Successful MFPals-what's your BEST advice for newbies?

paddlegirl831

Thank you so much for this post! I'm just getting started (for the thousandth time, of course) and know the hardest part will be maintaining motivation over the long haul. Thanks for the inspiration!

fuhrmeister

I love this post Cory. I agree with all that you wrote. I also agree with above posters about water, water, water and by a scale to wight foods. I also use measuring cups to portion out food.

Also, please note that a 3500 calorie a week burn might not be the best thing for you espically if you don't eat enough or you fill the burnd cals with empy snacks. I use my exercise cals for icecream sometime but I found that about an 1800 calorie burn is all I really need in a week to be sucessful. Try different exercises and see what burn works best for you.

Oishii

Remember everyone is different. Follow advice, but then watch how YOUR body reacts and adjust accordingly.

gemma971

I am a newbie and these post are very helpful! Thank you guys so much! Also wanted to add something that has helped me through the past 13 days, I save enough calories for a skinny cow ice cream every day! It gives me something to look forward to during the day and it really helps keep me on track!

Gennawest

Watch ur sodium and sugas as much as u watch calories and fat.

RobinsEgg

Your mind has to be in the game. Its the biggest player of all. Do mind exercises if you have to every day to strengthen your "eye on the prize"

autumnridge

#1 for me is to clear the cabinets of temptation. That is hard when married to a Grandpa who thinks the grandkids need treats available when they come. I've tried to encourage the treats to be fruit.

#2 is to not deprive myself of some of my favorite foods, one of them being ice cream. Wednesday is ice cream day. If I add the calories in as part of my lunch, I can keep at or close to my daily goal. I enjoy baking homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, etc. I rarely make the bread any more and maybe make cinnamon rolls 4 or 5 times a year, have one, and distribute the remainder to my husband, family, and neighbors. I'm not deprived and others enjoy the fruits of my labor.

#3 is to meditate or pray, whatever your belief. Having a calm center is a great way to avoid those anxiety nibbles.

#4 is to exercise at least 6 days a week. Because of the intense heat and humidity being harder on "older" people (I'm 70+) I have avoided walking outside and have either ridden my stationary recumbent bike or done Wii Fit exercises. I admit I feel guilty on the day I don't exercise!

#5 is have a friend or family member who will be supportive. I found a great picker upper for me was an evening out with some friends I had not seen for about 6 months. They told me how great I was looking. Sometimes, it is hard to see the results in the mirror yourself, so it is nice to get the complimentary words from others.

#6 is logging what I eat. Sometimes it seems as if that little morsel of this or that could not possibly make that much difference, but all little morsels add up to some big calories. Keep it no lower than 1200 calories or your body can go into starvation mode. I find it is really helpful to eat at regular times before I get too hungry. If we go out to eat and I am over hungry, I tend to slip and order foods that are higher in calories even if I have a plan in mind before I go.

I hope all of this is helpful to the "newbies" and wish you all the best of luck.

sarah44254

Sweat

Don't be afraid to lift weights. They don't make you big and bulky without months of TRYING for that look.

Run. Helps clear your mind and is the perfect cardio exercise.

Eat. Eat food! Real food, not fake food. Eat food that will rot if you leave it alone. Eat food that attracts gnats, they like it because it is good for you (they don't really come after you when you have candy bars and milkshakes). Eat enough food to fuel yourself for all the energy you need that day.

You might need more than 1200. It is ok to eat more than that!

Water is awesome

schedules are great for 'I don't have time' to workout

Try cooking your own meals. You might love it!

Package tomorrows meals tonight, so they are ready for you when you get hungry.

Have a candy. Have a soda. Doesn't matter. Just have a little bit, and not very often. It will not cause you to fail.

Measure yourself often! Every 2 - 4 weeks! You will see progress here if not on the scale.

TAKE BEFORE PHOTOS. You will want these I PROMISE you.

Reach out for friendship. This website is full of beautiful people with support to share with you.

kimcat73

Excellent thread, gotta BUMP it!

andreasoulcastle

thank you so much everyone for the tips, this motivates me so much!!

IMYarnCraz33

thank you for sharing

ebramlett

Patience, patience and more patience. Hard work, sweat, determination not to let yourself fail, and discipline. Honesty, honesty, and more honesty. No excuses, sweat and more sweat. Confidence that you CAN and WILL succeed. No gym membership required. Any exercise that makes your heart pound and makes you sweat like a pig is a good one. Log your foods no matter how small. Plain and simple.

And last, support. There is a ton of it here. The best in my opinion.

It worked for me. Seven months ago (39years old), I was 40 pounds overweight, lazy, out of shape and a heavy smoker. Today, BMI 22, non-smoker, love exercising, mountain biking, wearing the same size I did in high school and in the best shape of my life!! Too bad I had towait to 40 to do it.

If I can do it, anyone can!!

duckle777

Thank you for this topic!

Abk2bhealthy

Thank you so much for all of the advice.:flowerforyou:

michfitzhome

great thread. i am just trying to get motivated, i just do not want to do it.

lessthantres

Thank you everyone for this input! I needed this. I'm not a very patient person and have a hard time waiting for results. I'm now trying to take it day by day.

Saruman_w

Don't become too obsessed with seeing immediate results. Weightloss is a slow process and it takes time. Be patient and never give up. If something didn't go right one week, make some changes and keep going. Doing the same thing over and over will yield results for only so long so keep switching things up.

RobinsEgg

Motivation and will power are NOT easy to come by. You have to search your soul each morning to find them.

Kellyh01

Your #3 is probably the best advice. For me, I can't make a 180-type switch. I start by changing nothing in my diet, but just logging everything I eat. It makes me aware of how much I am actually eating, and I can see where I can make a small, do-able change. ex: cut the amount of salad dressing in half, or have scrambled eggs but leave off the melted cheese. I have kids, so seeing in black and white how many calories I was eating by finishing off their plates was eye-opening. I lost 50 pounds last year by changing things very gradually. After a week of just logging food, my first calorie goal was 2,200. That was easy to do and not feel deprived, so then I lowered it to 2000, then 1700, then 1500. This was over the course of a couple months. Nov. and Dec. I stopped using mfp and gained 15 pounds. Now I'm back to logging (and losing) again. If I have a cheat type treat and log it, it is easier to stop with that one thing, rather than toss in the towel for the whole day. I'd rather be 300 calories over my goal at the end of the day than 1300 calories over. Log every bite you take! Awareness is key for me.