Saying hello!

aprillperry84 wrote: »

Hello, my name is April and I am a beginner. I am struggling with the calorie thing, I dont know whether to be on a 1200 calorie diet or 1400 calorie diet. I weigh 200lbs but want to reach 140. Any advise, I dont want to move to fast and fail?

Hi April! The MFP app can help you find what calorie goals you should aim for in order to lose the weight at a healthy pace (2 pounds per week). You may have to adjust your calories as you go along and find what works best for you. For a long time I thought I was counting my calories correctly and I wasn't losing any weight. After some investigation, I figured out that I was counting my calories wrong and was actually still eating too many calories to be on a deficit. I wasn't gaining, but I wasn't losing. Once I figured that out I was able to adjust to eating less and I started seeing the weight come off. I'm only 10 pounds down right now (with another 80 to go) but at least I'm seeing some changes. I'm also starting to see changes in how my clothes fit so I know I'm on the right track.

My advise would be to start slow. Don't try to go from eating 3000 calories a day to 1200. You'll be hungry and mad, lol. I would start by making conscience food decisions and not eat anything that you can't track with MFP. Find food that you like and work it in to your calories for the day while trying to eat better quality food. I have found that I can eat more healthier food than junk for the same amount of calories. Also, I would suggest against cutting certain foods completely from your diet. I know keto and Atkin's diets work for people (I lost 75 pounds on Atkins about 10 years ago but have gained it all back) but I think it's very difficult to sustain eating that way for life. However, I don't eat much sugar and eat whole grain, whole wheat bread (35 calories and 5 net carbs per slice) instead of white bread. Just make small, sustainable changes in what and how you eat and soon you'll be eating less, feeling better and losing those pounds. I also try to walk for 30 minutes every day at lunch (1.5 miles in 30 minutes is my goal) and I started lifting weights 3 days a week.

Don't forget to also drink plenty of water - about half your body weight in ounces - and try to get 8 hours of sleep a night. The water and sleep make a huge difference!

Good luck!