Successful MFPals-what's your BEST advice for newbies?

Thank you so much for this post! I'm just getting started (for the thousandth time, of course) and know the hardest part will be maintaining motivation over the long haul. Thanks for the inspiration!

Remember everyone is different. Follow advice, but then watch how YOUR body reacts and adjust accordingly.

Watch ur sodium and sugas as much as u watch calories and fat.

#1 for me is to clear the cabinets of temptation. That is hard when married to a Grandpa who thinks the grandkids need treats available when they come. I've tried to encourage the treats to be fruit.

#2 is to not deprive myself of some of my favorite foods, one of them being ice cream. Wednesday is ice cream day. If I add the calories in as part of my lunch, I can keep at or close to my daily goal. I enjoy baking homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, etc. I rarely make the bread any more and maybe make cinnamon rolls 4 or 5 times a year, have one, and distribute the remainder to my husband, family, and neighbors. I'm not deprived and others enjoy the fruits of my labor.

#3 is to meditate or pray, whatever your belief. Having a calm center is a great way to avoid those anxiety nibbles.

#4 is to exercise at least 6 days a week. Because of the intense heat and humidity being harder on "older" people (I'm 70+) I have avoided walking outside and have either ridden my stationary recumbent bike or done Wii Fit exercises. I admit I feel guilty on the day I don't exercise!

#5 is have a friend or family member who will be supportive. I found a great picker upper for me was an evening out with some friends I had not seen for about 6 months. They told me how great I was looking. Sometimes, it is hard to see the results in the mirror yourself, so it is nice to get the complimentary words from others.

#6 is logging what I eat. Sometimes it seems as if that little morsel of this or that could not possibly make that much difference, but all little morsels add up to some big calories. Keep it no lower than 1200 calories or your body can go into starvation mode. I find it is really helpful to eat at regular times before I get too hungry. If we go out to eat and I am over hungry, I tend to slip and order foods that are higher in calories even if I have a plan in mind before I go.

I hope all of this is helpful to the "newbies" and wish you all the best of luck.

Excellent thread, gotta BUMP it!

thank you for sharing

Thank you for this topic!

great thread. i am just trying to get motivated, i just do not want to do it.

Don't become too obsessed with seeing immediate results. Weightloss is a slow process and it takes time. Be patient and never give up. If something didn't go right one week, make some changes and keep going. Doing the same thing over and over will yield results for only so long so keep switching things up.

Your #3 is probably the best advice. For me, I can't make a 180-type switch. I start by changing nothing in my diet, but just logging everything I eat. It makes me aware of how much I am actually eating, and I can see where I can make a small, do-able change. ex: cut the amount of salad dressing in half, or have scrambled eggs but leave off the melted cheese. I have kids, so seeing in black and white how many calories I was eating by finishing off their plates was eye-opening. I lost 50 pounds last year by changing things very gradually. After a week of just logging food, my first calorie goal was 2,200. That was easy to do and not feel deprived, so then I lowered it to 2000, then 1700, then 1500. This was over the course of a couple months. Nov. and Dec. I stopped using mfp and gained 15 pounds. Now I'm back to logging (and losing) again. If I have a cheat type treat and log it, it is easier to stop with that one thing, rather than toss in the towel for the whole day. I'd rather be 300 calories over my goal at the end of the day than 1300 calories over. Log every bite you take! Awareness is key for me.