Hi! I just signed up.

Hi and welcome! :happy:

This site is great in helping with weightloss! It's really motivating to be able to count calories and also to see how many calories you've burned. By doing that, you know exactly what you're doing. And the people here are so great and encouraging!

I've lost a little over 30 pounds so far just by simple diet and exercise. When I say diet, I don't mean a wierd, restricted diet that I'll be on just for the time that I'm losing weight. I mean a way of eating that I'm comfortable with doing for the rest of my life. So when you look at what you're eating, make sure it's something that will become a lifestyle and not just a diet. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins (white meat turkey, chicken, and pork, egg whites, and fish.) I still do eat cheese but try to limit it. And I drink a lot of water!

As far a exercise, I do at least 30 minutes of cardio several times a week. I try to do about 4-5 days a week but there are some weeks where I may only do 2 or 3 days. But I don't beat myself up if I don't get 4-5 days in - there will always be the next week! I haven't done much strength training yet, but my new fitness goal is to start incorporating that into my routine.

Also, I break-up my ultimate weight-loss goal into mini goals. I go 10-pounds by 10-pounds. My first goal was to lose 10-pounds - and when I reached that, my second goal was to lose another 10-pounds. I'm going to keep doing this until I reach my ultimate weight-loss goal. After that, it's maitenence to keep the weight off!

Cardio is best for losing weight but don't over-do it right away. Start out small and work your way up. It helps to set fitness goals for youself. I don't know what fitness level you're at right now...but for me, I started walking briskly for about 30 minutes. Then I added hills. Now I mix running in with my brisk walking and hills and do this for about 50 minutes to an hour.

A final note - don't deprive youself all the time! If you do, you may have a greater chance of really falling off the wagon. I give myself one day a week to indulge (usually a weekend day). I don't indulge all day (and I try to workout the day I do indulge) but, for example, if I go out to dinner with friends, I let myself enjoy it. I just make sure that I get back into my healthy routine the next day!

Oh...when the workouts get hard and when you feel like eating a pint of ice cream or a bag of chips, tell yourself you are worth taking care of!!! You deserve to be healthy and strong! I tell myself this everyday when I don't want to workout!

Ok...here's my final thought...I promise! Make yourself a weightloss ticker on the site! It's under the "tools" tab. It's fun to see your progress! And everyone here can see your progress too and cheer you on! :happy:

Hope some of this helps! And you can do this!!! :happy:


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary

Hey, my name is Christie. I just signed up. I really want to lose weight if anyone has any ideas to help me out please let me know. I am in some desperate need to lose weight safely. Thanks.

Hi, and welcome to THE best site on the web!
Between the easy to use food counter (which by the way is SUCH an eye opener!) and all the wonderfully supportive members, you WILL be able to lose the weight that you want to, AND, it'll "almost" be easy doing it!
I recommend logging ALL your foods BEFORE you have them, rather than later, as it tends to lead to better food choices. (not to mention you'll know if you've got enough numbers left to have a night time snack, like I ALWAYS try to do!) Some people also like to weigh and measure some things, such as meats, rather than just estimating and possibly being WAY off! :noway:
Also, drink LOTS of water, it REALLY DOES help! :drinker:
As for exercise, it doesn't always have to be awful. For my exercise, I take a walk almost every day, (weather permitting!) I also dance to a fast oldies CD that my husband made up of all my favorite old songs. (Like "Love Shack", Wild, Wild West", "Mony, Mony", "Footloose", and "Gloria")
It's free, (unlike a gym!) fun, and I can even watch tv at the same time, so I never get bored!
Plus, my husband just bought me the Wii Fit, so I'm playing games and jogging for exercise, and it's FUN!!! :happy:

I just signed up myself! In just a couple of days, I have become addicted. I wasn't even going to use the food/exercise chart until I read just how important they are. I was keeping this info on paper. Use the journals though. I can't believe how they pull the nutritional info on what you're eating and tell you where you are in your calorie count including exercise! That was another learning experience...net carbs. Wow. This site rocks!