WEIGHT LOSS HELP ASAP

Hey! Definitely stick with it longer than a couple of weeks like everyone is saying. I'm no expert but I have been doing this for a couple of months now and its working. I usually eat between 1300-1400 calories a day. Mine is set at 1200 but I workout 5 days a week. Mainly running and other forms of cardio. Cardio burns fat and weights build muscle so its good to have a decent amount of both. I recommend the C25K app. Starts off easy and builds you up. Its hard sometimes but it got me seriously into running and I was the most anti-running person on the planet. Exercise is good for the extra calories but you're nutrition is the biggest part of weight loss. Make sure too keep under your calories and you will see results. Remember that it'll take twice as long to get rid of the weight then it did to put it on. Slow process but its worth it. Feel free to add me if you need any help with anything.

Okay, so first, you need to breathe. Second, you need to slow down. Third, you need to learn moderation!

Small, steady, sustainable baby steps forward. Make tiny changes in your life and don't expect a miracle overnight.

Somewhere on here is a great post about 'in place of a road map' or something - maybe someone will jump in with the link. It's got a lot of good info, but for a beginner who is panicking, it may seem to be overwhelming. My advice is to find it, bookmark it, and read and review it often.

If you use MFP's goal setting instead of coming up with your own, that is fine, but bear in mind that if you're too aggressive, it will set you at 1200 calories or something hideous and unsustainable like that. I'd put your goal at no more than 1 pound per week loss and use that calorie total.

Weigh everything or as close to everything as possible. But do not obsess and freak yourself out. Bear in mind that weighing is more accurate than measuring. And that we tend to underestimate our portion sizes. Use this as a tool to get the most out of MFP and your journey to health and fitness -- use it to learn accurate portions for all your foods, use it to learn how to estimate when you have to eat out and can't quite get accurate counts, etc.

Log everything. Get used to it. Stick with it. Remember - you're looking long-term, not short-term.

Remember that weight fluctuates frequently throughout the day and week and month. Use 3 measures --- the scale, pictures, and measurements. I recommend monthly measurements and pictures in the same outfit and pose to really help give you a snapshot across time. I personally weigh daily but only 'count' it weekly, just so I start having an idea of the fluctuations my body is doing. Whatever you do, don't get discouraged by those fluctuations. They are normal.

Remember that with exercise can come extra water retention sometimes.

You don't need to kill yourself with exercise, by the way. You should look into what you like and what works for you and build from there. Yes, strength training is excellent, and you can do it, but if it's hard now, it's something work up towards. I started at 5'1" tall, age 43, and 291 pounds. Two years later, I'm between 165-170 depending on the day and now I'm getting back into it to start losing more. I started with 20 minutes 3x/week treadmill only, 2.0 mph. I now do a lot more than that, including 3x/week strength training with free weights (squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, rows, etc). But I built up to all that!

The biggest way to fail -- do too much too quickly and expect massive changes too soon.

Small, slow, steady, sustainable -- you can do this.

Diet is most crucial for weight LOSS. Exercise is most crucial for weight MAINTENANCE. I would start with your diet. Use the calculators to figure out how many calories you can eat to lose 1 lb/week. I know that seems conservative; but get an idea and you can always decrease from there. Once you see what that feels like, then you can work on incorporating your workouts. If you're new to working out, start simple with a 30 minute walk 5 times/week. If you've been working out, stick with what you know. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You didn't put the weight on overnight and it's not going to come off overnight. Give yourself as much time to lose it as it took to gain it. Best of luck and feel free to friend me for extra accountability!

Lots of good info in this thread, but just want to emphasize the sexypants link. Chock full of great information to get started.

Stay consistent, and don't give up. Weight loss is not linear, and it doesn't need to happen fast. Calculate your TDEE and aim to lose about 1-1.5 pounds/week. Keep at it and don't give up. You need to eat in a way that you can sustain long term.

cheltgirl87 wrote: »

Yeah just by seeing the scales go down will be a start

First off CONGRATULATIONS on making the decision to start prioritizing your nutrition and fitness. You've already lost some weight and that's something to celebrate! Do you use other indicators to measure your progress as well (ie taking body measurements, noting your energy levels, or your physical fitness/tolerance for activities)? Try using some other non-scale indicators that will also clue you in on your progress... it's not uncommon for people to lose inches (aka fat loss) and to not actually have a change in weight.

Also as for nutrition are you weighing things out? Do you rely solely on the pre-stored nutrition entries in MFP? I've found that some of the food item information isn't accurate and that was affecting my progress. It may not seem like much, but if several items you consume each day are off that could add up! It may be giving you a false sense that your consuming fewer calories than you really are.

What kinds of activity do you currently enjoy? Are you standing much at work or throughout the day? I've started increasing the time on my feet as opposed to sitting and have noticed a significant uptick in my basal metabolic rate (you can burn up to an extra 50 calories per hour standing... so that certainly can add up over the day). If you need any support or have any questions feel free to add me! You're not alone here... and remember weight loss isn't a sprint, slow and steady wins the race!

queenliz99 wrote: »

cheltgirl87 wrote: »

All my weight is my stomach x

Read this

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

and this

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

^QFT

These links are super helpful. I know they're a bit of a read, but I didn't read (or know) any of this stuff until I'd been on MFP for two years. I was pregnant at the time, but it helped me get back on track in a non-insane way after giving birth.

The "sexypants" post linked above has another link within it that I think you should pay special attention to, given that you say you've been eating x amount of calories/day and only lost so much back in January but then did the same even more recently and gained weight. It's about making sure your calorie intake is as accurate as possible:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212

I know it's hard! If exercise is too daunting right now, it's OK. I lost quite a bit of weight without any exercise when I first joined MFP. Even now that I work out regularly, I don't have 2 hours a day to dedicate to exercise. I get it whenever I can and do whatever works for me on that particular day. Sometimes it's strength, and sometimes it's cardio. I would suggest that, right now, you focus on your food, then try to add in some movement - in whatever form you like - as you go. It doesn't have to be squats, planks, push-ups, or sit-ups. It could just be taking a walk.

I hope this is helpful, and I wish you all the best!

As far as exercise goes, the most effective exercise you can do is the kind that you enjoy. Do a variety to see what you enjoy doing. If you try doing something that is way too intense or that you hate doing you will be less likely to stick with it. Planks are not a requirement for weight loss.

Also learn a little bit about how the body works. When you start exercising your body will hold onto water for muscle repair. This can mask fat loss. Be patient and give your body some time to adjust. A week is not long enough to determine anything.

Maybe it would also be a good idea to set some goals that are not about the number on the scale. Goals geared toward logging consistency, water consumption or exercise goals are easier to control and will help you feel like you accomplished something even when the number on the scale isn't moving.

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Sounds to me like you have a very moderate, doable plan now! I promise if you are consistent and don't try to do too much too fast, you will be amazed at what your body can do a year from now. When I first started MFP in July 2013 I was 45 pounds heavier and had bingo wings. Now I can do full pushups and I'm working on unassisted pullups. I'm twice your age, so think what you'll accomplish!! Don't quit!!

krithsai wrote: »

weightsnbakes wrote: »

What works for one person isn't going to work for another. You are just starting out, so go slow. Start off with walking 30 minutes a day. Or three times a week. Then, add some bodyweight movements like bodyweight squat, elevated pushup and lunges. Go slow. Don't listen to those who are telling you to work out twice a day etc. it's not going to work for you right now. Be patient.

What she said. I highly recommend Leslie Sansone's home walking videos if you're just starting out. The moves are uncomplicated and you'll break out a nice sweat. You could even do it twice a day without having to spend an insane amount of time on it.