every week. Measure yourself every 3 weeks to keep track.
15. Don't try to "fit in" workouts. Make time for them. There should be a designated hour, place and intention for every workout every day. Workout with a purpose and work towards specific goals in your fitness as well. eg my arms are week, I will focus more on upper body a couple of weeks. I need to improve my cardio-respiratory strength, I will do a little more hiit. One such goal at a time.
16. Take it one day, one meal, one workout at a time. All will fall into place.
17. Don't deprive yourself completely of things you like to eat. Work little bits of them into your daily calorie intake and restrict yourself to that.
18. Your body can always go further than your mind tells you. So listen to your body, not your mind and definitely not your heart.
19. Most of all remain diligent and stay patient. Good results take time.

I hope these help. If you wanna ask anything, you can always contact me. I will be happy to help you to the extent that I can. Happy winning by losing!

competeagain

Do what works for you. Find what works and do it.
Don’t listen to people on sites haha

born_of_fire74

Be patient

nutmegoreo

kommodevaran wrote: »

My top tip for everybody who is ready for something, anything - and this is one of the tips that has helped me most, even though I, like everybody, loathe the manual - is to wait with the tips until the basics are in place: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/
When you've read that, you will know what specifically to ask for tips about, or maybe not need any tips at all!

Start here. Don't get too overwhelmed. Just start with logging, then after a week, start looking for small sustainable changes. It's doing things you can live with indefinitely that make the transitions feel less uncomfortable. Sometimes it's the small changes that can make the biggest difference. When people make large changes that are outside of their ordinary, it can become really easy to go back to old habits when they become frustrated.

orangegato

Another vote for Food Scale and Read the stickies.
If you’re goal is to lose weight, remember that weight loss is not linear and there are daily fluctuations up and down. Look at the overall trends.

AnnPT77

Demander2015 wrote: »

1. Weigh/measure every little thing you eat. A teaspoon of oil, a gummy bear, a sip of wine - every damn morsel and religiously log it in the diary
2. exercise. Start with light cardio. As your fitness improves, Increase the duration and intensity. When you are able to sustain 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity cardio, start adding HIIT intervals every 3rd day or so. When you are within 20-30 lbs of your target weight, add weight training
3. Not just the quantity but the quality of food matters as well. make sure that you are eating plenty of protein and veggies and fruits for a good nutrition and not just consuming useless empty calories.
4. for every 10 lbs you lose, your metabolism will burn 100-200 less calories. Readjust your goals every 10 lbs lost. Decrease food intake by a hundred and increase exercise intensity to burn another 100 calories to see the same results.
5. Always underestimate calories burnt and over estimate calories consumed.
6. Always differ in your exercises. If yu are using dumbbells try kettle bells or sandbag. If you run, try playing tennis, dancing, kickboxing or MMA. Keep switching it up to prevent plateaus.
7. Always always give at least one complete rest day per week. And always listen to your body. If you have aches and pains, do a lower intensity workout and take time to stretch. If you feel you have the energy of 10 men, go harder, faster, longer.
8. Make sure your workout schedule is a little flexible so that you can afford to listen to your body.
9. Take plenty of sleep and drink lots and lots of water.
10. When making changes and setting goals - Set a final goal. Break it down into smaller (2 monthly) goals. Take these and break them into weekly goals and those into daily goals.
11. Set goals that are not only achievable but also sustainable. Cutting down to 1000 calories is of no use if you cannot sustain it to time immemorial.
12. Never go on diets but make lifestyle modifications that become a part of your life and stay with you forever.
13. Every time you achiever something or like something that you did or how you feel in your body or in your mind, write it down. Every new benefit you discover of working out, write it down. It helps to look at this when the going gets tough and you wanna stop. When you don't feel like working out, look at these write-ups and remind yourself why you must work out and all the benefits you have found till now.
14. Weight yourself at the same time in the same routine every week. Measure yourself every 3 weeks to keep track.
15. Don't try to "fit in" workouts. Make time for them. There should be a designated hour, place and intention for every workout every day. Workout with a prupose and work towards specific goals in your fitness as well. eg my arms are week, I will focus more on upper body a couple of weeks. I need to improve my cardio-respiratory strenght, I will do a little more hiit. On such goal at a time.
16. Take it one day, one meal, one wrokout at a time. All will fall into place.
17. Don't seprive yourself completly of things you like to eat. Work little bits of thwm into your saily calorie intake and restrict yourself to that.
18. Most of all remain diligent and stay patient. Good results take time.

Basically good advice - mosty very good. A little overwhelming for a beginner, maybe, but largely accurate.

Bolded items: Not so much.

Ideally, start strength training (weight training per se is one option) as soon as you can, to preserve as much existing muscle as possible while losing weight. (That said, it's entirely possible to lose weight with no new exercise at all . . . though including exercise is healthier.)

HIIT is completely optional, unless you need VO2max improvement for a competition.

That whole "body confusion" idea - that you have to switch up exercise and keep your body guessing, to gain benefits or avoid plateaus - that's inaccurate. It's a myth spread by people like Beachbody, who want to sell you new videos and equipment. If you get bored with your workouts, phone them in (less intensity) . . . that'll cause problems. If you keep enjoying them, and pushing for improvement, it'll be fine. (Elite athletes don't need to switch sports every month or so to progress, right?)

Best wishes!

michellefbop

Good morning!
I read all of your advice and tips above and want to thank you all! You guys are amazing- thank you for taking the time to offer your ideas!
I will incorporate these in little by little- ill go do some of the suggested reading.Cheers everyone!!xxx

brettmillward4471

stewarm01 wrote: »

Consistency. Even when you see no progress on the scale for weeks at times. It'll come.

This is a good thing to read. I have, for the past couple of weeks been stuck at 11 stone (was 12). It's because I am still eating the 1500 calories and exercising + using weights to tone. So even though I assume I am not burning I am converting (hoping anyway lol). But it is annoying to get on the scales and to still be 11, god that it has not gone up though, so I remember that.