So Close, Yet So Far Away!!

 I know that is an oxymoron, but it doesn't take away from how I'm feeling. I'm literally 2 days AWAY from my surgery (close part), yet I DONT understand how to set up and plan my meals on MYFITNESSPAL (far away part)...lol. I'm a TEACHER, but I'm also a VISUAL learner, so unless someone shows me something, usually I'm lost until I figure it out.....but I've not been able to thus far! So, for all of you all who use the  APP, do you mind lending a NEWBIE a hand?? I have a few questions: 

(1) Did the site automatically set up how many calories you should intake daily based on your weight, or is there some way I can change it and let it know how many I'm trying to get in??

(2) Where do you go to start logging in the meals??

(3) Does this really help keep you all on track?? Like, REALLY?? lol



Thanks in advance to all of you all who will take time out to answer my questions! 


Disclaimer: I may also have some more questions later, these are the ones that have come to mind. 

Hi understand your fear. I was Sleeved may10,2011 and I recovered so fast basically in a week and a half if you do everything they tell you to do you will be fine. it is the BEST Thing i have done. I am already exercising fully and eating some regular foods 4 wks out!! I hope you make the decision that is right for you and I wish you luck :) 

Also you seem like your making it more complicated your Dr's office should give you a paper with the amount of protein a day and other stuff listed with the calories. I did not do none of that chartine except to make sure i was getting enough to drink. You wont even be able to get in much for the first 2 weeks. Your drs office should provide you with all that. You wont be able to eat real food anyways until 2-3 wks after. Your new small pouch does not hold much at all!!!!

did your dietican give you a binder for surgery and diet? At Kaiser, we were given a plan with prediet and after diet to follow.  I did not use the planner for tracking, I wrote down everything I ate and added the calories.  Something I learned from dieting.

I don't pretend to be an expert but to log in what I what I ate I just click on the track food icon.  If you want to friend me I'll give you my phone number and try to walk you through it over the phone.

I also have a menu booklet from my surgeon's program to follow for two weeks before and after.  They education binder has additional food information but during each phase they give us a booklet.

Cindi

You can do everything right here on this site.  Put your cursor over tools and then select nutrition tracker.  It doesn't tell you how many you should be consuming, but it seems fairly simple to track your intake and excersize.  Best of luck!!