Your MOST helpful tip to new users.

Be honest with your food diary posts and don't skip anything!

Under the avatar picture is an arrow. It leads to a dropdown box that lets you choose to ignore user. A few (fortunately a very few) MFP posters are worthy of this attention. Once you learn to use it, you're golden.

Also, threads full of one post wonders praising any product to high heaven are paid marketers. The mods deal with them as best they can. Report the obvious ones and ignore the rest.

I know, that was two tips. So I'll throw in a diet tip: Find what works best and easiest for you to do longterm, if not for life. If that stops working, don't give up, find something else. The key is to never give up.

There is no such thing as a plateau and/or if you arent losing weight, you arent 'doing everything right'.

A lot of people on MFP seem to think their experience covers the totality of knowledge.

Platau's exist for some people. Some people think they are on Platau's when really they are screwing up.

There is no way to avoid rudeness. Think of starting a thread as walking into a mall with a megaphone and asking a question. You'll get all sorts of feedback. If you think you'll take it too personally or don't want very blunt truths, post it on your own feed.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

Nice. And that is why you should never put this guy on ignore.

Would agree with..patience. That was the biggest hurdle for me--thinking that weight which took me years to gain, would just disappear without time and commitment. I am happy to say that staying calm, and just living my life while recording my calories is paying off.

Stay away from the message board if you can help it. There are a lot of hateful people here that may discourage you from doing what works for you. Nobody knows everything.

I am trying eating slower today and it really works. Take time to chew food for double the time you'd usually chew, allowing your mind to realise that you are eating instead of perhaps wolfing it down, which is what I have been known to do before. Pause whilst eating, it doesn't hurt to pause, cos you are still going to finish the meal anyway and having that pause gives your mind a chance to realise it's satisfied.

1. log as accurately as you can
2. dont do anything drastic you wont be able to keep up with
3.never give up even if u think u had a bad day. one day going over your calories isnt going to spoil your journey.
4. keep moving
4.be patient.

Don't limit what you're eating too much because as long as you're being sensible then you'll still lose weight and I'm proof of this statement. If you don't eat the things that you enjoy then you'll just crave it more.

+1

There are no 'good' foods or 'bad' foods. There is just food. Eat it. Log it. Adjust. Number-crunch. Want to add 200 cals there? Subtract them from here.

There are no 'cheat days'. It's not 'cheating' to eat. There are just days. Log. Adjust.

Don't demonise food.

There is no such thing as a plateau and/or if you arent losing weight, you arent 'doing everything right'.

Another member wrote this posting, I would say weight plateau is a real thing but if you gain weight, you might have to wonder why? Its called weight plateau for a reason cos it exists. Perhaps it's nature's way of allowing the body to take a pause from a massive weight loss week before, perhaps it might be exercise (muscle weighs heavier than fat), who knows but this comment is negative in itself by other member because might be giving somebody on here wrong impression about their plateau in weight being their fault etc. I would say 1 week weight plateau is fine but if it's two, then action might be required.

All great suggestions -- thanks for posting!

log accurately being completely honest with yourself.

Make friends on here that will support and encourage you on your journey

Be positive, setting smaller goals to begin with.

Read this -
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here