Big loser here (!)

Hi everyone. I am new here and have a big 87lbs to lose. Would love some new friends :)

Replies

  • MistyHiker
    MistyHiker Posts: 175 Member
    On the same road! We can do this. :)
  • kbeyer23
    kbeyer23 Posts: 88 Member
    Hi!
    Welcome!
    Feel free to add me, I've got about 100 or so to lose still. We can do this! :)
  • DonnaJones7
    DonnaJones7 Posts: 99 Member
    Welcome! I just started too!
  • pinkiezoom
    pinkiezoom Posts: 409 Member
    hi I am new too, so feel free to add me.
  • mitchfergustitus
    mitchfergustitus Posts: 28 Member
    Hello to all who have just started. I am back after a long lay off. Had several trips abroad that got me off track, but I'm back in the U.S. for hopefully awhile. I've been seeing almost immediate results and know that i can achieve my goals. Best of success to all!
  • dani_1977
    dani_1977 Posts: 557 Member
    Adding as I always like fresh folks on my MFP feed. Nice to keep the motivation up
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
    Good Luck on your Journey

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  • laurakane1108
    laurakane1108 Posts: 20 Member
    Feel free to add me as well, I've been on this same road and still have 100+ to go. Lets do this together!!!!
  • lisarivp
    lisarivp Posts: 5 Member
    I'm new too! Let's do this together!
  • ME TOO!!! I have a long way to go but we can do it!
  • Been here for a couple months. Feel free to add. Its hard work but its soo worth it! :D
  • NotSoPerfectPam
    NotSoPerfectPam Posts: 114 Member
    Woo Hoo -- I'm in. Good to meet you!
  • paxbfl
    paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
    Just a word of encouragement to all the newbies. MFP really works. It has really opened my eyes to how much I was eating. I should have been eating around 2,300 calories per day and I was actually eating at least 3,500. Even with exercise, it's no wonder I was 50 pounds overweight! A few simple tips:

    1. Learn your BMR and TDEE. BMR is the basic # of calories your body needs to survive. You need to eat above this number to stay healthy and to sustain it for the long-term. TDEE is the calories your body burns in a typical day. If you eat between these two numbers, you will lose weight. Try this calculator. I use "desk job" and then factor my exercise in separately. http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    2. Losing weight is simple math, but you have to know the numbers. Log everything carefully. I don't use a food scale but it's not a bad idea. It's very, very easy to eat more than you think. Once the numbers become "fiction" logging becomes somewhat meaningless. So try to keep everything accurate so you can see where you're at. Also consider a heart-rate monitor (I use a Polar) to see how many calories you actually burn during exercise.

    3. Exercise makes it a lot easier. I've gotten to the point of loving exercise because it allows me to eat a bit more. I try not to eat back my exercise calories - the more I can put that toward weight-loss the better, but it gives you a little flexibility. If I'm a little over on my eating and I work out hard, I can still net under my goals. Plus it just feels good to get moving!

    4. Try not to drink calories. I've eliminated almost all liquid calories (except the occasional beer). This is hard enough without drinking soda. There are zero-calorie options out there.

    5. Eat smaller, frequent meals. This is a BIG one for me. I eat 5 meals a day - breakfast at 9 (post workout), lunch at noon, afternoon snack at 3, dinner at 6 and an evening snack at 8pm. Every meal is about the same (350-400 cals) except dinner which is about double that (so I can eat a relatively normal meal with my family). This works for me - my total calories consumed are around 2300. After I factor in my exercise I usually make my daily goal. I'm never really hungry, and my next meal is always right around the corner.

    5. Think long-term. If you get really, really strict you'll drive yourself crazy and say "ENOUGH!" and fall off the wagon. Give yourself a break. If you have a party to attend and you go over your goals one day, don't sweat it too much. Just get up and make the next day a really good day. We all have our ups and downs. Think of this as a new way of eating - the way you should have been eating all along, really. You can't go back to your old habits every day or you'll gain all the weight back.

    Interestingly... these days I don't want to return to my old habits. When I eat that occasionally, I feel so bloated and gross that I can't wait to get back on track and have a healthy day again. You get used to feeling good!

    Good luck!