Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead....

I think it is Total Daily Energy Expenditure...which as Farway says varies according to the type of job you do, how active you are, how much weight you are carrying around. So to lose weight, you need to eat less than your body burns in the day.

However, our bodies are not entirely like machines, they are incredibly adaptable to the fuel you give them... and if they reckon there is not enough coming in, they will figure out that maybe it is going to be a lean time ahead, and start storing food as fat for reserves. I reckon it is the same with exercise... walk 3 miles a day, and your body gets used to doing that, so does not burn the calories off as fast.

So in a sense, you have to keep fooling it, by varying diet and exercise. I reckon this is why for the last two years I have plateaued and even put on weight as apart from dinner I have eaten pretty well the same thing every day with minor variations (and my 'off-the-rail' days), and the exercise I do tends not to vary. So I need to look at more variety in both my meals and exercise.

I know I also need to look at portion-size - and check weigh these more regularly... it is so easy to let them creep up.

There is no quick fix, though and the best ingredient in your weight-loss programme is PATIENCE!

Change is slow. and hard. I found myself suddenly at a bit over 14 stones. I've been at it since February and have lost 14lb ....1 stone. I didn't put it on all at once. It makes sense it's not coming off all at once. Counting calories, annoying as it is makes all the difference in the world. Too easy for me to eat a bowl of pasta with butter and cheese.....and have seconds oblivious to the calorie count. (some where near 1000 calories). Perhaps if your boss knows you've taken steps to change and there are results you might keep your job?

Welcome. One good way to get a diet plan is just to start logging honestly and then look at what you are eating and think about where the extra calories are coming from and how to modify in a way that meets your preferences. IME, it does help to think of this as an overall lifestyle change and about eating healthy rather than just less, since it's often easier to adhere to something that feels positive rather than just deprivation, and shifting to healthier eating overall should mean more filling with fewer calories. I think the desire to do something rather than just not do something is why things like juicing or various named diets can appeal, although there's no need to be so extreme and you don't want to cut out foods you love or which are good for you in moderation, just adjust the overall diet. Also, juicing never appealed to me just bc I like to eat. Plus, if you like fruits and vegetables they are better for you unjuiced--trying to up your intake, especially of vegetables, will probably prove helpful.

Although it might seem more overwhelming at first than following a plan, the flexibility of MFP is a major strength because you can tailor it to you.