afraid that this is not going to work for me!

you sound like me when i came here.. i tried all kinds of diets that worked for others but not me but i signed up here and it really does work logging your food calorie counting and exercise if you can (i couldnt and lost 2 and a half stone on 1200 cal diet ).. get reading theres alot of info and good support. good luck!

Your so right It will take about 21 days or at least three weeks, and I agree able calorie intake I'm going to have to boost mines also.

At your current weight, 1200 calories is not enough. Reset your goal to 1/2 or one pound a week, be meticulous about measuring your food, and see what happens in a few weeks. Six days isn't enough.

I agree with this. Set yourself to 0.5, 1, or 1.5 lb per week and FOLLOW MFP guidelines. Enter exercise, even if you only "eat back" 1/2 or 1/3 of those calories you definitely do NOT need to be under calories if you're getting any exercise to speak of.

Six days is not enough, I agree. I started MFP on March 25 at 262 and I just looked back at my check-ins...I didn't show a loss until March 30 and it was 0.5 lb. Then April 25 (a month after joining) I weighed 255.5 which reflects a pretty darn good loss! For some people the loss starts immediately and then stalls. Other people like me find it more gradual even when we have a lot to lose.

My BEST advice honestly is to set small goals along the way. It's awesome that you would like to lose 54 lb and I have no doubt that you will if you FOLLOW MFP guidelines. But maybe setting an initial goal of 10 or 20 lb will help with motivation. Also, instead of thinking "I'm afraid that this is not going to work for me!" just think of it like, ok this is a thing that I'm trying. I will follow the guidelines and see what happens, but in a way look to prove it wrong. I DO NOT mean sabotaging yourself, "cheating", lacking in your logging or under- and over-eating. But follow it religiously and see where you are in a month.

I was one of those people who thought it wasn't going to work but I figured why not try it. As I said before, I lost less than 7 lb in the first month of following everything to a tee. I was ok with that but I didn't start to become a believer in this MFP stuff until 3-4 months down the road when I literally had to buy all new clothes from the losses. It is WORTH a serious try, I swear.

I wish you all the best!

Hi, I need to lose 54 pounds. from 214 to 160. I am desperate because over the years I have done all kind of diets just to lose weight and gain it right back. This time I want to do it differently by using this method of counting calories. Hopefully I will learn to control my eating and do this for life. But I started with 212 6 days ago eating 1200 calories and 30 minutes of exercise, just to gain 2 pounds...please help!!!!

You can do it!! Logging your food really does work. It is a way to keep yourself accountable. Planning what you consume the next day REALLY helps. AA uses a program that requires them to write down and keep track of themselves. Although that is a 12 step program - it is GUARANTEED to work if you follow it. Same thing with counting calories/micro-nutrients. You write down what you do, you are consistent and never miss a day, you hold yourself accountable, and you will have results. And if you don't, then your diary will show you why. Also - keep in mind that the number on the scale can be deceiving. I am 5'8" and I weigh 168 pounds. Nobody has ever guessed my weight correctly in my life. They believe I am around 145 pounds. The reason for this is that I have a lot of muscle mass. If you are working out (weights) you are going to GAIN muscle WHILE burning fat. If you gain muscle and burn fat at the same time, things are going to even out unless you are losing fat a faster pace than you are gaining muscle (but gaining muscle will make you burn fat much quicker, so it can work - which is why weight/strength training is so important for fat loss). You should focus on your fat loss and not your weight loss (which can't be measured with a scale - so don't let that number discourage you). Measure your waist and neck every 2 weeks and you will be able to track your progress much more accurately. That is assuming you aren't able to get your bmi measured every 2 weeks. Have fun with planning your meals in advance and challenging yourself with weights.

I'm changing my mind and lifestile; I want to lose 44lbs... It's hard, but I feel me better every day. Wish you strenght and luck!

You can do this. I just joined too and I haven't lost anything since I joined. Last year I lost about 45 lbs and have gained about 10 of it back by not being consistent. I'm a Type 2 Diabetic, so for me...yes....there is such a thing as getting too few calories. The biggest thing I need to get back to, which was super helpful for me when I started my journey last year was 3 meals/2 snacks daily because my body was accustomed to not getting breakfast or skipping a lunch and "making up for it" at dinner...there was no consistency and my body knew it. Once your body knows there is some consistency, it is less likely to go into starvation mode and store everything it gets. I also drank lots of water and cut all sodas out of my diet. If I was going to treat myself, a glass of soda was so much less rewarding than something more substantial.

I also joined water aerobics 3x a week, but again...my inconsistency was my downfall. It's a new year!!!!!

Good luck.

It isn't just calories. Watch your sugar intake and this includes starches like bread, rice, and potatoes which become sugar when digested. If you do not use up the sugar, it will get stored as glycogen. However, if you do not have a lot of muscle, you can't store as much glycogen so it gets stored as fat - your bodies source of fuel when there is no sugar.

Sugar also makes you produce insulin, which makes you feel hungry. Try drinking a lot of water, too. There is no such thing as too few calories, unless you remember seeing pictures of fat prisoners at concentration camps.

At her stage, I'd caution against a lot of rules.

If she want's to do this, then she can set her calories to a reasonable value and start working to fit those calorie limits. Her eating habits will start to naturally evolve because she will find that if she sticks to lots of bread and sugar, then she will feel hungry. Over time she may choose to have less potatos and more chicken... or instead of a chicken sandwich, a bbq chicken breast. She may decide that instead of crackers for a snack, she'll try raw almonds.

And over time... her eating habits will adapt.

If she sets her goal to 1200 cals, and tries to cut out "ALL DA NASTY" food (which doesn't exist when consumed in moderation), she will get hangry, frustrated and fall back into a binge / diet / binge cycle.

OP... lower your weight loss/week goal. Realize that it took a while to get where you are, and it will take a while to get where you want to be. And then start moving toward your goal.

Pretend you are climbing a hill... you don't have to run it. You just need to put one foot in front of the other, and take it one step at a time. Pause from time to time to enjoy the view. And when you get to the top - the landscape will be amazing!

Sounds like my past history. This year I am trying to lose 1 1/2 lbs. a week .I keyed this info into Fitness pal and I get to eat 1400 cal a day. This is without exercise at this time. Plan to start that part in a few weeks if it is not but a few steps a day to get up to a mile or so. This year I am focusing on keeping my journal and watching to make sure I don't go over the carbs,protein etc as Myp has this marked, Trying to keep a positive thought 1 lb. a week is 52 lb. for a year. We not starving ,getting to eat what we want ,just more planning to do which is a eye opener for me.Looking for my results the end of the year. No more fad diets and no more yo yo dieting . We did not get this weight on us over night so look at small steps. We can all do this!

Hello and Welcome!
First stop saying this aint going to work and second its not a diet, life style change. Put your mind to it and you got it! Good luck!