New Start

Hey,
i am riya and i am 27 yrs now, i am also looking to loose 100 lb, lets try each other with opinion and experience, now am trying to cut down my calories upto 1200, and every day i will exercise for 50 minutes atleast, i was 242 lbs from july 12th, and i started this along with phentermine but it is just a mind setup to hold our apetite, it is not necesary to take phentermine, now iam on 231 lbs, now its hard to go down the pounds, so am trying to get a friend so that we can work together.good luck and hope to hear u soon.

Hey Heather,

Welcome! I'm new here too, started a week ago. I learnt A LOT in my first week, did so much home cooking and recipe testing and discovered new healthy foods, it's been really fun.

Walking is excellent, a good hour and half of solid pace could burn up to 500 cals, so it's a great start. I don't really have any advice, except TRACK EVERYTHING. It's been really helpful to see which foods are higher in calories, fat etc and makes meal planning a lot easier. If I know that my breakfast tomorrow will be 400 cals (cos I'm treating myself to pancakes or something), I can make sure the rest of the day is balanced.

Also, a lot of people say "don't drink your calories". I like that advice because I'd rather eat a chocolate bar than have a Starbucks latte :laugh:. That said, you shouldn't deprive yourself; everything in moderation.

Walking is fun, free and healthy go for it and you will reach your target. Were all here for the same reason,:flowerforyou:

You can do this! Walking is great. Just track everything you eat and that will help you make better nutrition choices. Take photos and measurements and remember it's a lifestyle change, so don't be discouraged if you don't lose for several weeks.

Tips? Sure! Here ya go:

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

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.

Hello!

My name is Sonja and I'm in Cleveland, OH. I started my "healthy lifestyle" change three weeks ago. I have only lost 4.2 lbs so far, but its encouraging. I notice the exercise numbers are WAY OFF from the calories on the machines at my gym. Are there any other observations you guys might have to help me on my journey? I would appreciate any and all comments. Thank you and good luck to you all as well!

Hi!! My name is Tanis I'm in Newnan,Ga. Today is my first day on my journey to get healthy for me!! Bought a new Leslie Sansone Video Walk It off in 30 days and absolutely loved it!! Anyone else have a favorite walking dvd. I would really like to build my collection so I can change it up. Really looking forward to losing this 40 lbs!! Anyone wanna add me please do! I need all the support I can get!