Saying Hi, need help please:)

DesperateDen
DesperateDen Posts: 14
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, have repeatedly read good things about MFP I thought it was about time I gave it a try:)

Having attempted numerous 'diets' I am going to give calorie counting a go, along with eat less, move more. It sounds so simple:)

So dear MFPs can you tell me what tools I need to get started? Can anyone recommend any books or the best food weighing scales to buy? In fact do I really need any? As you can see I am starting from scratch.

Looking forward to sharing my weight loss story with you all X

Replies

  • squirrleydoodle
    squirrleydoodle Posts: 58 Member
    I don't think you need to get any food scales as long as you have some measuring cups and a good eye on how much is in a portion. good luck!!!:smile:
  • virginies
    virginies Posts: 137 Member
    Hi, I haven't really weighed anything so far.There are really good tools to help make things simple for you. My favorite is the recipe tool. Create your own recipe and it will calculate the calories, sodium etc for you. Next time you make that dish, no need to enter each ingredient again, just go to your recipes and add it to your diary!
    The great thing is that this is not just about calories, it helps you watch your sodium, protein etc... So you can't eat all your calories in chips :)

    I hope you find the site usefull, I know I find both the tools and the support I receive from other MFP members to be a great help.

    Feel free to add me if you want .

    Good luck!
  • moea432
    moea432 Posts: 75 Member
    The first thing I saw when reading your post was "you've tried many diets"....Let me just say as everyone else says DIETS JUST DONT WORK! its a life style change and i promise if you give it try you can do it! Just remember it took years to get it on so its going to a while to get it off!! Ive been going for 9 months and lost 65 lbs so far and still have some to go!! you WILL see results you just have to give it time and effort ! start easy and work your way to harder as you go along this journey!

    recommendations:

    1) start easy such as portion control....eat what you like at meals just eat less and try and stay away from snacking/cokes/dessert type items

    2) You will start seeing results from 1 and as you loose weight your body will get used to what your doing so start throwing in light exercise three times a week so see better results

    3) if you get stuck on a certain weight either switch up your routine or work out harder or longer or maybe just more times per week! your body gets used to what you do weeks on end so just make sure your confusing your body!
  • gottolosethisweight
    gottolosethisweight Posts: 31 Member
    I have just started myself. I just use my measuring cups and measuring spoons. I track everything I eat and drink. As well as I try to go out for an hour long walk every other day. It is hard to go everyday since I have 2 small children. I hope this has helped. If you want support from me, you can always add me.

    Take care. Good Luck
  • Sinisi2012
    Sinisi2012 Posts: 333 Member
    The first thing I saw when reading your post was "you've tried many diets"....Let me just say as everyone else says DIETS JUST DONT WORK! its a life style change and i promise if you give it try you can do it! Just remember it took years to get it on so its going to a while to get it off!! Ive been going for 9 months and lost 65 lbs so far and still have some to go!! you WILL see results you just have to give it time and effort ! start easy and work your way to harder as you go along this journey!

    I agree with this :)
  • joy5877
    joy5877 Posts: 168 Member
    I agree - not a diet but a life change. This is the way of life if you want to stay healthy. Been here a little over three weeks and have lost 20 pounds. I have thought about getting a food scale but I think that I am going to wait until I plateau. That should get it moving again
    Add me if you want!
  • mistebolden
    mistebolden Posts: 6 Member
    Hi!! Have to agree with the others, no scale is needed, just watch your portions. Also, stop eating 15-20 minutes before you feel "full." Give your body time to catch up, you've probably eaten enough to feel full long before you stop eating. Took me awhile to realize this, but it's true. :) Good luck to you!
  • xipow
    xipow Posts: 58
    I purchased a food scale and used it for a long time. I found that it made me feel better about the accuracy of my food diary. It also taught me a lot about how inaccurate my estimates were. I would tend to underestimate my food portions. The problem with a food scale is that it takes extra time. Although you can be successful without one,I recommend a scale for a beginner and then, at some point, you can return to estimates. The whole food log process becomes tedious after a while. Some people don't take the time to log their food let alone measure it. I was driven to do it by the degree of compulsive need I had to be successful. I was desperate to succeed, and so, I did everything and anything I could. I have found that, despite the time it takes, food logging is worth the effort. It teaches you so much about your eating decisions. It makes you aware of your impulsive choices. I am looking forward to the day when I am able to eat wisely without logging everything. So far, every time I stop, I go back to thoughtless eating. If you decide to get a scale get one with a capacity of several pounds. I had to take the first one back because it would not allow me to use heavy containers, like glass bowls, to measure my fruits, yogurts, etc. So far, I have lost 50 lbs in about six months. I hope to lose 55 more to get to 12% body fat. I hope you are able to do what it takes to accomplish your goal.
  • lika50
    lika50 Posts: 140 Member
    I agree with the others. It's not about "dieting". It's about changing your life - the way you eat, the way you move, the way you THINK, the way you spend your free time... It's about taking small but deliberate steps toward your goal rather than looking for a quick fix. And it's more about wanting to be healthy as opposed to being "skinny".

    A few tools that have helped me out tremendously are: watching documentaries like "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead", "Food Matters", and "Hungry for Change". (The first two are available on Netflix stream, if you have access to that.) I also bought a Vitamix blender and have been having a ton of fun buying colorful fruits, veggies, and leafy greens and whipping them up into tasty smoothies. (This is a huge deal for me, as I usually hate being in the kitchen. I'm now starting to love it!) As far as exercise, Tae Bo dvds and the gym have been instrumental in livng a healthy lifestyle. I also registered for some 5k, 5 mile, and half marathon trail runs for motivation. (My half is in September.. Yikes!) And last but certainly not least, be kind to yourself. That's something that I have to consciously work on every minute of the day, but by gently removing negative feelings like guilt, bitterness and despair I've found that most of my "bad" food cravings are disappearing.

    It's all about taking it one day at a time.

    Best of luck on your journey! Feel free to add me as well if you like! :D
  • gward84
    gward84 Posts: 16
    The one thing I have learnt about using MFP is that you don't need to cut out the foods you love, you can still eat your favourite things, just not as often and plus with MFP is you won't enjoy your favourite things any more because you will feel guilty haha!
  • goblynn
    goblynn Posts: 148 Member
    I don't have any books however I use my dry/wet measuring cups as well as a food scale that I use regularly.

    As mentioned in a post earlier, I grossly overestimated my portions. I bought the scale at Wal-Mart for under 20.00. IMHO it has been worth every penny. If you are on a limited budget you could also comb the thrift stores. Anyway, I found the scale to be so useful. One thing MFP has taught me is that I can get "more bang for my buck" in calories by cooking/making my own meals.
    Having the scale handy helps me make sure that all my turkey burgers are all 4oz instead of one being 3.4 and another being 6oz. This is important to me because, as an over-eater/ portion control- issue person- knowing exactly what I am putting in my body is important.

    The food and exercise diary are so handy and worth the time. If you look at my diary you will notice that my weekends are what is causing me to lose weight slowly. If I didn't log my food, I would have been able to pin-point this as an "issue" so quickly. I have only been using MFP for five weeks but have learned so much about my own eating barriers and triggers.

    Another time saver/ portion saver that I have found is separating foods into their correct serving size as soon as I open the package. For example, if I buy Trisket Dill and Olive Oil crackers as soon as I open the box I will count out the crackers into individual serving bags. This way, when I am back lunches or need a quick snack I can reach for something that I know is healthy, easy to log, and very convenient. It has also help me with my over eating as I would have to open another zip-lock which takes less will-power than shoving my hand back in the box only to feel guilty later as I realize I have ate all 9 servings instead of one.

    good luck on your journey.

    p.s. Since joining MFP- I have saved money as I am eating less of the same foods. They last longer b/c instead of eating an entire chicken breast for lunch, i only eat 4oz... so that same chicken breast is also my dinner. :)
  • izzydino
    izzydino Posts: 254 Member
    best tools : a cheap food scale and a good heart rate monitor for workouts

    Good luck. :):drinker:
  • laursey
    laursey Posts: 307
    I'd say that having motivtating MFP friends with open diaries is essential. Seeing that so and so burned ___ calories pop up in your new feed makes you think, hey, if they went for a 20 minute walk, so can I. In fact, maybe I'll go for 30 minutes. Log everything!
    I didn't get a food scale or heart rate monitor until I was maintaining. The MFP info worked just great for me. Always over estimate on food and underestimate on exercise and always eat all of your exercise calories.
    I'm sending a friend request.

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  • cinsuccess
    cinsuccess Posts: 333 Member
    You've received a lot of great advice so I'm going to repeat some and add my own.

    1) a food scale is definitely important. Mine is digital and mesures both ounces and grams. I use it every day AND I was one of many who was overestimating portions. I used to think one chicken breast was one portion - it's not, it's actually 2!!

    2) A hart rate monitor to track calories burned during exercise. This is especially important if you intend to eat back your exercise calories as MFP recommends. Estimates lead to plateaus.

    3) Know your life and be prepared. I work a lot so making all my meals is just not an option. I have to plan for my meals all week so I don't wind up grabbing something on the run. Keep snacks in your bag/car/desk. You will get hungry at the most inconvenient times and need to be prepared with something healthy.

    4) Don't deny yourself! Denial leads to binging. You can have anything you want as long as you plan for those extra calories and either eat less for other meals or workout more. Of course, this doesn't mean you can survive on only junk food 24/7, but if you want a treat in addition to your healthy meals, plan for it.

    Most important, don't be afraid to eat enough! I was severely undereating when I joined MFP. I had stalled after the first 20 pounds lost becuase my body was holding onto the fat. Make sure you always hit your minimum calorie intake for the day which should never be less than your MFP.
  • DesperateDen
    DesperateDen Posts: 14
    Thank you all for your input, today is my first day tracking! Sending weight loss vibes for us all.
  • propskat
    propskat Posts: 191 Member
    Scale: YES! Get one that measures ounces and grams, as some food servings cannot be accurately measured with measuring cups and spoons.

    If you have a smartphone, get the app! It is so much more convenient and you can monitor yourself better as you go through your day.

    A heart rate monitor and/or a fitbit. I love the fitbit, it keeps me motivated, and gives me a little extra at the end of the day.

    I disagree about eating back all your exercise calories. I think you should do your best to eat up to your daily limit, and plan on stopping there. The exercise calories give you a cushion to work with, but if you eat them all back, you'll slow your progress.

    Most of all, dont' get discouraged. You're going to have bad food days. There's going to be birthday parties with cake, dinners out with beer/wine, and so forth. Don't sweat it. Remember, you have to eat 3500 EXTRA calories to gain a 'real' pound. Even on your worst day, you probably don't eat near enough to make that happen. Just get up the next morning and carry on!

    Good Luck!

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