Any tips for a newbie

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Lost2BFit
Lost2BFit Posts: 7
in Getting Started
I'm just getting started with this site today and want to know what areas work for others who are working to get fit and drop lbs.

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  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
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    Log consistently and accurate daily, drink plenty of water, have fun with your exercise.

    Good Luck

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  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    buy a food scale and weigh all your food and log everything you eat..
    there are no "bad" foods. You can pretty much eat whatever you want as long as you maintain a calorie defict.
    there are no magic foods or short cuts, it takes hard work and dedication.
    work out/move more..I prefer heavy lifting and some running/sprint training but go with something that you like...
  • Lost2BFit
    Lost2BFit Posts: 7
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    Thanks jrline! Congrats on the weight loss.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Welcome to MFP! Our boards have just gone through an upgrade, so the helpful topics that would normally be pinned at the top of each board are missing at the moment. If you haven't come across them, yet, I think that these are a really great place to start:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    And these two are great if you want to take your logging to the next step:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1290491/how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • Lost2BFit
    Lost2BFit Posts: 7
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    Thanks ndj1979 I will look for a food scale. I'm just started with a personal trainer to add lifting to my workouts.
  • Lost2BFit
    Lost2BFit Posts: 7
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    Thanks diannethegeek I hadn't seen these but will check them out.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    being consistent for at least 3 weeks a month for 9 months = drop dead results.
  • BetterKimmer
    BetterKimmer Posts: 178 Member
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    Weigh, measure and be brutally honest logging your food at least 80-90% of the time, if not 100% in the beginning. Yes, you can eat whatever you want and still lose, but there are better food choices that make it easier, faster and more comfortable for you to lose. The difference is in how quickly certain food turn to sugar and get stored as fat when unused, energy levels and how full you feel for how long. So I advocate the cleanest (cliché) foods you can, again, 80-90% of the time for the best results. And only choose a way of eating that you can sustain forever. No fad diets, because rebound is sad.

    Then, lift heavy and perform HIITS to increase muscle that will burn more calories at rest and help deficit your overall calories for further weight loss potential. And look good!

    Losing weight is all in how and what you eat at a calories deficit. Working out it improves your shape and help to becoming stronger, which burns more calories! Oh, yeah, and look good!

    Don't freak out every time you over eat or eat something you assume you should regret. Just get up the next day and begin again. Then keep going!
  • Lost2BFit
    Lost2BFit Posts: 7
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    Thanks yoovie and BetterKimmer. Great tips! I'm working on the calorie deficit and increasing my workout by adding in weight training.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    BetterKimmer wrote: »
    Weigh, measure and be brutally honest logging your food at least 80-90% of the time, if not 100% in the beginning. Yes, you can eat whatever you want and still lose, but there are better food choices that make it easier, faster and more comfortable for you to lose. The difference is in how quickly certain food turn to sugar and get stored as fat when unused, energy levels and how full you feel for how long. So I advocate the cleanest (cliché) foods you can, again, 80-90% of the time for the best results. And only choose a way of eating that you can sustain forever. No fad diets, because rebound is sad.

    Then, lift heavy and perform HIITS to increase muscle that will burn more calories at rest and help deficit your overall calories for further weight loss potential. And look good!

    Losing weight is all in how and what you eat at a calories deficit. Working out it improves your shape and help to becoming stronger, which burns more calories! Oh, yeah, and look good!

    Don't freak out every time you over eat or eat something you assume you should regret. Just get up the next day and begin again. Then keep going!

    I agree with everything except the clean eating and "better foods" ....food is just energy it is not "good" or "bad"....
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    I think a healthy balanced diet is better. I dont do the clean unclean thing that people get excited about but making sure you eat a better balance of food including more fruit and veg because they are more nutritious makes perfect sense.
  • tjohnoconnor
    tjohnoconnor Posts: 58 Member
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    Lots of good advice, especially about being brutally honest. I hope you enjoy your new life as much as I enjoy mine.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    I think a healthy balanced diet is better. I dont do the clean unclean thing that people get excited about but making sure you eat a better balance of food including more fruit and veg because they are more nutritious makes perfect sense.

    I agree with this.

    Also, don't deprive yourself! If you want a small treat, like a bowl of ice cream or a candy bar, make sure you can fit it into your calories and enjoy it.
  • Panda_Path
    Panda_Path Posts: 86 Member
    edited October 2014
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    One thing to add, if you have a 'bad' day and overeat, don't feel guilty! Also do not get discouraged if you do not lose as quickly as you'd like. This can lead to feeling down and perhaps might make you feel like quitting or going back to past bad habits (self-sabotage). Know your body and its rhythms, hormonal fluctuations can make you gain some weight during parts of the month which might be discouraging. Good luck!
  • FatOldManMN
    FatOldManMN Posts: 1,116 Member
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    Lost2BFit wrote: »
    I'm just getting started with this site today and want to know what areas work for others who are working to get fit and drop lbs.

    Believe none of what you hear and half of what you read.

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