new member advice?

**leahbia_xo** · 05-13-2011 12:45 AM

hi, my name is leah. i have been battling my weight since i was 12 yrs old & have never really considered it a problem, besides all the rude remarks ppl tend to make (i am 5'9" & 220 lbs), but i have been recently diagnosed with high cholesterol & decided now is a good time to make some serious lifestyle changes before it's too late . . . the biggest issue i face is finding a diet & excersize plan i can stick with. i have tried fad diet after fad diet & although it has brought me quick success, it has also caused me to crash & put more weight on than i had weighted at the start of my diet. so i guess my question is, what is the best way to work yourself into a diet & excersize regiment that will feel natural & provide results? i would like to lose 75 pounds, as a long - term goal. any tips or tricks would be much appreciated :)

**KMonte85** · 05-13-2011 07:05 AM

Hi Leah, and welcome to the forum!

There really are no tricks to losing weight.. The only "tricks" in being healthy are those fad diets that trick you into thinking you're actually being good to your body.

So start by telling us here a little more about yourself, diet and exercise wise. What is a typical day for you like... What do you eat and drink and when? How much do you exercise in a week, and what sort of exercise are you doing?

The basis to being healthy is fueling your body with the proper nutrition it needs and exercising regularly. That means eat only lean proteins (low fat dairy, poultry and fish, legumes), tons and TONS of fresh produce, and whole grains. Cut out the garbage/junk food. Cut out the sugary drinks, including fruit juice. Understand what a healthy portion size for your body is.

Start exercising at a moderate to intense pace at LEAST 3 hours a week, spreading that out however you see fit. As you grow comfortable in your routine, increase the amount of exercise. The types of workouts you do should be a mixture of strength and cardio (you need both to be the lean, mean, fat burning machine you're striving towards).

The hardest part is the dedication and discipline. In your post, you mentioned a LONG TERM goal. And it should be, your weight didn't get put on over night, and it won't come off over night either, at least not in a healthy, sustainable way. But if you stick to the plan, keep yourself in check, you will succeed.

This is just a general overview.. as we get more details into what your typical diet and exercise are, we can give you more specific tips that will work for you.

**leahbia_xo** · 05-13-2011 11:20 AM

thank you for replying to my thread. my current diet & excersize routine is a little wacky right now since i work 6 -7 hours a day & take classes for 3 hours at night, so i really find it difficult to fit in a healthy diet & regular excersize . . . also, having the budget of a college student is no help . . . i only have about $200 a month to feed two people, so that can be a challenege at times considering the quickest, healthiest foods are rarely on sale at the local grocery store & i seldom have time to prepare meals myself, except for the weekends. but here's what a typical weekday consists of:

7am: shower, hair, makeup. & since i tend to hit the alarm clock one too many times, i usually don't have enough time to fit in a decent breakfast, so i usually go without (i know, i get my first strike here).

9am - 3pm: work . . . i work a tanning salon, so i am usually sitting down. not a very high - energy job, so few calories are burned here.

3pm - 5pm: attempt to fit in a late lunch before class . . . that is IF my homework is completed, house chores are finished & there is no need to make a trip to the store . . . these are my only daytime hours to get anything accomplished.

5:30pm - 9pm: class . . . again, i am a cosmetology student so most of my schooling consists of either sitting or standing behind a chair . . . very few calories are burned & it is very tempting to make a quick trip to the vending machine on the occasional 10 minute break.

9:30pm: finally home for the night! by this time i find myself exhausted & am ready to eat a late dinner & go to bed. it is very hard to find any motivation to make a healthy meal let alone excersize.

honestly, the only REAL excersize i get is the occasional evening stroll around the block with my boyfriend (who also works full - time) & i try to find time to work out on his sister's home gym, which, realistically, only happens 2 - 3 times a week if i'm lucky for about 20 minutes at a time. staying busy helps with overeating, but since i have an odd schedule, i tend to eat late & since i finally feel like i can relax, this seems to be the biggest meal of my day (another strike). i'm not sure how to break myself of old habits since i have got myself into a routine now . . . the biggest challenge i face is time & money. dedication does not seem to be such an issue . . . the way i feel is i've been overweight most of my life & i'm still young . . . it's not too late to change my ways not only for my appearence, but also for my overall health. i have been spending some time trying to compile a low - calorie, low - cholesterol cookbook, but as i said before, sometimes i honestly don't have the time or money to spend on a healthy meal. i'm at the point where i don't even know where to start & this can be discouraging at times.

**LanaBear** · 05-13-2011 12:00 PM

TRY TRY TRY to get a breakfast in. Even if it is just a banana or a piece of toast, something. It kick starts your metabolism and the earlier the better.

You DEFINITELY have a busy schedule. But, ask yourself this, are YOU worth a 30 minute walk a day? Can you prepare some meals ahead of time? Cut up celery and carrots for snacks? Keep some lean deli meats for some healthy sandwiches? Do some searching, lol, I live off of the AllRecipes website, I'm always looking at their ideas for weeknight dinners.

Another good idea, start tracking your calories. Again, I track everything on Livestrong. It helps tremendously, as long as you are honest with yourself.

**KMonte85** · 05-13-2011 12:02 PM

It is difficult to get into a healthy lifestyle, especially when you're busy and so focused on getting through the usual daily tasks. But people are able to do this every day - so don't let your crazy schedule hold you down! Seems like the trick for you is to have the healthy food prepared and on hand when you need to eat, without much fuss. Not necessarily big meals, but enough to nosh on throughout the day so you're not grabbing that vending machine junk and over-doing it your later meal. This was one of my challenges too..

fresh produce is actually pretty reasonable, especially now that it is in season. And you can get great deals at local farmers markets - start scoping these out. Most of your intake should be this sort of food anyway, so now is a great time to start stocking up on those veggies. You can slice the veggies and bring them along with you to snack on whenever (at work, in between work and school, at school). Fresh produce is great in that it is versatile, doesn't require refridgeration if you're eating it same day, and can easily be thrown in a small baggy and tossed in your purse. Or grabbed for breakfast on the go - bananas and apples come already self-packaged, could breakfast get any easier?

A lot of whole grain foods aren't any more expensive than their processed, bleached counterparts. So stock up on brown rice and whole grain pastas for cheap - keep on the lookout for sales and try buy up when you see a good deal.

Dinner could be as easy as some frozen cut up veggies (store brand = cheap!!) and a chicken breast, pan seared together until the chicken is cooked - 10 minutes or so - boom, ready to eat! Or a can of white albacor with cooked whole grain pasta and a side salad or piece of fruit. Easy-peasy, you just need to be creative and make sure you have the stuff on hand and accessible when you're home and losing motivation to make dinner.

Take all the junk off your grocery list to give you more funds for healthier foods. Start being honest with yourself about the food in your home, and where you're allocating your grocery money. If you're not spending cash at the vending machine, that gives you a few more bucks per day to be spent on wholesome food at the grocery store or farmers market.

Finding the time to exercise is going to be tough, of course, with your busy schedule. So you need to find the time. Make yourself stop hitting that snooze button and spend even just 15-20 min in the morning doing a quick exercise before you hit the shower.

Do you have a lunch break at work? If you can, take that time and go for a walk or light jog.

Make that casual walk with the boyfriend a bike ride, or a faster walk, or a run - for longer. Make yourself hit his sister's gym, and don't underestimate the time you might have on the weekends (or your days off of school/work). Sure it is tempting to sleep in, but get up and get out to exercise. This is where the dedication comes in. You are going to be tired. You're busy so that is a given. The hard part is pushing through that and making yourself get active, making yourself do things like prepare healthy food options ahead of time. This needs to come from you.. and as tempting as it is to crash on the couch after a long day, grab food from the vending machine, and taking it easy on the days off, you won't acheive your goals... this is why so many people fail at weight loss, because they won't make the changes, sacrificies even, needed to do what must be done.

**leahbia_xo** · 05-13-2011 12:38 PM

thank you so much for your advice! i will have to check out the recipe website you mentioned, at least to get an idea of what i should & should not be consuming, even if i have to tweak it a little bit to fit my budget

it is VERY exhausting trying to find time to do everything that needs to be done, but i now realize that, no matter how tired i am, it is so important to fit in quality exercise & nutrition. i know it will be a challenge at first, but i believe the results will outweigh the cons of dieting. i really enjoy fresh fruit & vegetables, so this should not be an issue . . . however, i do have quite the sweet tooth so having the inner strength to say NO to the fresh dounuts my boss brings in to work in the morning will be a challenge. would it be best for me to quit eating sweets all together, or should i take it step by step & cut out certain foods here & there like chocolate, soda, ice cream, etc.? i really want to stick with this not only for the duration of my weight - loss, but for life. how can i occasionally enjoy my favorite foods without getting the urge to over - indulge?

**KMonte85** · 05-13-2011 02:27 PM

I have a sweet tooth too!!!

moderation moderation moderation. Don't completely deprive yourself, but be honest with yourself about the types of sweets you are eating and how much!

So maybe instead of icecream you allow yourself a scoop of nonfat frozen yogurt with fresh cut strawberries on top? Look up recipes for healthier versions of your favorite baked goods (like black bean brownies - I'm serious, they are YUMMY!)

Allowing a treat here or there, especially for good behavior like exercising more, is what kept me from feeling deprived of the sweets I love. It is just a matter of keeping it in control. a SMALL sweet treat, will become just as satisfying after a while, when you get used to the smaller portions.

And once you start seeing and feeling how much you will have to work at burning off the calories you consumed with that donut, you'll be even LESS inclined to eat it!

**leahbia_xo** · 05-13-2011 10:27 PM

thank you so much for your time & great advice! i am actually looking into an all - natural vegan diet . . . i was a vegetarian for about 3 years but kind of fell off with it bc of how expensive it is to buy vegetarian meats (boca is NOT cheap). i'm not sure if you are familiar with all things vegan but if you know of any good websites or recipe books i'd rly appreciate it

btw, those black bean brownies sound delish