Most Frequently questions.... ANSWERED!

So, I know that there are a lot of newbies out there on MFP that are really confused as to what to do, how to exercise, what to eat ect.... well I thought I would write a post and answer some frequently asked questions. I am just writing the answers from how I understand. I am not an expert but I have been on MFP for over 6 months and have lost 70lbs.I have gone from 210lbs to 140lbs. (I am 5' 8 btw)

Question #1- How many calories should I really be eating because MFP tells me I should be eating 1200?

It is all based on what works for your body but you should really be netting your BMR or base rate metabolism. MFP sets everyone at the generic 1200 calories for a two pound loss a week whether you are 5' 1 or 6' and this is starving your body. I would suggest going onto one of the websites I have linked below and figuring out your TDEE (another commonly known expression standing for Total Daily Energy Expenditure). If you want to lose weight at a comfortable amount of calories then all you need to do is take your TDEE and subtract – 500 a day to lost 1lb a week.
Example;
I am 5'8 very active and have a BMR of 1508 calories per day.... I should NEVER net below this but if you are going to net below this please do not net below 1200. So basically what this means is this is how many calories I would have to eat per day if I layed in bed all day and did absolutely nothing.
Use this website to find your BMR http://www.fat2fitradio.com/
BMR= 1508
TDEE= 2337
TDEE= how many calories you burn per day with activity counted in.
What I like to do is take my tdee subtract -500
2337 – 500= 1837
So I would eat 1837 calories a day to see a loss of 1 lb per week. Try to net this number but if you can't then atleast net what your BMR is.
Very basic TDEE calculator here... http://www.bestdallaspersonaltrainer.com/energy-expenditure-calculator.html

2) Okay now I have my TDEE and subtracted -500 and got _____ amount of calories now do I eat back my exercise calories?

I personally only eat back my exercise calories if I net below my BMR of 1508 but there is a lot of controversy on MFP of whether to eat them or not. Try eating them and try not eating them for one week at a time and see which week you a)feel most comfortable with or b) lose the most weight with. Just make sure you are fueling your body accurately.
Interesting topic posts on this subject...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/539912-why-eating-exercise-calories-is-so-important?hl=eating+exercise+calories&page=19#posts-7810015

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/504899-do-you-eat-exercise-calories?hl=eating+exercise+calories&page=1#posts-7029659

Just do what works for you....

3) My weight loss has stalled and I don't know what to do.... HELP?!?!?!
A plateau in weight loss is usually caused by a) your body just wanting to stay at that weight because it is comfortable there or b) because your body has gotten use to your routine. To break a plateau try a combination of things. I think the best way to break a plateau is to up your calories a little bit and see what happens. Sometimes a plateau is just a way for your body to communicate with you that you are not feeding it enough and that it needs more fuel so it is just going to hold onto whatever fuel it does get and store it as fat. Also try switching up your exercise routines by incorporating new things. For me my weight loss has stalled and I think it is just my body telling me that “hey I have been losing weight for 10 months, I am tired and I am ready to stop now” so instead of pushing my body further I have begun to lift heavy weights (which I strongly suggest if you are on a plateau)

4) I am a women though, should I lift heavy?
Absolutely!!! I have noticed more change in my body composition in the last two months of heavy lifting then I have in the 10 months where I did straight cardio. Cardio has its place in a good well rounded routine but lifting is essential to maintain a nice lean form. I lift 2-3x week and I usually have cardio 4-5 x a week since I am in my last year of high school and we still have P.E everyday which is a lot of running. Women do not get “bulky if they lift” and don't be scared to go into the weights section... I know there are a lot of guys in there (actually it is more like testosterone central!) but just get your butt in there and do it. Not to mention guys find it so bad *kitten* when women lift!

Here is a basic routine for beginner lifting... do 4 sets of 8 reps (rest 45 seconds- 1 minute between sets)
Squats
Bench Press
Bent over Rows
Overhead barbell press
Stiff-legged dead lift
Chest Press
Leg Press
This is a full body circuit. For the first set of 8 use a weight that is pretty light and you are comfortable lifting. For the second set of 8 use a weight up that you feel you could do 8 reps of but it would still burn. Then for the last 2 sets use a weight that really challenges you. A weight that you can barely get 6-8 reps out.
Here is a good workout for women aswell using the machines
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ultimate-beginners-machine-workout-for-women.html
This is an awesome site for body building stuff like workouts, diet plans, tips ect...
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbmaintrain.htm?sel=Getting-Started#getting-started

5) What can I do to make my tummy go flatter?
The tummy and thigh areas are always the last to go it seems like and I hate to say it but you really cannot target one certain area. Yes you can do ab exercises that will tighten up the muscles underneath but 100 crunches a day is going to next to nothing unless you burn the fat that is layering over top of it. This is where a good balanced routine comes into place. Make sure you do your cardio, weight lifting and body resistance exercises. Eventually your tummy will flatten out. The fat around your stomach is there to protect vital organs and that is why it is usually the last to go.
Good workouts to do to help your stomach go flatter...
Jillian Michaels 30 day shred (so many people have tried this DVD and it is truly an awesome workout)
Beach Body DVDs (P90X, Insanity, Turbofire ect...)(advanced routines not really suggested for someone just getting started)
Actually any Jillian Michaels routine is good LOL
The 25 circuit-
25 crunches
25 situps
25 bicycle crunches
25 reverse crunches
25 pushups (you can break this into like 5 sets of 5 pushups if you can't do pushups or do lady pushups) and no pushups are not just an arm exercise they are a whole body exercise....:grumble:
Plank (as long as you can but try for over 1 min)
You can try pilates for stubborn stomach fat

6) I am just getting started and I have no idea what to eat???
I am going to keep this simple since this explanation could go on for an hour... Try to follow the food guide roughly and if it is not on the food guide then you probably should not eat it.
Grains- 5-7 servings: stick to whole grains and do not eat anything white (white means enriched and unnatural) choose brown bread, rice, pasta ect... Whole wheat and whole grain bread are very similar but I personally like whole grain because that means that they have literally ground up the entire grain and you will get the most fiber and vitamins out of it. As for cereal try to stick to a cereal with as little sugar as possible and as much fiber as possible. I personally do not really find boxed cereal very healthy so I only eat it once in a while I tend to stick to oatmeal. Oatmeal is awesome and I would highly suggest it! For us low carbers out there getting in 5-7 servings is a lot but try to get at least 3-4 servings.
One serving= 1 slice of bread, 0.75 cup of oatmeal or half a cup of brown rice
Vegetables and Fruit: Eat as many vegetables as you want personally I do not even count them into my calorie intake (some may find this wrong but I honestly don't care) vegetables help keep me regular if you know what I mean:blushing: and I don't think there should be a limit on them (with this rule though I do count higher calorie or starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes.) Try to get in 5-10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day ( limit your fruit to no more than 2 pieces of fruit per day due to their sugar levels, yes it is natural sugar but it is still sugar)
One serving= 1 medium fruit or vegetable, half a cup of juice, 1 cup salad
Milk and dairy : Stick to low fat or skim milk (1%). Try for 2-4 servings.
One serving= 1 cup milk, 50g of cheese, 175 ml of yogurt
Meat and Alternatives: Eat 2-4 servings per day. Do not eat red meat too often. Stick to lean meats and fishes like salmon, tilapia, chicken and turkey.
A serving should be 100g or the size of your palm without your fingers. (deck of cards) Eat lots of protein it is what builds your muscles plus it takes way more calories to break down 1 ounce of protein vs 1 ounce of fat
You should also include at least 1 tbsp of olive oil or sunflower oil into your cooking. It is a source of healthy fat and it naturally lubricates your digestive system. The fats in olive oil are mono-saturated fat and help with a healthy cardiovascular system and digestive system.
For healthy recipes try this website; http://www.skinnytaste.com/
As for water get AT LEAST 8 cups of water a day.... I truly believe it helps with weight loss. :drinker: I count plain green tea (no milk or sugar) as water but some people do not.

7) Should I have rest days off from exercise?
Another controversial topic on MFP. I believe that yes you definitely need to let your body rest. I have 1-2 rest days per week. I have a scheduled day where I do not workout but I usually still manage to do something light like walking. Do not just take a day off because your body is a little sore you need to push through that... No pain no gain. In respect to that though, if you cannot move and it feels more like an injury than just muscle soreness let yourself rest as long as you need too. Do not burn yourself out by over training just do what makes you comfortable.

These are the most common questions I can think of for now but if I think of anymore I will just edit this post. If you guys have anymore questions feel free to post them and if I don't answer your question then hopefully someone in the forum will. Hope this gives some help to some confused people out there. Again these are my personal opinions and what I have comprehended after many months of research and of my new lifestyle. If anybody has anything too add feel free too