hi Im Claudia from California!

I am a mom of 3 boys and I love food and I have spent most of the last 3 yrs eating like my husband and the boys unfortunately they dont gain but I do . A good friend introduced me to this site and I have attempted in the past but will now try to stick to it as she is a constant encouragement! I hope to loose 40lbs!

Hi Claudia, and welcome to THE best site on the web! :flowerforyou:
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 those 40 pounds, 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:
Don't go making the mistake that if you have LOTS of numbers left at the end of the day that you'll lose even faster, because that DOESN'T happen. Feel free to read any info about the site in the "help" section at the top of the home page. And also, under "all topics", then "general", and check out the first few threads. They'll really help you understand how MFP works.
Before coming here, I had tried just about EVERYTHING out there, including hypnosis, TWICE, and nothing really worked until MFP!
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 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! :happy:
I also recently aquired the Wii Fit, and jog to that, which is a lot of fun, and easy too!
So, to make a LONG story short, make good food choices, eat in moderation, get some exercise, and you WILL lose the weight that you want to!

Hey!!!!!!! I am a Cali girl too~!

Hi thank you do much your tips are very helpful! I will try my best ...should I be watching the fat or just the calorie intake?

I try watching em all! :laugh: Mostly though, calories, carbs, fats and sodium. I used to worry about the protein, since I was ALWAYS over, but, I learned pretty quick that MFP tends to go alittle too low. So, I never worried, and it hasn't been a problem, since I DID lose the weight! :laugh: :happy: