Day 1 and Completely Overwhelmed Already!!! :0(

Go easy. It's mot that important to be too perfect right away, The more you do it - the more intuitive it becomes. If you want help - let me know. It's not worth getting upset about. It really does work. hang in there.... :flowerforyou:

I was overwhelmed at first but the more i use it the better i feel when i can look back at my food choices and make changes as needed really is very helpful

I don't write anything down that I eat. I estimate the calories and put that down for the meal and snacks. Working so far.

Breathe. Relax. ...and welcome. Just focus on one thing until you are less overwhelmed. I have never counted calories before (just WW points). I'm finding it quite helpful as I never understood up until the last few months why I wasn't losing weight even though I was exercising like crazy. My Dr. said to me "You can eat healthy and still be eating too much!" Duh. When I go over I don't sweat it but it has certainly helped me make better choices.

I don't have answers but can tell you what works for me: PLANNING ahead! I try to plan out ahead (approximately) what I'm eating for lunch/supper and enter it before I even eat it. That way, I can tell how many calories I have to play around with throughout the day. I don't think eating and then running to the computer to write it down works for anyone! So, if at all possible, have a generalized idea of what you're going to eat for the day, (what you pack in your lunch, what you took out for supper), enter it, and then don't stress. Good luck!

I promise it gets easier. I put it in almost on auto pilot now. It will take a bit to get used to. But idk. What I would do with out it now. And if it helps write down what u ate accurately and at the end of the day when u have time. Put it all in

Biggest piece of advice? RELAX! Don't stress about what you're eating/not eating. (And yes, I need to take my own advice here) MFP is a great way to track what you've done (the food search is becoming my best friend) but take small steps. Don't go on a diet with this, change the way you eat with this. Make it a goal to make 1 healthy food decision a day for a few weeks... then increase it to 2 and so on.

And remember, you CAN do this!

In the beginning, your numbers probably will be higher than they should and you will probably be not so good at the accuracy part. This is normal. There is a learning curve. What is important is using the data you entered to analyze what you are doing and learning how to make changes accordingly. Look at it as data analysis rather than whether you are fully doing it correct right from the start.

It takes time to do it right. It is not only about the food you eat or even adding exercise, etc but about building a healthy mindset and looking at this as a long term thing. Hurrying up the process won't do you any good in the long run.

One suggestion that has already been brought up that I think would be a great fit for you is the idea of "change one." This means you should pick a mini goal and work on that. Then after a week or two when you start to get the hang of it (how long you need to stay on a goal varies), add a new goal while monitoring and continuing the former goals. When you get stronger at this, you can add a few goals at a time. Trying to do it all at once and be perfect at it right out of the gate IS overwhelming and can set you up for failure if it gets to be too much.

For example, the first mini-goal may simply be the act of logging consistently. Learning how to log takes multiple steps. There is learning how to measure, how to read labels, remembering to enter it, etc. instead of focusing on the actual numbers, just focus on entering your information. Once this becomes easier for you, you will be surprised to note that the simple act of logging likely already made you aware enough to already affect your choices for the positive without you even stressing or trying too hard, but even if it doesn't, now you have two weeks of good data about your current lifestyle to think about your next mini-goal.

Mini-goals can be whatever you want them to be. It can be focusing on planning breakfast for the week. It can be adding water. It can be removing calories you drink or reducing your sweets. It could be reducing how often you eat out and making better choices when you do. Work on continually improving yourself and the process. I can't tell you what the mini-goal should be because it will be based on the data you collect. My first mini-goal, for example, was dramatically reducing the amount of chocolate I was eating. I still allow myself to have it but I redefined what moderation and treat meant for me.

At the same time, you have to work on your mentality for this process. Don't go into it expecting to be perfect right away but do work on it consistently. Don't beat yourself up if you have a bad day but do watch to see how often those days happen and evaluate yourself honestly and create new strategies accordingly. Don't give up!

Here is a motto you may need at this stage of your journey, "Aim for progress, not perfection."

(Gotta fix my ticker).

I have done this successfully 3 times (3 kids). My last time I lost 60lbs. It took me about a year and I kept it off for 3 years. Recently I had a major lifestyle change and let my weight slide up. I knew it but was on "vacation mode" and now I'm working on getting down those 20lbs I gained. I've lost 7lbs so far. So I'm not new to this journey but I have a secret to share with you--I'm STILL learning! Each time I do this, I add new layers of understanding. I am truly beginning to understand why this is called a lifestyle and lifelong thing. Learn to embrace the process.

Start by logging everything you eat. Just logging in itself is tough at first!

Then pick one thing to start with ... I started with getting my calories under control. Once you have that under control, start drinking more water or whatever you need to do next.

Small, sustainable changes are the key to sticking with this! If you try to do too much too fast, it won't stick and last a lifetime.

I don't have answers but can tell you what works for me: PLANNING ahead! I try to plan out ahead (approximately) what I'm eating for lunch/supper and enter it before I even eat it. That way, I can tell how many calories I have to play around with throughout the day. I don't think eating and then running to the computer to write it down works for anyone! So, if at all possible, have a generalized idea of what you're going to eat for the day, (what you pack in your lunch, what you took out for supper), enter it, and then don't stress. Good luck!

^^^This is how I do it too...I find it easier to stay on track throughout the day

I'm starting day 4 and down 3 pounds already, so hang in there. Once you get your foods in the diary you can easily select your favourites much quicker...It is a little bit of work at first just to get your regular foods in there but once you do it's much easier. At this point I'm not keeping track of exercise as I have a pretty sedentary job...on my butt all day. For me just making sure I keep it around 1200 calories and drink at least 8 cups of water a day has made a tremendous difference for me. I wouldn't worry so much about getting everything exact, just being aware of your calories per day and water intake is working for me. Best of luck to you.

Hang in there! As a Nutrition Coach, I tell people the calories in vegetables are so minimal that you don't need to worry about them too much! Keep focusing on the question: Does this food have good nutritional value? I also created my own food called "misc calories" and put it at about 100 cals, I add it in to my everyday totals, that way, if you miss a few things here and there, it's not as big of a deal to record it.

Good luck with your journey!

Some things will list the food and serving (Avocado, 1 whole) in the title. When you put in the serving, it lists that slightly below but it doesn't change the title so it looks like you are still logging a whole one when you really aren't. The numbers have, however, effectively changed. The next time it happens, try playing with it and putting in different serving sizes for that same foods and going back to the screen and see if the calorie number has changed. I bet it has. It's a little confusing but it has to do with the titles people put in.