How did you first start out??

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amanda7630
amanda7630 Posts: 43
in Getting Started
I just graduated from beauty school on Friday so I no longer have 16 hour days! I finally have time to make my own food and hit the gym, I've missed it SO much! So I was curious as to how everyone began their weight loss journey, what kind of diet? What exercise routine did you start with? I work a desk job so between that and being at school until 10:30 I have worked out very little in the last year and a half. I am looking to lose about 25-30 lbs and I know I am reeeeally out of shape! So any suggestions on best ways to start this off would be great!!

Thanks all!

Replies

  • bridgitfagan
    bridgitfagan Posts: 2
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    I just started out logging everything I ate, even if I went over the calorie goal that I had set for myself. That made me more and more aware of the choices that I was making. Eventually, I was making smarter choices and staying very close to or under my calorie goals for each day.

    Hardest part, was adding exercise. I began by lying on a yoga mat in the floor telling myself that ten crunches never hurt anybody.

    Good luck!!! Don't panic...

    And don't give up. The worst part is do-able with little baby steps.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
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    Hi

    welcome to MFP

    This tool is very helpful to ensure you eat at a deficit (calories burned are bigger than calories ingested).

    start logging, weighing and measuring everything you eat.

    Have some activity you enjoy

    Good luck in your journey
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
    Our basic premise is that losing weight should not be that complicated. There is so much micromanaging that we see that misses the big picture of weight loss, which is the fundamental concept of the energy balance: if calories in are less than calories out, you will be in an energy deficit and will lose weight. Conversely, if calories in are more than are more than calories out, you will be in an energy surplus and will gain weight.

    So, with that said:

    - Eat within a reasonable caloric intake for your goals. (See http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets for more details of setting this intake)

    - Be accurate in your logging. See here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    - Hit your macros for body composition (protein), energy (carbs) and healthy body function (fats) (see link above for more details on setting these)

    - Resistance train to retain LBM on a caloric deficit or gain on a caloric surplus. Do cardio if you want.

    - Rest

    - Repeat

    - Stop complicating it. Unless you have a medical condition that indicates otherwise, you do not have to eat ‘clean’, restrict a food group, restrict a macro, cleanse, detox, time your meals, or anything else to lose weight. Eat a diet that comprises nutrient dense foods and enjoy treats as long as they fit into your macros (see also http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym ).

    - Be patient

    - Eat ice-cream every day...okay, you don't have to do that one, but there is no reason you cannot. The point is, dieting is hard enough, don't over complicate it or make it harder than it has to be.


    Another on topic read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/841305-corn-used-my-man-parts-as-a-speedbag

    Also, a really good read can be found here: http://impruvism.com/simple-weight-loss/
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    I just graduated from beauty school on Friday so I no longer have 16 hour days! I finally have time to make my own food and hit the gym, I've missed it SO much! So I was curious as to how everyone began their weight loss journey, what kind of diet? What exercise routine did you start with? I work a desk job so between that and being at school until 10:30 I have worked out very little in the last year and a half. I am looking to lose about 25-30 lbs and I know I am reeeeally out of shape! So any suggestions on best ways to start this off would be great!!

    Thanks all!

    Congratulations on your graduation ;)

    I started out just over a year ago by just tracking what I was eating. I did this for a little while before making any changes to my diet so that I could actually see what I was eating and where I could start making little changes to improve my diet. Once I figured it out I took 1000 cals off the top (as I had 90 lbs to lose).

    I didn't start exercising at all until I had lost almost 40 lbs but I did try to start walking a little further each day. I began walking 15 minutes to work and back to my bus stop. I did that for quite a while then started walking from farther away. Currently I do 45 minutes twice a week and lift 3 times / week which I just started doing about a month ago.

    Because you have so little weight to lose you will need to be bang on with your tracking. Set your MFP to no more than 1/lb per week loss and make sure you eat back at least half of any calories you earn from exercises. If you don't have a food scale get one asap.

    Whatever you do I would highly suggest NOT trying to do everything all at once or you will get overwhelmed and probably quit in about 2 months. Expect that losing 30 lbs will take at least 6-8 MONTHS if you are planning to keep it off. It's supposed to be slow so you need to have patience. THAT will be your biggest hurdle - I guarantee it!
  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
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    Welcome and congrats on graduating!

    I started out with one Zumba class a week and loved it. Then I did a boot camp for one month. Started up some home DVD's. added a gym membership for the kids to swim and Loved the kick class so I found the Combat DVD and Loved it. Now I'm doing T25 - again at home. The zumba class moved to where it was no longer convenient and I needed to pick up working out more than once a week. It was a slow progression to FINALLY be consistent.

    Add me if you're looking for friends.

    Nancy
  • fullersun50
    fullersun50 Posts: 11
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    I started by just walking around a nearby lake - 3 miles. It was great because it wasn't possible to quit halfway. I had to make it all the way around to get back to my car.
  • JDeana14
    JDeana14 Posts: 45 Member
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    I started by just walking around a nearby lake - 3 miles. It was great because it wasn't possible to quit halfway. I had to make it all the way around to get back to my car.

    That's a good one! I had done something similar at our local park. It's a 3 mile walk, but there is no way to stop because you're surrounded by trees and you're not allowed to leave the trail.

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