Heather Vaughn Ive been eating 4000 calories a day!!

Good for you for taking control!

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

So much ^^^^ This ^^^^

Read all you can, padawan. I'm guessing you're set to a 2 lb per week loss? Hence the pizza took all your calories for the day? That would be a 1,000 calorie per day deficit. I'm gonna guess that MFP put you on 1200 calories per day? If I'm anywhere near close... you can probably eat a nice 700 calorie supper, and still be on track to losing 1 lb this week. Even if you're only set to lose 1 lb a week, eating that 700 calorie supper would keep you at maintenance. Starving yourself right out of the gate won't help.

Please check the link above, and browse all the links it contains.

What shocked me when I first started was how easy it was to eat a 350 calorie muffin and how very difficult it was to burn 350 calories at the gym.

so true!!!!!! lol x

you got this!! keep up the great work! its hard some days but SO worth it

It cracks me up to see so little on a persons Food Diary for so many calories and compare it to my super lengthy full Food Diary for well under 2000 calories.

I haven't "given up" foods either, I have pizza and some fast food (but I hate soda, yuck), but I balance meals so I'm eating A LOT of satiating foods.

In the past, when I had those super busy days or those IDGAF days and I'd skip breakfast for a Starbucks mega latte, have JUST pizza for lunch and than hit up a Chinese buffet for dinner, I felt both mentally and physically disgusted. I always felt hungrier, no matter what. One more slice or one more trip to the buffet never satisfied. The next day the bloating and constipation was unbearably painful. I was tired, sluggish and irritable.

But in the recent years, really paying attention to what I eat and how it affects my body and moods, and most importantly my energy (I have 4 kids, I NEED energy) I've felt much better, definitely WAY more satisfied when finished with a meal and the best? The pride from knowing not only did I make the healthier-option choice for myself, I did it in front of my children, which in turn makes them make pride-inducing choices.

I just ate lunch.. 2 pizza slices a small bag of chips and a diet soda and now I only have 200 calories left for the whole day! WOW .

So what happened to "today is a new day"?

Ouch! She went from 4 slices of pizza, 3 Dr Peppers and a bag of chips, to the very next day consuming half of that and tracking what she eats. That to me is *progress* and totally counts as a new day!!!

Heather, I think that what you're doing is great...you cant expect of yourself to do everything perfect in an instant...actually, I doubt anyone does everything perfect even after being at it for awhile, because hey..we're human! So don't ever get discouraged, feel great that you have taken this step and making changes.

It's true what others have said, as you make changes, your body will change with it, and it will start to take less and less to fill you up, also...you will not crave these types of food the way you do now. Like hey, I have not eaten chips in 20 years...okay no..when kiddo was 2, she shoved a chip in my mouth and went "Mmm! Its good right?!" that was 15 years ago and I still remember that LoL

(Dont take that to mean I eat all great else I woudlnt be here LoL My weakness is baked sweets...put pie in front of me, no matter if its home baked or the crappy packaged ones from a gas station, and its alll over) But still, changing your habits take more than one day, what matters is that you are making changes, and keep moving forward

Awareness is the first step to making positive changes for ourselves. your on the right track by joining here too. Lots of useful tools and great advice. feel free to add me too if you like,

It really makes you think about the calorie count in everything you eat!! I love the app because it allows me to eat what I like but adjust my diet for the rest of the day, also if I like something I just have a smaller portion!!

When I was diagnosed as being diabetic my doctor gave me a 1600 calorie diet. I laughed and he was disturbed. I told him I was eating 1600 calories at every meal lol. I am doing better today is the 10th day of my lifestyle change. I am running from the needle. No insulin please!

What shocked me when I first started was how easy it was to eat a 350 calorie muffin and how very difficult it was to burn 350 calories at the gym.

This this this!!!

I used to have a day's calorie quota in just my morning Danish and huge cappuccino 8-o

Now I have the odd calorie laden items, but now I'm fully aware of what it 'costs', so either I allow for it in my daily figure, or I go and try and work it off.

Welcome OP! Do whatever size steps work for you and your goals.

I have been trying to do a water fast but My food addiction is just too strong so im going to take baby steps.

Why would you go from eating 4000 cal per day to nothing???
That's just as bad!
My doctor & dietician told me to eat 10x my healthy goal weight (based on BMI).
[ETA: as an example, my top healthy goal weight is 165, so I'm aiming for no more than 1650 TOTAL cal per day.]
See my "goal setting" post for several BMI calculators, including one which will tell you how much of which food groups you should be eating.
Don't aim for losing more than 2 lb per week, unless you're starting off very heavy (like in the neighborhood of 200 lb to lose). As you get closer to goal, that will drop to as little as 0.5 lb per week.
Don't go under 1200 cal per day. That's total, not net. Ignore net.


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

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

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

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


"Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html


Goal setting, including weight, calories, and macros
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-setting-goals-667045

Exercise basics
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-exercise-667080

Sleep enough
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-27-sleep-weight-control-690492

Eating higher protein & lower carbs leads to more weight loss
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-09-high-protein-diet-685553
Try 45% carbs, 20% fat, 35% protein

Eat about half your calories for breakfast (see the last half of this post for the studies)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-10-some-studies-about-weight-loss-667818


Motivation & encouragement (explained in blog post)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-07-24-motivation-encouragement-680938

- Set small intermediate goals & celebrate every one.
- Take measurements.
- Take pictures.
- Weigh yourself regularly.
- Be flexible; forgive yourself.
- Celebrate the non-scale victories (NSV's)
- Don't give up!!!!
- Don't make any food forbidden.

I just ate lunch.. 2 pizza slices a small bag of chips and a diet soda and now I only have 200 calories left for the whole day! WOW .

So what happened to "today is a new day"?

She ate two pieces instead of 4, that's a new day. She will learn to get better at her day. It's NOT learned all in one freaking day. SMDH

Thank you everyone for the welcome. I have been trying to do a water fast but My food addiction is just too strong so im going to take baby steps. Today I started NO soda and count calories. I can eat what i crave but i need to get it under x calories which will be hard but i believe i can do it.

Baby steps are good - sometimes just knowing you have to log everything you eat is a deterrent from eating certain things.

Reading through your posts I notice two things: one, that you say you eat the same things a lot, and two, that you're worried about not being able to enjoy foods you had prior to joining MFP.

If you prepare the foods you do like/crave yourself you can control what goes in them and therefore how nutritious they are. Pizza is fine - take advantage of using it as a delicious way to get a couple servings of veggies and choose a strongly-flavoured cheese that you'll use less of. Doing it that way can be just as satisfying and significantly lower in calories/fat/etc. Explore different types of food and vary your routine and you'll reap the benefits of it.

Take time to eat - it takes your brain 20 minutes to feel full (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18779997). Even if you eat the exact same thing you're eating right now, if you just eat it slower and savour the lovely flavours you'll stop eating quicker (and therefore consume less calories) as long as you stop eating once you feel satisfied. Either that or if the food is only mediocre you'll be disappointed you're wasting your daily calories on something that doesn't taste great and it gives you a reality check.

Take your baby steps. The best one that worked for me is that no matter what you eat, log all of it, and log it accurately. That in itself is a deterrent.

Best of luck!