advice on losing weight

milligan1975
milligan1975 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Thought I would take a minute to introduce myself and give my story for help. I am a 38 year old female with a slender build and I am 5'5 I work full time in which I am always on my feet . So 80 days ago I quit smoking after smoking for about 20 years, before I quit smoking I was 125 lbs. I am now 136 and it seems it has all gone straight to my belly and thighs. I hate it. For 2 weeks now I have been using a treadmill about 3 times a week for about 30 mins I do it on a 5.0%incline , now keep in mine I am also asthmatic but I will walk very fast then I will up my speed and run so I do a combination . Prior I do stretch for about 10 mins. I have started tracking what I eat and I would like to get back down do where I was. Recently as well I for about 2 weeks now I make myself eat breakfast and it is either 1/2cup of oatmeal with 2%milk and an organic banana, or it may just be a protein bar. also I only drink water I drink about 3 quarts a day with lemon and mint in it. Any ideas on what I can do to slim down. I'm so lost to all this and I think since I keep reading about weight lose I am getting so confused.

Replies

  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
    figure out your tdee using this: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    eat 10-20% cals less than your tdee, 500 cal deficit per day = 1 lb per week weight loss, 1000 cal deficit = 2 lbs etc

    get your protein minimums (0.82 grams per lb)
    get your fat minimums (0.45 grams per lb)
    fill whatever remaining calories you have with carbs or whatever you want
    weigh yourself on the same day once a week after going to the bathroom, you want to be losing between 0.5-1.5 lbs a week for it to be sustainable

    you should also lift weights 3x per week or you will lose muscle, you don't want that
  • tibby531
    tibby531 Posts: 717 Member
    sounds like you're off to a good start. just keep at it. :)
  • doubleohstatus
    doubleohstatus Posts: 37
    Incorporate weight training and you will see fat and calories just fall off. For the weight training go as heavy as you can manage to get in the 8-12 rep range. If you can do more than 10-12 comfortably, up your weight. If you barely make 8 reps (meaning that you struggled to reach 8 by forced reps/etc) change to a lighter weight. Muscles burn fat so more muscles = more fat burned, plus the muscle continues to burn fat long after you finished working out. Not that you said anything against this but weight lifting does not make a woman bulky, it actually tones.

    As far as diet i'd say high protein with a balanced of good fats and carbs. (sorry for not being too specific with the diet part)
  • bnielsenhealth
    bnielsenhealth Posts: 11
    I would suggest lifting weights 3x/week. Get a good overall program for weights and the rest. You can lift weights with asthma, which might be easier for you than long cardio and walks.
    It is not unusual to gain weight when quitting smoking after many years. This is because smoking interferes with your digestion so that you do not absorb nutrients as well. Smoking also "starves" the muscles and skin, so that they collapse a bit. When you are not smoking, tissues plump up as a better flow of nutrients flows to the cells. Do not worry, once this initial phase is over and your cells start functioning at this higher nutritional level, they will become more efficient, and start burning calories again. Also, the better blood flow will help release toxins. Good that we are moving toward warmer weather, so that you can be out of doors to facilitate this process. But in general, you will also need to get used to a plumper, healthier and more youthful look to your skin and muscles, not to be confused with more fat. So lift weights, get enough protein for your muscles and all your tissues, and a good supplement for your bones to rebuild (smoking is linked to osteoporosis).
    If you want more specifics, pm me. I am a naturopath.

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