You WILL FAIL with MFP, like every other diet...

Until you realize that MFP is not a diet. MFP is a tool to take charge of your life. MFP is not a magical answer to fix your weight problem. MFP is simply a way to measure what you put in your mouth and the movement you do to negate that. It's a pretty simple formula, eat less than you burn. If you don't want to exercise, you can lose weight, but it means you have to limit what you eat. If you want to eat more, you need to exercise. It's as simple as that.

However; MFP does offer more than just a way to keep track of what you put into your body and how you burn off calories. The forums and groups are full of a wealth of good AND BAD information. Reader beware. There are people here who will help you and encourage you. They will be happy when you keep logging day after day and love to cheer you on. There are also those that will bash you for eating too little, too much fat, too much protein, too much meat....too much whatever. Most are genuinely passionate about whatever you are doing or not doing. Others are just plain mean. So is the way of social media.

So you want to lose weight? So do most of us. Having a struggle? So are most of us. Can't find motivation? So are most of us. So how do you do it? One meal at a time. One pound at a time. If you are serious about taking charge of your your weight, your life, your world, you can't expect someone to do it for you. I love when people cheer me on, but they can't cheer me on until I DO SOMETHING! No one can do it for you. If you feel like you are a failure, then stop giving up. I know it's hard. IT'S DAMN HARD WORK! If you aren't willing to work for it, you aren't ready.

If you are ready, then WELCOME! MFP is a FABULOUS TOOL to make a goal and attain it. Make that goal and set another one. Will it be easy? No, but most of us here will help cheer you on. And there are many here that you can find inspiration from and come to the realization that one day, you might be someone else's inspiration. Don't believe me? Prove me wrong.

Want to be successful with MFP? You just have to make the commitment that no matter what, no matter how many times you screw up, no matter how many times you feel like you can't, you have to tell yourself I will not quit. Tell yourself, "If I fall down, I will get back up." Stick to your plan. Encourage others. Be honest to yourself. (Your body doesn't know what you log and don't log..don't cheat yourself by not logging!) Good luck to you and your new commitment...a year from now you will be amazed at what you have accomplished...if you just don't quit.

“Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you, and be silent.” -Brad Pilon

What is the exact number of calories for you?

We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.

This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.

-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)

LIES!!!!!!!!

You're wrong! Just making an account here automatically means the weight will fall off. Just like watching a Jillian Michaels dvd, or hanging your clothes on an elliptical. No work necessary!