dont know where to start...

jllipson

#1 trick I was told - your healthier foods are normally located on the outer areas of grocery store, the processed, boxed, added sugars, added sodium and not so good food for you is normally in the many aisles of the stores. Fresh fruits and veggies are better than canned or frozen (not that you can't have those, but those normally have more sodium as preservatives and flavor enhancers). Fresh cut (or even frozen without breading and flavors added) meats, fish and chicken, etc. Add your own flavoring, so you can control the addtives. Cheeses, yogurts, milk all have their benefits.

Did you allow MFP to set up your goals? Start reading labels, pre-plan meals and be diverse in your foods, it will make it easier to stay on track, if you don't go to the same foods all the time.

Exercise - and if you have a bad day DON'T give up.

Most important ***WATER***, minimum 8 cups a day - some recommend taking your weight dividing number in 1/2 and that's how many ounces per day.

Good luck and feel free to friend me, if you would like!

hey there thanks for all the great info how do you allow them to set up your goals only thing is i put that tracker on is that preset like it knows that i need to lose 122 i have no idea.

At the top of the screen, click on My Home, then bar under that click on goals, it will walk you through it and give you your recommended daily calories. If you want to increase or decrease in an area, let it set you up, then go back in and do it yourself and adjust the percentages to what you want (like I want higher protein, lower fat for mine, so I adjusted from recommendations).

daylitemag

Hey! Welcome aboard and good luck in your weight loss journey. I've just re-started mine for what feels like the 10,000th time. This is my first experience with an online tool like MFP.

I too am a picky eater, but you can find ways to change your diet to help get healthier. If I can do it anyone can. Walking is an easy way to start getting some exercise into your routine. Just open your front door and go for it!

I have found the following foods to be helpful: eggs (hard boiled), nuts (I will grab a small handful of dry roasted peanuts around 10 am and find it helps me get through to lunch), shrimp (frozen, cooked), chicken, chicken, chicken (boneless, skinless breast meat is easy to work with, very filling, and versatile.)

Try not to eat too many processed foods. Fresh is always best!

CARNAT22

This is my second weight loss journey (I lost 40lbs back in 2006) and a few tips I would pass on are:

* swap your white carbs for the brown / wholemeal variety - they are slow relseasing carbs so make you feel fully for longer (honestly once in sauce you cannot tell the difference between wholewhat pasta and the 'normal' variety)
* bulk up meals with salad or veg. Your plate should be mainly salad or veg, then protein, then a small portion of carbs
* make sure your snacks are healthy - go for fruit / yoghurt / seeds / nuts as opposed to chips / candy etc..
*try to cook from scratch as much as possible
* cut back on alcohol, convenience food, take aways and fast food - they should be an occasional treat.
* stick to lean meats
* stop drinking full fat soda
* drinks lots of water and cut down on diet soda
* take some daily exercise - even if it is just 60 minutes brisk walking
* you need to be patient - you wont lose all of your weight overnight
* don't feel guilty if you do slip up but DO NOT let a bad day turn into a bad week

Most importantly with MFP is to use your diary to plan (not just log)

Best of luck!

helenoftroy1

hellloooooo!!!! Welcome.
I'd suggest maybe a week of just logging your food, and not changing anything drastically for the first week. Get to know what you eat and what's good and what's not. I was amazed at some of the things I was eating that I thought weren't that bad but turned out to be really naughty!!!
The main thing for me when I started was reconditioning my brain with my approach to food. I never ate breakfast before my journey and now I'm hungry when I wake up. The journey is quite hard sometimes but the things you learn about yourself are incredible, and you start tasting things you've never tried before and feel stronger about yourself.

2nd - if you can get a buddy to go for walks with and have someone to chat to etc. You'll find you can walk quite far where you are distracted, and also very important you find some sort of exercise you enjoy. I don't run, I don't do anything where I feel my heart is going to pop out of my chest!!! I swim, do my elliptical with the TV on in the background and walk.

The most important part of this is deciding to make that change and starting. You've definitely come to the right place and these forums are so helpful with loads of advice.

Good luck!!!!!

MichelleF81

walking will burn ALOT more calories if your treadmill has an incline setting. I can burn 300 cals in 20 mins walking at 6.5kph on incline level 15. Foods to avoid anything processed or greasy and weigh out your portions so you know exactly how many cals you're eating.....its sooo easy to misjudge portion size. Fill your plate with veggies, salad and lean protein.....go easy on the bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Good luck to you

launchmynewlife

All the tips you have gotten are great! I'm learning too! Take baby steps, only walk for 10 minutes but do it 4 times a day. You'll be amazed at how fast it goes and what a difference it makes in the way you feel. I agree with the people who suggest you replace all white things in your diet with whole grains. Increase your fiber, too and drink, drink, drink some good water! Try your hardest to quit the diet sodas. They actually can and do spike your sugar and the desire to eat/cheat on junk foods. Also, they make you retain water. In the rare time that I have one, I only have a sip or two. If you have to have a sweet, eat a square of Dark Chocolate dipped in a little peanut butter. It's a decadent treat that will put a smile on your face! Have you seen the show Hungry Girl? I love it! So many good ideas! Reward yourself in some way, doing something you enjoy, when you reach your short term goals. Don't think about how much you have to lose, just take it one meal at a time! You can do it!

MinnieInMaine

I'm Hollycat and I have 100 pounds left to lose too. I've lost 11 so far and I am certain beyond a shadow of a doubt, for the first time in my life, that I will succeed.

Some tips:

Log your food for the day in the morning or the night before. If you plan what you're going to eat that day, you're less likely to waver. If you just have to have an ice cream cone, don't sweat it. Burn it off.

Walk. Anyone can do that and it's one of the best things you can do. Stick your headphones on or find a friend, get some good cushy runners to protect your feet and joints [it's harder on your knees and hips to walk if you're heavy, so good, supportive shoes are a must if you want to avoid unnecessary pain], dress for the weather and go. Log your walking in MFP.

Find some good recipes and don't be afraid to look for and try more when you start getting bored. Changing things up from time to time is good. Some good sites to start with are HungryGirl.com [for those of us who just can't let go of our likes] and SparkRecipes.com. [for those who like it healthier or are working towards it]

(snipped recipe)

Don't allow yourself to be confused by details. For today, go on the knowledge you already have. Don't dismiss what you've already done because you get new info. We're all learning and trying to share our info with like-minded folks. It doesn't mean we can't be acting today on what we know. Do what works for you. Let yourself become the person you want to be, gradually. You don't have to do it all perfectly right now, or ever.

Accept that this is not a temporary solution, but something you're going to have to work at every day for the rest of your life [while allowing yourself the odd slipup, binge, whatever and then forgiving yourself and getting on with it immediately] and you've got it made in the shade!

Good luck!

Hollycat
:flowerforyou:

^^ This! Don't let this whole life change thing overwhelm you. If thinking about that 100 pounds is freaking you out, just concentrate on losing the first 5 pounds or 5 percent of your current weight. And make baby steps - one change at a time. First get the hang of logging your foods, then start reviewing your days and see where you might be able to improve (for instance, too much sodium may mean you need to switch from canned/frozen foods to more fresh foods), then start working on slowly getting some exercise. And, yes, walking on your treadmill is fantastic exercise! In fact, whatever gets you moving and isn't torture for you, is great exercise! Just get moving...

And just one more note about foods. Not sure what you tend to eat or how picky you are but try avoiding the usual bad stuff like fried foods and too much fast food and go for fresher items, more veggies, fruit, etc.