Hi there! I have some questions...

swankellen

Hi everyone!

I've been "dieting" off and on for years. I've done Weight Watchers, and it's worked, but I got sick of counting points, so I quit. I have a personal trainer who I see once a week, and he encouraged me to try MFP. What are some tips for getting started? Is it true that all you have to do is stay within the daily calories suggested for you each day to lose weight? Seems a little too easy.

I really, really need to lose about 30-40 pounds, but I give up too easily. I have depression, and when I'm depressed, I eat. That's my trigger.

Any thoughts? Comments?

BajaDreamin333

You could be telling my story - I have a PT once a week for 10 years, tried Weight Watchers, Body Bugg, you name it. I've only done this site for over a week, and lost 5 lbs. I think it is easier than all the rest, and the community is amazing for motivation and advise.

One of the reasons Body Bugg didn't work for me was my set calorie goal each day was way too high. I wore the arm monitor for a year, kept inside of what the data told me to consume, and lost NOTHING. The goals on this site are realistic but work. I've talked to several people (in person) who have successfuly used this site and lost weight, so it has a good track record. I do know there is simple math - calories out minus calories in equal what you'll lose/gain. Adding food & excercise is really easy and every food I've searched for is in the database, even specific brands and restaurants.

Try to stick with it for a couple of weeks and see how it works for you. Like anything it takes a commitment, but I'm hoping I can FINALLY lose the 30-40 lbs I have been carrying around for 15 years!

Good luck

LoggingForLife

Logg you food everyday, good and bad. Everyday counts and you will begin to see patterns in your habbits.

swankellen

Awesome! Thanks.

How do you know how many calories you should target each day?

queenbea77

Welcome - you've come to the right place! I just signed up a few weeks ago and boy do I wish I had done it ages ago. I spent too much time (and money) on the WW site & JM site too. Explore the different threads in the community. Make sure to read the ones for the new members which will give you tips and suggestions. I did all of the calculations (age, weight, activity level etc) and it came up with my calorie goal per day to lose weight as 1,200. This is the number I've been using "forever" and it hasn't worked for me. Check out scoobyworkshop (type it in the search bar & you'll find a link) do your calculations there & see what you come up with. Another good thing to search for is EM2WL (eat more 2 weigh less) - there is also a link for that here.

I came up with my BMR (base metabolic rate i.e. calories to exist) and my TDEE (this is the # of times you work out etc). Well no wonder my 1,200 calories weren't working for me - my BMR is just over 1,450 so by trying to keep my calories at 1,200 I wasn't even eating enough to exist - let alone lose weight. My TDEE is just over 2,250 so I set my daily caloric intake at 20% below that so I'm focusing on about 1,800 calories per day. I've been losing 1/2 lb a week and just this past week changed my calories to 1,700 to see if that makes a difference. When you add your food for the day at the bottom you will see the different macros that you are shooting for along with the calories. I try to get as close to my protein as I can and and keep the other numbers from going over - especially the sodium & sugar. But there is so much natural sugar (fruits, etc) that sometimes this isn't possible so I just don't sweat that one as much. Of course if I'm pigging out on cookies & cake then yes I would be watching it - LOL.

So explore the site and see what else you find that will be helpful and don't be afraid to ask questions - that's the only way to learn! And track, track, track! Log your food and exercise so you can see a pattern to your habits and where you need to improve. You don't have to make your food & exercise diary public if you don't want to. Make sure you get plenty of water too.

queenbea77

Another excellent link to check out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

Helen_Luvnlife

MFP has worked great for me. I was dieting for 3 years and had lost about 30 lbs. Then someone suggested MFP 10 months ago. I have lost 58 lbs since joining. And yes it is as easy as just recording your calories which is a pain sometimes but it works. Here are a few tips I would recommend.

1- Set up your profile page. Fill out as much as you feel comfortable. Think about why you want to lose weight. What are your inspirations and goals? Decide how much you can reasonably lose. I felt 1 lb a week was right for me but everybody is different. MFP will calculate how many calories you should eat and recalculate as you lose weight.

2. Find some friends on MFP. You are welcome to add me. I would go into the groups and join one that interests you. There are all kinds of support groups and challenges. They are a great place to find friends.

3. Open up your diary so people can see it. You will get some great advice, but don't let anybody dictate what you eat. I have friends that are vegetarians or follow specific food plans. That is great if it works for them. Find what works for you. This is not a diet, its a new lifestyle.

4. Keep exercising. It builds muscle and increases metabolism. Increases the calories you can eat and still lose. And it helps with depression by increasing endorphins.

Good luck on your weight lies journey.

swankellen

Here's another question: what if you stay under your calorie goal for the day, but exceed your carb goal, or your fat grams goal? Will that still result in weight loss? Is counting calories the most important thing here for success?

JenniBaby85

Feel free to add me. I'd be glad to help you where I can