Seeking best advice possible....

sbowers728

So I need/want/am determined to lose the weight I have struggled with for years and let effect my self esteem. I have no desire to be skinny, I want to be healthy and more importantly, stronger. I want to be confident and not as self conscious about everything. Once I can get the money, I plan on getting back onto shakeology as well as that has given me success in the past, but I have to stick with it. In the meantime, what do you recommend? I enter my food each day on MFP, should I be looking strictly at calories consumed each day and going by what my home screen says I have left, or should I be looking at calories, fats, carb etc etc etc and making sure I stay under my daily allowance everyday??.... Its a pain in the *kitten* but I know I have to suck it up and just deal with it and get accustomed to it, I think all the "work" is a big reason for past failures.

As for working out, currently I have a torn rotator cuff, so it limits what I can do. I LOVE lifting. So now that I can only do leg day its really bothering me... but in terms of weight loss, should I try to stick to a lot of cardio at first?? I've heard/read that cardio is now not recommended for females and its strength training... this is all just so overwhelming! I have been doing couch to 5k program lately, with a goal to run in some 5k's this summer as well at 30 min on the elliptical after running... will I lose with this plan?

Any ideas, advice or best methods you have found are appreciated, as well as motiving and encouraging friends to help me remain accountable!

Ninkyou

In terms of weight loss, you only need to maintain a calorie deficit (AKA, your calorie goal). Exercise if you can, but that's more for fitness and cardiovascular health. The bonus to exercise though, is that it allows you to eat more (since you're calorie goal already reflects your deficit required for weight loss).

For now, meet your calorie goal. Get a decent amount of protein in to help preserve your LBM. The rest will start to fall into place once you've got logging down and are consistent.

I'd also ditch the shakeology. Not only is it expensive, but it teaches you nothing about nutrition.

palomino4545

My husband hurt his rotator cuff too. He bikes most days of the week, and has started weight lifting with low weights to build back his strength 2 or 3 days a week. He tries to run, but the bouncing yanks on his shoulder a bit.

bwitt1517

Really, it is all in how you are eating. Whether you work out all the time, whether you lift, whether you do cardio, or whether you are lazy doesn't really matter other than your preferences. Your activity level does however determine your calories needs (ie you work out more you get more calories, work out less you eat less, you weigh more you consume more, you weigh less you consume less). Calories are important for weight loss, micronutrients are important for body image and nutrient balance (energy, mental support, etc). You should really be focused on both. In regards to dieting, there is two issues that arise. You should never operate on a deficit for a long period of time, its not good for you. You should also find something that works long term. Ask yourself can I only drink shakes for the rest of my life? Can I never eat bad ever again (pizza, donuts, etc)? If the answer is no I cannot, then you should rethink your choices because if its not a lifestyle, you will never be able to maintain it.... IE you will lose weight, gain weight, feel like crap, feel good, yo-yo and find yourself back here in 6 months asking what went wrong... Message me if you want some guidance, im happy to help!

Kamikazeflutterby

Go slow, maintain just a calorie deficit for a while, and don't cut out all of your old foods. Half of this is figuring out which calories are worth it for you, and finding new things that you actually enjoy.

I learned weirdo things about your food by paying attention to the calorie counter. Ex-I bought reduced fat ingredients for a recipe I normally make, entered it in the recipe calculator and only saved 20 calories per serving. It tasted worse, and the sodium skyrocketed. That's a bad trade-off. On the other hand, I chugged some extra egg whites in a quiche recipe, weighed my high calorie flavorful ingredients, and ended up with a tasty high protein lunch. I and my wallet enjoy this process much more than buying shakes. If you feel shakes help, however, try buying protein powder and making your own. It's cheaper.

As for C25K--do it if you love it. My favorite part of the program was how strong it made me feel. C25K was what I could fit in, was better than nothing, and that was what mattered. Unfortunately I let life get in the way, and get to start the whole thing over again.

sheermomentum

1. Don't overthink things. For weight loss, all you need to do is eat fewer calories than you burn. There is no magic formula of carbs/fats/protein that best supports weight loss, but the ratios that MFP gives you as a baseline will support overall health. Don't worry about being perfect at hitting each number every day. Its a guideline, not a rule.
2. Strength training helps people maintain or gain muscle, but nobody says that cardio is "not recommended." It burns calories and builds cardiovascular health. So do what you can do, its all good for you. Don't push yourself so hard that you burn out on the exercise. Your diet is the most import aspect for weight loss at the end of the day.
3. If you haven't already, get a food scale and weigh all of your solid food. This is how you get the most accuracy in your calorie count.
4. If you enjoy smoothies and shakes, then you can make your own at a far lower cost than Shakeology. There is nothing magical about that either. Its very expensive and it seems to come with the added cost of having to fend off attempts to sell you other products. You can get the same nutrition by adding a multi-vitamin to your diet and a little protein powder to your shakes.

ahoy_m8

"Best" advice is subject to opinion, but I'm happy to give you my opinion. It's similar to those above.
1) Don't worry about shakeology. You are more likely to have more long term success without it.
2) Count calories using a food scale. The scale will save you lots of angst/hassle long term. $15.
3) Create a sustainable calorie deficit. Usually smaller is more sustainable. Smaller is also closer to maintenance, which makes that transition easier. People with >75lb to lose generally have enough fat stores to sustain a 1000 kcal daily deficit (2 lb/week weight loss). The best advice is to recalculate your calorie need every 10-20 lb lost, and decrease your deficit (rate of loss) as you get closer to GW.
4) Do the exercise you love that makes you feel good. It is not necessary for weight loss. It is helpful, though. Progressive strength training will tend to preserve muscle mass as you shed weight. Cardio like C25k will give you a few more calories to enjoy, but honestly, not that many. What you eat has A LOT more impact than how much you exercise. Don't overdo it and get an overuse injury. That defeats the point of feeling good.

It is my honest belief that small changes done consistently make the biggest difference in the long run. Once you get used to calorie counting, it is not a pain in the ***. In just a couple weeks, you will have entries for the things you eat most, and logging will take less time than walking down the hall for a cup of coffee.

Be gentle on yourself & best of luck to you!