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rachelpower82
rachelpower82 Posts: 45 Member
edited November 2018 in Health and Weight Loss

Im so fed up and tired of going around in circles and want to get fit & healthy. Im done with ‘slimming clubs’ as i always end up back at square one :/. So, my question is do i just follow the mfp cal guideline allowance and i’ll lose weight? Or do i need to consider fat, sugar, carbs etc?
Im 35 and am 5ft 8 tall and weigh around 230lbs. I want to lose weight but being fit & healthy is my main focus. What would you recommend? Thanks :)

Replies

  • Runaroundafieldx2
    Runaroundafieldx2 Posts: 233 Member
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    This ^^
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    IMO, calorie balance needs to be your #1 nutritional priority. Once you have that squared away, then worry about macros.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Controlling calories will lead to weight loss.

    Controlling macros may make it easier for you to control your calories, so it may be worth playing with them as you go. Start by just recording and taking a few notes: were you starving at lunch after your normal breakfast, but had a different breakfast today and felt better at lunch time?
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    I’d add to take it slow if you’re in it for the long haul. Countless times I’ve taken too high a deficit to lose weight quickly only to experience crushing binges that eventually led to gaining it back.

    This time I was slow and steady and took about 2 years to lose the weight. Today, im the exact same weight as I was a year ago. Keep maintenance in mind through your journey. Don’t do anything to lose weight that you couldn’t sustain forever.

    PS. My starting stats are almost identical to yours, but you have an inch on me.
  • rachelpower82
    rachelpower82 Posts: 45 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    rachelpower82 wrote: »
    Today is my first day of tracking cals and omg I cant believe how much I eat!!
    Even though ive made a concious effort to ‘eat healthy’ today im still over my daily cal allowance by almost 400 cals!! Dread to think how many ive been eating daily. The fact im 230lbs now, i know why!!
    Big changes have to be made. Im so fedup of going around in circles :/

    But you'll have set your deficit to at least 500 cals...


    Yes i was over my mfp cal allowance which is already set at 1480 cals. Seems a bit low to me though esp as im 5ft 8
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »
    My advice... Forget the calorie counting and just start cutting garbage out of your diet, gradually, over time... Week to week

    That's how I did it and I've maintained it for about 3yrs now while most gain it back, and I'm not just talking about 20, 30, or even 50lbs...

    It's nice that worked for you, but it wouldn't for everyone -- not everyone gets fat eating a low-quality diet or "junk."

    I found it really helpful to track my diet, and counting calories on MFP is largely doing that, but with the ability to actually focus on calorie numbers and a specific deficit (which many people find fun).
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    rachelpower82 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    rachelpower82 wrote: »
    Today is my first day of tracking cals and omg I cant believe how much I eat!!
    Even though ive made a concious effort to ‘eat healthy’ today im still over my daily cal allowance by almost 400 cals!! Dread to think how many ive been eating daily. The fact im 230lbs now, i know why!!
    Big changes have to be made. Im so fedup of going around in circles :/

    But you'll have set your deficit to at least 500 cals...


    Yes i was over my mfp cal allowance which is already set at 1480 cals. Seems a bit low to me though esp as im 5ft 8

    It wouldn't hurt to temporarily at least reset your goal to 1 lb per week. Give yourself a month or so to just learn about logging and what you're eating and where you are wasting calories. Then once logging is more of a natural habit and you start to see where you can make the best changes, then you can bump up your pace a little.

    Sometimes people who have to keep starting over have been changing too much too soon and trying to lose fast. Sometimes going a little slower and really learning about the foods, macros, and meals that work for you gives you a better chance at more lasting change. And accurate consistent logging can make that process so much easier! Good luck!
  • melissafeagins
    melissafeagins Posts: 1,421 Member
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    JBanx256 wrote: »
    IMO, calorie balance needs to be your #1 nutritional priority. Once you have that squared away, then worry about macros.

    This is my view. I have to limit my carbs due to a health issue, so I pay attention to my macros now, but when the priority was 225 to 160, I didn't.

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