i cant do this anymore

If you don't know about something, then learn. read a book about health and nutrition. read a women's health themed magazine. talk to your doctor. your best bet is your doctor, since he or she will already know your health history and what you need to focus on the most. make an appointment to simply discuss your health goals. he or she will likely recommend that you keep a diary of everything you eat for a week or so and then look over it and help you access weak points. keep a log of what times you eat as well, so you know when you are most likely to eat maybe from stress or from being bored.

if your sugar and sodium intake is high, try eating non-processed foods (if it comes in a box or a can or with instructions for a microwave, its probably a processed food) and using little to no seasonings or condiments. also don't drink your calories. try to stay away from sugary drinks like juice or soda, and drink water with lemon or lime juice, or black coffee, or tea. even those little flavor drink packs can be bad for you. its best to detox your body from these things. it will seem horrible at first but its actually really great once you get used to it. when i first did it food seemed bland, but then my body detoxed and now i can taste the flavors of fruits and veggies with no salt or sugar or whatever, and i love it! now when i eat something high in sodium or sugar, it feels like there is a nasty coating in my mouth and i immediately have to brush my teeth.

one good rule of thumb is to fill half your plate with fresh or lightly steamed vegetables, or fresh fruits. fill 1/4 of the plate with a protein such as lean meat, fish, eggs, etc. fill the remained 1/4 with a whole grain such as whole grain toast, brown rice, quinoa, etc. there are tons of delicious healthy food options out there. look at pinterest for ideas! i do that all the time when i am looking for something yummy but everything in the fridge seems boring. i have found a ton of great and super healthy recipes on there!

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA...don't be so hard on yourself...deep breaths...baby steps...it's gonna be ok.
The first thing I would do, if I were you, Is track my calories. I wouldn't try to change my diet, just see where I'm at. Then after tracking for a week, I would start to see where I could make substitutions. As far as workouts, start slow. Even walking 30-60 minutes a day will make big drastic changes if you haven't been exercising. Try to make small, tiny, barely noticeable changes that you can maintain forever. All of us have setbacks and days where we eat too much...but don't dwell on them, try to learn where you went wrong, and stay in it to win it. Losing weight is all in your mind...you are stronger than bad habits, just stick with it.

Make sure to keep hydrated, get proper amounts of sleep and take it day by day. Also, set your scale aside for a while and opt for measuring instead. In time you will notice that clothing will start to fit better. Use that and how you feel overall as your guide. This site has loads of great info and people to help you. Don't give up.

Hey, you're not doing that badly. Just relax, and hang out for a while. You'll get better as you go.

First off you need to calm down. You've just started and have a lot to learn. No need to panic just look for advice. 1200 is way to low. Anyone that wants to lose weight in a healthy sustainable way 1200 is not good. I see other's have posted links for calculating your tdee and bmr. I use http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ with a 15% deficit for weight loss and my macros are set at 40 carbs, 30 protein, 30 fat.

Find out your numbers and go from there. Don't worry about your macros at this point. I still don't because I'm not body building or anything similar. If you don't incorporate your exercise into your calorie calulations then make sure you are eating back your calories. Your body needs fuel to workout and your calorie goal has a deficit built in so if you don't eat back your exercise calories you are creating an unhealthy deficit. Good luck!

i dont know but i really give up. everyday im over in sodium, protein and sugar even though im eating better than i ever have. id really like to hear what you all think before i throw in the towel. just feel like going in a hole and crying myself to sleep. so defeated:-(

You are just starting off. Focus on keeping your calorie goal. Don't worry about going over/under on your macros (carbs,protein, fat, etc.). Just for now, try to stay at or within 100 points of your calorie goal.

If you are using MFP's calculation of 1,200 calories, BE SURE to eat any calories over the 1,200 mark that you earned from exercise. For instance, if you burn 160 calories on a walk, you should eat 1,360 calories per day (1,200 + 160 = 1,360). DO NOT subtract the calories earned from exercise (1,200 calories - 160 calories from exercise = 1,040), as that will be too low for you.

This is what is working for ME. I have a significant amount to lose. Once I lose 15 lbs, I will be "upping my calories" to 1,600 and eating back those earned from exercise. Weight loss is slower when you up your calories, but it is more likely to stay off for the long run.

seems i cant do anything right. 1200 calories a day is what ive been doing but now i hear thats way too low for me. how am i supposed to know whats too low and whats not?

I failed to mention that you should read these links for new people, as they are full of useful information (in my opinion):

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

Dee

Take it one step at a time. Set smaller goals and try to figure out how your mind works. I think the mind is the most powerful thing in this process. I started by making a mindset of "as long as I do better than I did yesterday." I apply it to how I work out and how I eat. Don't look at the whole race you are trying to win, realize that the improvement that you make(big or small) is a step forward in the direction of your goal.

Its easy to get discourage it your are looking at only the big picture. The ultimate goal in this process is that you want a better you. I used the "eat this, not that" books to help clean up my eating at first, since I didnt want to diet, just make healthier substitutions.

Good luck, stay focused and positive. All thing are possible.

j

You CAN do it. The path isn't always going to be easy, but it will be worth it. Barely one week is not enough time to judge, please give it more time because YOU ARE WORTH IT! Slow and steady will get you there. Try not to pay as much attention to the numbers on the scale, but how you feel. If you are filling your body with junk, you'll feel like junk. Look into healthier options, go for the apple or banana instead of the chips or ice cream. Yes you can have your treats now and then, but keep them to a minimum. Give it a few weeks. I'd suggest, taking your weight and BODY MEASUREMENTS to track your progress. You may be only loosing a few pounds, but the inches could be melting off!

Good Luck and if you want to add me as a friend I'd LOVE to help motivate and support you on your journey.