Switching over and need guidance

LaRose86

Hello, I want to start by apologizing if someone already posted something about this already, butI tried mfp last year and lost weight but not in a way that I could sustain it and kept getting frustrated with it. I went to weight watchers and have lost 13 lbs and am looking yo transition from weight watchers to mfp. Icurrently weight 174 lbs and started out at 188. I am currently in the middle of struggling to get to the gym 4 days a week due to school. I say struggling because I do well for a week then the next week I go one day and not the rest of the week. Mainly because Im still lookig for a workout routine that seems like fun like an obstacle course then a chore like just running or lifting weights. But I figure any days at the gym is better then what I was doing which was sitting on the couch watching tv.

But here's what I'm looking to find out:

1. Do I need to track fat, protein, carbs, etc. If so how do you choose your meals to keep your values on track such as not going over or way under.

2. How many calories should I really be eating? Mfp says I should eat 1200 calories but my doctor suggested 1500 calories a day

3. What is this people say about eating back half your exercise calories? Is it necessary?

4. Weight watchers has a simply filling technique where you dont need to log foods or worry about portions that are considered power foods ie, plain vegetables, lean meats with skin and fat trimmed off, 100% whole wheat/ grains etc. Would this be ok to not log these things and log extra stuff such as candy and what not and allot myself a weekly allowance of calories for items not on the list similar to weight watchers?

Sorry if they seem like simple answers but I have been borderline high on my cholesterol and begged my doctor to give me a chance to lose weight and get healthy before putting me on meds.The only guidance she gave me for dieting and lowering my cholesterol was google a diet and do around 1500 calories.

Thanks in advance,
Janet

jagbug2014

Hi Janet! I'm June and I've lot 60+pounds on WW over the past 11 years. I cancelled my membership to WW this morning. I had a total right hip replacement Nov. 22, 2013-so I have HIGH motivation to get the weight off. My Dr at Mayo says the hip will last longer, with a person at a normal weight. SO--it sounds like we both have the desire, so----LET'S DO THIS!! WE CAN!! My daughter lost 35 lbs on MFP and is now in a size 2-4 in jeans. It is possible-- you just find an accountability partner. I can be here for you, if you'd like. Follow your doctors orders, but I'm with you, with the Simple Start. I've lost 9lbs in 5 weeks, so I know it works. There are still calories in the foods though. I started entering the foods this morning-- less calories, more weight loss. Just remember the Healthy Guidelines--those work for any food plan. Good luck and let me know if you need any encouragement!! June

LaRose86

Hi June! I understand the hip replacement thing because my dad is getting his other hip finally replaced. Wow 9lbs in 5 weeks sounds better then what I was doing on ww. I can't wait to have the success your daughter had. I like your idea, an accountability buddy sounds good. I'm going to add you as a friend. I'm just trying to get a firm grip on this stuff because ww was easy just counting points. I guess I'll start off keeping it simple and just track calories. You make a point about foods having calories maybe thats why I was only averaging a little over a pound a week even from the get go. Thanks again June.

tribe216

I just switched over from WW too just a couple weeks ago. I was told that approx 1pt for every 50 calories, so you may be able to calculate your intake on that. MFP had me at 1200 when I entered my profile, but I raised it to 1350 based on my WW points (which was 27). I will drop my calories down by increments of 50 as I lose 5-10lbs, just as my points would have dropped down. I felt like I was eating way more doing MFP, but I calculated my points based on my daily info for a couple days and I was eating about the same in calories v. points.

I add my workout into this, but I try not to eat the calories, but if you are hungry, eat them. I just wouldn't go over and beyond that, but I think you would get better results if you just eat the base calories for the day,and if you are doing serious workouts, add some extra protein and carbs in accordingly.

bwogilvie

1. Do I need to track fat, protein, carbs, etc. If so how do you choose your meals to keep your values on track such as not going over or way under.

Depends on your goals. I try to get at least 20% of calories from protein, to ensure I have enough essential amino acids. I may increase that when I reach goal and try to put on a little more muscle mass. My regular diet usually gets me around 20% protein, 30% fat, and 50% carbohydrate, though some days the balance is tilted one way or the other. Try tracking what you eat without worrying about the macronutrient (protein, fat, carb) balance, and see what it looks like, before deciding whether you need to worry about it. If you find you're getting most of your calories from refined carbohydrates, you might want to rethink what you eat as well as how much.

2. How many calories should I really be eating? Mfp says I should eat 1200 calories but my doctor suggested 1500 calories a day
3. What is this people say about eating back half your exercise calories? Is it necessary?

These are two parts of the same question. MFP calculates calorie goals without exercise, by estimating the calories that you will burn through your everyday activities, and then creating a deficit based on your weight loss goal. If you exercise, you've increased the deficit. It's not healthy to eat too little food (you need protein and fat to maintain your body's organs), so you should eat back the exercise calories.

Your doctor probably told you 1500, presuming that you would be getting some exercise most days. So if you use MFP's model, and your average daily exercise burns 300 calories, you get 1200 + 300 = 1500.

Some people say to eat back only half, because it's hard to estimate exercise calories, and MFP's database tends to overestimate for a lot of activities.

In any case, all these numbers are estimates: MFP is estimating how many calories you need for daily life, you're estimating how many calories you eat, and you're estimating how many calories you burn in exercise. All these estimates need to be checked against reality, by comparing them with your progress. Most people are bad at estimating how much they eat, for instance:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

4. Weight watchers has a simply filling technique where you dont need to log foods or worry about portions that are considered power foods ie, plain vegetables, lean meats with skin and fat trimmed off, 100% whole wheat/ grains etc. Would this be ok to not log these things and log extra stuff such as candy and what not and allot myself a weekly allowance of calories for items not on the list similar to weight watchers?

MFP is based on the principle that you lose weight if you take in fewer calories than you expend. To know how many calories you take in, you need to record them. Furthermore, research has shown that people who keep a log of everything they eat tend to eat less than those who don't, even if they're not counting calories. MFP is just a tool, and you can use it the way you like, but for it to work best, you should log everything you eat.

Good luck!

nancybuss

Great info above.

Welcome!!!!

I agree, start with the calories, see where you stand and keep going. A pound a week is a very nice steady loss.

My "good" cholesterol was very bad. I've gotten it up out of the danger zone into 'ok'.... now I"m pushing for better!

Glad you're here!
Nancy

meltedsno

...a suggestion on getting into an exercise routine. I was the queen of "excuses". I work 10 hour days...add an hour for my daily commute... gotta go to bed early to get up by 4am, to get to work... one day I ran out of excuses. What I did was invest in a treadmill and got hooked on netflix. I find series that draw me in and will not allow myself to watch an episode unless I am on the treadmill. I have become very good at reading while I walk... typing while I walk... I can do just about everything while I am walking. no more excuses... OH... and the other thing that worked for me is investing in a fitbit. darn little piece of plastic actually has me parking at the very end of parking lots just to get extra steps in! There are days that I just do not want to get on the treadmill... I do not want to walk... I want to be lazy.... but then by evening, I am just plain mad at myself for being lazy and next thing you know, I am walking. I keep telling myself that if I let my walking slip, all the work I've done in the last 7 months was for nothing....

LaRose86

Thanks so much for the help! Especially for clearing things up. Ill convert my points to calories and use that as a starting point for calories. I'll also ignore the micronutrients for a while and see how I do. And continue to track everything. Also thanks for the gestion on the treadmill and fit bit. I was hoping if I drug myself to the gym for a couple weeks it would become a habit.