Just registered... first day tomorrow! HELP!! Lol.

Hi Kirsty..and welcome...I've lost some weight tracking my food and a little exercise..I have alot of weight to lose..one meal at a time..good luck..you can do it.

Welcome to the only system I have found that works
Things to remember -
Log every mouthful, if you have a smart phone the barcode reader speeds the whole thing up.
Plan your meals in advance, it means you have what you need and you are less likely to grab at the nearest available calorie
This is a marathon, not a sprint - Shift it slowly and you are more likely to succeed and be able to maintain
Enjoy and use the support system - We are all here to help and encourage you xx

Welcome. No time like today. Why wait?

1. Set up MFP using recommended settings. Use 1lb a week.

2. Set custom goals to put a about 25% protein and 2300mg of sodium.

3. Log EVERYTHING you eat.

4. Log all your exercises

5. Eat back about half your exercise calories (They will be added automatically after inputting them in)

6. Dp both strength training and cardio

I agree with all of the above. I am now 130+ days of logging, it is the first thing I do in the morning. Planning your meals is key to success as well. I too had 4.5ish stones to lose at the beginning, now 29lbs down, so just about at the half way mark. This site is fantastic, and if you log everything it definitely works (and believe me I've tried a few different methods!).

Feel free to add me as a friend if you want. Not guaranteed to be on the forums each day, but am on quite a lot

Hi Kirsty, I'm new to the community side of myfitnesspal as well.
I'm really excited to start fresh again tomorrow after a little relapse of fast food today, hehe.

Good luck I'm sure you'll do great! x

and it gets easier, remember that. The first few weeks were really hard on me. Not to mention, I couldn't believe the amount of calories in what I was eating!! Then, after a few weeks I felt well enough to start working out and now I'm to the point where I'm pretty regularly sticking to my calorie goal and I dont' feel like I'm starving. Keep an honest log of everything that you eat, that helps you learn where your weak spots are (for me, the afternoon snack is a must or I totally overeat at dinner), forgive yourself when you go over or when you cave and eat that pizza (or doughnut, candy bar, whatever...). Be mindful of how you feel (for example, I have learned that if I get close to my carb goal I feel bloated and just ugh...) so you can make adjustments as needed. One step at a time!! Just signing up here at MFP is a great first step so congratualtions and keep it up :bigsmile:

add me as a friend if you'd like. Have a great first day!!

Good luck! Keep on thing in mind, if you go off track, don't think the whole day is wasted, just get back on track with your next meal!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

My best advice:

1. Use all the tools MFP has to offer, including the forums. If you don't know something, don't be afraid to ask. However, I would caution you to take any advice you get with a grain of salt, as there are varying opinions on most any topic regarding health/fitness/weight loss. Take people's opinions into consideration, but do your own research. Everyone's body is different, so what works for some, may or may not work for you.

2. Take before photos and measurements. These will come in handy during the inevitable "slumps" on the scale. If you don't have alternative "success gauges", it's very easy to get discouraged when the scales aren't moving. Your bathroom scale does not paint the whole picture, so it's nice to be able to go to another source to compare progress. I would also suggest that you avoid weighing in every day. Weigh in only once per week at most. Your weight will fluctuate from day to day, and it gets very frustrating when you weigh two pounds more today than you did yesterday.

3. ALWAYS remember, every step forward is a step in the right direction, and baby steps count, too. Sometimes something as "simple" as getting your workout in is your step forward for the day.

4. Set short term, mid term, AND long term goals for yourself. For example, currently mine are as follows:
Short term: Run an entire 5K the first Saturday in October, and lose 25-30lbs by then.
Mid term: Be under 200lbs by CHRISTmas.
Long term: My goal weight is 135-140lbs or a size 7/8 (U.S.), whichever comes first.

5. Change your mentality about "weight loss". Don't think of it as purely "dieting" and exercising to reach some number on a scale. Think of it as working toward a healthy lifestyle, and weight loss is just a positive side effect of that.

Hope some of this helps. I still have a long way to go myself, but I've learned alot in the year and a half that I've been on here. Not so much academically as much as life lessons regarding the inner struggle to get healthy and lose weight.

Welcome Kristy! This site is really easy to use and can be a great help. Just log all the food you eat. Sometimes it's hard to find specifically what I am looking for so I try to put in the best closest thing. You don't have to be exact either, I don't measure everything. Friends are helpful for giving and getting encouragement so feel free to add me. This is just the first day so stay focused and positive!