a newbie

Hi everyone,
I am Mandy, a new member here to lose weight the right way and hopefully long term. Any hints,tips or advice will always be greatly received

Hi Mandy,

Well, I'm certainly no expert but first off, congrats for joining FS - that's a good start because your making the effort to do something about your situation. Another thing that I would say is don't start out with unrealistic goals (you can read one of my forum posts titled "I hate to see people setting themselves up for failure with...". It basically talks about being careful to 'not' set unrealistic goals that will not be achieved. Generally speaking, a weight-loss goal of about 1-2 lbs a week is realistic and sustainable.

On another note, if you use the tools offered here on this site, it will help you out immensely but of course, you have to be honest with yourself and accountable for everything you eat otherwise whats the point? If you fail to log certain foods or actual portion size, then you are just shooting yourself in the foot and defeating the whole purpose. I'm just saying because I see it a lot and some folks cannot understand why they can't lose the weight. There's just something about looking back on what you've consumed in a day (down to every tsp of sugar or snack while your out on the go) and it really helps you to see how much you are "actually" consuming in a day. Then you adjust from there. Try starting out by just cutting out 500 calories per day and this will equate to at least a lb a week. You are smart because you realize this is a process that has to happen slowly and steadily over time. And by this method, you are sure to keep the weight off long-term. Also, no one like to hear it but exercise is key - you've got to get out and move (the good news is - this will only speed the process)

Anyhow, there seems to be a lot of nice people here on FS and they seem more than happy to offer advice and motivation. Feel free to ask me any questions and hopefully I can be of assistance. Good luck and just stay motivated and you will be successful.

City-Girl

What worked for me was logging everything I eat, I think that is the single biggest difference in this weight loss attempt and the one that has helped me be successfull. Also a change in mindset, I have had times where I don't lose much weight and instead of giving up as I did in the past I have decided that even if I never lose another pound I still have to follow this eating plan so that I never gain back the weight I lost.

Definitely log as you begin to learn more about what makes good calories and how quickly the bad stuff can add up if you don't do things in moderation.

I agree with all the posts here. Starting slowly and modifying as you go is a great idea. Perhaps do a baseline of how many calories you do consume a day, and record your exercises things you do on a daily basis.
FS is a great place to be.. you will certainly find supportive and motivational buddies.
Good luck and take care.

Hi Mandy, welcome! I lost 36 pounds on a simple weight loss plan (simple is all I can manage as a mother of 2 boys!) and it worked splendidly for me. It’s a low-carb, high protein diet which requires you to eat 4-5 meals through the day along with mild exercise (walking every evening) to fuel the weight loss. I feel energetic throughout and never felt the urge to snack. It’s been almost a year since I lost the weight now and I’ve kept it off ever since.