I'm just starting & need advice :)

shannonmae696 · April 2017

I did a body composition test & went up 6% in body fat in the last year & am the heaviest I've ever weighed at 153 pounds with height of 5'3''. I'd love to see myself at 120. I'm getting married in a year and a half & it would be wonderful if I could get to my goal weight and change my lifestyle. I decided that I'm going to start 100% paleo tomorrow for a month. I'll see how that goes and possibly add in other foods here and there after the month is up. I'm starting a group training session this week that meets once a week for the next 6 weeks. I've done this before and I've made it my goal to go the scheduled time and then two other times per week. I've made goals to get in 10,000 steps per day and drink 100 oz of water daily. I don't want to start with too many goals at once, but do you have any other recommendations on what I should be doing to kickoff my weight loss?

snowflake954 · April 2017

A calorie deficeit is all you need to lose. You can decide how you want to achieve that. Weighing and measuring all that you eat and drink is how to do it. A digital food scale is very helpful. Exercise will make you look and feel better and give you some more calories to eat. Good luck.

goldenfrisbee · April 2017

Don't do anything you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life. I agree with snowflake, a calorie deficit is all you need. You don't need exercise or restricted foods, just moderation. I'm not saying don't exercise, because exercise is for health, not weight loss. By adopting a lifestyle that is sustainable over the long haul, you need to be able to eat the foods you enjoy. Balance, balance, balance

LKArgh · April 2017

Making dramatic changes for weight loss only (such as going paleo, assuming this is not something you are otherwise interested into) means you will either give up halfway or gain it all back as soon as you get to your goal.

estherdragonbat · April 2017

Pre-log. Especially when you know you're going into a situation where there will be food you're going to want. On a personal note, this was me every time I tried to lose weight.

"I'm going to go to the party and I'll keep away from the cookies and the chips and the cake and all the other junk. I'll just have veggies and fruit. And I'll make sure I only put a spoon of dip on my plate and when that's used up, I'll eat the veggies plain."

At the party... "Oh no! I didn't know there'd be brownies! I can't. They're so rich. So good. Well... maybe just one."

And then... "You ate the brownie? That's like 400 calories right there. Probably more with those nuts and frosting. Well, there goes all your hard work. The day is blown. Well, pick it up again tomorrow, but for tonight? Heck, may as well get another brownie and a piece of pie while you're at it."

Coming home... "I'm too miserable to even log this. I don't want to remember what I ate. I just want it behind me. I'm so stressed. Maybe it's time to get that ice cream out of the freezer.

By the next day, I had more guilt, more negativity, and a need to drown my sorrows in more high-calorie food.

But with pre-logging, it becomes, "I have X calories to use tonight. Let's think about what I can have within that. And maybe I could go for a walk later or hit the fitness glider. Realistically, I know I'm not going to stick to fruit and veggies. There's going to be other food and it's going to be good and I'm going to want it. So. How much do I feel it's going to take for me to be satisfied I had a little indulgence? How doable is this? Well... how many calories are in a brownie? That many. Okay. So, I can either make sure I exercise before the party if I want to have that bagel for lunch; otherwise, it'll need to be soup and salad. As for the party, I can limit myself to the brownie plus fruits and veggies, I can have half a brownie and then I've got room for a cookie, too... or I can choose a different option. But bottom line, if I want that brownie, it's not going to derail anything. And I think I do. So let me log it now and see what's left in my calories for other stuff."

And now, at the party... "I'm having a brownie. And it's okay. I have the calories for it. I budgeted for it. I logged it. This is a treat, not a cheat."

Bottom line for me (and yes, everyone is different, but this might well work for you, too): When I log in advance, I'm giving myself permission to have an indulgence. I see that it doesn't put me over my allotted calories (though, granted, from a nutritional standpoint I may be significantly over my fat and sugar for the day. That's not terrible every once in a while). And when I have the brownie? I have it without the stress and guilt and negativity that's always plagued me in the past.

I've been with MFP for 6 months and dropped just under 54 lbs eating mostly healthy but allowing a treat or two a week within my calorie budget.

donovanwoodworking · April 2017

Keep it simple. It is easy to over complicate things. :-]

mellowadam · April 2017

If you want to look cute in your wedding dress just eat at a deficit for the next year and be totally committed to your logging. Paleo will work but probably isn't neccesary. Maybe shoot for 80 percent paleo and have a little fun on weekends. 30 pounds in a year is absolutely doable and won't be that hard.

If you want to look good when you get back to the hotel and take that wedding dress off I would recommend that you start lifting weights as soon as possible. Search for all the threads and learn from the women who lift. There is a ton of good info on these forums.

Also check out the fitness forums on Reddit. Tons of good info there.

Good nutrition will get the weight off but strength training is what really makes the difference in the end. Thats not always the most popular opinion on the forum but anyone who has done a major transformation will probably agree with me.

1musicgrl · April 2017

It's hard work. It takes a lot of endurance and patience and energy. You get out of it what you put into it. I agree with the above post that strength training makes a huge difference. I've lost 56 pounds but my trainer says that I look like I've lost 100. I've lost so many inches, being on a consistent meal plan and strength training 5-6 days a week. Like I said, it's not easy, but it can definitely be done! Power to you! You got this! You can friend me if you want to.

Deadlifting_Away_Doritos · April 2017

Hit the strength training!

WilliamAndersonLMHC · April 2017

Instead of focusing on weight and diets, focus on creating lifetime habits that have you losing weight instead of gaining it. When we focus on weight and doing something for a while to lose, we actually reinforce the thinking and behavior that makes us gain. When we finish the diet, we are worse than ever! I was overweight and obese from age 7 to age 33 and yo-yoed many times with dieting schemes. In 1985, my training in psychotherapy together with what I learned through experience led me to be able to apply effective behavior therapy. I finally lost 140 pounds in 1985 and have maintained 180, within 10 pounds, since. Within a month of beginning this newest approach, I knew I would never have the problem again. My new addiction was better than the old one.

fundamentallyfitfl · April 2017

calorie deficit is all you need! It's not easy but once you build those habits, you won't even think about it. I agree with William, if you look at it like a lifestyle change it's much easier. You can return to a maintenance level of cals once you reach your goal, so you won't always be in a deficit. I did the common sense diet (greens, complex carbs, white meat and lots of water) and lost about 60 lbs just watching my cals and cutting out 1 habit at a time

I'm just starting & need advice :)

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