Got 84 pounds to lose all help tips etc gratefully recieved

heck yes! kickin butt!

If you trip up, dust yourself off and get right back up again... the road can be bumpy.... good luck and congrats on the lose so far!

If you trip up, dust yourself off and get right back up again... the road can be bumpy.... good luck and congrats on the lose so far!

And this, one bad day or bad meal won't sabotage all your hard work

Tips
Log all your food - weigh it if you can for accuracy.

Maintain a reasonable calorie deficit (2 lbs a week is probably ok for you to start with, later on you'll probably want to have a smaller calorie deficit).

Aim to get as close as you can to your calorie goal, don't strive to always be under it. If you're using the MFP method (and haven't customised your calorie goal) then eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories.

Don't make huge drastic changes that you can't sustain longer than a few days/weeks/months. Make small changes that you can live with indefinitely.

Eat food you enjoy. Don't get tempted to start demonising certain foods as "bad" or "naughty". You may have reasons to avoid or limit certain foods, but make sure it's a good reason!

Exercise. Find something that you enjoy doing.

Some form of resistance exercise is recommended to maintain your lean mass (eg. muscle, bone density) as you're losing weight. This can be weight lifting, or body weight exercises, or resistance bands etc

Learn what foods make you feel good and help you meet your goals. Learn which are calorie dense (for days you struggle to eat enough) and which are not calorie dense (for when you're hungry but don't have many calories left).

Keep on top of hunger by getting plenty of protein, fibre, fats and fluids.

Experiment with meal timing/frequency to decide what works for you. Don't listen to anyone who says you *have* to eat x times a day to lose weight. Find what works for you.

Be at peace with the scale. Weight loss isn't linear and there may be some weeks where you don't lose, or even gain. Understand what can make your weight fluctuate.

Keep track of measurements and take progress photos. They can both be hugely motivating when the scale isn't moving much.

Be patient, this process takes a long time, and isn't over when you reach your goal weight.

Believe in yourself. This can be done.

There will (likely) be set-backs, stalls, disappointments and frustrations. Don't give up.

Take advice you read here (including mine) with a pinch of salt. Read as much as you can and figure out what aspects of fitness/nutrition are important to you. Be aware that sometimes the best advice is presented in a blunt manner, and sometimes the worst advice is presented in the nicest, friendliest way.

log everything. and i mean everything. the tablespoon of ketchup, the splash of milk in your coffee.

and if you have tendencies to binge, or you have "danger times" where you eat out of boredom/stress (evenings, weekends) then make sure to log BEFORE you eat. this has saved me some binges - when you write it in and see how that additional snack/bread/pizza/chocolate is putting you over your calorie budget, then it helps you to stop. (well, not all the time, nobody's perfect, but i've been doing pretty good with this system)

Don't look at the big number you have to lose. Break it down. You have 7lbs gone already, well done!
As everyone else says, Log everything, this will also help you reduce your food intake as well as knowing what you're eating. Eat sensibly, I have a fruit porridge for breakfast as it fills me up, and I'm not snacking as much. Make sure you've healthy food in the house. Drink plenty of water if you can. I try to have 2.5 litres per day, more if I'm in the gym, and I'm finished with water by 7 pm.
Keep logging in here, keep reading everyones journey, it really helps encourage you and keeps you going. We all have bad days, but one bad day will not sabotage you. Just forget about it, and get going again.
And remember, You can do it.

Congrats on getting rid of 7!

Everybody's strategies are different but I've found it most effective to begin by cutting out just one thing at a time and exercising from the get-go. When I say "cut out" I mean doing your best to eliminate the really bad stuff from your diet. But remember it's okay to treat yourself every once in awhile. Here's what I did.

My first week I cut out pop. I knew this would be the hardest so I wanted to just let it go ASAP.
The second week I stopped eating fast food.
The third week I swapped my usual snacks (junk food) for healthier alternatives or smaller portions.
The fourth week I cut out red meat. (This one depends on your preferences. Where I live it's difficult to get good meat that's not loaded with hormones and fat. I lost a lot of weight by cutting out red meat.)
Finally, I cut out pork also so I was pretty much just eating chicken and fish as far as meat goes.

With these modifications to my diet and lots of exercise, I lost 35 pounds last summer. Good luck!

All right! You have already taken the first steps - I hope you hit your stride real soon! My best advice is to stay on myfitnesspal and get friends/keep reading message boards. Log in every day! I used to think self control alone would hoof it, but reading about other people's discipline REALLY keeps me mindful and motivated!