Best thing to do to start???

Get a bunch of things you like to eat pre-loaded in the app. Makes it easier to log your meals and snacks when you're on the go.

I try to plan my meals for the day first thing in the morning. I always start with my protein and veg before anything else. Every 10 days or so I give in to what ever I have been craving. Normally my body then processed to give me what feels like food poisoning from eating greasy or carb load foods and that turns me off the not good for you for. Don't always give in to your cravings but every once in awhile it is okay to have that slice of pizza. I have done so many diets for many years. My doctor had me try a new one that I know I have done before but I didn't let myself eat more than 1200 calories normally a week in and I quite. This time I am 2 weeks in and not constantly hungry. I normally do 1200 to 1300 calories but I don't eat a lot of starch and when I do they are high fiber. I love my starchy carbs. I either don't eat them or I will eat half my calories in those pastas, breads, rice and potatoes. We all know you can eat a lot food if you don't eat them. Everyone is different find what works for you and your lift style. I think I finally found mine.

Good luck!

Starting aswell

Great advice dani

start with a realistic goal which is achievable

Pick 1 unhealthy vice you eat everyday and put it off until Friday... That's honestly how I started

joagutierrez12 wrote: »

dani_1977 wrote: »

If possible download the app, he scanning ability makes it so much easier to add food to you day. Also it helps to have the nutrition information for restaurants and fast food while out .

Pick 1 or 2 bad habits(ie, French Fries and Soda) and drop those, work on being consistent with those. Some find it intimidating to drop everything at time.

Same with your good habits, figure out whats most important to you (ie tracking food and working out) .. take time and focus on those things

It takes 30 days to form a habit. Take those days and really focus on creating a habit.

That's how I started off before I did MFP. I gave up sweets and soda first. A month later I excluded red meat and butter. I don't know how much I lost from doing that but it must about 7lbs. It was easier to set small goals.

I eat all of those things and lost 35lbs, you don't need to exclude anything from your diet unless you have a severe problem with eating those things in moderation or unless you have a medical reason for doing so, for example, I still eat bread, but won't keep it in the house because otherwise I would just eat the full loaf as toast in one evening.

You've lost weight because you're in a calorie deficit, not because you cut those things out.

Been an avid user since early 2012, I wish I knew what I've learned since then 15 years ago. Since everyone is different and their bodies respond differently, the default calorie and macro settings don't necessarily work perfectly for everyone. For me, the default carb settings are too high, I do better on a low-carb/high protein. I also think the default calorie deficits can get too aggressive to the point where they negatively effect energy level and athletic performance (even quasi-active tasks, like playing golf or mowing the lawn). Another poster mentioned tdeecalculator.net, which does a pretty decent job as calculators go; it comes close to what I have calculated my TDEE to be using a side spreadsheet. For reference I have a desk job and work out (full body split weightlifting) for at least one hour 3x/week, plus usually one active weekend activity, mowing grass, etc., and that doesn't fully get me up to their "light exercise" category based on my math.

Remember, MFP is a tool, it's only as good as how you use it; don't cheat on logging portions, get a food scale, and accurately track EVERYTHING. Coffee creamer, salad dressings, sauces, "I'll just have a few M&Ms or a fun size Snickers" all count. Those sneaky calories can really add up quickly.

Having the proper mindset is critical to success; sustainability is key. Don't make too many drastic changes that likely won't stick in the long term. Motivation only get's you so far, you need to create positive habits and remove obstacles to make sure you can still achieve your goals when your motivation runs low. For me that was only buying healthier food, plan and log everything in advance as much as possible, lay out my workout clothes and exercise first thing in the morning so I didn't put it off when I would get home from work. I suggest you take a week or two and just log everything to learn where the weak points in your current nutrition is and adjust accordingly. Maybe it's macro imbalance, portion control, or high-risk meals or weekly occasions where you blow your calories. Learn about yourself and what compromises your path to success. Nothing about this process, (getting healthier, fitter, losing weight, etc.) is linear, there are going to be setbacks, off days, poor nutritional decisions. Make sure when they happen, they remain isolated; just because you decided to get a honey bun from the vending machine after lunch that you should just throw in the towel on the day and grab fast food for dinner. Double-down and make sure you don't make two mistakes in-a-row.