Trying to make sense of what the Charts mean.

bloodlett wrote: »

weight loss is very tricky, I see by your avatar you may be a race fan. if you set up your race car during practice and that car is fast but the day of the race that car is slow with the same set up. or what works today for weight loss may not work tomorrow, on your weight loss track you will need to change your set up consistently. I would start with a simple plan fresh fruit and vegetables with lean pork, chicken and seafood. fruit and veggies have allot of carbs but they are good carbs stay away from complex carbs. use this sites set up to get base limits

Lord007 wrote: »

Keep it simple:
First, focus on staying at or near your calorie allotment for the day.
Second, eat low fat foods, i.e fresh fruits & vegetables, lean meats & fish.
Third, drink lots of water. It will help you control some of the hunger cravings you will get.
Lastly, exercise. Even low impact, like walking counts. If you wouldn't do it normally before, log it.

ahamm002 wrote: »

Weight loss can be very simple or very complicated. In order to successfully lose weight AND be healthy, you'll want to focus on a few things initially:
1. Hit your calorie goals
2. Adequate protein (to prevent loss of muscle while losing weight)
3. Adequate fiber (for long term health)
4. EXERCISE: important to maintain a healthy metabolism while losing weight, and it makes your calorie goals much easier to hit while also getting adequate protein and fiber.

Note: a diet rich in minimally processed foods is not necessary, but it will make hitting your "macros" and calorie goals easier.

There are other important factors as well: healthy fats, five servings of fruits/veggies per day, etc. But it's difficult to make too many lifestyle changes all at once. So take things one step at a time.

BlackTimber wrote: »

MFP Calculates a middle of the road type target for Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat. Nothing is written in stone there and you can modify those targets through the goals menu. I would recommend just eating like you normally do for a month to figure out what your current diet looks like. The only initial change should be targeting total calories. The Macro quantities are really a personal choice, and you can lose weight with any combination as long as you consume at a caloric deficit.

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Michael230272 wrote: »

ahamm002 wrote: »

Weight loss can be very simple or very complicated. In order to successfully lose weight AND be healthy, you'll want to focus on a few things initially:
1. Hit your calorie goals
2. Adequate protein (to prevent loss of muscle while losing weight)
3. Adequate fiber (for long term health)
4. EXERCISE: important to maintain a healthy metabolism while losing weight, and it makes your calorie goals much easier to hit while also getting adequate protein and fiber.

Note: a diet rich in minimally processed foods is not necessary, but it will make hitting your "macros" and calorie goals easier.

There are other important factors as well: healthy fats, five servings of fruits/veggies per day, etc. But it's difficult to make too many lifestyle changes all at once. So take things one step at a time.

Thanks, A steady walk is the best I can do now due to having had back surgery 2 yrs ago. I don't know much about good fats, Protein, Fiber & Calorie Goal I get as being important so yeah thanks.
But a silly Question a couple of use have mentioned "macros" what's this referring to ????

Macros just means proteins, carbs, and fats.

Kalikel wrote: »

Work on getting your calories in line. That's enough work at first, IMO.

The macros MFP sets up are really good for a general guide! As you go, watch and see where you're always over or under. If you're always way over on carbs, but way under on protein, start checking out where all those carbs come from to see where you can cut back. If you're low on protein, see what has a lot and where you can add more.

It's a process and can take a while. You don't have to be perfect right out of the box.

If you eat fruit, don't worry about that sugar one! I'd get rid of that column and replace it with fiber. Most of us eat less fiber than we should.

That 2300 of sodium MFP gives is very generous. Most doctors would advise the average person to take in less. Ask your doctor for you, though. See what they say.

Macros are protein, fats and carbs. They're called "macros" because we take in a lot of them. They aren't more important than the vitamins and minerals we need in smaller amounts, which are called micros (e.g. Vitamin D, calcium, B12). They're just bigger, broader categories that get a lot more attention!