100lbs to LOSE! Let's get this party started!

Hello and welcome! (sorry, this turned out WAY longer than I planned!)

A lot of people talked about motivation. Commitment to your goals and persistence in pursuing them are what comes to my mind. Log everything, including the occasional blip, or transgression, or holiday meal, and continue on the course you know is right as soon as you can get yourself to do so, without wasting your energy on angst and recrimination.

Patience? Absolutely. Use the time you have to develop the tools you'll need to turn this 'diet' into a life-change. "Diets" end--your life hopefully won't, at least not anytime soon ; - )

Read the http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1 post in "Getting Started", and the http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1 in "General Diet & Weight Loss Help" and also http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

While you keep all that in mind, also keep in mind that even though up to 1% per week is considered a safe rate of weight loss, this doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with losing weight slower--as long as you keep going!

Being "too hungry to think" (and giving up) is way less effective than being "almost not hungry" and able to make the right choices month in and month out!

MFP is designed so that your deficit is already included in your daily target. You ARE supposed to eat back your NET REAL exercise calories.

Determining what your net real exercise calories are may be a bit tricky because estimations on machines and MFP often include the calories you're spending by being alive, and are also sometimes overstated.

Do keep in mind that as the weight comes off you will be able to do more and more with less effort!

Ease into exercise. You don't need to kill yourself exercising in order to lose weight.

As you lose weight you will find yourself both more willing (and eager at times) to push more and to go faster. And yes, walking is more than sufficient exercise. Especially when people have knee problems, or are starting well north of 200lbs! Pool activities are also good; but, a bit harder to estimate the caloric burn.

If you can afford it, get one of the many activity trackers. You may be surprised to find out that many people 'move' less than 5,000 steps a day. That is what sedentary represents.

By the time you are moving towards 10,000 steps a day you are definitely in the lightly active category and when you are regularly between 10K and 15K a day you are squarely in the active category. If you are setup as sedentary in MFP you SHOULD be eating back your walking "exercise" calories.

A topic of great controversy is whether you should eat certain foods or not and drink certain liquids or not. To me it all boils down to learning to make better (as in calorically smart and sustainable) choices.

Can I chose to drink a Starbucks Frappuccino? Of course I can, and if I really crave one I will make sure to work my numbers so that I can have one. But is it a good way to spend 430 calories? Is it worth going hungry later in the day when I could have a coffee with a single milk at the cost of just 20 calories, and leave the other 410 calories available for a nice 7-8oz steak later in the day?

The same applies to many other items: mayo, dressings, breads, margarines, butter, cooking oil, cakes, candies, fries, hamburgers, deep fried fish or chicken, pop, alcohol, starches, fats, sugars, baked goods... Everything , in the end, should be compared to alternatives so that you can decide if it is really worth it in the context of achieving your goals, i.e. if it is appropriate for the new you!

And yes, I *am* saying that even though nothing is off limits, everything has limits and trade offs where often none existed before!

Well, if you've made it through all this, you certainly have the ability to persevere, so I am sure that you will do fine on MFP!

Hopefully the read was worth the effort; best of luck on your journey towards better health!

Anyone can add me. I'm working on losing 100 pounds and half way there.. I'l

Hello All!

New. Today.
96 to lose.

My therapist has helped me in the past 2 weeks...one MEAL at a time.
Not even DAY at a time, MEAL at a time.

I've never been this heavy (CW=219) and I feel like poop.

I look forward to reading this thread for inspiration!

New to all of this, although I've had this app for a while now. Need to lose 100 lbs as well & have always found excuses but I've come to the conclusion that I'm tired of being tired & overweight so now is the time to change that! I'm nervous, excited, apprehensive but hopeful all in one! Glad to see so much support here. It helps knowing I'm not alone!!

I too have quit smoking (April 19th will be two months for me!) For the past 5 weeks I have been going to the gym 5 days a week..my goal is to lose 60lbs! As of now I don't notice a difference but I know it will take time. Every day I enter my MFP and notice it is usually due to my breakfasts. Anyone have any good shake suggestions?? I go to the gym first thing in the morning so I am usually starved by the time I get home