New and looking for pointers on how to be successful

Some good motivating documentaries on food that really helped me, Food Matters, and Fork over Knives, there are a few others on netflix if you have it that I cant think of the names but really changed the way I thought about food !!!

Hi, I am 49 5'3 and started MFP June 21, 2013 at 235. I am currently at 194.2! I think you really have to log everyday to help you understand how many calories you are consuming. I mean EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth, if you lick the spoon log it! I know it sounds odd but it all adds up. I had to do a lot of looking at nutrition labels to figure out how to do the 1200 cal. my Dr. put me on. Anyways like I said, I think it's all about logging everything in. Good luck! We can do this!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=Sexypants

ETA: heh! Just posted ^^that.

Great minds, gurrrrl!

Kila_14: I was in your situation about 6 wks ago. I have come so far in this short amount of time that I thought I would share what helped me.
I logged on to MFP several times a day - and yes I do work a full-time job and run a household too but made time for a few mins here and there - to familiarize myself with the workings of this site. I logged every morsel that entered my mouth and measured every crumb. I navigated the tabs nearly compulsively to learn how to change / set goals, view reports, customize macros / micros, etc. Once I felt comfortable with that I ventured in to the Message Board section which has been a wealth of information. There are suggestions for websites that I have reviewed and learned valuable tips and facts. I viewed IIFYM site and customized my macros making me feel in control of not only my weight control but also my nutritional status. I learned about digital food scales and how weighing and measuring are NOT always equivalent. I learned then researched then tasted Quest protein bars - great all around! In short, I think repetition accessing, navigating, and using the site will ease that part of the distress.
I remember from Weight Watchers that the scale reflects what you did LAST week or even TWO weeks ago rather than your current consumption ( with the exception of water gain), and that "licks, tastes, and bites" add up. This has been my adage during this journey to health: Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels . I have, however, replaced the 'THIN' with 'HEALTHY'. All of this is to say to give it a bit of time to allow your body to readjust to your new process of eating, logging and thinking about food.
Staying motivated IS an issue. I remind myself that I did not gain this weight overnight and I will not lose it overnight. I will not be deceptive or trite here: I want to be thin. I also want to do it in a healthy fashion. BUT I still have a goal to be look and feel better in my clothes. My daily check to accomplish this in a healthy manner is my energy level. It also helps me to view my Food Diary as a snapshot of my daily consumption - and it makes a difference to me that I can see it throughout the day to aid in planning.
Every day that I can I at least PUT ON my exercise clothes - even if I think I have NO energy to exercise. I say I will just get dressed and put on my tennirunners and see what happens. Those actions in and of themselves motivate me to go outside to power walk - even for 30 min. I feel better, drink more water, and have less hunger. And putting on my exercise clothes helps remind me that I want to be thinner and more fit.
Apologies for the winded response; just wanted to tell you to hang in there, give yourself time, and be kind to yourself physically and mentally. NO ONE on this earth is perfect and we can strive to be the best "ME" we can be!!!
Good luck to you with your journey.

Yeah I agree with 1200 being quite low. Wanting to lose 70+lbs you can probably afford to be at 14-1600 cals.
Tips
Small steps everyday lead to big changes
Find things you enjoy in smaller portions
Make more yourself and eat out of boxes and fast food less
Cut back on sodas and high sugar drinks
Never get too down on yourself, every meal and every day is new
Find exercise you can enjoy
Experiment till you get it right
Find friends to help on the journey

Feel free to friend me if you wish
Kimmie

When I started my journey I decided to turn my whole process on it's head and start for the completely opposite direction. Instead of starting a diet and some day exercising. I decided to give exercise a good honest try. I didn't worry about what I ate at all. Baby steps. I needed to learn how to exercise. No mamby pamby walking around the block. Real exercise. I research and got help. After 2 months of gradually increasing exercise I started to want to eat more healthy naturally. Dieting never made me want to exercise. I agree. Keep it simple. Just exercise.

^^^ this is exactly what I did!! I committed to an exercise routine (that was hard enough!) and when that became a habit (and it is - I got up at 5 so I could run this morning before the kids got up!) I started modifying my diet, a little at a time. I cut out sugar first since that was my downfall. Then breads, my other weak spot!

You can do it if you really want to -- oh, and don't follow the 1200 calorie thing. I am on 1700 a day because I am active and I went to a site that had a calculator where you put in what you want to weigh and it tells you how much to eat. I am losing the weight really really slowly, but that's OK with me because it's not about "losing weight" -- it's about changing my habits and lifestyle in a way that I will stick to forever, and eating 1200 calories a day is not the way for me. Welcome!

**edited to add that at one point before ever joining MFP I weighed 215 lbs!!!!! I lost some of the weight before joining MFP - So to date I have lost 37 lbs.

Welcome to MFP

In just the few days (3) I have been on MFP seems I am already failing at that. I have managed to go over my daily calories (1200) everyday by anywhere from 50 to 200 calories over.

Most people on MFP eat much more than 1200 calories every day and lose weight. There are whole "guides"/message board topics about the subject.

...all I can think is is this real? Are people really doing this and looking like that with just eating right. If so what is the secret and where do I get some. lol ;O) I want to have success like that.

ABSOLUTELY! I've lost 101-pounds all with diet and no exercise. Completely with calorie counting alone, I don't recommend it unless it's your only option but it works if it is because it's real. Your body will surely look nicer if you exercise though. The only secret is, you must eat at a deficit. And don't give up (and this is SO very important!)

...if I achieve it and maybe finally get out of this depression I have been in about my weight for years. I am ready for a change I just know I need some help. I get unmotivated very quickly. I have been trying to eat better and count calories just about a week or so now and already I am discouraged by this process.

Being here and ready for change is GREAT. If you want it and you put in the work it will happen. It seems hard/scary at first but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty freaking awesome!

What keeps you motivated? Any friends & advice would be great. Thanks for reading.

Keep in mind there will be times that things go wonky and the scale won't show weight loss but keep at it. It's still happening. Get yourself a measuring tape (like they sell in the notions section of the store) and take your measurements and record them every few weeks to a month. Take pictures. This is SO important. You'll want them and you'll be pissed later if you don't have them. This will also be another tool to look at and gage progress. For some reason it's hard to see progress in the mirror but it's easier to see it in a photo. You don't have to ever share the photos but you can look at them and see what's going on.

As for what keeps me motivated. Smaller/looser clothes, NSVs (non-scale victories) like fitting in a seat more comfortably, or having a bigger lap to hold a kid, having an easier time managing other health issues because my fatness isn't exacerbating them. That's what keeps me motivated.

Good luck, you can do this!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=Sexypants

Follow PROVEN success and let the information guide you. READ this and learn through trial and error, find what works for you.

Good luck!