New to MFP! Advise would be appreciated

megbrez33 · May 2023

I just paid for the premium membership and I am hoping this brings me closer to my weight loss goals. I have been gaining and losing weight for years, I just want to find a comfortable weight and maintain. I've tried cutting out carb completely ( SOO hard to maintain), I've tried weight watchers and about a million other diets out there! What do ya'll do to keep your scale moving in the right direction. Any advise on carb/fat/protein goals. I am not very active and have a desk job. I enjoy an occasional leisure walk and typically hit 5,000 steps daily! I welcome some advise! Thank you for listening!

chris_in_cal · May 2023

Hi @megbrez33 , welcome.

If you log into MFP everyday without missing for 30 days, and type something into this group, I will give you a million dollars.

(j/k)...but if you do that you will probably find the motivation to lose five pounds. Again, welcome. Consistency is what allows MFP to work its magic.

GinLee61 · May 2023

Welcome! I just passed 500 days of tracking and I'm down 72 pounds, with 10-15 more to lose. Everyone is different so what worked for me may not work for you, but you could play around with the numbers some to see what does. The main thing is consistency.

I have my calorie goal set to 1200 per day but I exercise daily and I eat back most if not all of my exercise calories, which typically equates to 300-400 additional calories per day. I have my macros set to 40% net carbs/30% fat/30% protein. I try to limit my sodium to avoid water retention and I eat plenty of fiber, at least 35 grams most day. Protein and the fiber really help to keep me full so I make sure to spread them out throughout the day.

When I started out I was only able to exercise 10-15 minutes per day but now I do at least 60 minutes of cardio, on average, and light free weight workouts for 20 minutes 2-3x per week. I also do yoga or pilates about once per week. You can certainly lose without increasing your activity level, many people do, but I do better and I feel 100% better when I exercise.

I don't completely exclude any foods from my meal plans. I just have smaller portions of the higher calorie foods or I have found reduced calorie versions that still satisfy me. I eat snacks every day and often those snacks are fruit, veggies with hummus, yogurt, reduced fat cheese. However, I also eat chips, ice cream, chocolate, etc.. at least a couple times per week, as long I can fit it into my calories and stay reasonably close on my macros.

Wishing you nothing but success. You can do this!

lauries8888 · May 2023

My #1 piece of advice would be to buy a good scale and weigh everything. When I don't weigh my portion sizes, I find that I eat a lot more calories than I estimated. Good luck!

melissaaridgeway · May 2023

Everyone is different. There is no "one size fits all" approach to weightloss, so ultimately you have to decide for you - something you can incorporate permanently into your lifestyle.

If you can't live without pizza, don't. If you can't live without soda, don't. If you can't live without cheesecake, don't. Because the moment you move something you enjoy to the "I can't never eat this again!" pile, then you are setting yourself up for failure. Because you WILL indulge that craving again, and then the mindset of guilt and failure will creep in and you'll lose sight of your goal.

Instead, incorporate the foods you want in moderation. You want a slice of strawberry cheesecake? Enjoy the heck out of that slice of strawberry cheesecake. Track those calories in the diary and move on. You just can't eat strawberry cheesecake every day, or have 5 slices at one time. Enjoy what you like, but realize that you still have to pay for it out of your "calorie budget" for the day. So if that means enjoying your cheesecake but only having a very small/light dinner to compensate...well, that's what you have to do. You have to make the hard choices; you can't have a huge dinner and a slice of cheesecake and then expect the scale to be going the way you want it to.

My one piece of advice is to track everything. Because even if you don't track it on MFP, your body will still "track" it when it comes to weigh in time - the only person you're fooling is yourself if you pretend those calories don't count. They do, trust me.

I've been on MFP for 5 months. I've lost 50lbs so far. I have another 50lbs to go. I still eat pizza. I still eat ice cream. I still snack on chips and crackers. But I track them. I track it all.

Don't give up on yourself. You're worth it.

jonni82014 · May 2023

Join the forum NO LATE NIGHT SNACKING
My DH + I don’t snack or eat after 6:00-6:30pm
We have managed to lodge a 413day streak of successes and 2 that we weren’t.

SaltyDave · May 2023

Welcome. I have had the same experience with my weight. I have beeneating "healthy", I've cut carbs, tried low fat, low salt. etc... The calories in, caloeies out dogma was just not working at all for me. I exercise fairly regularly as well. Very discouraging. I have been doing this for the past 3 years with no progress.

I decided to give the no grain, no sugar plan a try. I have lost 10 lbs so far(3 weeks) . I have noticed that I don't get hungry between meals, and that I can easily stay under my calorie goals.

I have my macros set at 35% Protein; 20% carbs; 45% fat.
Everyone is different, but this seems to be working for me.

brianhare · May 2023

I find that tracking everything makes it easier to stick to plan. Even if I'm the only one who knows, I still know. If there's something you really like, find a way to moderate it. (I still enjoy Popeye's fried chicken--just not as often as I used to. But I haven't sworn off anything.) I use measuring cups to scoop up portions: 1 cup rice, 2 cups stir-fried veggies, whatever. (Portion control is my downfall.) During the warmer months I find it easier to get in some walking or some gardening--log that exercise. Consistency, consistency, consistency. I've been off & on with weight loss for years (I have some health conditions making it pretty important). I didn't get this size overnight, I'm not going to get where I want to overnight. This seems to be what's doing it for me, at least so far. (My Dr & I just had a rather serious chat, so I'm back at it again...)

AnnPT77 · May 2023

I did this to lose 50-some pounds, and to maintain a healthy weight for 7+ years since:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

It's basically a "remodel your eating, using foods you personally enjoy" concept. It includes logging food, which I did every day like it was religion during loss and the first months of maintenance. (I'm a little more lax now, still log most days.) It also includes suggestions for nutrition (macros). Myself, I use a food scale as much as possible, because not only is it more accurate, it's quicker and easier (once you learn the tricks for using one efficiently).

If you want a higher calorie budget while losing the same amount of weight, add some form of moving your body that you ideally find fun, but at least find tolerable and practical. It doesn't have to be official "exercise", and it certainly doesn't need to be intense or punitive. We tend to skip and procrastinate unpleasant things, so fun activity burns 100% more calories that things we hate so much we skip them whenever possible, and probably eventually drop altogether.

For bonus points (bonus calories?), think about ways you can add movement to daily life - not formal exercise, just moving more as you go through your day. Ideas from many MFP-ers in this thread:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

Best wishes for success!

purifiedone · May 2023

Drink water...preferably half your body weight in ounces...but at the very least 64 fluid ounces daily. I drink purified water in 16.9 ounces. I set them all out on the counter first thing in the morning and drink one right away. then half of them before noon..the rest through out the day.

Macros...40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein.

Log EVERY SINGLE THING... Use the check button when logging to get the most accurate calculation and use the scanner to scan bar codes. Not everything in MFP is accurate. Double check the nutrient values when you select a food item to be sure they are correct. Not everyone who inputs food is as accurate are you would be. When possible Make your own recipes and log them in. that way you know exactly what is in a meal that you are eating.

MOVE...move and then rest. Lift heavy weights (gradually increase) and cardio. Walking as well. I use Beachbody on Demand at home($21 monthly). Never have to leave my house to go to a gym. Take rest days. Be kind to yourself.

Have a buddy who will keep you accountable. Worth all the tea in China!

You can do this because you are worth the health and peace you will gain from getting well inside and out. Focus on Healthy foods. Eat lots of good Whole Foods. NUTRITION is the focus and everything else falls into place.

Look inward. We dont become overweight overnight. There are reasons we are. Emotional trauma, rejection, pain, loss, betrayal...etc.etc. Seek healing inwardly that has contributed negatively to your emotional health that has caused excessive weight to accumulate. Trust me on this one...This is and can be the biggest hurdle that prevent weight loss.

Lastly, be honest with yourself. Chronic overeaters have a great capacity for self deception without even realizing it. It just becomes a way of life. Honesty with yourself is huge. Be honest when logging no matter how ashamed you may be to log it. There is something very cathartic with fessing up and seeing the damage.

Onward my friend!

chris_in_cal · May 2023

purifiedone wrote: »

Chronic overeaters have a great capacity for self deception without even realizing it. It just becomes a way of life. Honesty with yourself is huge. Be honest when logging no matter how ashamed you may be to log it. There is something very cathartic with fessing up and seeing the damage.

The magic of opening up the visibility of your food diary, and accurately logging is right here in @purifiedone post.

Honestly being perfectly accurate, warts and all, and having the diary visible doesn't really mean anyone else will see it. Most of us are going to look once or twice and get back to our own lives.

It is MFP magic for us chronic overeaters

New to MFP! Advise would be appreciated

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