Hello... I'm Manda.

ALCarpenter615

I am new to this community and I am focusing on weight loss. If anyone has any suggestions on getting started (a little motivation would be good!) please let me know.

Thanks,
Manda

Mindful_Trent

Welcome!! This is a great community with lots of people who are cheering for each other and who have lots of good ideas/advice. As far as getting started... you have to just dive right in. Don't know what your particular needs are (better diet, more exercise or both?) but I personally just made the decision one day to start buying healthy foods and eating lots of lean mean, whole grain, fruits and veggies. I track EVERYTHING I eat (even on my bad days), which really helps. I get more exercise now than I used to, but I don't beat myself up if I don't exercise as much as I "should" because I know I'm changing my habits slowly but surely. For me, food was the bigger hurdle to tackle than the exercise.

You CAN do it!! I've been at this about 7 or 8 weeks now and I've lost a little over 20 pounds.

ALCarpenter615

WOW... good for you! I am working to change both. I would like to focus on bettering my eating habits more importantly though. If you have any other advice, feel free to share. :happy:

Thanks,
Manda

CinthyNair

I can totally relate to accountant-boi ... food is a bigger challenge for me compared to exercise. I am disciplined enough to ensure I get my workouts, but it's the cravings which are really testing me ... I am trying my hardest to stick to good eating habits, and with its ups and downs, I have managed to lose 25lbs in 11 weeks.

It will be a bumpy road, with loads of obstacles and temptations, but just remember that YOU ARE WORTH IT, and just make it happen. Besides, all of us here need all the support and encouragement

Good luck on your journey!

Mindful_Trent

WOW... good for you! I am working to change both. I would like to focus on bettering my eating habits more importantly though. If you have any other advice, feel free to share. :happy:

Thanks,
Manda

You asked for it... :laugh:

Probably my biggest advice in a nutshell (kind of) would be:

-Drink LOTS of water
-Try to get enough sleep
-Log everything
-Watch your sodium intake (This was a struggle for me at first)
-Don't be afraid to try new fruits/veggies (I discovered that I LOOOOVE spaghetti squash!)

-Try to be aware of your personal needs - some people can handle temptation, but some people just have to remove as much of it as possible from their home, especially when they are first starting out.

-Let yourself have a "treat" a few times a week. For me, this is a deep chocolate vita-muffin or a no-sugar-added hot chocolate. This keeps me from feeling deprived and they're really easy to work into your food plan if you plan it ahead of time.

-If you're struggling with eating right, then plan out your food ahead of time for each day (the night before, or maybe plan out the whole week ahead of time). This will reduce spontaneous eating, which (at least for me) is the cause of most of my problems!

-If you think it will help, join a support group on the site. (Groups have their own threads under the motivation/support section where members of the group will check in daily or weekly and support each others). There are lots of different support groups, and not all of them have a set timeframe or anything. Even the ones that have been around awhile are more than happy to have new people join (that I've seen, at least).

Not everything works for everyone... but these seem to be what really work for me.
Good Luck!!!
-Tiff

spinningmango

hi manda, welcome to mfp