Help with food

So I've been on this rollercoaster of trying to tone up my body. I had a baby two years ago and since then I've been trying to get back into shape. I work out twice a week but the problem with me is food!! I do my own cooking very rarely have takeaways on the odd occasion go out for a meal and I can't see any improvement. What Im after is some advice/help on where I'm going wrong. I need to be coached on maybe my food intake and sugar intake I guess. I don't know where to start with meals. Anyone here that can help?

Replies

  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 574 Member
    Are you keeping a food diary/logging your calories? You need to be at a deficit in order to lose weight.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    Yeah. I agree with lisakatz2.

    Log your food.

    Study that food diary. You'll find your answers.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    The number of calories you intake has to be less than the number of calories your body burns in order to lose weight.

    So to your question what you're doing wrong - you're eating the same number of calories you are burning if your weight isn't going down. Or you're eating more calories than you burn if your weight isgoing up.

    The only way to know is to count.
  • Tammyrae99
    Tammyrae99 Posts: 29 Member
    Do you know how many calories you need to eat to be in a deficit to lose weight? That's the info you need. Need help? Lmk!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    There's no need to DM anyone for help learning what your calorie goal should be, @bumblebee2390.

    Put your demographic data into your MFP profile, tell it the weight loss rate you want (0.5-1% of current weight per week, preferably closer to 0.5%). MFP will then give you a starting calorie goal.

    Log your food, and try to average very close to that calorie goal on a weekly basis, ideally around +/- 50 calories-ish.

    Follow that for 4-6 weeks. At that point, you have enough experience to compare your average weekly weight change over the whole time period to your target loss rate. (If you have menstrual cycles, go for at least one full cycle so you can compare body weight at the same relative point in at least 2 different cycles, because hormonal water weight shifts can distort things otherwise.)

    If you're losing faster or slower than you targeted (averaged over those multi weeks), adjust your calorie goal using the approximation that 500 calories per day is a roughly pound a week. (1100 calories daily is a kilo, if you think in kg.) You can use arithmetic then for partial pounds/kg.

    I'd recommend being cautious with posts that ask you to DM or reach out to get answers. I'm sure the PP has the best of intentions to help and just wants to personalize . . . but in other cases, that's how people who are selling multi-level marketing supplements and such try to find buyers on MFP without running afoul of rules against advertising. A lot of people here who give advice here will do so openly in public posts so others can read and maybe benefit, too.

    Best wishes!
  • Hobartlemagne
    Hobartlemagne Posts: 603 Member
    #1 eat within your calorie budget
    #2 adjust your macros so you feel fuller for longer.

    This is a bit over simple, but 100cal of avocado will keep you full longer than 100g of bread