Sorry for the extremely Noob questions....
sdanemrtn
Posts: 187 Member
Hey All! This morning, I decided that I have had enough with being unhealthy, eating trash, and justifying walking from my car to my desk at work as a workout. I suck at diets and all the names and what do/not do, etc. Lemme lay it out there; I am 429 pounds with a goal of 194 (because who doesn't like random numbers)? I have a couple of questions:
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
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Replies
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Barring medical reasons, all of that is personal preference. Some do better on low carb diets, others prefer carbs. Some do better eating every two hours, others eat only once a day.9
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Where you are now ... you have taken the first step. Macros, meal timing, “named diets” — all pretty irrelevant right now. Focus on getting into a calorie deficit and the rest will follow. Enter your stats into MFP. At your starting weight, you can probably safely pick 2 lbs per week to lose as a goal. Get a food scale and start weighing food so you can log as accurately as possible. And don’t let a bad day get you down. Follow MFP’s calorie guidelines and remember - it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Good luck!!13
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after entering your stats here in MFP, start with keeping a diary of the foods you eat for a week or two, look over the list, then tweak your food choices to meet the goals set for you. make small changes and stick with them for a week or two before changing more. it is easier to adapt to small changes and stick with them. mostly it is how much you eat not what kind of food you eat that matters.4
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Hey All! This morning, I decided that I have had enough with being unhealthy, eating trash, and justifying walking from my car to my desk at work as a workout. I suck at diets and all the names and what do/not do, etc. Lemme lay it out there; I am 429 pounds with a goal of 194 (because who doesn't like random numbers)? I have a couple of questions:
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
See a doctor or registered dietitian for real answers. Your just going to get opinions on here.
If your not going to get help from a professional, do some research online, watch YouTube videos, read a few books based on your goals, and set your goals from there.21 -
Hey All! This morning, I decided that I have had enough with being unhealthy, eating trash, and justifying walking from my car to my desk at work as a workout. I suck at diets and all the names and what do/not do, etc. Lemme lay it out there; I am 429 pounds with a goal of 194 (because who doesn't like random numbers)? I have a couple of questions:
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
you can go by what MFP gives you and go from there and then tweak your macros to your liking as time goes on..if fat satiates you, make that a bit higher, if its protein/carbs make one of those higher. play around with the numbers and see what happens.
if you dont have a medical issue where you need to watch sugar you dont need to track it. I track my macros(I dont track sugar) and fiber as well as saturated fat(I have a health issue so I need to watch all fats). percentages are going to depends on the person and what macro satiates them the most. for some it may be they are training and need a higher percentage of something. for me my fat macro has to be low due to that health issue I have.
as for seeing a doctor many of them dont get enough training in dietary needs. you can see a RD(registered dietitian) if you want but theres really no need to unless you have health issues and need help eating a certain way.
you can eat whatever times you want as long as you stick to your calorie goal. if you feel better not eating breakfast you can skip it and eat later on,if you feel better eating breakfast then eat it. its all based on preference and its not going to matter in the long run when it comes to weight loss all that matters is the calorie deficit and making sure you get enough calories and enough protein to prevent lean mass/muscle loss that can come with weight loss. There is no one size fits all when it comes to weight loss except for a calorie deficit. how often you eat,when you eat,what you eat,etc are all up to you and what your preference is.1 -
moogie_fit wrote: »Hey All! This morning, I decided that I have had enough with being unhealthy, eating trash, and justifying walking from my car to my desk at work as a workout. I suck at diets and all the names and what do/not do, etc. Lemme lay it out there; I am 429 pounds with a goal of 194 (because who doesn't like random numbers)? I have a couple of questions:
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
See a doctor or registered dietitian for real answers. Your just going to get opinions on here.
If your not going to get help from a professional, do some research online, watch YouTube videos, read a few books based on your goals, and set your goals from there.
Most doctors get very little training/education in nutrition and know zip squat about it. They're as likely to recommend the latest fad diet that caught their fancy as they are to give reliable advice.
YouTube videos, unless you know enough to properly vet your sources and sort through the derp, are even worse. There's far more garbage advice on YouTube than there is useful information. As an aside, avoid Netflix "documentaries" at all costs - they're almost invariably one-sided propaganda pieces consisting of cherry-picked/junk science and fearmongering, done by quacks and hack journalists.
Here are some evidence-based recommendations for setting your calories and macros: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
Meal timing is irrelevant - eat whenever/however works best for you in terms of satiety and adherence (being satisfied and able to stick to it). Calories are what matter for weight loss, not what time you eat them. A dietary pattern you can stick to for the long term will be much more effective than something you give up on after two or three weeks because it's too restrictive or you're hungry all the time.13 -
Thanks everyone!! Some awesome pieces of info. Didn't even think about consulting a dietitian. Oy. Appreciate all the advice.3
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Congrats for taking the first step. MFP should tell you what you need for your weight and a loss of 2 pounds a week. Just a s
Couple of suggestions that work for me. Don't look at the big picture, give yourself small goals. I set mine at 10 pound goals and believe me every time I reach a new goal it cements my determination to carry on, I had over 200 pounds to lose. Don't get discouraged if you have a week that you don't lose or you fall off your plan for a day or two just pick yourself up and start over again and it will all come together. I gave up carbs and sugar, tough at the beginning but believe me it is all worth it in the end. Good eating.5 -
moogie_fit wrote: »Hey All! This morning, I decided that I have had enough with being unhealthy, eating trash, and justifying walking from my car to my desk at work as a workout. I suck at diets and all the names and what do/not do, etc. Lemme lay it out there; I am 429 pounds with a goal of 194 (because who doesn't like random numbers)? I have a couple of questions:
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
See a doctor or registered dietitian for real answers. Your just going to get opinions on here.
If your not going to get help from a professional, do some research online, watch YouTube videos, read a few books based on your goals, and set your goals from there.
a lot of the videos online and some of the things you read online are bogus and gives old myths,broscience and so on. not everything you read online is legit.I can point out many sites that give BS advice as well as opinions. same with a lot of the books. many diet books are written by people who have NO education in dietary needs,no doctorate in anything and so on.I know someone years ago who took snippets of 10 different diets,put them together as one and sold them and made money off it because people just wanted the next best thing when it came to dieting. MFP can be set up to lose weight(or gain/maintain) and can be tweaked to suit your preference so why shouldnt he trust the method and see what happens?6 -
moogie_fit wrote: »Hey All! This morning, I decided that I have had enough with being unhealthy, eating trash, and justifying walking from my car to my desk at work as a workout. I suck at diets and all the names and what do/not do, etc. Lemme lay it out there; I am 429 pounds with a goal of 194 (because who doesn't like random numbers)? I have a couple of questions:
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
See a doctor or registered dietitian for real answers. Your just going to get opinions on here.
If your not going to get help from a professional, do some research online, watch YouTube videos, read a few books based on your goals, and set your goals from there.
Ummm... YouTube is also mostly opinions.
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Thanks everyone!! Some awesome pieces of info. Didn't even think about consulting a dietitian. Oy. Appreciate all the advice.
There is a lot of information out there, so I can understand why you would feel overwhelmed by it all. A registered dietician is a good idea. As for setting your macros, the link AnvilHead posted is great. Keep an eye on how you are feeling and be open to changing it up. If you are feeling hungry, play around with those numbers. Some people find protein more filling, others find fat more filling, others will use a larger volume of lower calorie vegetables to keep full. There are many individual factors.
There is a lot of great information in the sticky posts at the top of each forum. Read a lot, and forget anything you read in magazines, or on websites that are trying to sell you something. There is so much hogwash out there, and it's hard to sift through it.3 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »Thanks everyone!! Some awesome pieces of info. Didn't even think about consulting a dietitian. Oy. Appreciate all the advice.
There is a lot of information out there, so I can understand why you would feel overwhelmed by it all. A registered dietician is a good idea. As for setting your macros, the link Anvil_Head posted is great. Keep an eye on how you are feeling and be open to changing it up. If you are feeling hungry, play around with those numbers. Some people find protein more filling, others find fat more filling, others will use a larger volume of lower calorie vegetables to keep full. There are many individual factors.
There is a lot of great information in the sticky posts at the top of each forum. Read a lot, and forget anything you read in magazines, or on websites that are trying to sell you something. There is so much hogwash out there, and it's hard to sift through it.
I too said he could change it up over time to see what macro settings work for him . great minds and all
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moogie_fit wrote: »Hey All! This morning, I decided that I have had enough with being unhealthy, eating trash, and justifying walking from my car to my desk at work as a workout. I suck at diets and all the names and what do/not do, etc. Lemme lay it out there; I am 429 pounds with a goal of 194 (because who doesn't like random numbers)? I have a couple of questions:
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
See a doctor or registered dietitian for real answers. Your just going to get opinions on here.
If your not going to get help from a professional, do some research online, watch YouTube videos, read a few books based on your goals, and set your goals from there.
Whatever...
OP you got great advice for starting out.
At your starting weight, all you have to do is set your 2lbs a week goal, get a food scale and log everything. You can totally eat the same things you like now, just less. You will have a lot of calories to work with so don’t try to go crazy with “healthier” food or crazy workouts. Just starting will give you so much inspiration to keep going. Then start moving a bit more, parking further away, walking doing errands that are close to home, etc.
There are so many awesome people on MFP that have lost 100, 200, and even more -96 and counting myself. You can do it!! Keep us posted too!6 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »Thanks everyone!! Some awesome pieces of info. Didn't even think about consulting a dietitian. Oy. Appreciate all the advice.
There is a lot of information out there, so I can understand why you would feel overwhelmed by it all. A registered dietician is a good idea. As for setting your macros, the link Anvil_Head posted is great. Keep an eye on how you are feeling and be open to changing it up. If you are feeling hungry, play around with those numbers. Some people find protein more filling, others find fat more filling, others will use a larger volume of lower calorie vegetables to keep full. There are many individual factors.
There is a lot of great information in the sticky posts at the top of each forum. Read a lot, and forget anything you read in magazines, or on websites that are trying to sell you something. There is so much hogwash out there, and it's hard to sift through it.
I too said he could change it up over time to see what macro settings work for him . great minds and all
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Keep it simple starting out. Buy a food scale and log all of your food. Eat the things you like within your calorie budget and make small, sustainable changes to support your long-term goal. Good luck and keep logging in and sharing / asking questions.3
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When I started out here I just gave MFP my information and got a calorie goal. I started logging and sticking to that. Then I started trying to get the default amount of protein recommended because I noticed I was often low in that area.
I did zero math myself or stressing about figuring out different macro settings or paying a dietician.
I did not alter my meal timing or eat a special diet. That does not matter if you are sticking to your calorie goal.
I'd say you can just start with what MFP recommends. If you find in a couple of montha that it is not working so well for you then you could tweak it.1 -
It's really a personal choice, you need to make it work for you and your lifestyle.
I started with small changes like drinking more water and just logging and weighing everything, from there I could see a pattern for when I wanted to eat and I set myself a calorie allowance based around that. One thing I don't do though restrict anything, if I fancy it I have it but build it in.
Good luck and welcome to the MFP family.1 -
moogie_fit wrote: »Hey All! This morning, I decided that I have had enough with being unhealthy, eating trash, and justifying walking from my car to my desk at work as a workout. I suck at diets and all the names and what do/not do, etc. Lemme lay it out there; I am 429 pounds with a goal of 194 (because who doesn't like random numbers)? I have a couple of questions:
How should I set my macros, rather what should I am for as far as percentages for the fats/protiens/sugars, all that jazz?
How often should I be eating? I hear every 2 hours, make breakfast the biggest, make dinner the biggest, don't eat after a certain time. Needless to say, I am overwhelmed and was always too embarrassed to ask, which is part of the reason for previous failures.
See a doctor or registered dietitian for real answers. Your just going to get opinions on here.
If your not going to get help from a professional, do some research online, watch YouTube videos, read a few books based on your goals, and set your goals from there.
Ah, that excellent source YouTube, home of Flat Earth and Reptilian People videos O_o8 -
Don't be embarrassed about asking this stuff. That is what his place is for. I am happy to hear you are bettering yourself. You can do this. Best of luck.1
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I recommend seeing a RD. They can work with you based on your preferences. Start weighing and logging your food. They will also help you with portion control.
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