Wanting to lose weight during the winter season!

eggmoni

Hello everyone!

I've been on diets on and off and always seem to fall out of my routines after a few weeks. I am in college and I also go to work. I definitely try to exercise daily but on top of working and school, I end up getting so exhausted and taking a break from exercise and that break ends up lasting forever! I'm not trying to use school and work as an excuse, though And then I'll start my diet again after several weeks went by and I'll do really well for about 2 weeks and fall out of my routine again. -sigh-

I think, I need to find a good balance but I would like some advice or tips on what you guys do~ Especially people that are students and/or work, how do you guys manage your time and exercise routines?

Also, I don't have a gym membership, I just use the gym available at my apartment. It has an elliptical, cycling machine, treadmill, and a weight/lifting machine. Typically I will run for 30 minutes and then do weights for 15 minutes as my routine. Or sometimes I'll do exercise videos that I find on youtube and I'll usually stick to the same video for a week or alternate days between videos and hitting the gym, etc. Is there any other tips I could use to better this routine or what changes can I make?

My goal is to lose 30 pounds by next year August. I am giving myself a lot of time, but I do want to start my dieting NOW. Even though I heard it is a bit hard to diet and exercise during the winter time, hehe.

ALSO, could any recommend any good cookbooks or recipes that you like using for meals? I also never know what to eat or cook for myself while I'm on a diet. I am not that crazy about salads and can't imagine eating salads everyday, only once in awhile~

IsaackGMOON

I just got into college, I haven't been able to exercise as frequently as I could have because work gets in the way constantly and it really makes me tired (sounds odd). For time management, I get all my coursework done on the day I get it and go jogging - but it's not as frequent.

Don't think of it as a diet, think of it as a life style change. A diet restricts foods completely, counting calories is just a life style change...

And I RARELY eat salads.

Ninkyou

Go for a moderate calorie deficit. Instead of trying to lose, for example (as many try to do), 2 lbs a week, aim for .5-1 lbs a week. You'll find your calorie goal will be much more manageable. Eat all the foods you normally eat/love, just use moderation and fit them into said calorie goal.

I've found being overly restrictive just leaves me feeling deprived and wanting to binge.

As for exercise, look for activities that you truly enjoy. Like... a walk around a nice scenic park, or hiking, etc. You don't necessarily have to bust it out on gym equipment, unless you enjoy those things.

Last year, I made it a point to eat all of the delicious holiday goodies, which included Christmas cookies, etc. I still lost weight and I enjoyed the holidays.

DavePFJ

Don't develop a routine, develop a lifestyle. It sounds very generic but it's true. You don't have to go all out every day. You can read while walking on a treadmill so just start incorporating things like that.

MelodyandBarbells

I use Allrecipes.com app to find recipes. Can read reviews, change number of servings etc. As a beginner/intermediate cook I like reading the number and list of ingredients. Anything overwhelming and I click off and look for the next option. Allrecipes isn't about low calorie meals but I can modify as required, or just make the food as is and use MFP to log and track the nutritional info

I also hear good things about skinnytaste.com but haven't used it myself.

Exercise - as a college student do you do a lot of walking? Getting a bike for transportation could also be an option, though between the winter and general scariness of the roads and traffic, I'm not sure if it will be a practical option for you. One to consider nonetheless!