where to start?

BobbiC08

When trying to lose weight where do i start? Do i need to find a diet first?

psuLemon

Diet is weight loss/maintenance/gain, exercise is fitness. I suggest starting with a food scale for accuracy and a moderate goal 1 - 1.5 lbs per week. When you start exercise, start lifting with some cardio.

And if you can, adjust macro's to 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats. Protein and fats improve satiety; protein and weight training improve muscle retention.

Siansonea

"A diet"? No.

Whatever you're eating now, eat less of it. That's all you really NEED to do to lose weight. Weight loss is simple math.

Of course, in order to really be in the driver's seat, you have to know how much you're consuming, calorie-wise, and how many calories you expend each day through all forms of activity and bodily function. You need to start keeping a food diary, and ACCURATELY track your food. You'll also need to determine what your total energy expenditure is, and make sure the food number is consistently lower than the energy expenditure number.

You can change your diet, and you probably should change it at least a little bit. You can shave off a lot of calories by skipping certain condiments and sauces and such, and by ditching half the bread on a sandwich, etc. But don't think that in order to lose weight you have to completely give up everything you love. Just be mindful of everything you eat, and track it rigorously.

And don't think that exercise is a magic bullet either. You'll get health benefits from exercise, of course, but for weight loss, it's overrated. A lot of people exercise like mad so they can allot a few more calories each day. I personally think it's much easier to simply not eat those extra calories in the first place. And people invariably overestimate the calorie benefit of exercise, so you can see how the simple math of weight loss can quickly grind to a halt. Avoid that pitfall however you can.

bajoyba

You definitely don't need a specific diet plan. All you have to do to lose weight is eat less than your body requires to maintain itself as it is now.
Plug all of your info and goals into MFP and let it do the math for you. Set a reasonable weekly goal (2lbs a week is generally thought of as too aggressive unless you have more than 70 lbs to lose), and if you exercise, eat at least some of those exercise calories back. You can eat whatever you want. Just make sure you account for everything you eat accurately, which includes beverages and things like cooking oil.

My diary is public. You're welcome to take a look if you like. I currently eat about 1700 calories a day, which is approximately 400-500 calories less than my maintenance.

MinnieInMaine

Agreed, there's no specific diet you need to be on, you just need to start tracking your food intake as consistently and accurately (weigh/measure) as you can and make sure you hit your goal as often as you can. Don't feel you need to live on salads and water just to lose weight. Deprivation isn't needed, it just takes a little control.

Going by what you wrote on your profile, you'd like to lose 50 or so pounds so make sure your weekly weight loss goal is set to 1 pound per week. And when you exercise, make sure you eat back at least half of the earned calories.

As far as foods, you can eat exactly what you eat now, just keep your portions reasonable. You can start making some small changes as well in order to improve the health factor if you'd like. Like instead of having chips with your sandwich, have an apple or some carrot sticks. Instead of having candy in the afternoon, have some greek yogurt or a protein bar. Instead of bulking up recipes with rice or pasta, bulk them up with extra veggies - they're filling and much lower in calories.

I find planning foods for the week helps a lot with keeping things on track. If I have lunch and snacks packed, I won't grab whatever's handy in the cafe or vending machines. If I have chicken in the fridge that needs to be cooked up before it goes bad, I'll cook that (and not waste money) instead of ordering take-out.

Best of luck!

megsmom2

don't diet. diets are by definition a temporary aberation in your normal pattern. you can lose weight on ANY diet. they all work. temporarily. what you need to be doing is making a change in how you relate to food and to your body. start by tracking what you're eating, and MFP is perfect for that. it is an amazing learning tool and a way to hold yourself accountable for your choices. that's really what it comes down to...making a good choice, and then another, and then another. they add up. get healthy by eating healthier, moving more, and making good choices every day. and don't punish yourself for off-steps..you're human, and you deserve a treat now and then---and then go right back to making good choices. you can do this!!