New to fitness pal.....please HELP!!!!

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sekora_j
sekora_j Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
I am new to blogging as well. I love this new app and I'm excited about seeing progress. I need helpful pointers on portions, and getting motivated. I've been working out with a trainer for 2 months and I havent really lost any weight. This is discouraging. I've changed my eating habits but I still struggle and eat the wrong foods from time to time.....I'm hoping fitness pal will help with my struggle.

I'm young and I just hope to adapt to a new and healthier lifestyle permanently. Any helpful stories or pointers are welcomed! How long did it take to start seeing results? Did you struggle in the beginning? There are all types of foods to choose from in fitness pal do you still eat fast food from time to time or go to restaurants often?

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  • doingItIn2012
    doingItIn2012 Posts: 80 Member
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    Hi,

    I was wondering what type of workout plan you are doing.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    Here you go.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • rnprincess
    rnprincess Posts: 103 Member
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    Welcome! What I like most about My Fitness Pal (MFP) is that it keeps me honest.When I joined two years ago I lost almost 40 pounds then I stopped using MFP. Well something worked because I didn't gain the weight back for the first time. But I did not lose anything either. I recommitted in December and have logged everyday, and am happy to say I have dropped an additional 36 pounds since 12/18. My top 10 tips:
    1. Do what works for you
    2. Log everything
    3. Be creative
    4. Think of this as a true lifestyle of being fit and not a diet
    5. Be balanced, don't try and starve yourself because it only slows your metabolism
    6. Drink your water
    7. Keep exercising
    8. Try and limit eating out, or if you do find out the best choices
    9. Don't deprive yourself
    10. Don't be discouraged- and never give up
  • nczuczu
    nczuczu Posts: 611 Member
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    Regarding food - your best best is to actually weigh and measure your food. Eye-balling it is okay in a pinch or if you are eating out, but for at home, weigh and measure everything. This will help you with getting exact proprotions. You can pick up a food scale at most retailers (walmart, target, etc) and any measuring cup/spoon will work for the measuring. You will be amazed at how small 4 oz of chicken is. Also, make sure to fill your plate with plenty of vegetables at dinner. A good ratio is 1/2 plate of veggies, 1/4 carb and 1/4 protein. This will help fill you up!

    I have found it is easier to eat at home as the choices at most restaurants are not healthy. I would much rather eat food I've prepared as I can control the portion size and what is in it. I hate to go to a restaurant and just eat a salad, but that's just me. I am cooking anyway for my family, so that is what works best for me.

    You can do this. Just be honest with your food diary.
  • RooBug88
    RooBug88 Posts: 55 Member
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    I am still new to this whole thing, too, but one thing I have found to be helpful in controlling portions is to simply use smaller plates and silverware. My husband is a big man with a bigger appetite, so when I cook, I used to fill two large dinner plates for us and I'd feel almost obligated to finish the whole thing. Now I put his on his "man plate" (as he calls it) and I put mine on a smaller salad plate. I have also used smaller silverware for my portion. It slows down my eating and helps me enjoy my meal longer without adding more calories. This way, I can still eat a "full plate" without eating more calories than I really need. Also, I bulk up my meals by adding some mixed salad greens and fat free dressing...it fills me up and only adds about 40-50 extra calories. A big glass of water also does the trick. Hope that helps a bit! Good luck!
  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
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    Give yourself some time to find like-minded mfp friends. Start keeping a totally accurate food log...no matter what you eat or drink. Just record it. The diary is a learning tool at this stage. You will see where you can make changes to improve your food plan and balance your nutrients. Just keep working on it. You said you are working with a trainer. I wonder if measurements were part of your initial meeting. If so, has there been any change? Sometimes fat gets burned, weight on the scale stays the same, but measurements get smaller. Simply paying attention to how your clothes fit is another way to gauge changes in your body.

    Good luck on your fitness quest. If there is any one bit of advice that would have helped me so many years ago when I first became fat it would be: Do not expect perfection in your eating plan. You are bound to eat something you consider "bad" or "fattening". Chalk it up as an error and move forward. Quitting over one l poor meal or food choice will get your nowhere but fatter. This sorta answers your question about fast food. Yes, people do still have it sometimes....also sweets, icecream, birhthday cake, etc. We learn how to make it fit into our calorie allowance occassionally. Some people have success having one "free" day per week, where they eat whatever they want.

    Be patient with yourself and you will figure it all out. Use the "search" option in community to find previous posts about topics you are interested in.
  • ShallaLovee1
    ShallaLovee1 Posts: 356 Member
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    Hey, I totally understand where your coming from. I still struggle with what I eat from time to time. We all mess up. It's just in our nature. All you can do is try to improve. Keep trying. Try new tactics. I have been experiencing a lot since I've been on my journey. From struggling to eat 1200 calories, to cutting back on junk food and fast food to eating 1700 a day and so much more. It's about finding whats right for you. I do ton's of different things for exercise from doing my own thing to workout dvds and the gym. My suggestion to you would be find you some great MFP friends and try your best to eat better and to workout as much as you can. Finding great workouts are fairly easy and a lot of them for no price. Other than weight you have to just have to check inches and body fat percentage. You can't just go off of weight because sometimes you lose inches instead or that fat has turned into muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat! You have to take all of these into consideration before saying you haven't made any progress. Any progress is better than no progress. No matter if it's pounds, inches or just being able to workout for an hour and killing your workout. Don't give up on yourself. Keep trying and you will see results. Good luck my dear :)
  • RooBug88
    RooBug88 Posts: 55 Member
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    Also, check out the book "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink. It's all about the psychology of eating. It addresses HOW and WHY we should eat, not WHAT to eat. It's worth a read!

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