Welcome Newbies, Happy 'New Year New You'! Looking for Tips, Motivation, and Friends?

callsitlikeiseeit

I generally try to say hello to most new members but there's so many of you! Yes, to be expected We see it every year. Hopefully, all of you will hang in with this and make good progress toward your goals in the New Year!

Before I jump into everything, allow me to introduce myself. I am Debbie, aka callsit here on the boards, and have been here since 2012 (active since circa 2014). That's a long time. And hopefully, your life can be as different as mine 8-10 years from now
I have lost, and kept off (which is the important thing!) over 230 pounds. So, I've been where you are- just starting and 'hoping', as well as gone through a VERY long process (still going through it, have 20-30 more to go but am in no particular hurry), and maintained a weight loss through all of what life throws at us (holidays, birthdays, vacations, work problems, family problems, marriage problems, money problems... you know. life.). I've been where you may be regarding working out. From never to now... 5 days a week and currently training for my first spartan! I might be insane. or need serious psychological help. Whichever.
So... HOW TO DO IT? It is easy, and not, at the same time.

Cliffs Notes of Weight Loss:

[*] MOTIVATION FADES. HABITS LAST. We all do things every day we don't WANT to. From going to work to paying bills, to brushing our teeth. But these things are habits, and things we know we need to do. This... is no different.
[*] Weight loss happens in THE KITCHEN, fitness happens in the gym. Together, they are magic! But you do not need to exercise to lose weight.
[*] make small, sustainable changes Trying to make a total overhaul of your life in one day, will likely lead to burn out and failure. START SMALL. BUILD HABITS.
[*] Understand weight fluctuations are normal. Thinks of a roller coaster, not a steep mountain slope down. Some weeks up, some weeks down. Its the OVERALL TREND that matters
[*] Learn to weigh your food ON A FOOD SCALE
[*] Learn how to find ACCURATE DATABASE ENTRIES
[*] BE ACTIVE - get off your butt and MOVE. Find SOMETHING you enjoy. If your activity is limited, find ways to move that you are ABLE to do
[*] Deprivation is the key to Binging and falling off the wagon. Learn how to fit your favorite things in regularly. There are no 'bad foods' Just 'bad quantities'.
[*] One 'bad' day will not undo your deficit.
[*] You did not gain the weight quickly. You will not lose it quickly. Better to lose it slowly, and KEEP IT OFF, then lose it quick, and gain it all back and more!
[*] Become a regular on the forums! READ READ READ! Listen to members who are knowledgeable. Ask questions. Don't get upset when we give you an answer you might not like. None of us are mean, some of us (that would be ... me) are more blunt and cut to the chase than others. But nothing we ever say is said to hurt you, but to HELP. That is why we are here.
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Useful Links
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
and basically ... all of these
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-health-fitness-and-diet-must-reads#latest

When i first started working out, i didnt even consider it that. i just wanted to try and be a bit healthier. losing weight wasn't even my goal. I mean, i needed to, and knew i needed to, but i just wanted to try and be healthier. Many of you are starting at that point! I started by just going on a walk 2-3 times a week. and.... it wasn't much of a walk. at almost 400 pounds i could not go very far at all. 10 minutes was about all i had in me. but i kept doing it. and it didnt take long, really, before i could go a little bit longer. and then, i started to go more often. always when it was dark, i didnt want people to SEE me - but id go after dark, or early in the morning. often, both. more days added. my neighbor was a member at planet fitness and asked me if i wanted to go with her (she only went occasionally). I said sure. So I'd go with her. i thought i was going to die on the elliptical. lasted about 7 minutes. But kept going. maybe once a week with her? not very often. kept walking. By that point had started watching what I was eating (i think). Then i wanted to go to the gym more than she did, so got my own membership. That was back in 2014. So... all of it was a process. a long one. But I didnt give up. You dont have to work out to lose weight. As I said, that happens in the kitchen. But it does have many other benefits that your body does need. Find something you enjoy. Most Y's are affordable and have a wide variety of classes for all fitness levels. Make small changes. dont try to change everything overnight. little changes can lead to giant ones, if you give it enough time.

Friends/Support...
The boards here are a FANTASTIC resource for support. There is a group for everyone. From health issues to challenges. Just like on other social media, you can add friends. With recent changes to the forums, its not as easy to get to peoples profiles anymore to add them. The easiest way (from a computer) is to replace the user name (like in the url below) with the user name of the person you want to add. ( i cant help you with doing it from a phone as I don't use the forums on my phone). I don't care if you add me, but I will warn you, I am not the friend for everyone. I am very supportive, and off and on all day, so see most things, but I swear like a sailor and ramble incessantly about my life, and not just about diet and weight crap. I have an awesome group of friends who are pretty much the same. You are welcome to board to crazy train and hop off if you so choose. https://www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/callsitlikeiseeit

MFP is a FANTASTIC tool. But... MFP doesn't do the work. It is a TOOL to do the work you need to do. Just as my food scale is a tool, and my running shoes, and my gym memberships and trainer. I still have to do the work. Everything I do every day... is my lifestyle now. And that lifestyle, and the tools I use, result in weight loss, when I eat in a deficit. And it will for you, as well. IF you put in that work.

I wish ALL of you the very very best. Don't be scared to ask questions. Don't get discouraged. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You CAN do this!