Just a few Questions...

Ok I feel like my first week has been going ok but had a few questions

+ How often do you guys suggest I weigh myself? I have been doing it weekly but if something works better for you guys I would love to hear about it.

+How often should I do my measurements?

+ How often do you guys exercise and is it really necessary to lose weight or is working out more to get toned. I sometimes feel like once I get some of this weight off I will be able to work out better.

+ How do you guys divide your calories for the day? I have right at 1400 calories and have been doing it like this
Breakfast 300 - Sk1 100 - Lunch 300 - Sk2 100 - Dinner 600

Any tips of suggestions would be great! Thanks

You'll get different answers from everyone, but here's my $0.02.

Once a week.

Every 2-4 weeks.

Every day, but concentrate on different things every day (arms one day, legs the next). Concentrate on losing weight through diet and excersize first, and some minor toning will accompany that, then once you've lost more weight, you can begin a specific toning program.

Breakfast ~ 300, lunch ~ 400-500, and split remainder between dinner and snacks (with most going to dinner)

1) I weight myself daily so that I can see the day-to-day fluctuations (which are inevitable and can really mess up your comparisons), and then I take a weekly average to look at my progress over time.

Example:
11/24-11/30: Su-128.5, M-129, Tu-129.5, W-128.5, Th-130, F-131, Sa-131... weekly avg = 129.6
12/1-12/7: Su-129, M-131, Tu-130, W-129, Th-128.5, F-128.5, Sa-127.5... weekly avg = 129.1
If I had chosen Sunday as my weigh-in day, it would have looked like I had gained half a pound. If I had chosen Saturday, it would have looked like I had lost 3.5 pounds. So just choosing 1 day a week to weigh in has that drawback.

2) I do my measurements once a month, but I am also focusing more on body recomposition and less on weight loss. Take your measurements however often you feel is right for you, but you can drive yourself kinda crazy hoping for week-to-week changes in your measurements.

3) I try to exercise every day if my schedule allows, because I just always feel better when I do and it helps me reach my goals faster. Do you HAVE to exercise to lose weight? no. But it helps to make you a healthier and stronger person, and will help preserve lean muscle mass while you're losing fat on a calorie deficit. If you don't exercise at all, you're more likely to lose a fair amount of muscle along with the fat, and then you run the risk of reaching your goal weight but still not liking the way your body looks. It's easier to get into the habit of exercising now rather than waiting until you're thinner.

4) I tend to eat more of my calories before dinner, but that's just personal preference. I honestly don't think it really makes a big difference, and you will read a million opinions on this one. Just focus on hitting your calorie target every day and pay attention to how you feel (are you starving in the morning, are you struggling at the end of the day, etc.).

Good luck!

+ How often do you guys suggest I weigh myself? I have been doing it weekly but if something works better for you guys I would love to hear about it.

Weekly worked for me. I tend to weight myself a few times throughout the week, just because, but only recorded my weight on Wednesdays. First thing in the morning after you visit the bathroom and before you eat or shower. That may sound obsessive, but those little things do make a difference.

If you switch to weighing more often you need to be ready for the day to day fluctuations you're going to see. Your weight can fluctuate by 5 pounds in either direction, so if a small gain is going to freak you out, stick to the weekly weighing.

+How often should I do my measurements?

I think I usually hear once a month for these? I've never really had a schedule for them. Just whenever I feel like it.

+ How often do you guys exercise and is it really necessary to lose weight or is working out more to get toned. I sometimes feel like once I get some of this weight off I will be able to work out better.

3 times a week. It's not necessary for weight loss. And toning is kind of a myth. But exercise, especially resistance/strength training will help you to retain more of the muscle you have so that they show through when you drop the body fat. It's entirely dependent on what you want your body to look like at goal, imo.

+ How do you guys divide your calories for the day? I have right at 1400 calories and have been doing it like this
Breakfast 300 - Sk1 100 - Lunch 300 - Sk2 100 - Dinner 600

Meal timing really is all about personal preference. Some people need to eat 6 small meals a day, others do better with three meals, or even just one or two. You can't rev up your metabolism by eating more often, so plan your meals as they work best within your calorie limits, schedule, and hunger cues.

I eat a small breakfast and lunch (200-300 calories), afternoon snack (depends on how hungry I am), dinner, and several small snacks in the evening. If I don't leave enough calories to snack on at night I'm more likely to binge. That's what works for me. Find what works for you.

Congrats on starting your journey

I weigh myself pretty much daily, I find it motivating.BUT if you can't handle seeing your weight jump 5 lbs in a day, then don't do it daily. Personally, I don't care much about the scale, I care about measurements more. Which I take on the 1st and 15th of every month.

Working out is not necessary for losing weight IMO. But... it will help tone and keep you motivated. If you want this to stick, it's a lifestyle change. If I were to just have to watch what I eat, then fitness won't be on my mind more. I find on my rest days, I am not in the same state of mind as when I work out. Even go for walks daily. It may just be me, but working out helps me with my diet completely. I just did all of that hard work... Why would I binge and all of my hard work go to waste.. Know what I mean?

The way that you decide your calories up is pretty much exactly how I do mine. For me, my husband doesn't eat healthy. He is very picky in what he eats and he is only home for dinner. So, the food I make for dinner is not always great. If I watch my calories in the day when he is gone, then I can eat as a family. This is what works for me. I don't really think it matters how you decide your calories up, as long as your aren't hungry all day then you are good to go!

This is just all my personal preference, so it won't work for everybody. I do recommend that you work out. It will make you feel so much better and does so much more mentally for your health than just tone your body!

Good luck