Help me get started!!!! Please :)

How do you define very active? You tell us what you can't afford but what exercises are you doing? Are you walking any distance, or running, or riding a bike, or just doing the normal daily routine? Sounds more to me like you are sedentary without more details. That being said 1900 is close to maintenance for a sedentary person and you are at around the 2lb per week rate. Cheating is not allowed until you log everything accurately and make sure your numbers are correct.

If you are sedentary then 1500 is a little high a deficit but ok, 1300 is too low.

lsbabi928 wrote: »

Well that's what the app said to do 1910, I'm a day care worker. So I walk around a decent amount, pick up toys, clean, things like that. So I don't like sit around ALL day long and usually end up walking around places after I get home. I can workout in the morning. I do wake up early to do so, I just can't do much cardio. I mean jumping jacks kills me because of my breasts being larger & stuff.

Ok, that helps. I'd target 1500-1600 calories, 1300 is definitely to low. But the logging rule is still in effect. No cheating until you log everything accurately. :P

Edit: Get a scale and measure what you are eating as well. If you aren't measuring you will most likely be wrong.

As far as 'good cheats' eat whatever you like, just stay within your calorie goals. Having said that, at your calorie ranges you'll need to consider lower calorie options, and the first thing that comes to mind is vegetables with fat free dressings for dips. I use the fat free Hidden Valley Ranch, it comes in about 25 cals per tbsp. Two vegetables both my wife and I like to play around with are carrots and cauliflower. For sides we will toss them (baby carrots or cauliflower florets) with a tbsp or two of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and put them on a baking sheet and bake them at about 400F until they get a bit crispy on the outside. Then we will eat them as-is or dip them in lower calorie ranch dressing. I'll even mix hot sauce into the fat free ranch from time to time to add spicy flavor. Google ideas with cauliflower, there are many variations that are super low calorie.. you can substitute them for rice, potatoes, etc. I, personally don't substitute anything for potatoes or sweet potatoes because they are rich in potassium. I simply eat the cauliflower or carrots along side of them.

My wife is 5'2" tall and about your exact weight, so she tries to stay at the 1600 calorie range to lose weight as well. She does well with the same things I eat, which is a lot of chicken (boneless skinless breasts and thighs) baked/grilled with sides for dinners. Tuna salads for lunch, or leftover chicken (chicken salad, etc.) from the night before. Turkey, ground turkey, lean beef. Etc. Remember the leaner the meat the less fat and the less calories. As far as snacks, keep the chips out of the house unless you have the calories for it left. I have to resist even buying them or we'll both eat a whole bag. So I always buy just what we need instead of the 'family size' bags you see at the store. Ice cream has become my go-to late snack. I buy Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom, it's about 100 calories per half cup on average for most flavors and is chocked full of fiber. I buy very dark chocolate, chop it up and top the ice cream with it for a late snack to reach my fiber goals. If I find I have calories left, but no fat left on my macros and my protein is good for the day I'll usually reach for a banana. Hope all that helps.

If you walk around a lot, I would recommend a fitbit or, more accurately, a heart rate monitor. While walking is good exercise, you may not be burning as much as you think you are.

Peanut Butter is most certainly the devil. Love the stuff. Super high in calories. I don't know about anyone else, but 2 tbsp is never enough for a sandwich either. I'll agree.. weigh it. It'll shock you how many calories you are actually eating with peanut butter as well as salad dressings/sauces.

lsbabi928 wrote: »

I also don't know how to log the calories I burn from work outs, it seems to me like only the cardio part count. If I'm lifting, which I want to start, I will burn calories. So like what the heck?

I've heard differing opinions on this, but most people who lift regularly seem to think that the amount of calories burned are so few (in comparison to cardio) that it's not really worth counting them. (Consider it a bonus, perhaps, rather than a reason to eat more?)

Be aware of how you're recording your calories burned too, since machines and MFPs own estimates can be way off the mark! The general recommendation is to eat maybe 50-75% of your exercise calories, at least until you know how accurate the estimate is.

lsbabi928 wrote: »

Thank you guys so much!!!! What about coffee? Like I am thinking of switching to tea, with a teaspoon of honey, yay or nay

I drink both tea and coffee. I simply learned to use Stevia instead. I tried pretty much all of the other sweeteners and Stevia had the least nasty taste to me. It doesn't, for me anyway, get quite as sweet as sugar, but it's close and it's 0 calories.