Hi, Im New :-), so please be gentle

Fitness pal helped me realize how insanely I was eating. I recommend eating like you normally do for a day or 3 but document everything on this site. from every little snack or nibble to your actual meals. This helped me realize I had to make changes. It also helped give me a little extra motivation for watching what I was buying at the store. Me a have a severe sweet tooth so I switched to truvia its the all natural herb and it has no calories. I add this to my teas and coffee and what a difference it has made. Shop smart and exercise even if your just doing stretches and walking for 5 minutes thats better then nothing and most of all you remember this. If you have the enrgy to complain you have the energy to change!!!! Good Luck

Thank you for the links I will take read.

You're welcome anytime.

Also I remembered this one too.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

Also, remember not to sweat it if you go over by A LITTLE occasionally. Remember that MFP already has you eating at a deficit, so if you are really hungry at the end of the day and you want a healthy snack, it's going to be okay.

There are conflicting opinions about eating at night. Personally I can't sleep if I'm hungry. And I've been losing. But in general, you should try VERY HARD to stay in your calories by planning in exercise and whatnot. I just mean that some folks get really uptight when they are 50 calories over. It's okay for it to be slightly different from day to day. Keeps your body guessing.

and DRINK!
Loads, tons, hectoliters of water

4 Thoughts...

The scale is not the only measure of healthy, its just the easiest .. so don't fixate on a number, Your weight will bounce all over the place, one day you might be up a lb the next day down 4, based on exercise, water retention, salt intake, and a million other factors, so though a number is a good starting point, the goal is to be healthy and live longer, not just be a number.

You are doing this for you, not anyone else, so when you feel defeated, remember you are taking care of you, you dont owe anyone anything, you don't have to answer to anyone, you only have to be true to yourself. So every drop of sweat you shed, every pound you loose is all for you. Getting there on days you don't want to is all for you. So pay in big to yourself, give it all you got, because at the end of the day you get all the benefits from all the work you.

Small goals, yes its easy to say I wanna loose 150 lbs, that is how i started... when I was 382 lbs, I said I wanna weight 230 ... I got discouraged right away so I rethought my plans and said I wanna loose 30 lbs in two months, and I did, then I set my next goal a few months out, and meet that one to, then my next goal a few months after that and before you knew I was down 106 lbs in 6 months. And You will plateau it happens to everyone, but just keep working and you will make it through. Today I am down 147 lbs and actually trying to put muscle back on now, so my goals, workouts, and eating habits have changed, but I have still set small goals for myself.

Don't be afraid to eat, this is a life style change not a diet, 1200 Calories a day might work for some people but as being a former big guy, I know for a fact there is no way I could of made it through a day without wanting to punch everyone around me on 1200 calories. I eat 4000+ calories a day to maintain my current weight, because of the amount of exercise I do. So you don't have to starve to be successful.

Hope it helps, and good luck.

Welcome, feel free to add me to your friends list, I found it really helps to have some friends on here who can encourage and motivate you!! Just log in every day, log all your food and drinks, drink lots of water, and exercise slowly and gradually build your way up. You can do this!! Good luck.

Hi and welcome

Without this site I wouldn't have succeeded and if course all my wonderful MFP friends if I can help motivate u I will just ask xxx

Hey and a big welecome!

Just wanted to say make sure to take pictures and measure. Sometimes the scale wont move at all and its super frustrating but the pictures and measurements will tell a while different story.

O. And have more patients then you ever thought you could!

.jenn

My advice is to not give up when you hit a plateau. Those are normal and will pass in time as your body adjusts to your new calorie intake and exercise. Remember that muscles absorbs water to heal after a work out. Just don't give up on the healthy lifestyle. The journey is well worth the effort. Please feel free to add me. My name is Kimberlee, 49.

This is a great place to be. For me it is not to think about how far I have to go, but only on my next goal. Otherwise I get overwhelmed and wonder why bother. Add me as friend, I enjoy meeting new people. Best of luck to you.

Persistence. Just never give up even if it feels like 1 step forward, 2 steps back.
Don't see it as a diet. Diets are always temporary. Do it for yourself as a life style change.
Don't look for quick fixes. I lost over 10 pounds a month back in my twenties. Lost 75 pounds in 7 months. Then proceeded to gain 155 pounds, doubling my weight, over the next 3 decades.
MFP is a very useful tool. It definitely help break my 6 month long stall when I found it last summer.
Like all tools, it only works if you use it.
Lots of advice here. Often contradictory. Take what works for you, leave what doesn't. There is not single formula that works for everyone. Only the government believes crap like that. :bigsmile:

Good morning. I just started this as well. Just keep the faith, eat less and try to exercise more. I just started the gym and love it!!

Im pretty new to and Im loving this place. Lots of great people in here to help. So just saying good luck and welcome