I need some help and advice...please!!!!

chrissi

I am having a hard time trying to get into the routine of watching what I eat and exercising regularly. I watch what I eat and still end up way over my 1200 calories per day. I run on an eliptical once a day, but I get so winded and wore out so quickly, I am only burning about 115 calories a day. I am a Mt. Dew addict, and I am trying to give it up. Today I only had one can, but that is 170 calories. I need some advice from anyone who has been where I am.

chrissi

I am having a hard time trying to get into the routine of watching what I eat and exercising regularly. I watch what I eat and still end up way over my 1200 calories per day. I run on an eliptical once a day, but I get so winded and wore out so quickly, I am only burning about 115 calories a day. I am a Mt. Dew addict, and I am trying to give it up. Today I only had one can, but that is 170 calories. I need some advice from anyone who has been where I am.

time2wrk

WATER, WATER, WATER. I know it is sooo hard to give up habits - mine is coffee, but I don't like it black and calorie-free, oh no. I like either a flavored creamer or some half-and half and sugar. But try to keep sight of what is important over the long haul. Have you tried diet soda instead? My kids like Mountain Dew and have said that the diet version is not too bad. I know that I do sometimes feel yucky after eating or drinking something with aspartame in it, though. Have you been logging your food and exercise? The food tracking has helped me immensely. Every time you thing about drinking a soda, remember you will have to log it and have a glass of water instead.

Stick with the exercise, it does get easier. Try to tack on a couple extra minutes every other day. You will be surprised.

Hang in there! You can do this!

dnjcountry

chrissi

How hard are you working on your elliptical. Sometimes the huffing and puffing is good. Maybe you should slow it down some and work your way back up to a goal? Have you been checked out by a physician to make sure lubngs and cardio are okay for heavy training? I am just concerned.
Keep up the trying though. If you work hard at exercise you may need the extra calories to have something to burn.

J-

chrissi

I have been to see the doctor. I have a thyroid condition and take medication daily. I don't work to hard on the eliptical, I can still talk regularly while doing it. My doctor has ok'd me to do regular intense exercise. I feel so discouraged, and everytime I eat or drink something I am not supposed to, such as a soda, I feel guilty. I am a night person, so I tend to snack at night, boredom I think. It has been great to find this website, and keeping a log of everything I eat and drink has opened my eyes to how bad my eating habits are. Keeping the food log seems to help though.

cmriverside

chrissi,

Please don't be too hard on yourself.
I find that once I do that, I start making excuses for over-eating or over-drinking in your case.

Mountain Dew has a lot of caffeine in it, so try to wean yourself off it a little bit at a time, or you are going to have serious withdrawal headaches, and generally feel awful. Maybe buy some diet and mix it with your regular Mt Dew and gradually use less of the regular and more of the diet in your drink. Then you have to slowly withdraw the caffeine - unless you like headaches. Like go from 6 a day to 5 a day for a couple days, then 4 a day for a couple days, then 3, etc. If you try to do it all at once, you may just give up. The slow withdrawal will give you time to think and to change other things in your life, like exercise, more water, better food choices.

YOU CAN do this. WE ARE here for you.

~Cheryl

pamelawh

i agree with the water chick. she's right drink a lot of water and you will be drinking less soda.

Tess

you could mix the soda with water as well to ween yourself off of it. My favorite thing to drink is perrier or water with a few slices of lime, it's sooo delicious and sooo refreshing, doesn't have the boring water taste and has lots of vit c.

sturge161

I would normally be the same way as you where I would get bored at night and that is when I start snacking.

Now, I do my working out mainly at night after I get home from work since I am not a morning person. Once I am done working out I feel so good about myself that I don't want to snack and ruin what I just did. Also, I want to drink a lot of water to make me feel less thirsty and because I know it is good for me. For me, working out also helps get rid of the boredom.

Loretta_Jo

Hi Chrissi,
I am addicted to Mt. Dew also. I drink the diet Mt. Dew and I can’t tell the difference in the regular and the diet. They taste so much alike that I have picked up the regular Mt. Dew and drank half of it before I noticed it wasn’t diet. Give the diet Dew a try I think you will be VERY surprised. Speaking as one Dew addict to another I am very happy with my diet Mt. Dew. I also drink lots of water because that is just what I do and have done for a very long time. I have noticed that I lose better when I drink all my water. I have lost 171 pounds and kept it off now for 3 years. I am working to maintain my weight. Easier said then done lol. I have put on about 4 pounds, now I need to take it off again. When ever I go away on vacation I gain about 5 pounds then have to take it off again. That is what I am doing now.
I love the food diary here it helps a lot to keep one. I have kept a food diary from the very first day I started my diet. I have piles of note books that I used to keep my food diary’s in. I will always keep one. That is the only way I can keep up with what I have eaten.
I understand your thyroid problem. I have had a non functioning thyroid for many years now. (along with a lot of other health issues)
Hang in there and give the diet Dew a try.
Don’t be discouraged you can lose the weight. We all have days when we eat or drink things that we shouldn’t. When you have a bad day remember tomorrow is another day. So just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.
Have A Great Day!
Loretta

integrity

Hi Chrissie,

First of all, please give yourself a pat on the back for all your efforts and asking for help when you feel you need it. Because of those two things, you have everything you need to achieve your goals. Hang in there!

One of the main things people struggle with is jumping in hard and fast to a new exercise or eating regimine because they are so motivated to achieve their goal and then they are discouraged with not being able to do everything the set out to on the spot! Allow yourself to slow down a little and give yourself the credit for moving towards your goal. If your goal is to burn so many calories or exercise for so many minutes a day, find ways of working to your goals that support where you are now. If you can only do the eliptical for 10 minutes rather than 60. Great! Start with 10 minutes. Or, you can do 10 minutes at a time 2 or 3 times a day. Or slow down a little on it and do it for a little longer on just one day a week when you have the energy. Figure out what you can do right now and then take baby steps forward as you gain better fitness. While it may seem slow going and not enough at first, it will help you to not get discouraged and achieve your goals in the long run while empowering you to sustain healthy habits.

As other people have noted, the amount of sugar and caffeine in Mt. Dew will negatively impact your body. Cutting back slowly with all the suggestions they have brought up are an excellent way to improve your health. Make sure you drink at least 1 glass of water for every serving of a caffinated drink as they dehydrate your body and reduce your physical performance. Find ways to enjoy a little bit of the foods/drinks you like in moderation so you don't have to deprive yourself, but don't compromise your health at the same time.

You go girl! You are on the way to achieving your goals!

Kim