I am feeling overwhelmed and need some advice.

Start small. I have about the same amount to loose and my first goal is 10% of my current weight. Also, taking one habit at a time works- so pick a habit- like water instead of soda- and then work on that for four weeks before trying to add a new habit. Don't try everything at once!

Honestly, if you have the eating down, I strongly encourage you to start out just logging. At first, do it without worrying about calories but more for the knowledge of knowing what you are putting into your body. Then slowly start making changes in your diet to meet your calorie goals on MFP.

If you find an exercise you enjoy, by all means, do it! But for weight loss, it all has to do with calories in vs calories out.

Good luck to you!!!

Here's what I've found helpful so far:
Drinking lots of water
Logging and measuring everything - it allows me treats as long as they fit within my goal
Reading the serving size and calories on everything - helps me avoid some things that aren't worth the calories
Alternating my exercise so I don't get bored
Patience - the weight didn't appear overnight, it's not going to disappear overnight

I usually give up on diets after a few days, but I don't feel restricted or hungry at all, this calorie counting has been great for me and I plan on sticking with it.

It's been a week for me as well and it is very overwhelming! I took the advice to start by logging everything. Well, I have been doing that-everything. I am shocked at the amount of calories I'm consuming in a 24 hr period. I never ever eat after dinner so I figured I'd be golden-NOPE. I set my mind that I would just log for a week. Now that I've done that, I have to work on revamping my choices. I'm going to work on drinking my water this week, and make changes on where I went wrong last week.

Usually I try to do it all in week one and by week 2 I'm done. Hopefully this time will be different if we take baby steps. Tons of support here so good luck. You're not alone

If you haven't yet read community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1, I suggest that you start there. Lots of good advice.

attemptingfierce wrote: »

So, my resolution this year is to lose weight that I've gained over the past couple of years (about 80lbs or so.) However, I got really gungho for the first few weeks of the month and now I'm feeling burned out. I'm overwhelmed and to be honest I don't know where to begin for long term weight loss, I know how to eat healthy, I'm lost on exercise, and I have trouble with binge eating, which I can't seem to get over. Any advice is more than welcome. I just don't know where to even start.

In a snapshot:

I needed to close to 200 pounds. Multiple health issues; Couldn’t climb 1 flight of stairs without difficulty; Walking 20 feet was hard. Failed at all attempts (only lasted a few months on “diets.”

Game Plan:

First - Designed my own intake program…with no gimmicks. I needed food that provided lean protein, vegetables/fruits and healthy fats…but within my caloric target range. I allowed for condiments, a nightly snack (mostly pre-measured) 5-calorie Jello cup, 100-calorie popcorn bag, 90-calorie Fiber Bar,45-calorie yogurt etc.
-
Second – Allotted calories utilizing a “banking” mentality and made “withdrawals” throughout the day – once the “money” (calories) were spent…they were gone. I did not give myself a “line-of-credit.” I allowed for no “cheating” per se; as everything was going to be logged and accounted for.

Next – Exercise. There was no way I was in shape to do just about any exercise and I knew trying to change all aspects at once would lead to failure; boredom and discouragement. I consciously decided to NOT exercise until I had at least 10-15% weight loss and adjusted to my new lifestyle eating. That didn’t take long and soon I was exercising 2-3 times a week – if you call walking 10 minutes at 2 mph exercising. Slowly over the months I increased time/speed and now shoot for 40 minutes at a moderate pace 5 times a week.

Here is a photo of my Saturday morning breakfast today:



As noted in one Mayo Clinic article:

“Despite all the diet strategies out there, weight management still comes down to the calories you take in versus those you burn off. Fad diets may promise you that avoiding carbs or eating a mountain of grapefruit is the secret to weight loss, but it's really all about calories.”

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/weight-loss/in-depth/calories/art-20048065?pg=2

Without exaggeration – I have almost (less than a dozen times in over a year) felt super hungry. I am fully satisfied 99% of the time. I know myself and my strengths/weaknesses.

Obviously there are numerous “techniques” I utilize – but this gives you a quick look and perhaps some of it will be of interest.

Good Luck!

I carry my lunchbox everywhere and I keep a variety of snacks in it. I made this my first habit. If I leave the house, I grab my lunchbox and ice water bottle. I also carry my water bottle everywhere. This helps me not to grab food on the go, and I'll pick a snack. I don't get bored because I have five or so things to choose.
One of my biggest addictions was Starbucks. I keep creamer in my backpack too in case I cave, I can have a small coffee but no white mocha. My creamer only.
I love this program.

Do what you love

Like swimming? Do it!
Walking/running/jogging
bike rides
have kids? Do some fun activities outside with them
play games on wii-fit or other game consoles
TRY SOMETHING NEW

binge eating - get healthier options that won't make you feel bad

Sorry to read that you are overwhelmed.
Your diet is a journey that we are all on - but keep thinking about your goal and why you are on a diet. I would also recommend that you log onto www.bbc.co.uk/right diet to identify what kind of eater you are. What an eye opener lots of hopeful tips and it is working for me. It would also be useful for you to keep a diary of what event happened to make you binge you may then be able to control the situation better next time.

Start off by logging consistently. When I first started i was totally shocked how much I was actually eating! You will probably be surprised too. Calories add up super quickly! After that, start making little changes. Like, exercising even 20 minutes a day a few times a week, then start making cut backs in your calorie intake and you will eventually get there! Baby steps! If you make all these drastic changes over night, you will not be able to stick to this. I know from experience too.

You are not alone many people jump in with both feet, over do it and burn out. A few things that have worked for me so far (I'm on day 136 and have lost 25 pounds).
1) I changed my mental outlook instead of being on a diet, I'm changing my lifestyle

2) I made small changes, once those became routine I add another. The only things I have given up completely is cows milk (not for weight loss but because all of my kids have dairy issues), I no longer sneak chocolate (I'm allergic to it), and I gave up alcohol until I lost the first 20 pounds.

3) I know I'm not perfect, I'm going to make mistakes. I've learned to let go of it, and no longer let making a mistake give me permission to quit. Yes I've had days when I've gone over my calories, instead of letting that tell me see I can't do this and quitting, I let go of it and make the next day better.

4) log everything! You can set your diary so only you can view it (if you wish) but you must always be honest about what you eat.

5) for me I lose more if I eat back 20-25% of my exercise calories (I use a HRM, do NOT trust calorie burn estimates on MFP they are high (many users cut MFP estimated burns in half).

6) I learned weight loss is not linear (i started using the happy scale app and logging my weight there daily), which shows a steady decline in my weight. Prior to that I was weighing once a week and logging here (which I still do), but it was easy to get discouraged in seeing no loss or little loss, when in reality I just didn't see the fluxuations.

7) friends and support are a game changer for me, having the support from MFP friends has made a huge difference for me.

Feel free to add me if you like.