2nd day on MyFitnessPal....does it get easier?

It does get easier, just don't expect it to show right away. Remember, all this is geared toward helping you change your lifestyle - it's definitely not a sprint to the finish.

The hardest part for me when I first started, was finding the patience to log all the foods and/or figuring out reasonable approximations. I found that after I had figured out what foods I liked to eat (and were good for me), it made my logging much quicker and easier, thus I was more likely to actually do it on a regular basis. For the exercise portion, I was using the stuff in the database, but recently got a couple gadgets to make it easier for me (heart monitor and a fitbit). Just find whatever works best for you, and do it.

Relax, have fun, don't sweat the slip-ups and keep moving forward.

It gets so easy that it's ridiculous. You know why? Because it becomes habit. It becomes a habit to measure out your food. It becomes a habit to pick up the celery and the carrots instead of a cookie. It becomes a habit to eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning topped with fruit sans brown sugar.

And as soon as it is engrained as a habit, it becomes a lifestyle.

I remember how hard it was when I first started. Now, I didn't start on MFP. I started on Spark People, and I honestly didn't try and stay within my calorie range for the first week. I just consumed and logged. I also recorded how I felt after meals, which was a biggy. And then the second week was my real shift. I planned out my meals and snacks for the week, and stayed within my calorie range and I recorded how I felt after my meals. And I saw the difference and that was enough motivation to keep going and keep tracking and changing my lifestyle. And now 2 years later, I can't go a day without tracking at least what I eat on MFP.

It gets easier. You just have to work for it.

Hi, all! I'm Mary, gonna be 41 in a few weeks, would love to lose 45 pounds, and am living in Missouri. I started this two days ago and have not been within my calories yet, but I figure I will have to get used to the idea of eating less, right??

How long did it take you to get on board with the program and start staying within your calorie range the majority of the time? Any advice?

Thanks.

Hi Mary!
I'm from the KC area myself but have now lived in the Tulsa area for about 15 months. It actually gets a little addictive not just easier.
You'll find that you can better recognize a 'portion', that you're body will adjust to a new eating schedule and style, and you'll be on your way in no time.
Advice;
make your meals and snacks more protein and fiber based for a more satisfied feeling and not hungry again so soon.
plan ahead, I'll key in the morning (or even the night before) what I'm having for dinner so that I know where I'm @ for lunch, breakfast, and snacks.
break your meals/snacks into 5 or 6 smaller meals - I eat @ 6am, 9-9:30, noon, 3-3:30, 6 and maybe a small treat after dinner.
plenty of fluids to stay hydrated (dehydration can also make you sleepy) and helps you adjust to lower calorie intake
do you have a digital kitchen scale? that helps too.
do you have MFP app on your phone? I love the ability to scan my food barcode and know the nutritional value without doing a 'search"
Feel free to friend request me, welcome, and good luck on your journey! Show ME!

Welcome!!!! I don't always stay in my calories.. though I try. I am on the 1200 calorie plan... HOWEVER... usually 6 days out of the week I exercise and manage to burn at least 600 or so calories doing that. I tend to eat back at least 300 of my exercise calories so at 1500 calories a day it isn't that hard for me to stay in my range. The days I don't work out (like today because I worked a 12 hour day) I usually go over a bit because eating only 1200... I Starve. : I just watch what I eat and count tthe calories and adjust my portion size and try to eat healthier stuff than that I really want (which is pizza and other not healthy stuff). Good luck!

I've been on MFP for about 5 months tracking my food like it was my religion. Some days, it really really stinks. However, after a while it becomes second nature. I normally measure my portions. To cut back, I'd have 3/4 of a cup of something instead of the whole cup, or if I wanted to sprinkle cheese on my pasta I'd just use a tablespoon or two so I could have the flavor, but not the extra calories. Portion distortion was one of my biggest problems.

Other tricks when I feel so hungry I think I could eat an entire horse: drinking a whole glass of water before my meal, eating a few stalks of celery before indulging in something really dense so I don't eat without thinking, and cutting down and out on my bread products. I might make a sandwich with one piece of bread, eat only one dinner roll(or skip them all together), so I can enjoy the rest of my meal(and save lots of calories)

Now I'm normally in under my calorie goal(dangerously so lately, because I've been sick and have no appetite), because the way I eat now is second nature. Some days I splurge on special meals with friends and family, but the next meal I try to be right on track.

I'm positive that if you want this change you'll make it work. It's hard, but when you finally get motivated accomplishing it becomes the easy part.

Good luck!

Yes, it becomes part of your daily routine. You'll find yourself checking to see the nutritional value of a food before you eat it to see if it's worth it. It took me about a week and I haven't looked back.

Feel free to add me.

I'm 40 1/2 yrs old and on Day 2, too!!!
So I guess I don't know how it gets...LOL Hopefully better and I feel less dizzy/hungry at the end of the day!

-Kimberly

Not fair! I only get 1420 calories per day.

It took me about 10 months and Im not joking.

I am usually always a bit over, but still lost 50 lbs in 6 months. The key is to record everything every single day. It will change you and change your life. Keep on trucking.

For me, it was really immediately .. I was ready this time. I didn't join to play, I joined to lose weight and start living a healthier lifestyle. I didn't put much thought on eating less, I put more thought in being healthy ... I've stayed around my 1200 cals consistently for the last 5 months are so. When I joined I had already lost 10 lbs. I did that without my fitness pal. If your mind is right, you can do this easier. Weight loss is a mental thing ... you can do it if you are ready ... I've lost a little over 40 lbs and I feel great ... You got this!

Hi! First of all, don't give up! It DOES get easier... I probably annoy everyone with my knowledge of how many calories are in EVERYTHING! lol... I have been using this app for 5 1/2 months and I have lost 46 pounds and 44 inches all over... You can do it! What I do to make it easier on myself is plan out what I am going to eat for the day , and I pack my food... I take mine to work and make sure I eat a little 100 - 200 calorie snack every 2 or 3 hours... I also have my bigger meal at lunch time and then a light dinner. If you are "snackable" in the evening, popcorn isn't really that bad... Just don't get the Extra Butter kind...lol. They have 100 calorie packs to make it easy too... and Gum... I chew gum if I'm having one of those "hungry" days...and last, but not least, DON'T take everything good away... if i want ice cream, I eat it... I just buy the skinny cow truffle bars that are 100 calories each... or the Dryers Acai Blueberry bars ( 60 calories) OR the Sugar Free Dryers Fruit bars ( 25 Calories ).. My point is, I thought I had tried Everything, and NOTHING seemed to work.... But with the help of "My Fitness Pal" and "Curves" ( I go 5 days a week) I finally did it, and So can YOU! Geez, I sound like an Infomercial...lolol. Oh well! anyway... stick to it! I know You can! I will go make my stuff public and you can see the kind of stuff I eat... Tonight was a big dinner, but I golfed and worked out, so I could do it... Good Luck!

YES.... definitely gets better! I was in complete shock in the first couple days. Then one day I was with my friend who's also doing this, and we just sat there putting in things we used to love... for instance:

on a daily shopping trip-
biscuit from Jacks= 300+ cals
Lg Sweet tea from McD's= 270
so that was breakfast= 570 cals

Lunch:
double cheese burger- 300+
Lg Fries= 500
(another Mcd's) sweet tea=270
FOr lunch 1070 cals

on the way home we would have a hot fudge sundae with nuts and chocolate chip cookies..... about another 500+ cals...

And then Lord, we would rush home to fix supper for our families... and I can't even begin to calculate those... but just in a shopping trip I would eat up over 2000 calories and not think twice... so tipping the scale at 222 I had to do something... It's scary when you start loggin some of your NORMAL stuff and makes you think about your choices....

Sorry this was so long, but thought might suggest you just log a typical day and see what you WERE eating...