Can I do this?

Drink plenty of water.....hunger can be dehydration !

Keep in mind the calorie amout is the NET amount... if you find that you went over go for an extra walk or do a little extra on the cycle. once you enter in the cardio workout it will deduct from your calories. :-) Keep it up!!!!!!

How many calories are you trying for? I prefer to lose weight slowly so I can eat more. This is the only way I will stick with a "diet".

I KNOW that it might not work for everyone, but if you plan your meals ahead of time, it's very helpful. I also drink one cup of water before I eat. It helps me not overeat.

Before I started MFP, I was setting up times for when I ate. I did it for a week and not to brag, but it works wonder. I drink pleeeeenty - yes, plenty of e's since it's so important - of water, because it fills your stomach and this sends a message to the brain, and thus makes you feel satiated.

Also, water rids the body of toxins, helps clean the blood and it's just plain amazing for the body!

My dietician suggested having fruits and vegetables in every meal. Veggies have a lot of fiber that help you feel full. I hope this helped. I wish you the best of luck in reaching your goals!

Shiratake noodles are helping me! I stir fry (with Pam, not oil) veggies and at the last minute throw in the noodles to heat them. You don't need to cook them. They help fill you up and have almost zero carbs and calories. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Don't worry TOO much about the calories the first week. This is not a race, it's a lifestyle change. Get used to the idea of logging absolutely everything you eat. This is the most important thing you can do right now.

Look at your calorie total at the end of each day but don't obsess over it. You're probably making a significant change to the way you have been eating so just noticing what you're actually putting into your mouth each day and the fact that some of it isn't as healthy as you might have thought can be a real eye opener.

Now pay attention to what you're eating each day and what's causing you to go over. Are you eating too many snacks? Eating at night after dinner (which is fine if you have the calories left)? Eating too much at meals or just too much fat or too much sugar? Start to tweak those things as the days go by and learn from what you've seen so far.

Check the diaries of your MFP friends who have lost a significant amount of weight or who are close to their goal. What kinds of things have they been eating? Ask where they bought something that looks interesting or ask for a recipe. Most of us are more than happy to share the things that have helped us, it's what makes this site so awesome.

Eventually, it'll be like second nature to stay under your calories and eat healthy. AND lose weight.

I already went over the recommended calorie allowence. Figures... I won't give up though. I will just have to be more careful. Looking forward to someday writing a success story. It's nice to know that I'm not alone..

Realization is the first step. Many overweight people have told me "I dont' eat much or eat bad". Welcome.

this is my first try and I appreciate you sharing what is helping you and I need all the recommendations so I can try and see what works for me that I might not have thought about.

Annette:happy: