I'm trying my best but I'm hopelessly lost!

mysterythatbinds

Hi all! I'm new here and I'm new to online communities too so forgive me if I seem like a slow learner at this - I'm a genuine newbie. Anyways, my reason for posting is this: I am totally lost amidst all of the weight loss information, numbers, safety guidelines out there. I'm overwhelmed with it all. But I am here and I'm not giving up. I just don't know what to do. I've been trying to lose weight for a solid couple of months. I don't know what is safe, what numbers are right for me anymore - I'm lost at sea. Anyone want to be my mentor? Is there a "hopelessly lost but is now found" group that I can join?

At least I know that I love to run, when I run I feel as if there is nothing else I was born to do. I just started but I know I won't give that up - 3x a week. I'm also gluten free(have to); no sugar added; no junk foods; I love to eat clean foods; I believe in calories, carbs, fats, protein and chicken; I'm already pretty strong from a physically active job that requires lifting of 40#. My personal problem is I overeat. I continue to gain weight because I will overdose on even clean foods. And I work around unhealthy foods part-time (eek!) so when I lose it, it's bad. I need some structure to help me fight my bad habits and cultivate the right ones but the more I read, the more I don't know what to do. Please help with my information overload. I just need a simple, safe, tried and true structure that I can believe in. Advice, how you did it stories or pointing me in the proper direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! :flowerforyou:

mmreed

Hello! Welcome to MFP!

MFP is a really great resource to keep you focused and connect you with a wealth of fitness resources and like minded folks.


1. Log your foods every day - don't skip days, or parts of your day. log everything!
2. Analyze each day - see where it went good and where it went bad - too much fat? maybe too many carbs? over the calorie limit? Identify and plan how to correct it for tomorrow.
3. Reach out to the community with questions or advice needs.
4. Build a network of friends here!
5. Above all, do not believe everything you read here. There is a lot of great advice, but also some misleading and hype type advice. Part of getting fit is educating yourself in aspects of health and fitness. Make sure any questionable advice is looked at with a scientific eye and look for facts, evidence, and most importantly real world proof.
6. You are more than a number. Sometimes the scale may not say what you hoped - thats fine. weight loss is not a straight line declination. Its a bumpy line that drops over time. Don't let single day numbers get your focus away from term based results.
7. Vary your exercises. Your body forms memories and can slow down how it burns fat and builds muscles. Keep it confused! Hit it hard with cardio styles. Build lean muscle to burn even more fat.
8. and above all - take your photo now! You will want to look back and have a starting BEFORE picture to proudly display along with your series of PRESENT or CURRENT photos during your transformation and continued lifestyle of fitness.

I welcome you, and anyone else out there to add me as a friend. I have made fitness and health my passion and love the idea of folks joining me in my new lifestyle of being fit, healthy, and most importantly - HAPPY!.

I'm here to support and motivate!!! I find my own success comes easier when I help and fuel other folks success.

and remember - most folks care more about the quality of fuel they put in their lawn mowers than the fuel they put in their bodies. Don't be one of those people. Whole foods. Natural foods. Intelligent choices.



Fit for life,
Mark M. Reed
aka Marc Mayhem - Fitness Blogger, and Motivator!


Add me as a friend and take part in my daily fitness discussions, tips, and commentary on MyFitnessPal!

,.,.,

Ladronzz

Feel free to add me i can attempt to help you best i know how (basically the way my friend helped me) i think patience is the key trial and error is the only way to figure out what works....Rome wasn't built in a day as they say and neither will your perfect level of fitness...But anything is possible if you put in the work though

mysterythatbinds

Thank you

Tony_Brewski

"....You have to trust in yourself
You must believe in yourself
You have to follow your heart
You overcome, improve, endure..."

Welcome to MFP! This is one of the best support communities on the intergooglewebnets! You will find scores of helpful tips and advise from several people.

First and foremost! Talk to your doctor! They will know what is best for you 'diet' wise. Secondly do not DIET. Make a life style change and commit to it! Dieting is a fade that fails. Once I realised this and saught out some strong advise from a US Army Drill Sgt for advise I started melting inches off. I'm not in this to lose pounds, Im here to lose body fat % and so far I'm down close to 12% off since the first week of May.

Once you start logging your daily foods and exercise you spot your patterns and strengths and weaknesses. Thats when you can light the fire and start to burn the midnight oil!

You own this! You know you can do this, there's not quiting no going back. Failure is not an option.

http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator

http://www.calculator.net/army-body-fat-calculator.html

Heres a couple links that I found very helpful for getting myself squared away.

Make a goal a long term goal. Than setup a weekly goal, something realistic, something that you can achieve. This builds confidence and self esteem, the more you build on this the better your chances of your long term goal are. Myself I set a weekly goal of losing 1% body and or 0.5" on my waist. My long term goal was to hit 24% by the end of Oct. Well on the 25th of July I hit 23%. Just by setting weekly goals that I knew I could achive it took my mind off of my long term goal, and the more I saw me chaning the more I was willing to push myself.

Make sure you take a close look at what you eat. Get ready to throw out the nasties. Soda pop, chips, fruit juices (yes fruit juices - you might as well be eating candy for the amount of added sugar in these things - unless you make your own from fresh fruit). Remember to eat! So many people starve themselves that they end up not losing anything. You need to fuel your body. Water is also so very very important I cannot stress how important water is when trying to lose weight.

abbykathleen

Welcome! I've only been on for a week, so add me too! I'm always looking for more friends.

mysterythatbinds

Thank you for the support! I am definitely in it for the lifestyle change and it is so helpful to have a link to others that are in it for the long haul too. Thanks all!