New here, and a little confused.

Hey misty, I have tried and failed many times I sent you a friend request. And for the first time I can actually say im on the right path.

Welcome! Everybody's different, and weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you.

Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Find reliable database entries. (There's a lot of incorrect data in there.) Weigh your food. Log your exercise, and eat back your exercise calories. If you're not losing, eat back half your exercise calories.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants

MFP's estimated burns for exercise are pretty inflated. Usually, if you go by them, you'll overestimate how much you've burned. As a rule, I usually assume I burned about half of what it records in terms of how much I should eat back. The only way to know with any accuracy exactly how much you've burned is to get a heart rate monitor, but they can be pricey and you don't necessarily need one. And they will not always be 100% accurate. As a rule, if you're hungry, eat.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants

^ This. Best place to start.

Also, I'd recommend reading:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it?hl=the+basics+keep+it+simple
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/841305-corn-used-my-man-parts-as-a-speedbag
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets (to set an appropriate calorie goal)
http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/ (particularly the section on nutrients)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

http://evidencemag.com/flexible-dieting-steps/
http://evidencemag.com/rigid-diet-failure/
http://evidencemag.com/yoda-fat-loss/

By far THE most helpful group on MFP:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Lots of links in my profile that might help you on your way.

I use a heart rate monitor when I run sometimes. My bike has a pedometer on it that gives me the calories burned. Plus, when I put an exercise in this app it will calculate the calories for you. For example: if you run, You just need how fast you were running and the amount of time you were running. The speed can be gauged by the amount of time you run in a mile. I hope this helps. This is a great app but is a commitment and it is well worth it. I have been using this app for 235 days and I have lost weight and I feel great. I make better food choices and I feel guilty if I don't work out since I enjoy logging in my exercise. Good Luck!