scale not budging, how frustrating! Need help.

With close to 50 pounds to lose, set MFP to "Lose 1 pound a week."

Buy a digital food scale. Use it.

I would suggest sticking with just MFP's numbers for now. Use their exercise calories, use the guided Macros...just use the site as it is meant to be used. It works, keep it simple.

Then stick to it for at least a month. You've got to be consistent for any system to work. MFP is fine - just use it the way it is designed to be used. Thousands of people do and it works. But if you keep changing things you don't have any good data to work with.

Hi! First off - I love the Cuyahoga River Valley - I lived in Hudson. OH for 18 months & fell in love with the area.

Excellent advice given above in my opinion.

I don't know what you set your profile to, or what your diary looks like. If I were you I'd reset my activity level to sedentary (or the next level up if you have a very active job) and set a goal to lose 1#/week. You should have a calorie goal of somewhere around 17-1800? This will represent a 500 calorie deficit (500x7 days = 3500 = 1#). You need to try to eat at that level, and yes, it's important to measure & weigh everything. If you are not that precise, then figure in about 200 calories less each day. If you exercise, log it & eat back about half those calories. Eat 3 meals & 3 small snacks/day. Personally I like to eat lots of vegetables because they fill me up & I get more bang for my buck than if I eat junk which is high in calories. You "should" see a loss of a pound/week following this procedure... if not, then you are not accurately measuring/logging your food. You will have highs and lows, so don't freak out. I have a goal of 2#/week - most weeks I'm close, but sometimes I lose 3#+ and others I stay the same.

Sodium plays a HUGE part in my weight - if I eat out or eat lots of commercial/pre-made food I will hold water for a few days because normally I try to keep my sodium pretty low. I'm close to your age & even though I'm almost through "the change" I still get hormonal almost every month which makes be bloat & have cravings so I just try to work through it & not give in too much. Be patient & give it time to work for you. Feel free to send me a friend request.

All the advice here is amazing! I know that you can plateau when constantly doing the same exercise at the same pace and the same goes for diet and what we eat.

The MFP calories burned is not accurate and I use on-line calculators to work it out.

I have found cutting sugar, sodium and bread from my diet has helped me with my first month of weight loss.

I not only weigh myself I also measure my waist and chest.

Great info from everyone! You are doing great Ktpod!

I've started a group on here to help with motivating those of us who've had some setbacks. It's called Starting Back at Square One if anyone is interested :flowerforyou:

I have been on MFP for nearly 3 weeks. The scale didn't budge the first week 1/2. Then, suddenly boom...I lost 5 lbs, then 2 more pds a few days later. I am on 1200 calories a day and 30 in of exercise 5 days / week. 1200 calories isn't easy..I have up soda and only drink it occasionally. I do get hungry especially at night. Give it time and be patient. You will notice your clothes fitting better before the scale budges.

Usually takes a good month before the scale starts budging, the first pounds you lose in the begging is usually your stomach emptying and water weight. Then you retain water for a little bit, then it all levels off. Keep it Real, and stay with the fight