New from Fort Worth, TX

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MattPBTX
MattPBTX Posts: 37 Member
So, I finally decided to take my life (and fat) by the horns and do something about how I feel/look/jiggle.

I found the MFP app for my phone and started using it immediately. I love being able to see how I really eat. I knew I never really ate very healthy (not healthy at all really) and this definitely shows it! I started reading posts on the site as well as articles on other sites like Livestrong.com. I'm still very confused about the whole thing, which annoys me to no end. I read one article telling me to do something and then another article telling me I shouldn't be doing that.

I'm lazy, I have no clue what I'm doing and I'm not afraid to admit that. I know I need to confront this head-on and not let up or else I'll just end up back on my bum feeling bad about myself.

In summary; Hi! Feel free to send me a request if you wish. I would love to get some outside motivation (aside from the voices in my head) and possibly some guidance. Help out this poor 'ol fitness noob!

Replies

  • becfrogs
    becfrogs Posts: 39 Member
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    Welcome to MFP! One trick I did when I first started was not exercising and just focusing on logging everything I ate. Don't forget the little things like butter, ketchup, sauce, etc. It all adds up. At first I didn't care what I ate but I made sure to log it. This helped me to see what I was putting in my body and I quickly realized that a bag of cheetos ate up so much of my calories for the day leaving me starving by dinner. I was really conscious of what foods helped me feel full longer and after a few months began to notice I was craving the vegetables and good proteins.............and even the dreaded water!!!! :)

    Once you are doing good on staying in calorie goal then bring in some exerise program. Start out with something easy like walking around your neighborhood. Make it fun so it doesn't feel like work. Learning to eat healthy first gave me such a good foundation to then bring in an exerise program that helped me succeed and that I felt good doing. This is a life change not just a quick fix. It took years to pack all this weight on so it will take years to get back to a healthy weight.

    Good luck! Your daughter is a great reason to start this journey! She'll love having her dad running around making her laugh!
  • MattPBTX
    MattPBTX Posts: 37 Member
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    Thanks for the great tips! I have been logging all my food for a couple of weeks now and I'm slowly transitioning into a better eating habit. I think if I ate a smaller lunch and had some snacks in between that would help me out a lot. Something like fruit or veggies. If I eat a "good" lunch it doesnt seem like it's enough for me and I end up eating something to compensate. Good call on adding in the butter and ketchup, etc. I tend to forget about that.

    I have been lifting weights 1 or 2 times a week for a few weeks as well. I have gone walking a couple of times or I have done some yard work (mowing, digging up the garden, stuff where I'm contstantly moving, etc). I plan on starting Power 90 (not P90x) as soon as I pick up another dumbbell. So, we'll see how that goes!