ive just started - my fitness pal- any tips for me?

do not give up!! no matter how much u want to and how some days u just dont wana track, or go to the gym. do it. ull feel better. and good luck

Take advantage of the social network to have support, kudos and encouragement. It matters SO much.

well, based on your ticker, you are only looking to lose 9 lbs?
SO my best advice is :
do NOT do only 1200 cals a day.
That is borderline starving and should only done by those with a LOT to lose as they have the extra fat stores to support that much of a deficit.
When you are close to goal weight you should have your goals set to HALF a pound a week.

And no, you can't eat "whatever you want" as long as you are under your calories, because in order to be healthy, you need to get enough nutrients into your body, and going so low cal just means that everything you eat needs to be nutrient packed, whole grains, veggies, lean meats..not junk food just because it "fits". It's not doing anything for your body.

Try ditching the processed foods and get back to meals with - meat, vegetable and one carb. [like chicken breast, broccoli and potato]. This has helped me loose the weight in all the right places without losing the places you don't. Healthy eating does make a difference when combined with a good workout.

Another tip is cook all your food that you can on the weekend bag, freeze it and then you just microwave it at work to keep eating healthy and reduce the impulse food. If the food is ready it is easier to stick to the plan :happy: Best of Luck

if your "details" included a 1 pound or 2 pound a week goal, then yes.
When you are close to goal you need to eat VERY close to maintenance level, and be meticulous.
It is different than someone looking to lose 50 pounds, or 80....

you want to lose NINE.
You should be eating LARGER quantities of GOOD nutrition and lifting heavy weights, not lowering your calories and eating junk food.

At this stage your "diet" is 90% nutrition and only 10% exercise.
You are already considered healthy, so your body wants to stay where it is.
You have to work HARD to convince it that it can let go of the fat that it WANTS to keep for an emergency. If it thinks you are starving and in a famine (by eating only 1200), it won't let go because it thinks you NEED that fat to survive.
You need to convince it that there is PLENTY of nutritious food at your fingertips so it is SAFE to release its emergency fat. You can do this by EATING that food.

Make sense?

i have jus started this plan and im goin to track on my blackberry- i have been reading all the success stories and lots of ppl have done brill
have you got any tips for me?
what sort of stuff do u eat for ur breakfast/dinners/teas?
im on 1200 a day- as long as you stick to the 1200 cals- can u pretty much eat what u want

Just one bit of advice: keep at it. Dont beat yourself up too much when you fall off the wagon from time to time, just get back on and keep going.