Does MyFitnessPal really work? (Newbie)

Your sodium level seems fine, it doesnt make you gain weight as such but it makes you retain water, have a pizza night and see what happens (actually don't, its not nice to see 3lb+ gained on the scales overnight!)

to track your progress use a combination of the tape, the scales and how clothes fit, if the scale hasn't moved measure yourself or try something on. And don't forget womens hormones can cause a weight gain so be prepared for that one and don't let it get you down, its only for a few days


The measuring tape has proved its working, keep it up and well done!

18 lbs is not a lot to lose I would adjust your weight loss to 1 lb to .5 a week. Read the notes on the top of each forum it will give you tips on diet and exercise Don't forget to eat back your exercise calories. Drink Alot of water and drink green tea. If you want to know if it works just read the success forum for motivation.

I think a lot of your questions would be answered if you read through the following.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

Hi, Thanks for the reply.

No I picked that amount of calories

Follow the calories that MFP suggests or what your dr. has told you to eat, exercise moderately and it will work as long as you're eating nutritious foods (low in sugar, low in sodium, high in nutrients). You have to fuel the body. People choose really low calories, exercise like punishing their bodies will help their efforts and then wonder why nothing is working.

These are the things to remember:

THE BASICS OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHANGE:

First and foremost, stop thinking of it as a diet. A diet is something that has an end date. This is a lifestyle change. This is how you keep yourself healthy for the rest of your life.

Motivation is really about willpower and don't let anyone tell you it isn't. It isn't about being perfect. What I mean in this instance about willpower is that it is about telling yourself I WILL do the following:

I WILL eat the proper amount of calories
I WILL get at least 7 hours of sleep (lack of proper sleep messed up the metabolism)
I WILL drink 1/2 of my body weight in ounces of water so that I can feel fuller longer, rev my metabolism and not dehydrate during workouts
I WILL exercise for 45-60 minutes per day at least 5 days per week. We all have to begin somewhere with consistency, though so even a 15 minute walk (about 1 mile) counts. When you're not energetic for it, tell yourself that you will at least doing 15 minutes.
I WILL eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies, incorporating veggies at every meal.
I WILL track sodium intake, especially since sodium is sneaky and turns up in places you might not expect.

Those are the basics. Remember that these willpowers are merely habits. If you mess up, do the next right thing. One bad meal does not a bad eating day make. Planning goes a long way on this journey.

Remember, motivation is like bathing. Neither last, so you have to do them every day. This is a daily and sometimes hourly re-dedication but it does get easier.

I have been eating 1200 cals a day or more when I do exercise which is less than what I normally eat. I also eat all homemade food, I never eat ready made stuff as it's full of rubbish!

Yesterday my sodium level for the whole day was 1,436mg is this too much? I don't know anything about sodium. How does this affect how much you lose etc...?

Yes that makes sense about putting on weight when you first start exercising. I have just measured myself and I have lost between 1/2 an inch to an inch everywhere within like 5 days, so it's definatly working

Are you drinking enough water?

Are you breastfeeding? If so your calories might be too low and your body may be trying to hang onto your body fat.

Maybe it's water weight.

Overall, inches matter most (in my opinion!)

Plus your calories might be too low and your body is freaking out and you metabolism is slowing. I would definitely stick to the calories MFP suggest and be patient. I have lost 23 pounds on MFP. I love it. It is the only thing that has ever worked for me.

Thank you for the support

So how do I let MFP pick the calories for me? Is it the bit where I fill in the goals and then on the drop down menu where it says 'lose 1lb a week (recommended)' ?

I just chose the 'lose 2lb a week' bit as I have read alot of people on here using that one, so I thought it was fine. Don't really see why it's not to be honest.

The 2# a week is for people who are obese. If you only have 15-20 pounds to lose you really need to set a realistic goal of 1# per week. 2# a week is a LOT when you're already smaller.

I was on 1270 calories a day and I lost quite a bit. But I would plateau every other week. Now that I only have 16 pounds left, I dropped my goal to 1/2 pound a week. I actually started losing faster. Your body needs food. If you stress your body by too little food, your weight loss will be counter productive. Since I change my goal, I have more energy to work out and I am not stressed about staying at 1270.

It does work! Keep trying....iy does take time and perseverance though. I started last June and have lost 52lbs You can do this!