First week of starting!! :) Any tips?

Hi Everyone

This is my first week starting this program I'm really starting to like it. I want to lose between 30 to 40 pounds. I have been having a few less calories then I'm suppose to though I find it difficult 1,690 instead I am in taking about 800 to 1,200 daily, is anyone else having that kind of problem? and also how long did it take some of you to lose weight i haven't lost any yet but it has been only 4 days lol ..Hope to hear from someone soon!


Tracy

Replies

  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    Everyone will start slamming you for eating under 1200 calories. Honestly, you can get by with eating less for a little while. But then you need to pick it up to 1200 after a couple of weeks. Otherwise you'll get lethargic and your weight loss will slow down. I'm dropping one or two pounds a week eating the calories that MFP calculated (and some of the ones I burn exercising). Go for it. But don't be afraid to eat enough, especially if you're exercising some.
  • gurssy
    gurssy Posts: 5 Member
    I am not going to slam you for not eating enough... But you should really try to hit your goal calories to be able to sustain your weight loss and just general energy.... I find that if you try to eat something like a piece of string cheese for a snack between your regular meals targeted around 300 calories each meal you will get closer... Eating to few calories is only going to stall your efforts. Good Luck :)
  • Thank you for replying back to me and giving me some advice! :) yea I should definitely try and eat more I guess I'm just nervous cause I want to lose weight so I find if i eat too much it wont end up working out for me . I would love to lose about 2 pounds a week . I have started working out this week as well by doing an exercise video works out the upper body and lower plus a fat burner. I'm not too sure if that;s enough for me though. Anyone have any other work tips or think I'm doing well?
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Try taking in at least 1200 (it's not a magic number, but I think a good ballpark figure) because it's likely your weight loss will end up stalling eventually if you stay low for a long time. I know it's so easy to stay under (and I went through a period of eating around 1000 a day), but I find I'm losing just as much at 1300. And if you are going to stay so low, at least eat back exercise calories so your body is getting calories and nutrients.

    Don't beat yourself up for every mistake. Pick yourself up and move on.

    Stay hydrated.

    Don't be afraid to ask if you have more questions (though you will get varying opinions).

    Good luck. =)
  • Don't just 'stay under 1200 cal' be sure the food you eat is not junk. When I first started, i had a hard time staying within my guidelines, but once I conquered that, i realized I was eating the wrong kind of stuff. Also it took a LOOOOONG time for me to see results. Don't get discouraged if the scale doesn't move for a bit. good luck to you :D
  • Thank you! :) you all can add me if you want I have no friends on this and it would be nice to get encouragement under my news feed every week from people who are in the same situation as i am and that is LOSING WEIGHT! we call can do it! :)
  • embatchelder
    embatchelder Posts: 1 Member
    I've yo-yo'd a few times and I'm now trying to focus on good food and sustainable exercise to have a sustainable loss. My biggest pointers:

    500 net calories doesn't equal a 1lb loss/day, it'll create a lot more problems than anything. If you find yourself struggling to make up all your calories focus on proteins and fibrous foods.

    WATER! If you think you're drinking enough, double it. You can never drink too much water when you're dieting. Add in tea or powerade/crystal light packets if you start to get bored.

    Lastly, forgive yourself. I have a tendency to binge especially when I'm stressed. The best thing you can do is remind yourself it's not the end of your diet.

    Hope it helps and good luck!
  • paulajune87
    paulajune87 Posts: 56 Member
    Hello and welcome!! I have been using My Fitness Pal for a little over a month now and during those 35-36 days I have managed to lose 17 lbs. Some days I am way under my calorie goal, some days I go over a tad, and other days I am right there at my goal. Thankfully, I have been lucky enough to still lose some weight though! It was about 2 weeks before I really started to notice a difference though. Anyhow, here is the advice I have for you based on how things have worked out for me:

    1.) If you have an off day don't let it get you down! Make up for it the next day.
    2.) Stop drinking soft drinks if you drink them often. I was drinking several a day and in the last month I know that has been one of the main reasons I have been able to lose so much weight so quickly. I quit them a few years ago and shed 10 lbs within a month (and that was when I was still in high school and in shape!)
    3.) Don't weigh yourself too often because you will get discouraged. In the beginning, I weighed myself the day I started MFP and then waited 2 weeks until I weighed in again. If you weigh yourself every day or every few days it can make you feel like you aren't accomplishing as much as you really are. In reality you'll most likely lose 1-3 lbs a week, so I find it more exciting weighing in at 2 week intervals and having a bigger loss. Weighing once a week would be fine too, just like I said, don't get discouraged!
    4.) If you don't already have the My Fitness Pal app and you have a smartphone, download it! It has been a MAJOR help to me. If not for my phone and the ability to "scan" in half the items I don't know that I'd be able to actually sit down numerous times throughout the day and log my stuff through the website. It took me a few days to get used to logging for every meal, but now it just comes naturally.

    That's all I have for now! Best of luck to you! Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like! (That goes for anyone who'd like to add me!) I am on here every day and I try to be an encouragement to everyone! =)

    That's all I can really think of for now!
  • kindleworm99
    kindleworm99 Posts: 40 Member
    Superglue your lips