MFP virgin

[Undecided90]

It has been a list long time since I have been able to describe myself as a virgin

I weighed myself this week and is horrified to see I am 13 stone. I am 5'4" and aged 41. My weight has been going up and up over the last few years. Partly due to a sedentary job bit mostly due to eating too much.

I need to sort this out before I need a fire crew to get out if the house via my lounge window.

I have been avoiding calorie counting as it seems a big faff but I think it needs doing.

MFP says I need 1200 calories to lose 2lbs a week which seems low to me so I have worked out my BMR and TDEE and gone for 1500 cals. MFP says I will only lose half a pound a week on this. Is that true? I plan in going to the gym 3 times a week as well. Should I 'eat' the calories?

All tips and success stories to keep me motivated are welcome.

Don't eat the calories burned of at the gym. Calorie counting takes a little while to get used to but most other diets involve reduced calories so one way or another you end up weighing and measuring. I only aim to lose 1 pound a week so get to eat more calories I am over 4 inches shorter than you and it can get depressing looking at how few calories you need to eat to reduce my weight, I expect it won't be many more calories to maintain. On the positive side I feel better for losing weight and exercising.
Good luck.

I'm 5'4" and 10 St 1lbs (was 10 12). I eat 1200 calories and only lose 1lb a week. But on the plus side I do lose. I've found 1200 is fine and even had a crunchie bar today! Good luck.

MFP sets 1200 as the minimum so in reality you wouldn't lose 2lb a week.
The calorie figure given includes exercise so if you eat 1500kcal but do 300kcal exercise, that works out at 1200kcal.