I've got 175lbs to lose! Wanna help me? :)

Welcome and good luck. It's starts w/ your mind set. You have to have it in your head what you want to accomplish, the rest will follow.

Yeah I'd love to help, I started out with a little under 100 lbs to lose, I have about 67 left to go. My top weight was 227, I'm at 197 today. I've found logging daily, and watching portions plus increasing activity works for me.Doing it one day at a time and if you have an "off" day don't obsess over it and start fresh the next day. The key is sticking to it and not giving up. For me my aha moment was when I had surgery 1 mo. ago. I knew it was going to be harder for me to recover from it since I'm obese. While the hospital staff was wheeling me into surgery ( I had a hiatal hernia that was possibly caused by obesity) I mentally said this is it , I'm changing my life. I have goals, yes, but focusing on today has been the best way I can do it. Because those days add up and that's what makes you lose wt. Persistence. Good choice on joining MFP.!!!

I started with 150ish pounds to lose....everyday, remember why you are losing weight. If you feel like quitting, remind yourself how you feel right now!

First, I want to wish you well in your journey to lose the weight. I have a larger amount of weight to lose. I am probably not the best person for tips but I can be a support.

i'm with you! Lol i've been trying to lose 75lbs for the longest and i definitely think with support and motivation we can both achieve our goals

If you want a weight loss buddy you can add me! I've got at least 100 to lose (we don't know the right end weight for me just yet).

yup:

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. If you ask a question on the forum, give as much information as you can ("yes, I have a food scale and weigh my food" is worlds better than "I eat a palm full of miscellaneous boiled chicken parts..sometimes.")
17. Be honest with yourself and honest with us.
18. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

...and here's another approach.

Block off 6 weeks. log EXACTLY what you eat for those six weeks, weigh at the beginning, weight at the end. If you've lost, you're eating under your TDEE. If you haven't lost, congrats.. you found your TDEE, if you've gained... then you're above TDEE.

From there, look at how much you lost or gained and you have a rough estimate of how to shift your intake to balance it out.

Online calculators are great, but they're just estimates. They give you decent ideas for starting points. From there, it's on you to fine tune it.

there ya go.

Hi! I am motivated too. I have been logging for 2 months now and working out 5 days a week (with the exception of the past 2 weeks I had pneumonia) But I am in it to win it this time. Feel free to add me and we can motivate each other :-)