new to this but confused on what's best diet

First ask yourself: "Is this the type of food (or quantity of food) I'm willing to eat the REST OF MY LIFE?"

if the answer is NO, then don't do it. it sets you up for yo-yo dieting.

go read the "Eat More, Weigh Less" group:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

This is a really good blog to read:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/lillebanon/view/my-take-on-eating-more-to-weigh-less-254554

good luck on your journey~

Hi! First of all, grats on making the choice to make a change. Even if you slip a little, it's OK, we're all only human

The key factor is to keep trying to lead a healthier life, and not neccessarily a skinny life or nutritionally deprived life. Although it's great to look good, the thing of REAL importance is health. Multivitamins may help a little to keep us nutritionally sound (I take one daily, you know, just in case..) but the body can only take in so much, and the form that the nutrients in a vitamin aren't easily assimilated by our bodies, so our bodies get pretty much all of it's energy from the foods we eat and calories we take in.

Although I'm not any kind of MD or nutritionist, it seems pretty clear to me that you are not eating enough calories to satiate your body's need to eat; that's why you still feel hungry. I would think that 1200 calories a day is too low, and it leaves you wanting for more. Try increasing your daily calorie intake to maybe 1500 a day or so (I'm 1750 a day and am rarely ever hungry anymore) and try to spread out the food intake throughout the day. I usually have a reasonable lunch and dinner (I'm just not awake enough to eat breakfast, it hurts my stomach), and have 4 or 5 snacks throughout the day. I eat things with fiber (fiber fills you up and and the body can't digest it, so voila! no calories) and try to drink as much water as I can. I also eat something sensible, like a small salad or fresh fruit 20 to 30 minutes before I actually sit down to dinner since it takes the brain about 20 minutes for it to realize that you actually have eaten something. I was always taught to finish what's on my plate, and that has contributed to my problem to date, so I now always try to leave a FEW uneaten bites on the plate.

The best diet is the one that works best for YOU, but don't use ANY diet that leaves you deprived of ANYTHING other than calories. And don't forget the water. Drink as much as you can, and you will be surprised how good you feel just by being properly hydrated (limit caffein, it actually DE-hydrates you). And of course, exercise is important too. My doctor advised me to get a pedometer to count my steps throughout the day; an average adult should log about 5,000 steps a day, an active one should log much more. When I started, I was horrified to see that I only was logging about 400-700 steps a day at most. I now try to log that 5,000 (whew) or more a day if I can, although I have spinal problems that make it difficult to say the least. And, the activity also helps by raising my daily caloric intake allowance, so I can eat a little more if I feel hungry and still stay within my guidelines, but I usually feel LESS hungry when I've been active for a while. And, with all of that said, he also reminded me that it's OK to feel a LITTLE prolonged hunger from time to time, it let's you know that you are actually losing weight! Just do your best to keep to your caloric intake and exercise goals. Accurately and honestly tracking these activities is the best way to be able to tell you where to make any adjustments if neccessary, and MFP certainly does the job.

I used to weigh 389 pounds, and l got down to 341 following these guidelines before I joined MFP, and 21 pounds since then doing same, so my wife and I joke that I've lost a 4th grader so far. I'm looking forware to making it a college sophomore before I'm all done - lol!

Again, grats in making your decision and the best of luck to you!! Feel free to add me as a friend if my novelistic response hasn't bored you to death.