JUST STARTED - STILL TRYING TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND SYSTEM

JimmySturgeon
JimmySturgeon Posts: 2 Member
in Getting Started
WISH ME LUCK GOING TO NEED IT :)

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    The great thing about MFP and counting calories, is that you don't need luck to succeed! All you need is to use all the tools correctly.

    Plot in your stats in the setup. Choose a reasonable loss goal:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    Eat the amount of calories MFP tells you. Buy an electronic food scale and weigh everything (I mean everything; measuring cups are inaccurate and you can weigh fluids too) you eat and drink that has calories, and log it. Double check entries with label/USDA database (they can be erranous). Weigh yourself regularly (I recommend daily, so that you don't accidentally hit "high" and "low" days) and under same circumstances (same scale, same place, same time of day, same amount of clothes.

    Optional: Exercise if you like. Find something you like to do, or at least not hate. Eat food you like, but also try something new from time to time. Variety is good. Fruit and vegetables is good. So is meat and fish, whole grains, dairy and eggs, nuts and seeds, butter and oils. There is nothing you can't eat, and nothing you have to eat.
  • sarabushby
    sarabushby Posts: 784 Member
    edited March 2016
    Good luck with your journey Jimmy but as kommodevaran said you should be just fine so long as you are patient and realistic with your goals and honest with your logging. If in doubt overestimate your food and underestimate your calories burned. Enjoy the changes as they come and all the compliments you receive as you grow in self confidence.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I don't know how far you have to lose, but people started telling me they noticed when I got to -23 lb.
  • TheLittleFangs
    TheLittleFangs Posts: 205 Member
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    I don't know how far you have to lose, but people started telling me they noticed when I got to -23 lb.

    In the past that was around the mark people noticed for me too
  • TheTagman
    TheTagman Posts: 23 Member
    Welcome & Good Luck! I can't add anything of value to Kommodeveran's excellent post so I'll not even try! :smile:
  • Pepperh3ad
    Pepperh3ad Posts: 117 Member
    Great advice above. Stay focused! Don't get discouraged, either. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep working, and the lbs will come off. Praying for you!
  • alphastarz
    alphastarz Posts: 55 Member
    You CAN do it! No luck necessary: you provide the self confidence and determination, mfp provides the friends, knowledge and tools to assist.

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