Guidance to Successfully Lose Weight

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Lgraciano18
Lgraciano18 Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
I’ve had this app since 2012 and never really stuck to it. It’s been almost two weeks and it has been really good to see some type of progress. Open to advice from those who are very experience with this app and healthy weight loss. I currently have my weight loss to be at 1lb a week until I start incorporating workouts.
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  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
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    My suggestion is to try log everything but don't aim to be perfect. I keep it fast and simple by frequently swagging stuff instead of searching for an exact match to what I made/ate.

    I might log Quick Add calories or a close commercial brand (Progresso soup instead of loading my home made recipe). Even if the calories aren't right, I'm still thinking about everything I eat which starts to change my choices and shopping.
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
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    Try not to overhaul everything in the beginning. If you're just starting to workout, don't go crazy and hurt yourself. Ease into it, but do it consistently. Better to do an easy routine 6 days a week, then a killer hour workout 3 days a week. As you get stronger, you can adjust your intensity and duration. Small habits done consistently are more likely to stick.

    Same with your eating. Cut back on favorites instead of eliminating them all. Although some people do well with an all or nothing, that's not for me. I've done the low calorie diet before and while I lost a lot of weight quickly, I soon gained it back. Incorporate more vegetables and up your fiber - definitely slowly on this one! And drink water to help that fiber work through your body. You'll feel fuller longer. At least that's what works for me.

    And small changes will add up. If you sit all day, make yourself get up every hour or whenever possible and move around, dance, take a short walk.. anything. do the old, take the stairs vs the elevator, park farther or get off the bus/train a stop early.

    And lastly, use a food scale - you'd be surprised at the size of 1 oz of cheese or 1 oz of pasta. And log it all, good bad and ugly. Unless you want feedback from others, there's no need to make your diary public. I had issues with not logging on days where I went overboard and then didn't keep myself accountable.

    Again, all things that worked for me. Everyone is different.

    Good luck! We're rooting for you!
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I am sorry but this is not good advice for a beginner. In the beginning you want to be as accurate as possible so that you teach yourself how many calories are in certain foods and how much you are actually consuming. Once you get the hang of it you might be able to guestimate but that tends to lead to errors, which tend to lead to gaining...
    Explain how the below 'inaccuracies' indicate I am not relearning the impacts of my choices?

    - instead of counting each peanut M&M, I took a swag at how many servings I had. I still logged several hundred calories leading me to stretch the remainder of the 'share size' bag to last for several days.
    - instead of weighing my chicken serving, I swagged it at 8oz. But because I'm logging, I still bought the pack that was baked instead of deep fried. I used a random MFP entry for baked chicken.
    - I completely guess at how much cream I put in my coffee, but I logged something and thought about the impact. I am now using less cream than when I wasn't logging

    Swagging works very well when you are trying to increase your awareness. Naturally it must be combined with regular sampling where you do weigh your food, which is feedback that improves future approximations.
  • elothen
    elothen Posts: 155 Member
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    Pre-Log your food then try to eat what you logged. If it ends up being different, edit it to be accurate.
    I say 80% of weight loss is diet (everyone agrees that diet > exercise but the percentage is up in the air). That being said I find that pairing diet with exercise creates a mental connection. Why waste a hard exercise session by eating pizza and drinking beer? Why waste a high protein, healthy meal by just sitting on the couch? Maybe it's not the best logic but it works for me :)
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Theo166 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I am sorry but this is not good advice for a beginner. In the beginning you want to be as accurate as possible so that you teach yourself how many calories are in certain foods and how much you are actually consuming. Once you get the hang of it you might be able to guestimate but that tends to lead to errors, which tend to lead to gaining...
    Explain how the below 'inaccuracies' indicate I am not relearning the impacts of my choices?

    - instead of counting each peanut M&M, I took a swag at how many servings I had. I still logged several hundred calories leading me to stretch the remainder of the 'share size' bag to last for several days.
    - instead of weighing my chicken serving, I swagged it at 8oz. But because I'm logging, I still bought the pack that was baked instead of deep fried. I used a random MFP entry for baked chicken.
    - I completely guess at how much cream I put in my coffee, but I logged something and thought about the impact. I am now using less cream than when I wasn't logging

    Swagging works very well when you are trying to increase your awareness. Naturally it must be combined with regular sampling where you do weigh your food, which is feedback that improves future approximations.

    because the error rate with "guessing" is about 25 on the high side. So if you have 1500 calories a week and you are off be 25% then you are eating an extra 375 calories a week...

    If you used the wrong MFP entry then you are further compounding the error rate that I listed above.

    Better to be accurate in the beginning, as most people (myself included when I started) don't have a clue how many calories are in a serving of X food or what the size of said serving is.

    I know the point you are trying to make but estimating doesn't automatically mean you are underestimating calories by 25%. I've seen examples on this site of people routinely over estimating too, and therefore eating fewer calories than they believed.

    I am also definitely in favour of accuracy where possible and when you can fit weighting and accurate counting into your lifestyle, as neither over nor under eating are helpful in this context when you are trying to manage your weight, but when someone has to guess something it doesn't always mean the guess is wrong in the same direction.
  • Lynatea
    Lynatea Posts: 311 Member
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    For me personally, it's been more effective to do it the 'right way' off the bat. Baby steps are fine when Im beginning and learning, but those baby steps need to be accurate so I can learn better habits in a correct, healthy way to achieve long term and lasting goals and habits.

    But then, I have never been a person who does things 'half assed'. For me, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.
  • SouthWestLondon
    SouthWestLondon Posts: 134 Member
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    I try to log accurately as much as possible. In particular, I want to use the right MFP entries, and use barcodes as much as possible to find the right MFP entry.

    But also, I sometimes cut corners. For example, if I'm having some sausages for dinner, the nutritional information for sausages is given in 100g or 'per sausage'. For something like that I will generally take the 'per sausage' info rather than by weight. Might that be off a bit? Yeah. But hopefully not by so much that I'll throw my aims wildly off. I usually only log by unit rather than weight if there units are all pretty uniform in size (e.g. all the sausages are pretty close in size).

    But what I don't do is estimate on weight. If I'm logging 100g of something it's because I've wieghed out 100g.

    But others who have been doing this longer tell me if I'm wrong and should never ever be using per unit logging.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    I've also had this app since 2012, andbeen maintaining my goal range since 2013
    It works :smile: but we have to put the effort and consistency in.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,070 Member
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    SouthWestLondon wrote: »
    I try to log accurately as much as possible. In particular, I want to use the right MFP entries, and use barcodes as much as possible to find the right MFP entry.
    Using barcodes is no more accurate than looking things up by typing them in: It's still a crowd-sourced database. The barcodes were input by the person who first scanned them. The entry may or may not be correct. In some cases, the barcode may even not be correct. 🤷‍♀️

    But also, I sometimes cut corners. For example, if I'm having some sausages for dinner, the nutritional information for sausages is given in 100g or 'per sausage'. For something like that I will generally take the 'per sausage' info rather than by weight. Might that be off a bit? Yeah. But hopefully not by so much that I'll throw my aims wildly off. I usually only log by unit rather than weight if there units are all pretty uniform in size (e.g. all the sausages are pretty close in size).

    But what I don't do is estimate on weight. If I'm logging 100g of something it's because I've wieghed out 100g.

    But others who have been doing this longer tell me if I'm wrong and should never ever be using per unit logging.

    I wouldn't say that's universally wrong. What may matter, to get a reasonable approximation**, is how calorie-dense the food is, how much weight variation there is between units in reality, and how often one eats the particular thing.

    If (say) the food is some kind of fatty sausage, and it comes in patties that vary a good bit in size, and I have a couple for breakfast daily, it might matter. If it's crackers that might be 17 calories in one case and 20 in another, it probably doesn't matter much, unless I'm eating a boatload of them frequently.

    I usually weigh each item, because it's easier for me personally to do that on autopilot, vs. think about it. (Sometimes I log per unit, like if the package says 85g is a unit, and it's really 90, I might log 1.06 units if I find an accurate per-unit entry in the database, even if the calorie difference is trivial. I don't care about the discrepancy, but it annoys me to have to pay attention to how I'm going to log a thing. It's easier to weigh everything and not give it more thought than that. YMMV.)

    Some people here weigh commonly-eaten per-unit items a few times at first, especially if calorie dense things, to see if they vary much from the weight per unit given on the package. If they vary a lot, they keep weighing. If they don't vary much, they stop weighing.

    ** How far off can something be and still be "a reasonable approximation"? I'd say it matters more if you eat the thing frequently, and the size (number of calories) that might matter is how the potential error compares to the size of your approximate daily deficit. For example, if I'm still severely obese, appropriately losing 2 pounds a week, I have a 1000 calorie average daily deficit. Maybe being off by 50-100 calories on something I eat daily is no big deal. If I'm losing the last few pounds to reach goal, at a more appropriate half a pound a week so 250 calorie deficit, a routine error of around 100 calories daily is a much more significant consideration.
  • FitAgainBy55
    FitAgainBy55 Posts: 179 Member
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    On the measurement vs. estimate, there is no question that measuring and weighing is more accurate but it is also a pain in the butt -- so I have rarely done it. The only thing I weigh is meat, everything else is just an estimate. Sometimes my estimate is high, sometimes low -- as long as you are being honest and actually have developed the skill of estimation you can be successful. Having said that, I did train myself to estimate. I eat 1/2 cup of oatmeal each morning -- in the beginning I measured it and poured it in the bowl and then took mental note of how much was in the bowl. I then tried to refill it to that level and measure the result. I eat a 2 egg omelette each morning with sautéed peppers, onions, kale and mushrooms. I don't measure the oil, I don't measure the veggies. I do measure the eggs, it's easy, I just pick two :smile: When I eat a salad i make my own dressing with olive oil and vinegar. Initially I put a tablespoon of olive oil in a small container and took a mental note. I tried it a couple times without measuring and verified my results.

    This is my second weight loss stint in 10 years. I'm doing the same thing I did the first time and I'm having the same success.

    If you are having trouble losing weigh then it might be time to tighten up the measurement. If you aren't then why bother. I just occasionally spot check to make sure I'm being honest. But truthfully, how do I know how many calories are in my homemade lentil soup, or homemade risotto or the butter chicken I'm making tonight -- even if I measure it ? I'd have to add up all the calories and then figure out how many servings are in my recipe. I do that for things I make regularly but even then I don't really know if I'm portioning out 1 service or 1.276797 servings.

    Overall the total awareness benefit of logging estimates combined with averaging of the errors (sometimes overestimating, sometimes underestimating) seems to work for me -- but your mileage may vary.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    Just like your diet (the foods you are going to eat whilst losing weight) has to be sustainable - so does your counting/measuring method.

    I dont agree with the weigh everything to the nth degree team - find the level of estimating/averages/ cutting corners that works for you - ie the sweet spot between meticulous measuring and loose estimating that is sustainable and workable for you.

    I did this and it worked for me right to goal and beyond - I did not need to tighten up as I got closer to goal, what I was already doing was working and I did not change it.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,070 Member
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    Even as a "weigh everything" person (that's literally easiest for me, believe it or not), I agree with the couple of people above: Whatever degree of approximation works, works.

    I haven't usually seen huge push-back here on people approximating, unless they claim it's best for everyone in all circumstances; or if they've just posted a "Help: Not losing when at a deficit" kind of post, and have been approximating. Some push-back? Sure. Lots of people think their way is the very, very best way. 🤣
  • mpkpbk2015
    mpkpbk2015 Posts: 766 Member
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    My advice is to have a plan - and goals for what you want to accomphlish. Get a food scale so you can measure accurately what you eat. - Have a plan for how much water your going to drink because you needto hydrate and water will help you reduce your cravings and give you a full feeling - Get rid of your temptations so you don't cheat - Write down your plans and keep them before - written goals are more success - And last but not least do not weigh more than once a week. And weigh at the same time and day. Get an accountability buddy to keep you legal.
    Good luck and feel free to email me if you need help.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    Redordeadhead wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Theo166 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I am sorry but this is not good advice for a beginner. In the beginning you want to be as accurate as possible so that you teach yourself how many calories are in certain foods and how much you are actually consuming. Once you get the hang of it you might be able to guestimate but that tends to lead to errors, which tend to lead to gaining...
    Explain how the below 'inaccuracies' indicate I am not relearning the impacts of my choices?

    - instead of counting each peanut M&M, I took a swag at how many servings I had. I still logged several hundred calories leading me to stretch the remainder of the 'share size' bag to last for several days.
    - instead of weighing my chicken serving, I swagged it at 8oz. But because I'm logging, I still bought the pack that was baked instead of deep fried. I used a random MFP entry for baked chicken.
    - I completely guess at how much cream I put in my coffee, but I logged something and thought about the impact. I am now using less cream than when I wasn't logging

    Swagging works very well when you are trying to increase your awareness. Naturally it must be combined with regular sampling where you do weigh your food, which is feedback that improves future approximations.

    because the error rate with "guessing" is about 25 on the high side. So if you have 1500 calories a week and you are off be 25% then you are eating an extra 375 calories a week...

    If you used the wrong MFP entry then you are further compounding the error rate that I listed above.

    Better to be accurate in the beginning, as most people (myself included when I started) don't have a clue how many calories are in a serving of X food or what the size of said serving is.

    I know the point you are trying to make but estimating doesn't automatically mean you are underestimating calories by 25%. I've seen examples on this site of people routinely over estimating too, and therefore eating fewer calories than they believed.

    I am also definitely in favour of accuracy where possible and when you can fit weighting and accurate counting into your lifestyle, as neither over nor under eating are helpful in this context when you are trying to manage your weight, but when someone has to guess something it doesn't always mean the guess is wrong in the same direction.

    To clarify I meant +/- 25% but in my experience it tends to be over...
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    MFP only works as well as you work it. If you log regularly and honestly, weigh your food so you can become used to what an actual portion looks like, then it'll work.

    If you eyeball your portions, skip logging on days you're not proud of what you ate, well . . . you'll get out of it what you put into it :-)

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