Total newbie here!

Establish your goals first. Remember it's a lifelong decision. It's OK to "fall off" sometimes if you keep a long view. If you're getting discouraged, try a different approach. For example, make a commitment to eat 80% "clean," and the other 20% do what you want. This will help you progress and still allow you to indulge.

Personally, I'm not crazy about the idea of "clean eating." What this means seems to change all the time. I'm a big fan of using macros. If you get enough protein (which most people don't), everything else seems to take care of itself, at least for me! Eating more protein helps you stay fuller for longer, and makes it easier to take in fewer calories.

Don't deprive yourself and don't allow yourself to go hungry. At the same time, recognize that many of us, when we think we're hungry, are often something else (bored? seeking comfort? Who knows?). Be sure to pay attention during these moments.

Feel free to friend me if you like. Good luck on your journey, and stay with it!

Using the food journal on myfitnesspal works best for me. When I see how quickly the calories are adding up it makes it easier to say no to the candy bar. I thought I would lose it going out to eat today, but actually it turned out pretty well. I ordered from the light menu, and then I asked them to leave the butter and sauce off the grilled chicken. It still had a lot of flavor and was tender and moist...I honestly didn't miss the trappings. If you keep falling off the wagon maybe it would work better for you to focus on making better choices. Don't try to eliminate too much at one time. Just minor changes here and there can really add up over the year. Like drinking water instead of tea or soda, or ordering chicken piccata without the sauce, as I did today. The calories you save will really add up!

Hey, welcome to MFP!!


Just getting started?

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

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101


Exercise questions?

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

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1217573/so-you-want-to-start-running

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226536/bulking-for-beginners

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10049766/bulking-a-complete-guide-for-beginners


Want to log your food more accurately or have questions about why you should bother?

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1290491/how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10191216/the-most-important-thing-you-can-do-to-lose-weight


Have other food questions?

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10232335/list-of-higher-protein-foods

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/975025/in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10197460/sugar-faq-june-2015/p1


Motivation issues?

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818701/the-myth-of-motivation-and-what-you-need-instead/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1343719/get-rich-quick

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1346163/change-your-mindset


Weight fluctuations got you down?

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10196160/scale-stress-syndrome/p1


One for the ladies

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10359984/women-menstrual-cycle-weight-and-fitness-matters


Wondering about that quick fix?

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10202381/weight-loss-scams-and-how-to-spot-them

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1159755/looking-for-a-detox-cleanse