5 Months Until A Big Trip... Noob Here, Advice Plz

PotatoCounter

Hi everyone!

So, I've finally decided to buckle down and lose some weight. I'm 22 and have close to 150 pounds to lose, and I'm tired of being fat and feeling fat.

In five months, I'll be taking an international trip to meet someone I care about very much, and I don't want to be the "fat American" there. (Note: said someone knows what I look like now and loves me very much still, but... you know.)

I've decided that rather than trying a drastic approach, such as completely eliminating a macronutrient, I'd like to just make a good meal plan and follow it to a T. Same thing every day. Here is what I came up with (for tomorrow): http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/PotatoCounter?date=2014-02-06

Basically, if the above is good, I'm going to stick to it, minus rotating my meat with chicken, sardines, salmon, tuna, and turkey. What I've come up with is all things I enjoy eating already and can afford.

If you have any advice for me on the meal plan, please let me know.

Also, I'm going to start exercising as well. I just got a gym membership and am excited to start working out. I had a full physical a few months back and came back with a clean bill of health, minus being obese--no high cholesterol, high BP, etc. Everything checked out fine. However, I'm concerned that I might hurt myself being at this weight and exercising. I was thinking light cardio on the treadmill/exercise bike or swimming along with starting a weightlifting regimen. Any problems there?

Thanks in advance for all the help!

LTKeegan

What about the extra 400 cal? maybe a nice mid day snack?

Rainyday816

Honestly, this looks pretty good, to me. Rigidity helps a lot of people, but if you find that it's hard for you to stick to the same thing every day, adapt your plan, don't give up! Cravings, hunger, etc, are always my downfalls, and I've found that it helps to have go-to healthy snacks (but not necessarily in the house). Use the extra calories in your plan as wiggle room, so you can treat yourself to a small latte with sugar free syrup or something if you feel like you need a reward for surviving a rough day - 150 extra calories a couple days a week won't make a difference on the scale. Also, if you find that working out makes you hungrier, definitely consider eating back your calories! Not everyone does it, but it's worth it to keep some protein bars in your pantry or desk for emergencies(get some that are edible but not necessarily good, that way you don't get tempted to eat them all =P).

If you just joined a gym, I would suggest that you see a trainer for just one session (or more, if you can afford it) so they can set you up with a weight routine you can do a few times a week on your own. Most gyms offer a free introductory session. Bikes and ellipticals are great low-impact cardio machines to start off with, though walking on the treadmill is also a safe bet.

Lastly, don't expect to lose it all at once - but good for you for getting started! Feel free to add me if you want, I'm no expert but I've been doing diet trial-and-error for a while now and I'll be happy to give you suggestions if you need them!