How did you go about beginning?

benlambrou

Mine is about the same as about the same as above about the 3weeks makes a habit except i did not cut out things from the get go. Pop i did switch to diet. During my main meals I did try to eat healthier but still had whatever i normally would. I started by just trying to eat breakfast. Cereal or oatmeal or whatever from the house and not fast food. After i got used to that I started with a morning a snack of some type of fruit. I always ate lunch so next thing was having a healthy snack after work. So after 2-3 months I was able to eat the # of meals all the food gurus said you need to help with metabolism.

Now with having a decent breakfast and 2 healthy snacks to help with hunger issues I began focusing on my lunch and dinner. This is where premaking meals came in. I now make all my lunches on sunday for the week and just microwave. This is when i started counting calories for the first time and did it on paper. i made all of them in the 400 range which you can make a pretty wide variety of meals.

I than moved on to actually exercising about 5-6months from starting. Now all of it is just daily life.

I just starting using MFP again and hoping it will help with plateaus for losing the next 40lb

chezjuan

I started by cutting my calories and adding exercise. Other than that I didn't change anything. This worked for me. As I learned more, I started tweaking things - upping my protein, adjusting my exercise routine, etc.

Once you get started, just tweak things until you find something that works for you. And don't worry about going over every once in a while. If you are at a deficit, you probably won't even get to your maintenance calories if you get a little in the red calorie-wise.

knra_grl

I found it easiest to start by just logging everything I ate in a day. It helped me see where my calories were coming from and decide where I was willing to change my habits. Once I had my meals figured out, I decided to keep it simple by only giving myself treats on days I exercised. It was an easy way to motivate me, and I could decide if I preferred being lazy or having a cookie. No stress, no huge changes, and best of all, no depriving myself of the things I loved so I could stick with it.

yup pretty much and read the forums you will learn a lot

callyart

Spend a couple of days logging what you usually eat to see where you're going wrong, and start from there.

First of all, I cut out fizzy/high calorie drinks and take away foods.
I then found replacement meals for the unhealthy things I was eating.
I put lots more fresh fruit and veg into my diet, along with nuts, which has helped keep me full in between meals.
Weigh your food - you'd be surprised at just how much you eat, and how many calories are in what foods. I was shocked at calories in cheese, bread, etc, it all adds up!
I have switched white bread for wholemeal and have cut how much bread I eat pretty much by half.

I hope this helps!

FrauStorm

I've been struggling with my weight since I was about 14. I went from overcoming a small encounter with anorexia to becoming a binge eater. My binge eating was the worst once I was about a year and half into my relationship with my boyfriend. We would cook entire boxes of pasta and eat it between us two. We'd eat 2 pizzas a day and drink soda.

We broke up about 2 months ago and about a month into being back at my mom's and being unemployed, I decided it was time for change. I started light with the 30 day squat challenge and replaced my drinks with water. I have a really old digital scale but it still seems to be accurate so I weigh myself every 2-4 days. Even on days where I cheat and eat something bad, I just flush my system with lots of water! It's become a habit for me, now.

I completed my squat challenge and still do 100 squats on a daily basis. I love to dance so I use that for cardio. Yesterday, I started the 30 Day Shred challenge for the second time! Last year I did it but didn't get very far. I feel very committed this time although I'm super sore.

What about my moments of weakness? I envision my goals. I think about the people I want to impress, and the clothes I want to wear. I remember why I started to get fit in the first place. I think of my future and how proud and happy I will be once I succeed. I have failed so many times before and I think about how unhappy I was when I was living such an unhealthy lifestyle. It's so difficult to kick old habits, especially when you've lived with them basically your entire life! But it's possible. You're the only thing in your way.

Never give up on your goal. Never.
Be confident in your every step.
And when your thoughts become heavy at night, go to sleep.

manierata

Hey--in the beginning, I just ate what I would normally ate but made myself stop as soon as I began to feel full. If I needed a snack later, then I had one. After a while, I adjusted to eating less and didn't need to snacks. You learn. Feel free to add me if you want the support.