Incredibly confused and hopeless...

Relax, I have lost lots of weight and I have no Idea what a Macro is.
I eat what I should, I bike 120-150 km's a week and the wight comes off.

Don't confuse yourself, It looks like you are doing well.

Breath relax and eat an apple, you will feel better.

I'm just as confused but I find logging what I eat really is what helps me the most in the sense of tracking my progress. It makes it easier to see what works and what doesn't based on your progress so you can really nail it and succeed. As far as what I eat, I try to make the healthiest choices possible... lean protein, lots of veggies, etc. Still a work in progress for me, but I'm getting there.

Hang in there, don't give up and you'll get the hang of it once you get going and you won't have to worry about what a macro is!
:flowerforyou:

Hey Cwade, I think you're overcomplicating it. If you are just trying to lose weight then it's simply eat less calories than you burn. While you could do it on Taco Bell as long as you counted the calories, I think you'd feel hungry because it's calorie dense food and you'd feel like crap.

Now if you want to do as you stated "build muscle, lose fat and be HEALTHY" then yes, exercise and eat better.

The plan is simple, sticking to it is the part that takes effort.

Oh honey, dont cry. :flowerforyou: It's just weight loss, not brain surgery. You will get it. I think it is entirely possible to lose weight at taco bell, but not recommended. Those macros are just the ratio of carbs/proteins/and fats that people want to balance their diets. People tweek those to what works best for them. I just reset mine manually on MFP to 40/30/30. You should do a bit of cardio and some heavy lifting to build healthy muscle. Those muscles will burn more fat. People get all upset because losing weight the wrong way can encourage muscle loss and then you have a HARDER time losing additional weight. Plus, you dont want to look bad when all the fat is gone and you have no muscle definition underneath. Do a search on the threads for BMR and then go to www.fat2fitradio.com to get your military body fat% and then use that to get your BMR (their calculators are pretty easy to use). Mostly I just walk and ride my bike. I do a little lifting, but not like I should. I count calories and eat what I like (in moderation).....:drinker:

First, you've lost 20 pounds, so you're obviously doing it right. Good job! And good on ya' for wanting to graduate from the packaged food to something more sustainable on the long term.

Calories in = the calories you eat.

Calories out = the calories you burn.

Exercise calories = the calories you "earn" by exercising (the point of this site is not to use exercise to accelerate weight loss. You use exercise to get fit. You control your calories to lose weight).

Macro = Macronutrient. Also known as "fats", "carbohydrates", and "proteins". They are classifications for the three major sources of energy our bodies need. The site can help you track them, and if you do nothing else try to get them in balance (get the "remaining" numbers as close to zero as possible each day for calories AND your macros).

You can, in fact, lose the weight by eating taco bell (or even straight lard, which is probably healthier). You'll end up very unhealthy, but skinnier as long as you burn more calories than you consume.

I'd start with a simple meal like breakfast. Find something that gives you a good balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. I personally like plain oatmeal with some cinnamon (but no sugar!) added, and a fried or hardboiled egg.

Then move on to another meal and build in what your body needs, and avoid what it doesn't.

It takes a little while, but if you start eating healthy components (raw or frozen vegetables with no sauces, lean meats, beans, rice, oatmeal, fruit, nuts, etc) you'll find it pretty easy to find a way to get all your macros and fill yourself up with the calories you need.

I have to say reading these boards has my head spinning. I am incredibly confused.

Calories in/calories out, eating back calories, macros... what the hell is a macro?

Macronutrients = Protein, Carbs, Fat... Three sources to get your calories from. On a basic level meat = protein+fat
fruit/veggies = carbs. It gets really fun when you start trying to make sure you hit your micronutrient goals

My goodness how is this ever going to be successful for me?

Eh, no one said it would be easy. I do believe it's worth it in the long run.

I want to build muscle, lose fat and be HEALTHY!

Every journey starts with the first steps, dont stress about it as much as you are. Do some research and find what works for you through trial and error. You're here, you've found a great resource, embrace it and start making the positive changes.

I know it's about more then counting calories... what about fat and calorie goals for the day? This is the stuff that confuses me. I mean if it's just about calories I could eat my calorie goal in taco bell and lose weight? I would think not...

Actually, you could eat taco bell and lose weight. Hell my buddy did it by eating nothing but ramen. The problem with that is you will be mal/under nourished for it. The goal here is to lose weight while still being overall healthy.

Sorry I sound so stupid. I've lost the weight I have eating little pre-packaged foods so I didn't have to think about it. Now that I have to think about it, I don't know what to do!!!

There's nothing stupid about any of this. Weightloss can be overwhelming when your starting out. Read around the forums. There is so much good information here. Just don't spend all your time researching and never taking proactive steps towards your goal.

What exercises do I do to lose the fat? What do I do to build muscle? What do I do to tone up?

I'd start with walking. Walking a mile a day will do wonders by itself. Work your way into jogging if you like. I bought a bike because it's something I can stick with. Ahh, and its summer. Go to the pool and have some fun!

I kind of want to cry

There's no crying in baseball!!! ~Tom Hanks, A League of Their Own.
Don't sweat it. The people here are great. Relax a bit and read. You'll find answers.

The berg !! Very nicely done.

Oh gosh. Don't feel bad; it really is overwhelming at first. I'm sure more people will be able to help you out with specific details, but let me just reassure you you'll figure it out. First of all, whatever anyone says, you have to do what works for YOU.

MFP sets you up with a calorie goal based on your weight loss goals. Say, for example, 1250. If you exercise, you burn calories. It's unhealthy to go below too many calories (generally about 1200); your body just won't function. So say you eat your 1250 for the day, and then go running and burn off 300. Well, now you're below your minimum so you want to eat something to replenish what you lost so your body won't go into starvation mode--- because then it'll want to hold on to all that fat!

Macros just refers to your balance of carbs, fats, and protein for the day. Everyone has different ideas about what works best; I try to go for 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein.

As you get a little further into really having to plan your meals and food, you'll start figuring out what works best for you and setting your own goals. I found out that one of my big enemies was high-sodium foods, so that's a personal goal for me. Yeah, theoretically you could lose wait by eating your calorie goals in taco bell, but it certainly wouldn't be a healthy way to do it.

As far as exercise, weight-lifting will definitely help you tone up and build muscle. If you belong to a gym, see if they have a circuit training area or offer a crossfit class-- it combines aerobics and weight lifting , so you get your cardio in too. That's what I've been most successful losing fat and toning with.

I'm sorry i keep referring back to what I do-- I'm certainly not an expert, but it's what works for me. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed-- it IS a lot! You're basically learning a completely new language that deals with how to take care of yourself. Don't feel bad if you can't speak it right away-- the more you immerse yourself in it, the more you'll pick up. In the meantime, feel free to friend away! Sometimes a little support and accountability is the best thing for it.

Here is the beauty of this website.

WHAT DOESN'T MATTER.

What should I eat? Doesn't matter....
What workout should I do? Doesn't matter...

If your goal is to lose weight, just stay under your calories and do some kind of exercise. I've lost 47 pounds on here not making any HUGE diet adjustments except in portion size.

I eat, and I walk. Sometimes I play wii or ping pong....anything you want.

As for eating back calories, you don't even need to really think about it. The calculator does it for you when you log.

Log breakfast, log lunch, workout after work and log it, then look at your calories, it adds them on for you.

Long as that number is green at the end of the day, you will lose weight.

Now if you wanna get really healthy, I guess there is more to it, but I was so far obese anything was a plus so until I drop another 50, weight loss is the main goal.

I just do what mfp says, I don't stress on all the other stuff! It's been working for me and also for you. If you stall, maybe it's time to look for change. Just replace a packaged meal with a chicken breast and broccoli!