Advice on diet and steady weight loss please :)

IWillBeSlim35

Well as the title says really...

I need to lose 3.5 Stone or 49lb for anyone who's not english lol.

I'm eating healthier, drinking more water and exercising for 30-60mns a day minimum with one or two rest days.

I would just like some advice/opinions on diet and exercise plans for maximum benefit please, like is it better to eat little and often or three meals a day.

Any links for whole plans greatly appreciated.

I just need knowledge from all you MFPers who have been successful in your weight loss journeys.

Thanks in advance.

mr_mitch

it doesn't matter whether you eat little and often, or 3 big meals a day.... or whatever...... just do whatever works best for you.

whats more important is that you stick to your calorie goal and log accurately!

you also need to log your exercise accurately and eat back the calories - but most people suggest only eating 50 - 75% of them because this website tends to overestimate cals burned.

I'm sorry I don't have any links to any plans - but I wouldn't say you needed one - if you log correctly (weigh your food) and pay attention that you're getting the right amounts of fat, carbs, protein - then it will work!

Branstin

Here is a great place to start:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

tinkbaby101

I haven't been here long, but there are a couple of things I've learned (and been surprised by).

What you eat, when you eat, or how often you eat matters a whole lot less than how much you eat. I was honestly really surprised that I could actually lose weight while including my favorite "less than healthy" foods.

That being said, you can only do what works best for you. Some people like big breakfasts, and fewer calories in the evening. Others skip breakfast altogether, and eat a big dinner. Some graze and eat 6 small meals a day. Do what works best for you, that helps you stay at a caloric deficit.

Here's an excellent link that's right here on MFP, if you haven't seen it already: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

And one that I've found useful in calculating my BMR and TDEE, to determine how many calories I actually need: http://iifym.com/

120by30

Someone wrote an awesome thread that I suggest you search and read in its entirety. It pretty much sums it ALL up! It's called "A Guide to get you Started on Your Path to Sexypants". Best of luck to you!

And it looks like I was beaten to the punch. Just consider my post another vote for you to read the thread.

Laura732

This site is a good place to 'relearn' about good nutrition. It is a Clean Eating site, but like I said, its a good place to learn. Meal plans are available too.

http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/

You'll probably see lots of posts about low carbs, If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM), Atkins, and more. It doesn't hurt to do some homework and find out what will work for you. Like others have said, log your food consistently, exercise, and just keep trying. Weight loss isn't consistent. On week you'll do really well, and then the next week, not so well. Regardless of what the scale says, keep on working on it.

SharellyBme

I'm only speaking from MY personal experience. My metabolism is awesome at burning fat when I eat small healthy meals throughout the day. I also make sure to eat within an hour of waking up to jump start my metabolism. I have my "heavy" meal during lunch time and work out in the morning to burn calories from the night before. I also find that this helps regulate my energy levels for the rest of the day.

I learned all these great tips which has helped me lose 10lbs so far from weightlossnerds. com ....check it out!

1princesswarrior

Here's another link, actually two with more information:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

I'm sure any of us that posted or recommended these link would be happy to answer any questions if you have them. I would!

PinkNinjaLaura

The link you were given (twice) is a good one.

I try to get in lean proteins, dairy, whole grain carbs, fruits, veggies, etc. Having said that I eat the occasional chocolate chip cookie or ice cream too. I really just aim to burn more than I eat, but I can eat a lot more if I make certain food choices so on an ideal day those are the bulk of my calories.

Consistency is really important. You can use the MFP formula of eating back what you burn (although I second the recommendation not to eat back all the exercise calories) or you can find a calorie range that works for you and eat that every day. That's the method I use because it's easiest for me and my workout schedule is pretty structured so from week to week I'm generally doing the same workouts. Whatever method you choose, stick with it and give it time to work. The people who seem to struggle the most are the ones who are switching things up every week trying to figure out what works best. It might take a couple of weeks to really start seeing progress so don't give up before you give it a chance to work. If you have a bad day, brush it off and just get back on plan the next day. Don't try to over-compensate because that's just setting yourself up for failure.

Good luck!