Lose 2 pounds a week?

forgettingourforgiveness

Hi guys! So, luckily for me, I was SO blessed that my local gym owner helped me out because I'm incredibly low on money after being laid off and is letting me use the gym/classes unlimited for three months; which means no more excuses! My family does not make much, at all, so we end up having to shop at the dollar store which means only really being able to afford is junk food, making it hard to lose weight when I REALLY want to. I have been using about 25 bucks a week to get canned fruits and stuff like that at Wal-mart and so far, so good. I haven't even touched the junk food in my house, and my mom made cupcakes that have been sitting on the counter eye-balling me for days and I have not even had one. ANYWAYS..

I have been working out everyday so far for the past 3 days and plan to go to the gym everyday, 7 days a week. I want to lose about 2 pounds a week and I feel that won't be too hard because right now my weight is 235. What would you guys recommend doing at the gym to really get the most out of what I'm looking for? I don't plan on backing down so I'm up for a challenge. I've been doing the treadmill, 3.5-4 MPH for about a half hour and the elliptical a half hour everyday, with weight stuff every other day. On Wednesdays I have the ability to do spin and core for an hour which whoops my butt. I just need some more suggestions on how to get the most bang for my buck. And, I've been eating about 1600 calories and not eating back the calories I "earned" from working out.

scottkjar

Cardio is good for stamina and general health. Strength training is good for long-term weight loss. You should think about adding some strength training to your workout instead of doing only cardio.

TeaBea

Hi guys! So, luckily for me, I was SO blessed that my local gym owner helped me out because I'm incredibly low on money after being laid off and is letting me use the gym/classes unlimited for three months; which means no more excuses! My family does not make much, at all, so we end up having to shop at the dollar store which means only really being able to afford is junk food, making it hard to lose weight when I REALLY want to. I have been using about 25 bucks a week to get canned fruits and stuff like that at Wal-mart and so far, so good. I haven't even touched the junk food in my house, and my mom made cupcakes that have been sitting on the counter eye-balling me for days and I have not even had one. ANYWAYS..

I have been working out everyday so far for the past 3 days and plan to go to the gym everyday, 7 days a week. I want to lose about 2 pounds a week and I feel that won't be too hard because right now my weight is 235. What would you guys recommend doing at the gym to really get the most out of what I'm looking for? I don't plan on backing down so I'm up for a challenge. I've been doing the treadmill, 3.5-4 MPH for about a half hour and the elliptical a half hour everyday, with weight stuff every other day. On Wednesdays I have the ability to do spin and core for an hour which whoops my butt. I just need some more suggestions on how to get the most bang for my buck. And, I've been eating about 1600 calories and not eating back the calories I "earned" from working out.

MFP gave you a 1,000 calorie a day deficit BEFORE exercise (7,000/2 = 3,500). That way people who can't/won't exercise.....still lose weight. So you should plan on eating some calories back (some because MFP & machine guesstimates are often generous).

Why eat calories back? Exercise is for health & fitness. Eating back calories helps you retain muscle....while shedding fat. This helps your body look good....as opposed to just the scale looking good.

For the highest calorie burn......cardio, cardio, and more cardio. BUT......exercise is for health & fitness. So, even though it burns less calories, keep up strength training too. This also helps you retain muscle.

Weight loss will not be linear. As you get closer to goal....the pounds per week number should come down. Moderate weight loss goal help you retain lean muscle.

SharonNehring

Two lbs a week is doable at the moment. It'll become harder and harder as you lose though to maintain that goal. (less to lose means slower to lose usually) I agree with the strength training recommendation.

Frozen veggies are often $1 a bag at Walmart. A bag of beans is cheap as well. Canned tuna is great. Chicken breasts sometimes go on sale so watch for it and buy it then to make multiple meals from. Steel cut oats are inexpensive in the big tub. Yogurt often goes on sale too. Buy fresh fruit in season, like a big bag of apples or oranges. Watch the sales and use coupons to get the most for your buck.

Viggyfuss

awesome that your doing this and not using difficult obstacles as excuses.... just wanted to let you know that i ve recently seen on the rachael ray show (which i usually dont watch ) a guest that lost a ton of weight food shopping at the local DG... maybe if you have internet you can look it up on the page for her show and find the link for info... i dont remember his name but it was prob about ? a month ago? ... anyway.. thought that might help give ya some ideas.... also.. feel free to "add" me... would love to follow this journey with you

bomftdrum

You and your family should try using coupons. My wife started because of our finances and they really do make a difference. A lot of times my wife can get canned vegetables for 25 cents a can. I know canned isn't the best, but on a budget they are better than no vegetables. My wife usually saves anywhere from 150-300 dollars month by doing it. I'm glad the obstacles aren't slowing you down though. Just keep working hard and you will get there.

AyaRowan

Congratulations on starting to get healthier! For me, and for a lot of others, they reach this point in their lives when a "switch" turns on in their head--where even if they've tried and failed countless times before, they determine to do it for real. Mine was January of 2013, and I've gone from 303lb to 238lb since then (so far). I went through 26 years of thinking it was impossible for me to change but I did--a lot. Hopefully you've hit your "switch" moment as well!

It's a very common misconception that eating healthy is far more expensive than the typical American diet. Boxed "health" foods, canned "healthy" soups, frozen lean cuisines and weight watchers meals etc...those are the expensive ones. They use the excuse of being marginally healthier (don't forget too much salt is counterproductive to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle!) than other foods and hike up their prices.

I'm not sure what your level of cooking experience is, but it's much better to get a few versatile ingredients that you can make a meal for yourself. You'd be surprised how simple some healthy meals can be to make, quick as well. You'll also be far more likely to stick to eating healthy if you don't have to rely on what others cook or what comes in an easily microwaveable and quick form (which can quickly get boring, believe me, I've tried it).

Eating Healthy on a Budget Tips:
1) Brown Rice - whole grains keep you fuller longer and help maintain your blood sugar and energy levels so that you can power through workouts without getting overly tired. I use minute rice, lots of people say it's not as good as "real" brown rice, but it cooks faster and has pretty much the exact same nutrition. If you don't want to cook multiple times, just make enough rice for a few days of easy, quick meals and sides. Be sure not to add too much butter or other fatty flavorings.

2) Beans - beans are packed with fiber as well as protein. You can eat them on their own, on salads, in salsa, in soups, in chilli, etc. You can buy them in dried form for the cheapest option but they take more work to cook. Or you can get the offbrand, cheapest beans in canned form to skip the soaking, etc.

3) Eggs - eggs are pretty darn cheap, but they're a pretty awesome. They get a bad reputation because of the cholesterol, but you could always use eggwhites. Personally I let myself eat one yolk/whole egg a day because I love the taste and the yolk still has a good deal of nutrition. For quick snacks, boil some eggs ahead of time to grab when you get hungry and crave protein. Or scramble one whole egg with the yolk with two eggwhites for a healthier scrambled egg that still has that yummy yolk taste.

4) Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes - stock up on a bag of potatoes and it'll last you for a good while. Potatoes are filling, and both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes have their benefits. Sweet potatoes for instance are better for blood sugar stability. Just don't cook them in an unhealthy way and you can get a lot of meals out of a 3 dollar or so bag of potatoes.

5) Canned tuna - get the offbrand chunk light in water. Tuna offers a huge amount of protein in a low fat package. It does have a good bit of salt which is something to be careful of, but a few times a week it makes for an easy meat/protein to pair with meals.

6) Bananas - I've gone to the store to only get bananas, gotten a huge bunch, and been amazed at how cheap they were. They're nutritious, versatile, easy to eat on the go, and if you accidentally buy too much and they start to get overly ripe you can freeze them for a delicious treat on a hot day.

7) Frozen vegetables - I love frozen vegetables, especially steaming them. It's not something I would have guessed about myself years ago, but to me it's amazing how good veggies can taste without anything added on them. Since fresh veggies tend to go bad quickly, I get huge bulk bags of the frozen kind. It costs more than getting a little at a time, but in the long run it's way cheaper. I've got a huge bag of broccoli in my freezer that'll last me well over a month. Maybe even two.

8) Frozen fruit - just as you can get frozen veggies in bulk, you can also do the same for fruit. Canned fruit is usually packed in syrup, generally with plenty of added sugar and fruit juices. Problem is when you add in that syrup and juice you end up with way more calories than if you'd just eaten a peach in the first place.

9) Canned tomatoes - opt for the lower/no sodium varieties if possible. I used canned tomatoes as a base for a lot of recipes, including salsa, lighter whole grain lasagna soup, lentil and kale soup, etc. Add in your own seasonings and you can make tons of stuff so you don't get bored of what you're eating.

10) Dried lentils - if you've never had lentils before, it could be fun to experiment with them. They're full of protein and fiber, and cook much quicker than other dried sources of protein. They're really cheap too. Toss them into soups and stews, or cook them on their own with various recipes for a flavorful side.

11) Romaine lettuce/hearts - for salads pick a darker lettuce for more nutrition, iceberg lettuce is hardly anything but water! Personally I use romaine hearts, because the hearts are milder in taste than some bitter lettuces. If you don't like salads, just give them a try. I hate complicated salads with tons of veggies tossed in and dressings, but I love just plain lettuce with salsa and a dollop of plain yogurt on top (plain yogurt tastes like sour cream).

12) Carrots - you can get bags of baby carrots or shredded carrots for cheap, or even cheaper the ones you have to peel. I like having shredded carrots around to toss into soups and stir fries without having to chop them. And baby carrots for snacking. Not to mention you can boil them for a delicious side.

13) Garlic - you can get garlic for cheap, and it in itself is very healthy. It's a powerful natural antibiotic as well as containing antioxidants. Once i started using fresh garlic instead of powdered garlic, I much prefer the taste of the real stuff.

14) Oatmeal - oatmeal is a wonderful way to eat healthy while staying affordable. Those big tubs will last you a longggg time. Don't get the prepackaged flavored kinds, that gets too expensive. Just be careful not to add too much sweeteners, try to flavor it as naturally as possible with fruit and cinnamon, for example. Personally I'm not big on sweet foods, so I make "savory" oatmeal. For example, curry oatmeal with veggies and a boiled egg on top. You can google savory oatmeal for plenty of recipes if you prefer savory things.

15) Plain yogurt - I get a big tub of plain yogurt that'll last me for weeks. Plain yogurt tastes like sour cream, so I put it on baked potatoes, on burritos, in soups, in homemade stroganoff. Yogurt has tons of protein, probiotics to balance the body's natural flora, and it has less calories than even reduced fat sour cream.

16) Chicken breasts - any cuts of meat can get pretty expensive. I get the frozen kinds in big bags that will last me quite a while. Chicken breasts have tons of protein while being pretty lean. There are thousands of recipes using these, so you could definitely find some to suit your tastes.

Basically, if you want to get "healthy" processed foods and avoid cooking, it may end up being more expensive. If you can pick up a box or frozen meal and look at the ingredients, ask yourself honestly "Can I make this at home for less, and without all the weird impossible to pronounce stuff?" Cooking does take time, but lots of busy people do it. They just get smart about it. If you have to go to work or school, make healthy meals/snacks ahead of time to take with you. If you have long days and are too tired to make a healthy meal at the end of the day when you get home, make a bunch of food on the weekend and freeze it in the right portions to get out on the weekdays.

Other tips: always measure your oils and condiments. Go light on oil and butter and sugar and syrup, things may taste strange at first but your taste buds will adapt quickly. Try to use spices to flavor things, and experiment with them. Healthy foods can still taste amazing! As other posters have said, keep a close eye on coupons and sales. As for strength training, you should google body recomposition. You'll be amazed at people who lost only two pounds on the scale but look entirely different and went down clothing sizes because they lost the fat and put on toned, lean muscle. If you do strength training, don't get discouraged if you're not losing 2lb a week, because if you're doing everything you're supposed to be doing and working out and still not losing that much then you most likely are gaining muscle at the same time that you're losing fat. Don't just go by a number on the scale.

Above all, remember that "getting in shape for summer" is a side effect of changing to a healthy lifestyle. It's not the goal! Your goal is to feel better, to be able to do anything you want, and to prove to yourself that you're capable of anything. That's a goal that lasts longer than summer, that's a goal you'll want to strive to maintain for the rest of your life. That's why I never use the word "diet". When you think of it as temporary--something you'll do for a while then quit once you reach your goal, that's when you'll most assuredly gain it back. Bad habits put the weight on, and if you go right back to them they'll put it right back on.

Lose weight and get active in ways that you can see yourself maintaining for years down the line. Don't deny yourself everything, that's a quick way to fail. If you have junk food or eat out, all is not lost. Don't think of it as "falling off" or a "cheat day". Don't get discouraged or wallow in disappointment in yourself. Just factor it into your calories as closely as you can estimate and get ready to get back on track the next day. Just don't let that happen so often it stops your progress.

Sorry for this long post, but good luck and I wish you the best!