Please help..overwhelmed
whitty34
Posts: 5 Member
hey everyone first of all thank you for taking a look at my post. I am wanting to make a lifestyle change to lose some much-needed weight however I am feeling so overwhelmed I can't comprehend on where to get started. I currently weigh 205 and my goal is to drop to at least 150. My fitness pal says I should eat 1200 cal a day but someone mentioned to me that maybe I should be eating 1900 c per day. I'm nervous I'll make a mistake. Is there anyone that would be willing to take me under their wing for the first week or so while I get started?
Thank you
Whitney
Thank you
Whitney
0
Replies
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Try checking out http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamesk2.htm and calculate it there. I have also found "Thinner leaner stronger" a helpful resource book. Good luck
You can do it!! 0 -
It can be very overwhelming to start tracking calories. What I would suggest is start by logging what you normally eat. That way, you can get used to how the database works. Read the stickies regarding logging that are located here:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest
I'd do that for maybe a week or two, or whatever you think you need. Then start eating at a deficit. You could probably start with a 2 pound a week goal (which I'm assuming you entered), but you might find it easier to go for 1 lb/wk. And even if your start with 2, it would probably be best go to 1 when you lose 10-20 pounds. Read all the stickies, they'll help you to create a sustainable goal.0 -
I agree completely with veganbaum -- I lost 80 pounds -- mostly due to logging my food and learning a bit more about portion control. So many people ask how I did it because they want to lose weight and I always suggest that they log for a week or two to get into the habit, and figure out what they are eating now -- then gradually decrease calories until they are losing, on average, about pound/week. I was overweight for about 20 years and tried so many "diets" and I could not believe how "easy" it was once I started logging everything that I eat. I have been maintaining my weight for about 18 months -- still log every day but mostly because it is a habit.0
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I found once I started logging, it was a lot easier for me to see where my wasted calories were coming from and cut them out. Did I really need a half a cup of peanut butter in my oatmeal, etc. I treated it almost like a video game (still do, actually). What happens to my numbers if eat a an apple for an afternoon snack instead of a cookie? What happens if I eat half a cup of rice and an extra serving of salmon for dinner?
You can do this! 0 -
I have found that fitness pal has been so helpful. It makes you aware of how much food you are eating and just how many calories it contains. It's important to stay positive even on a day where you may have cheated and feel bad about it. 1200 calories may be hard at first but maybe start by aiming for 1500 and working your way down would be helpful. The first week to the first 2 weeks will be the biggest struggle but, you can do it! Maybe try 3 meals a day and 2 to 3 snacks a day. Try doing them 2 to 3 hours apart depending on how hungry you are. If you plan on doing any exercising, at least try 30 mins of cardio 3 times a week to start. I hope this helps.0
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With 50 lbs to lose I would go for a weight loss goal of 1-1.5lbs per week. Presumably 1200 cals is to lose 2lbs per week?0
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A basic start:
- Chose a calorie number and start eating it. (1200, 1900, or anywhere in between sounds like a good start since you will be customizing it anyway as you see what happens.)
- Weigh yourself every morning.
- Average your weight over four days (because averages will help offset the natural heavier and lighter days).
- Compare your averages to see what is happening with your weight.
- Adjust your calories accordingly - lower them if you aren't losing enough, raise them if you are losing too fast.
- Shoot to lose 3-4 lbs a week, up to 5 lbs.
You weight loss will only work as well as you do to ensure you maintain caloric consistency. If you vary greatly on calories each day then you cannot accurately adjust your dietary goals.0 -
A basic start:
- Chose a calorie number and start eating it. (1200, 1900, or anywhere in between sounds like a good start since you will be customizing it anyway as you see what happens.)
- Weigh yourself every morning.
- Average your weight over four days (because averages will help offset the natural heavier and lighter days).
- Compare your averages to see what is happening with your weight.
- Adjust your calories accordingly - lower them if you aren't losing enough, raise them if you are losing too fast.
- Shoot to lose 3-4 lbs a week, up to 5 lbs.
You weight loss will only work as well as you do to ensure you maintain caloric consistency. If you vary greatly on calories each day then you cannot accurately adjust your dietary goals.- 1) good advice
- 2) unnecessary but if you wish to weigh daily and don't pin your mood for the day on what the scale says, go for it. I personally weigh daily but it doesn't work well for a lot of people; many find once a week to be sufficient.
- averaging your weight is a good idea, and an app or site like Happy Scale or TrendWeight will do it for you
- 3) Spot on
- 4) Also spot on
- 5) darn, you were doing so well... DON'T shoot to lose 3-5 lbs a week, that's well past the upper limit of what is advisable and safe - to lose that much per week you will be losing a lot more than fat, you'll be losing muscle mass. Which will end you up as a smaller version of your fat self (commonly referred to as "skinny fat" where you're still soft and undefined, you just weigh less)
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If I were you I would keep it simple. No hard rules. Just eat reasonable portions for a few days while logging as accurately as you can. Make sure you aren't too hungry or feeling like you are restricting too much. See what your calories end up at and judge your comfort level. It's not set in stone. Just pick a number based on your experience during these days and it will be a good comfortable number for you to follow as long as it's higher than 1200 and lower than 1800 or 1900.
My personal sweet spot is around 1450-1600, a level where I can comfortably eat but still lose weight. Keep in mind, the higher the calories the lower the loss, but it's your comfort level that matters. Even if you end up only losing 0.5 a pound a week you would still be at a much better place than attempting something too low and stressful with quicker loss then quit prematurely out of frustration and deprivation.0 -
I think we are likely quite similar in terms of weight and weight loss goals. I am on 1200 calories but remember this is NET calories not total! In total, I eat about 1400-1500 calories, but I exercise off 300ish calories so that is offset back to 1200. I eat good full meals and am careful to get all my nutrition, although I sometimes crave high calorie food! I really think it is achievable, but as others have said, you may want to gradually calorie reduce rather than suddenly. I have lost 15 lbs in 8 weeks, so yes, almost 2lbs a week - confirmation that this absolutely does work! Good luck.0
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I agree with what others have said about 1200 cals. I think that's way too low. I've been on mfp for a while and I find the odd 1200 day a struggle, so if you're new to dieting, I think it will be too much of a shock.0
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What did you put in to lose a week? If you put in 2lbs a week loss, that might explain why you're getting 1200 for a daily allowance. I think 1lb a week would probably be more realistic for you.
Use the BMR app on here to calculate your BMR. Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the calories your body would need if you literally did nothing and you should never eat below that. In fact, chances are you should probably be eating more, especially if you're working out.
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1-1.5lbs a week is a realistic weight loss and a lovely one - it is about the same as I am shooting for and I have a 1,480 daily calorie target. Just think of this year as a health reboot. There is no hurry. I love some of the advice you have had (except the 'lose 5lbs a week' - whaaaattttt??????). It is all about experimentation and finding out what works for you - which will not be the same as what might work for another person. Just start tracking and see where you 'spend' your calories and be honest about how that serves you. Also how does the food affect you? Are you drowsy half an hour after eating pasta? Then it might be time to ditch the pasta. Just tailor this for yourself - and start with really simple things.0
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There's lots of great advice above. I'd say one of the most important things to remember is that there's no rush. You want to instill eating habits that stick. So make sure they're not drastic! A loss rate of 1 lb./week is reasonable, and if you can add a bit of movement each day, you can eat more calories.
You don't need arbitrary diet rules. Don't worry about meal times, meal frequency or even meal composition - just eat in a calorie deficit, and eat a wide variety of foods that you enjoy.0 -
I love my weight tracking apps. I use trendweight and I like that it averages out 20 days of weight data. I noticed my weight fluctuates a lot within a week. I just upped my cals last week and still losing at a rapid clip. Waiting for 2-3 weeks of data to readjust my calorie intake. I only want to lose 1lb a week.
What worked for me were easy wins. I wanted to build my confidence and maintain motivation. So I have stick to making easy goals I can accomplish. Nothing too drastic. Its been working well and I feel empowered.0 -
I think with that much to lose, 1200 would be too low to start and would be really difficult to maintain over a period of time - which may lead to 'binges', late-night snacking and too many cheat days.
try this website to really get an idea on how many calories you should be having a day:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
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hey everyone first of all thank you for taking a look at my post. I am wanting to make a lifestyle change to lose some much-needed weight however I am feeling so overwhelmed I can't comprehend on where to get started. I currently weigh 205 and my goal is to drop to at least 150. My fitness pal says I should eat 1200 cal a day but someone mentioned to me that maybe I should be eating 1900 c per day. I'm nervous I'll make a mistake. Is there anyone that would be willing to take me under their wing for the first week or so while I get started?
Thank you
Whitney
Sooooo making a mistake is a part of life and it helps you find a solution because what ever doesn't work, whats left is the option that works.
Why don't you make small changes,... 1st figure out what your maintenance calories is, then just eat little bit less.
Start walking for 30min. If your not loosing then exercise bit more and eat a bit less.0 -
Whitney - first of all congratulations on your goal to become more healthy!
In July I was in almost EXACTLY the same spot as you. I weighed 212 pounds and finally decided to take control of my life. At that point I set a goal for myself of 170 which seemed truly a pie in the sky goal. This morning I weighed 170.2. .2 away from my initial goal and I now have a goal for another 20# which would put me at your goal of 150. I accomplished all of this almost without feeling deprived by following a ketogenic lifestyle. This involves eliminating things like grains, flour and sugar. No diet pop either. The focus is on eating moderate protein, getting your carbs from low carb veggies and plenty of health fats (avocado, butter, coconut oil, olive oil etc). You will gradually train your body to burn fat for fuel instead of sugar!
The first few days were rough I will admit as my body "detoxed" from all the carbs I had been eating, but after the first week I was almost NEVER hungry between meals, which was always what derailed me during my MANY previous weight loss attempts...I was STARVING!! In addition, the insomnia I was battling went away which was a HUGE bonus! I just turned 56 years old and I can honestly say I feel better than I have in years! You will lose weight without having to count calories. I have a calorie "goal" that shows up in MFP because of my goal weight, but I just don't pay attention to it.
I would encourage you to read this link for more information.
http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ketogenic-diet-plan.html
I have coached several family members who have changed their lifestyle also and they are thrilled with how they feel and the weight they have lost. I would be happy to answer questions for you.0 -
When I first started on this journey, I had people telling me that 1600-1800 calories should be my goal because I was in the obese range. I was getting well-meaning advice from so many different people, I, too, was overwhelmed! So, I checked with my doctor and he recommended a good start for me as far as calories go (1200-1400 at first...now I am at 1000-1200 a day). He, like so many others on here, also suggested I start by just logging in a regular day of what I ate for about two weeks and then start cutting unnecessary calories from there. One thing he told me to remember: I am in control of what I eat or choose not to eat. Think of willpower as a positive thing. In other words, I use my willpower to accomplish my goals...not as a deterrent. For instance, I can eat whatever I want. However, if I want to become healthier and happier with how my body looks, then I use my willpower to reach my goals. I am in control at all times...not some numbers on a scale or in a food diary. One thing I will say, once I started being brutally honest with myself and putting into 'writing' what I was actually, in real life, eating and looking at those calories every day, it was a lot easier for me to cut a lot of stuff out of my diet. I don't miss that 'stuff' one bit. Once I added some movement into the mix, I noticed I wasn't as hungry as I used to be and I don't get tired as easily either. Good Luck on your journey to a healthier you!!0
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Another thing - its OK to take a while to find your optimal balance. I remind myself that at worst, I am slowing down my weightloss by a week or two. After so many years of gaining weight, what's a few weeks? Its ok not to be on a schedule.
6 weeks in and I am still trying to figure out the right number of calories for me. But that's mostly because I don't want to lose too fast and I want to eat as much as I am entitled to. Someone here said that his winning was the ability to eat as much as possible while still losing weight. I like that.0 -
You will lose weight without having to count calories. I have a calorie "goal" that shows up in MFP because of my goal weight, but I just don't pay attention to it.
This isn't good advice. Weight loss happens for one reason and one reason only: a calorie deficit.
While going super low carb may click with some people, it is not necessary for weight loss.
And your body doesn't need to "detox" from carbs.
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vivmom2014 wrote: »You will lose weight without having to count calories. I have a calorie "goal" that shows up in MFP because of my goal weight, but I just don't pay attention to it.
This isn't good advice. Weight loss happens for one reason and one reason only: a calorie deficit.
While going super low carb may click with some people, it is not necessary for weight loss.
And your body doesn't need to "detox" from carbs.
Another one for this camp. I works for some people, but it's not necessary and doesn't work for everyone. It didn't work for me at all.
I believe keeping things as simple as possible is the way to go, especially for a beginner. For a start all you need to do is find your personal comfortable calorie level. How tall are you by the way?0 -
If you're having trouble getting started, remember that it's ok to start small and build! One thing you can do is just log for a week, both so you get the hang of it and so you see where your problem areas are. You can get an idea when you're hungriest, what foods help you feel full longer, and what things can be changed. Then, start with one change. For me, my first change was swapping out soda when I eat out to unsweet tea with Equal. One small change to something I did like, but cut about 200-300 calories out of my day just with that. Give yourself a week or two to get used to it, then change something else. As you build a foundation, you'll feel more comfortable with adjusting your eating habits, and you can build momentum to keep going.
Also agree with the 'low carb isn't necessary' route. One thing to keep in mind is that you're not going on a 'diet', you're changing your eating habits to make you healthier in the future. It's fine to try different eating plans, but if you do, after a couple weeks ask yourself "do i want to eat this way for the rest of my life?" If the answer is no, it's not for you. You need to find an eating plan that you're comfortable sticking with even after you've lost the weight. If you're happy going low carb, more power to you. If you're not, that's fine too. But sticking with an eating plan that makes you miserable just because people lost weight on it doesn't help you at all. You need to learn how to adjust what you're doing now, while still keeping things you like, just in smaller portions. Learning healthier options is good too, but you don't have to cut out all the foods you like just because they're high calorie. Just need to adjust to eating a proper portion of them and accounting for them in your day.0 -
I'm in the same boat. I got my weight down to 194 from 217 over the summer, and today was 200. That's my "no freaking way!" spot, so I am back to logging my calories. I wish it didn't seem like such a loathsome chore to me. I appreciate the idea of logging my calories for a few days without establishing a set-in-stone calorie goal, then gradually reducing from there. MFP gave me 1690 as a starting point for 1 pound loss per week. I'd like to lose more than that, of course, but I don't want to set myself up for failure.0
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OP, the one thing no one asked from glancing over the posts was for your stats. Height, Weight, Age, how many pounds you want to loose each week preferably to get down 50 lbs, etc..
We can do a quick calculation to work with you on this..
Also, you can read through this.. the links above do not really provide a direct link to start you out..
http://fit101.org/the-step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspal/0 -
2snakeswoman wrote: »I'm in the same boat. I got my weight down to 194 from 217 over the summer, and today was 200. That's my "no freaking way!" spot, so I am back to logging my calories. I wish it didn't seem like such a loathsome chore to me. I appreciate the idea of logging my calories for a few days without establishing a set-in-stone calorie goal, then gradually reducing from there. MFP gave me 1690 as a starting point for 1 pound loss per week. I'd like to lose more than that, of course, but I don't want to set myself up for failure.
Yeah, continuous logging can be a pain! I'm not happy that I still have to log, but I have gotten better at guesstimating portions, so I tend to do that now instead of weighing EVERYTHING. But even if my estimates are off, just the act of logging, of seeing what I've had over the day makes me more aware of my food intake and helps me adjust accordingly.0 -
just added you hun, if you need any help let me know xx0
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vivmom2014 wrote: »You will lose weight without having to count calories. I have a calorie "goal" that shows up in MFP because of my goal weight, but I just don't pay attention to it.
This isn't good advice. Weight loss happens for one reason and one reason only: a calorie deficit.
While going super low carb may click with some people, it is not necessary for weight loss.
And your body doesn't need to "detox" from carbs.
Wow. Well glad to know that my success and the success of SO many people I know is so anecdotal for you. You keep on believing that and I will keep on keeping on. I only know that I average around 1600-1800 calories per day and have lost 42 pounds since July by following this "bad" advice. MFP tells me my calories should be at 1200 so obviously a "calorie deficit" isn't what is helping. A little research on a ketogenic diet will show you that it is used by doctors to control epilepsy and is being used to help with early onset Alzheimer's. It isn't some "fad" that just popped up.0 -
vivmom2014 wrote: »You will lose weight without having to count calories. I have a calorie "goal" that shows up in MFP because of my goal weight, but I just don't pay attention to it.
This isn't good advice. Weight loss happens for one reason and one reason only: a calorie deficit.
While going super low carb may click with some people, it is not necessary for weight loss.
And your body doesn't need to "detox" from carbs.
Wow. Well glad to know that my success and the success of SO many people I know is so anecdotal for you. You keep on believing that and I will keep on keeping on. I only know that I average around 1600-1800 calories per day and have lost 42 pounds since July by following this "bad" advice. MFP tells me my calories should be at 1200 so obviously a "calorie deficit" isn't what is helping. A little research on a ketogenic diet will show you that it is used by doctors to control epilepsy and is being used to help with early onset Alzheimer's. It isn't some "fad" that just popped up.
Understand that you are not being attacked. Your diet is not being attacked. You have done so well on it, so obviously it's really working for you and that's a good thing. You have done well for yourself and worked hard to achieve your goals, so congratulations. 1600-1800 is still a calorie deficit. The 1200 MFP gives you is based on the goal you chose, so if you pick a less aggressive goal you would get a higher calorie allowance, plus additional calories for exercise.
What is being said that although this is a valid option that works beautifully for some people, it's not necessary for weight loss. For a beginner, the idea of giving up a wide array of foods may feel overwhelming, and the idea of being able to eat whatever you want as long as you successfully manage your calories could be liberating. When I first tried a ketogenic diet I did horribly on it. I felt deprived and miserable. Had I not turned to calorie counting I'm not sure where I would be today.
If later down the line, after gaining some confidence in her ability to stick to a diet, she decides to experiment with other dieting approaches and fine-tune her weight loss strategies, why not?0 -
A basic start:
- Chose a calorie number and start eating it. (1200, 1900, or anywhere in between sounds like a good start since you will be customizing it anyway as you see what happens.)
- Weigh yourself every morning.
- Average your weight over four days (because averages will help offset the natural heavier and lighter days).
- Compare your averages to see what is happening with your weight.
- Adjust your calories accordingly - lower them if you aren't losing enough, raise them if you are losing too fast.
- Shoot to lose 3-4 lbs a week, up to 5 lbs.
You weight loss will only work as well as you do to ensure you maintain caloric consistency. If you vary greatly on calories each day then you cannot accurately adjust your dietary goals.- 1) good advice
- 2) unnecessary but if you wish to weigh daily and don't pin your mood for the day on what the scale says, go for it. I personally weigh daily but it doesn't work well for a lot of people; many find once a week to be sufficient.
- averaging your weight is a good idea, and an app or site like Happy Scale or TrendWeight will do it for you
- 3) Spot on
- 4) Also spot on
- 5) darn, you were doing so well... DON'T shoot to lose 3-5 lbs a week, that's well past the upper limit of what is advisable and safe - to lose that much per week you will be losing a lot more than fat, you'll be losing muscle mass. Which will end you up as a smaller version of your fat self (commonly referred to as "skinny fat" where you're still soft and undefined, you just weigh less)
2. If you are trying to find a good caloric goal, I don't know how you would get accurate readings once a week. Weight can naturally fluctuate ~3 lbs each day. If you are shooting to lose even 1-2 lbs a week and weigh yourself on a naturally heavier day for the week then you would believe you lost nothing based off a single reading for the week when really you are making progress. This is why averages and daily readings will offer the most accurate tale.
5. Nice sarcasm. Notice I said "a basic start". For the person starting out, they will initially shed weight faster, especially the further away they are from their natural weight. 3-5 lbs a week is fine for the start of a weight loss diet for a person starting out. The closer you get to your ideal weight the slower the weight will come off anyway.
We could argue this all day, and you will find studies on both sides of the issue, so further discussion is likely futile on this point. She can chose what path she wants to take.0
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