Hi :) New Here and have a long way to go

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  • amandaygriffin
    amandaygriffin Posts: 15 Member
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    Welcome! I am new to the community, but not MFP. I have used it before and I believe it is a GREAT tool to monitor caloric intake. I also LOVED the way I felt when I was running before, but like you, I gave up when the scale quit changing. I have to be honest and say this: you should weigh yourself so you know exactly how much you weigh. I thought I weighed 10 pounds more than I did before I stepped on the scale and it felt awesome to know exactly how much I weigh now! You can add me as a friend and we can be in this together!

    Also, great job on the walking! I agree, you DO have to start somewhere!
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Welcome. Seems to me like you have a good practical positive attitude that should do you well in the months and years to come on your journey. Just starting out and where you are at now you can make a big difference in your health and appearance with just small substitutions in your diet, a little portion control and daily walks like the one you described. If you found the scale discouraging I think you were right to put it away and focus just on making just some small changes that can really help you out in the long term.

    Good luck to you.
  • donnellyalynn
    donnellyalynn Posts: 22 Member
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    Welcome! Feel free to add me :)
  • ashleyjohnstonn1
    ashleyjohnstonn1 Posts: 359 Member
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    Welcome! Feel free to add me :)
    My diary is open and you can browse around!

    My best advice is this: You DON'T need to be perfect. Keep that in mind. Trying to be perfect is what will kill you, and it will prevent you from losing the weight. It is all about moderation. Take things you love, an try to make them healthier. For example I add some carrots in my spaghetti. Or, instead of having a bagel with cream cheese I have half a bagel with one tablespoon of low fat cream cheese and add some fruit in to the meal to replace the other half of the bagel I normally would've eaten. Instead of having chicken and potatoes, I have chicken, a little bit off potatoes, and a huge serving of a veggie I enjoy. Try to cut out the nonessentials. Does that butter really make your bread taste THAT much better? Don't cut out all things you enjoy. It is all about moderation. Even Jillian Michaels says eat healthy foods 80% of the time, and whatever you want 20% of the time. Working out is important, but eating healthy is even more important in my opinion. ALWAYS log ALL your food so you can see what you're really eating. Even if it's 5 tortilla chips - log them! And buy a food scale if possible, so that you can accurately log just how much you're eating.

    The reason why I find that it's better to eat treats in moderation rather than cut them out completely is that this is about a lifestyle change, it's not about losing weight and going back to where you were. That means you need something sustainable that isn't going to be impossible to follow after you lose the weight.

    Congratulations on taking steps toward a more fit lifestyle. :)

    Also, if you don't want to use the scale that's fine. But try to take measurements once a month! And take before pictures, because it'll be really encouraging to see just how much your body changes!
  • odalis_inoa
    odalis_inoa Posts: 1
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    Hi, I'm new to this also. Hi everyone! :)
  • IslandSeeker
    IslandSeeker Posts: 17
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    Feel free to add me! Sounds like you are making s great start:smile:

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