Hey Everyone! I am taking the first step...

miracle

Hi..I am now taking the first step towards what I hope to be a successful journey to lose weight and get healthy. If you would like to be buddies or have any inspiration...Please let me know!

Rayoffitness

Hi! I am doing the same. I really need to get going a get this weight off me. I look forward to reading your posts and hopefully we can encourage each other.

leann_m_olson

You will love it here, great tools and great people!

Good Luck on your journey. :flowerforyou:

Shanta1983

Welcome to MFP, this site is FABUOUS..... remember this site will only work if you allow it to, Give it your all 100% and I guarantee you will see results, you gone have some bumps along the way, but you can do it.

BrenNew

Hi..I am now taking the first step towards what I hope to be a successful journey to lose weight and get healthy. If you would like to be buddies or have any inspiration...Please let me know!

Hi, and welcome to the best site on the web!
Between the easy to use food diary, which by the way is SUCH an eye opener , and all the wonderfully supportive members here, you WILL be able to lose the weight that you want to!
I recommend logging all your foods BEFORE you have them, rather than after, as it tends to lead to better food choices!
Also, drink lots and lots of water, it really DOES help!
Before coming to MFP, I'd tried just about everything out there, including hypnosis, TWICE, and NOTHING really worked until I came here!
As long as you "work with your daily numbers", and get some exercise, you WILL lose the weight!

mrshutt

Welcome! Congratulations for taking the first step to losing weight for good. I just joined also and am ready to get the weight off. Use the site every day and be honest and enter everything you eat. Even if you have a bad day, log it because most of the time it isn't as bad as you think. One great thing about this website is the home page, it keeps you on track by telling you how many calories you have remaining and so it help you when you want a snack you can log it to see if you are within your range. Also when you finish logging, you enter that and it will tell you that if "everyday was like today you will weigh..." that is a really handy tool. So good luck on the journey. Everyone here is so supportive.

mel62682

Hi everyone, I just joined and I am ready for a new healthy start. I just had my third son jan-09, so I am trying to get back into shape and I am finding it to be a lot harder this time around. So I am hoping this website will motivate me. Thanks for you time and support.

BrenNew

Hi everyone, I just joined and I am ready for a new healthy start. I just had my third son jan-09, so I am trying to get back into shape and I am finding it to be a lot harder this time around. So I am hoping this website will motivate me. Thanks for you time and support.

Welcome Mel! You're gonna love it here! :flowerforyou:

AlmostHot

Welcome Miracle and Mel, hope to see you around the forum

NuNee

Good morning and happy 4th. I joined last night. I hope this is as good as all the post say. I am AGAIN at the bottom... I have tried them all, Atkins, TOPS, Weight Watchers. You name it I have tried it. Sure they work, but, not for me for long. I do like WW, but, it gets pricey. This site would be perfect if I could add the points that I am used to keeping. Calories, I don’t know, that is a lot of work. Any way hope to hear from some of you. Thanks Nunee

BrenNew

Good morning and happy 4th. I joined last night. I hope this is as good as all the post say. I am AGAIN at the bottom... I have tried them all, Atkins, TOPS, Weight Watchers. You name it I have tried it. Sure they work, but, not for me for long. I do like WW, but, it gets pricey. This site would be perfect if I could add the points that I am used to keeping. Calories, I don’t know, that is a lot of work. Any way hope to hear from some of you. Thanks Nunee

Hi Nunee, and welcome! :flowerforyou:
MFP really DOES work, take my word for it! Just check out my profile pics and you can see what a difference MFP has made in my life! Just like you, I've ALSO tried just about everything. Let's see, Weight Watchers, Dr's diets, Over Eaters Annonamous, Hypnosis (twice!) Gloria Steven's figure salon, Curves, Low Carb, Planet Fitness, and gosh knows what else, I can't remember them all! :noway:
Everything worked "somewhat", for a short time, and then I'd just give up! The reason that MFP works SOOOOOOOOO much better than anything else is that it's NOT a diet! It's a "lifestyle change". I know when I first heard that, I said "YA, RIGHT, SURE IT IS!" But, I soon discovered that it REALLY IS!
Whenever I heard the word diet, right away, I also thought the word "deprived"! I'd be able to stick to a "diet" for a few weeks, but then, I would eat some "goodies", and just give up, since I knew that I couldn't always be "good". With MFP, I learned early on that I CAN have the stuff that I love! I've learned how to combine exercise with my eating to raise my numbers, and to eat in moderation "MOST" of the time. I "work with my numbers", and occasionally fit in things such as a double cheeseburger from McDonald's, a "real" ice-cream, (instead of my Edy's slow churned, no sugar added cookie dough that is SOOOO good it's "almost" the same as the real thing! ) pizza, cookies, and even Chinese food every few months. It's really worked for me! Just knowing that I'm NOT deprived has made all the difference, and I have lost the weight that I wanted to, AND, I know that with MFP, I CAN keep it off too!
Give it your best shot, "work with your numbers", drink lots of water, get some exercise, and it WILL work for you too!
Ps. And exercise doesn't HAVE to be expensive or horrible! I walk, and dance to a fast oldies CD that my husband made for me of all my favorites, such as Love Shack, Mony, Mony, Footloose, Gloria, Wild, Wild, West, etc. It's fun, doesn't depend on the weather like walking, and I'm never bored because I can also watch tv at the same time! :happy:

ogolindaq

Happy 4th of July. No hotdogs for me thank you! I'll stick with the watermellon. Yesterday was my first day and I was not prepared. I winded up eating two days worth of calories, and I was eating less than usual. Today I am making a plan and I am going to stick to it. I know I can do it, but I also know how hard it is. I won't let it defeat me. I am determined. If I can help you let me know, and I would appreciat any help anyone can give me. This is a journey that is filled with challenges but we can do it and it will be so great at the end, just like heaven I suppose!

shellygirl

Happy 4th of July. No hotdogs for me thank you! I'll stick with the watermellon. Yesterday was my first day and I was not prepared. I winded up eating two days worth of calories, and I was eating less than usual. Today I am making a plan and I am going to stick to it. I know I can do it, but I also know how hard it is. I won't let it defeat me. I am determined. If I can help you let me know, and I would appreciat any help anyone can give me. This is a journey that is filled with challenges but we can do it and it will be so great at the end, just like heaven I suppose!

Welcome Ogolindaq!
This is a WONDERFUL site! Lots of good people and good tools to help us learn how to eat healthy. Don't worry about yesterday--like you said you weren't prepared. I find that being prepared is a big help, that way I don't end up eating fast food because I don't know what's for dinner! But also, you said you ate less than you normally do, so that's a start! It'll take a while for your body to realize that it's not gonna get as much food as it used to. So just concentrate on one day at a time, don't let yesterday's indulgences ruin today's potential! And I agree that entering your food before you eat it is a HUGE help. That way you can find out if you can have 1 hotdog, or 2 (but turkey dogs are the way to go, and they taste good too!)

So welcome to the club! Yes we can do it!

ogolindaq

Thank you Shellygirl for the reply. I am planning my whole week today. I will take snack veggies to the office and I'm making one of those delicious low fat vegetable soups with cabbage and onions and celery etc. I find that if I have a cup of very hot soup before I eat, I feel full faster because I can't eat it fast and it helps my system know I have food it it before I have a chance to c ram it full! Your dog is cute. I have a Bischon Frize neamed Buddy and a cat named Molly, they think they are brother and sister. Congrats on your 8 pound loss, I know it feels good! I live in Chattanooga TN and it iis hilly everywhere, wish I had a flat place to walk, but I suppose the hills will burn more calories. Well, speaking of burning calories I have a planned walk to do. Molly follows us when I take Buddy for a walk, it is cute. Have a great 4th of July and thanks again for taking time to comment to me.
Linda

NuNee

Hello thanks for the reply BrenNew, sounds like we are in the same boat. Tried them all. Hope this one works. sounds like you have been sucessful. That is incouraging. Welcome ogolindaq, sounds like a walk in your area is going to be great. I live in Florida and it is pretty flat here. I don't walk much any more it is so hot lately. but, I do play in the pool every day for an hour.
Hey, I was looking at the exercise site, there are no Pilates listed . I have this CD and it has 5, 10 minute Pilate exercises but, no where could I find it in the list. I thought 10 minutes isn't much, but, six days a week it should be OK to start. Plus I started ab cruchs. I all ways start off great. Lets hope I can maintain it.
Everyone have a safe and HAPPY 4TH.
Nunee

weaklink109

Good morning and happy 4th. I joined last night. I hope this is as good as all the post say. I am AGAIN at the bottom... I have tried them all, Atkins, TOPS, Weight Watchers. You name it I have tried it. Sure they work, but, not for me for long. I do like WW, but, it gets pricey. This site would be perfect if I could add the points that I am used to keeping. Calories, I don’t know, that is a lot of work. Any way hope to hear from some of you. Thanks Nunee

Hi Nunee, and welcome! :flowerforyou:
MFP really DOES work, take my word for it! Just check out my profile pics and you can see what a difference MFP has made in my life! Just like you, I've ALSO tried just about everything. Let's see, Weight Watchers, Dr's diets, Over Eaters Annonamous, Hypnosis (twice!) Gloria Steven's figure salon, Curves, Low Carb, Planet Fitness, and gosh knows what else, I can't remember them all! :noway:
Everything worked "somewhat", for a short time, and then I'd just give up! The reason that MFP works SOOOOOOOOO much better than anything else is that it's NOT a diet! It's a "lifestyle change". I know when I first heard that, I said "YA, RIGHT, SURE IT IS!" But, I soon discovered that it REALLY IS!
Whenever I heard the word diet, right away, I also thought the word "deprived"! I'd be able to stick to a "diet" for a few weeks, but then, I would eat some "goodies", and just give up, since I knew that I couldn't always be "good". With MFP, I learned early on that I CAN have the stuff that I love! I've learned how to combine exercise with my eating to raise my numbers, and to eat in moderation "MOST" of the time. I "work with my numbers", and occasionally fit in things such as a double cheeseburger from McDonald's, a "real" ice-cream, (instead of my Edy's slow churned, no sugar added cookie dough that is SOOOO good it's "almost" the same as the real thing! ) pizza, cookies, and even Chinese food every few months. It's really worked for me! Just knowing that I'm NOT deprived has made all the difference, and I have lost the weight that I wanted to, AND, I know that with MFP, I CAN keep it off too!
Give it your best shot, "work with your numbers", drink lots of water, get some exercise, and it WILL work for you too!
Ps. And exercise doesn't HAVE to be expensive or horrible! I walk, and dance to a fast oldies CD that my husband made for me of all my favorites, such as Love Shack, Mony, Mony, Footloose, Gloria, Wild, Wild, West, etc. It's fun, doesn't depend on the weather like walking, and I'm never bored because I can also watch tv at the same time! :happy:

I second that reply. I have been down the Atkins road, and a few others. Watching calories and making good choices is SOOO much easier, and does NOT feel like deprivation. It also makes it easier to eat out, if that is a regular part of your life. A hint, if restaurants are intimidating for you, most of the major chains have nutritional info on their websites, that will help you plan. There are websites that you can use, also, to obtain nutritional info for restaurant food, even if they don't happen to have the data directly on their own site.

Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Most restaurants are glad to oblige requests, like hold the sauce, or do dressing on the side, because they want you to come back again!! For exampble-- TGI Fridays is one place I go frequently, and they have a shrimp skewer "Key West Shrimp" that comes with broccoli. I have them go easy on the cajun seasoning on the shrimp, and do the broccoli without the lime sauce. Then I have them bring me a little melted butter and some lemon or lime wedges and I can dr up m broccoli just fine and know what I am getting. The whole meal is <300 calories if you go real easy on the butter.

Good luck. If you make the personal committment to log your foods, do your exercise, and take comfort in the support and what you can learn from other members, you can do very well here.:flowerforyou:

wannabethinner

Hi, I have been on here almost a week, and I have found the most wonderful thing about it is the support from all the wonderful people. The next best thing is logging in the food. I was given the advice to log before you eat it and you will find yourself making wiser choices. She was so right! Good luck and we will be thinner, and healthier.
Karen

NuNee

Hello, Thanks again for all the support. I am getting used to the calorie counting a bit. I am still counting points on the side. That might be making me a bit crazy..... I do have to admit that just putting in the food item and having the calorie pop up is a lot easier. I am going on a trip to the East coast in a couple of weeks. That will be the real test for me.
Thanks again and God Bless.

MOMOFTWO29

Hello and welcome to MFP, the best website ever. You will love this site if you don't already. I it here. This site is so motivational, helpful, supportive, easy to use, and everyone is so nice and friendly here. I just wanted to tell you that I hope you have a lot of success on your weight loss journey. You can do this!!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Shinemaria

Hi everybody! My name is Maria. I just joined the site this morning and I'm really liking it so far - my problem is never really starting a program of course, it's the consistency factor. But since I'm a college student I'm on the web all the time anyway, hopefully seeing this page in my bookmarked section will help me to stay on track! Everybody seems soooo nice here, which is great. If anybody has advice on how to stay motivated, I'd LOVE to hear it - my laziness is severely affecting my life!!!

BrenNew

Hi everybody! My name is Maria. I just joined the site this morning and I'm really liking it so far - my problem is never really starting a program of course, it's the consistency factor. But since I'm a college student I'm on the web all the time anyway, hopefully seeing this page in my bookmarked section will help me to stay on track! Everybody seems soooo nice here, which is great. If anybody has advice on how to stay motivated, I'd LOVE to hear it - my laziness is severely affecting my life!!!

Hi Maria, welcome! :flowerforyou:
No one can motivate you more than yourself! I suggest reading a lot of the threads, and also check out the profile pics of members who have lost a fair amount of weight. Their before and after pics are really something, and will no doubt help you with your motivation!
If you give it your all, and "work with your numbers" through moderation and exercise, you WILL lose the weight that you want to!