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Head is spinning a little

lisadallasr
lisadallasr Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, new to MFP, well not new really just have had this account for a few years but have never really used it, but I am kind of at a crossroads and I am struggling. A little about me, I am morbidly obese, have tried different eating plans and diets over the years. Back in 2010 I joined weight watchers and for some reason it finally clicked, I lost 160 lbs in 2 yrs and felt amazing. Well life happened and I started slipping in 2013 thinking I can easily get this 10 lbs back off, then it was 20, then 30 and so on until I was back to where I started at last year and have put an extra 30 lbs on that, so in 3.5 yrs I have managed to put on 190 lbs all while still attending my WW meetings and trying to get that ounce of motivation and dedication I once had. So long story short I have decided to cancel that membership and try something new which has led me to MFP today to read different topics and came across one that was iifym which I read about and its dealing with counting your macros, I then read that the numbers could be messed up that you are getting if you are obese which I am. I am lost as to where to start. With WW I lost best when I ate more but I don't know what the calories I would need be since they count points and I really never paid much attention to tracking with calories. But with WW you get your daily plus weekly points and when I was doing well on plan eating pretty much every point given to me resulted in better weight loss. I am lost though on how to move forward with going a different route to lose weight, I know its CICO but I am not even sure where to begin with a number, the iifym way of tracking sounded interesting until I read about being obese and the numbers being off. I feel I have way too much information in my head right now and I feel lost and almost mad that I cancelled my weight watchers membership although my heart was not in it obviously since I seem to be struggling so bad to stick to it 100%, I just am confused on where to start.

Replies

  • MamaMc3
    MamaMc3 Posts: 213 Member
    The easiest thing to do is to enter your stats in MFP, enter how much you want to lose each week, and then eat under that amount. The key is eating less than you burn, and MFP will do all that math for you. :)
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
    At the beginning of restarting your path, I think it's important not to sweat the small stuff. As long as you're taking in less calories than you burn, you will lose weight. As you start to see success, you will find better ways to fit it in your lifestyle and make the calories you're taking in more satisfying. You'll also likely find it a lot easier to get in more activity as you lose. It's easiest to start by reducing what you already eat and making sure you're getting plenty of water, fruits, and veggies within your calorie limit to help you feel fuller.

    You've done this once before - you're already in a better place tool-wise than some! It happens. I lost 100 and regained 95 in 2 years. It sucks and it feels so demoralizing, but it's not a death wish for your goals!
  • Heather4448
    Heather4448 Posts: 908 Member
    The single most important thing is to weigh and measure *everything* that goes in your mouth. Everything. Use a digital scale and be completely honest in your logging.
    Enter your stats into MFP and choose a modest weight loss rate.
    That's it. No bells or whistles.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Forget about macros for now. As you lose weight you will arrive at the most comfortable macro split for you on your own.

    Try setting your weight loss to to 2 lbs per week and eat around that number without stressing too much about anything else or trying to undercut your calories under your given budget by too much. If you feel it's too little food and you don't mind losing slower, try 1.5 lbs a week. You likely won't need to go 1.5 lb because weight watchers generally gives you less calories than MFP. Log everything you eat and drink, including dressings and oils, and eat in a way that feels comfortable for you without arbitrary restrictions that make you miserable. That's all you need for starters: enter your info to calculate your calorie budget, and log food to stay around that budget. Any extra tricks and strategies will gradually come to you as you lose weight. No need to rush it or overwhelm yourself.
  • heibar
    heibar Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, Just log everything you put in your mouth...it breaks it all down for you. I suggest putting it in before you eat it...I often find that I will make a better choice or adjust the volume because of how it effects the end result on that day. I have done every diet under the sun. I like this because it teaches you how to eat and make better choices...so that, I am hoping, it becomes my way of eating and not just ..."oh I hit my goal, yahoo, and back to the old habits..." Keep it simple...My husband was watching me and is now even more obsessed with logging his food. So far we have both had excellent results...
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Entry-level weight loss, which is where you are now, is not to be concerned with macros or adjusting your macro distribution or any of the other myriad enhancements of precision and imagination you can find online. Entry-level, again, which is where you are, is only to be concerned with your energy balance. The calories you eat must be less than the calories you burn. Achieve this daily calorie deficit every day and eventually, truly, actually, you will record weight loss.

    You can enjoy this life, and I hope you do. Keep reading the stuff you find interesting, both here at myfitnesspal and online elsewhere, but don't keep switching your plans. Stay in a calorie deficit. That's all.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Put your age, gender, height, weight and daily activity level without exercise into MFP and choose your desired rate of loss. If you are 50+ lbs overweight you might choose 2 lbs a week. If you think that would be tough to stick to choose 1 lb a week.
    You will be given a calorie deficit goal which will be less than what you would need to maintain your current weight. Eat that number of calories to lose at your desired rate.
    2 lbs a week would be a 1,000 calorie deficit, 1 lb would be 500, .5 lb would be 250.

    If you exercise log it and eat some of the earned calories.

    Log everything you consume as accurately as you can. A food scale is more accurate than measuring cups and spoons. Check that the entries you use from the database are correct. Use the recipe builder to enter homemade foods.

    People generally feel more satisfied if they are getting enough protein, fat and fiber. For weight loss calories are what matters most though so look at calories first.

    Some of us find it helpful to prelog our food for the day.
    Sometimes it helps people starting out to just log what they normally eat/drink and see where they are before making changes.
    You might try that for a week or two.

    It is a learning process. Give it time and don't worry about being perfect every day.
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
    MegaMooseEsq wrote: »
    Welcome! Honestly, I would start by forgetting about macros and all of that, and just spend some time logging everything you eat. If you don't have a food scale, buy one and weigh everything you possibly can. Probably the number one issue people run into here is thinking they are counting calories correctly but not seeing the results on the scale. Almost always, the problem is inaccurate tracking, which is one reason I think it's good to focus on that first. It also helps to learn your current eating patterns. When do you eat the most, and why? What foods fill you up, and which ones lead to binging? Every change you make to your diet should be one you can be comfortable with for the rest of your life, so feel fine taking it slow. Do some reading about how to estimate your maintenance calories, BMR and TDEE. I think you will be surprised that you can eat a fairly high number of calories and still lose weight, just not at the mind-blowing rate advertised by crash diets. You'll figure out the macro thing as you go, but honestly, it does not matter what you eat or how much you weigh starting off - if you eat less than you use, you WILL lose weight. Be patient with yourself and don't get overwhelmed - you can do this!

    ^^ I second this ^^

    Forget about macros for now and just start the rest will fall into place over time.
  • CindyWard2
    CindyWard2 Posts: 88 Member
    2 weeks ago I was in your shoes. I had previously lost 40 lbs on Weight Watchers with 20 more to get to goal. I felt great where I was even though I needed to drop more so I got complacent and stopped going to meetings and stopped monitoring what I was eating very closely. Much as you describe, I started gaining back what I had lost until I was 15 lbs from where I originally started. I was so afraid of getting back to 212 where I started and I realized I had to do something...but I was sick of the on again/off again cycle I found myself in trying to do WW again. So I dropped WW and decided to try tracking here on MFP. That was about 16 days ago and I have lost 5 lbs in the 16 days doing nothing except keeping to my calorie goal.

    I am now starting to pay attention to the macros and nutrients but at first I did nothing except pay attention to the calories and tracking accurately. As others have said...just start where you are...put in your stats, follow MFP's calorie goal, track honestly and accurately and you will lose weight...when you get further down the road with the weight loss and feel like you are comfortable with tracking calories then start paying attention to the macros if you want to. For now just focus on the basics...build that foundation and go from there. I wish you luck!!
  • Confessions_of_a_Pink_Girl
    Confessions_of_a_Pink_Girl Posts: 7 Member
    Hi Lisa!
    You have done this once and you can do it again! I have a few resources that might help encourage you a little- they have sure helped me. The first is, find the podcast called "Half Size Me": Heather Robertson has been inspirational! Second, remember this is a life long change. Make small changes. Just change one thing until it is a habit and then change another. This creates a snowball effect that makes a huge difference in the end. Third, check out this calculator to help you determine your how many calories you expend daily and determine how many calories you need to help you lose weight or just maintain it: http://eatmore2weighless.com/weight-loss-calculator/. Fourth, shoot for a reasonabe weightloss goal-or no goal at all. Working towards 5 pound incriments can be a big deal. Pretty soon each 5 pound goal adds up! Lastly, be kind to yourself. This is a life long process; any changes you make, you need to be willing to do forever. There will be days you do not feel like logging what you eat or going out for a walk- that's ok. Pick yourself back up the next day and do the best you can. You have this!
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    With a WWs background, you'll slip into MFP pretty easily in a few days. Eat like you would on WWs, and log. The database with MFP is way more comprehensive. It is different logging veggies and stuff, but you'll get used to it. I tend to stay away from foods that are "pointy" on WWs...like bread and pasta, but still have them, and enjoy them because I don't feel so penalized. little steps, girlfriend! Good luck!
  • Javagal2778
    Javagal2778 Posts: 74 Member
    I was a WW yoyo loser for years. I have found MFP actually quite freeing because what you see is what you get. There's no guess work about how many points a food has. I want to reiterate getting a food scale. That has been a game changer for me.
    You've got this!
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited August 2017
    Yes, you can definitely do this. Just plug in your stats and get started. You can worry about macros and such fancy things a few weeks down the line once you've got a handle on the basics (if you want to worry about them at all).
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