New and Ignorant

Good for your decision! Begin by reading the sticKY posts at the top of each mfp form that c obtain the "best of" posts. Lots of info in these threads. Set small goals and take it one day at a time. Read the mfp success stories forum frequently.

I recommend some good reads for you to start this journey as my "incredibly generic advice" when someone is new to MFP. Yes I have "Spammed - Copied and Pasted" this same write up to others.

@Dane_Martin Where you are right now is your Starting/Reference point that you need to baseline and then move forward to where you want to be. This is a science experiment and you are the subject of the study - establish your existing baseline of dietary consumption/caloric expenditure and move forward from that point. You need to be Brutally Honest/Accurate in your logging.

With only 1 post it tells me you are new to MFP and the Forums, so Welcome to MFP and the Forums.
To expand on what @lorrpb mentioned.

At the Top of most Forums you will see a Discussion with the Words Announcement underneath them. As an example go into the General Diet and Weight Loss Forum.
general-diet-and-weight-loss-help

You will see Announcement Posts ( Closed ) and a list of additional posts by members. If you open the Announcement Post you will see a list of Links to posts that are a great source of information.
most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads

Of all the "Stickied" Posts these are some of the ones that I keep referring back to all the time.
important-posts-to-read
youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
A-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale

A 4 part Blog about the power of habits.
The-power-of-habit-part-1-why-habits-matter-688130

I recommend the link below to Logging Accurately as it has been one I constantly refer back to.
logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

Picking an item from the Food Database can be a challenge due to the huge number of Multiple entries with similar names.
Some of the Key things I look for is USDA in the name/description as this indicates that the person who entered it used the USDA Food search web site as a source. I will compare the MFP Nutrition Data to the USDA Data. If you look at the nutrition data and see multiple users have confirmed it then it's probably a good choice.

These are just a few of the many great posts that have been so helpful.

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/1-hour-to-food-prep-your-fast-easy-plan-for-success/
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/meal-planning-for-beginners/
The-forum-survival-guide
http://fit101.org/the-step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspal/
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-beginners-guide-to-myfitnesspal/

diannethegeek wrote: »

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

[/quote]

Right there with you Dane! Add me.