MFP Tips
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tinkerbellang83
Posts: 9,136 Member
So this is not my first rodeo, but it is the first time I've logged longer than 10 days and going right back to square one. So here are a few tips from my previous and current experiences of MFP (feel free to share your own):
▪ Be truthful with your settings. Activity level is basically how active you are normally without the exercises you log. If you work at a desk all day you're probably Sedentary - Lightly active. Likewise If you're running around after kids all day you're probably more active than you think.
▪Don't log things you do as part of your normal day - factor this into your activity level. Cleaning/Steps in or around home or work. I find by not doing this it makes up for any inaccuracies in calories burned if you don't have an accurate activity tracker like a fitbit.
▪Buy some digital food scales and measure out liquid ingredients, you'll be shocked by how far out your estimates were.
▪Don't panic when your progress slows down - initial loss for heavier people is usually quite high due to water weight. Slow and steady wins the race. See it as a lifestyle change not a quick fix.
▪ Don't try to restrict foods just for the sake of it, eat what you like in moderation and try and eat a balanced diet. As long as your settings are correct and you're logging accurately, you'll lose weight as long as you meet your calorie targets. Fad diets, low carb, clean eating, etc won't make you lose weight any quicker than a normal balanced diet (that's not to say they aren't better for your health, just that for weight loss the important thing is that as long as you are in a calorie deficit it doesn't matter what you actually eat).
▪ If you aren't using an activity tracker and are relying on the database for exercises, initially only eat 50-75% of the calories earned, the database is not totally reliable and often overestimates calories burned. If you still feel hungry (not just bored) after that then eat something.
▪factor treats or eating out into your calorie target (have a lighter lunch if you're going out for dinner, do some extra walking or exercise to earn extra calories) or calculate your TDEE and eat at maintenance for that day if you're really struggling. Avoid an "eat everything in sight" type cheat day, you're only cheating yourself.
▪ Be truthful with your settings. Activity level is basically how active you are normally without the exercises you log. If you work at a desk all day you're probably Sedentary - Lightly active. Likewise If you're running around after kids all day you're probably more active than you think.
▪Don't log things you do as part of your normal day - factor this into your activity level. Cleaning/Steps in or around home or work. I find by not doing this it makes up for any inaccuracies in calories burned if you don't have an accurate activity tracker like a fitbit.
▪Buy some digital food scales and measure out liquid ingredients, you'll be shocked by how far out your estimates were.
▪Don't panic when your progress slows down - initial loss for heavier people is usually quite high due to water weight. Slow and steady wins the race. See it as a lifestyle change not a quick fix.
▪ Don't try to restrict foods just for the sake of it, eat what you like in moderation and try and eat a balanced diet. As long as your settings are correct and you're logging accurately, you'll lose weight as long as you meet your calorie targets. Fad diets, low carb, clean eating, etc won't make you lose weight any quicker than a normal balanced diet (that's not to say they aren't better for your health, just that for weight loss the important thing is that as long as you are in a calorie deficit it doesn't matter what you actually eat).
▪ If you aren't using an activity tracker and are relying on the database for exercises, initially only eat 50-75% of the calories earned, the database is not totally reliable and often overestimates calories burned. If you still feel hungry (not just bored) after that then eat something.
▪factor treats or eating out into your calorie target (have a lighter lunch if you're going out for dinner, do some extra walking or exercise to earn extra calories) or calculate your TDEE and eat at maintenance for that day if you're really struggling. Avoid an "eat everything in sight" type cheat day, you're only cheating yourself.
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If you've used the community forums, you may have already seen this flowchart, if you're not seeing weight loss, it's a great starting point to understand why:
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Another helpful infographic from the community to help get started and keep on track, first and foremost get your calorie intake under control, then worry about the rest:
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I thought I would share a post I recently wrote in the community forums, it has a helpful explanation as to how MFP calculates your calorie goals for those who are new or don't understand it. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea#latest1
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@shawnstevennelson1988 Hey Shawn, check out some of @tinkerbellang83 MFP Tips here, they are high quality basics, that I have to learn over and over again.
Congratulations on dropping 15 lbs, I'm down about six, I've been logging my food for about three weeks now.1 -
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