Am i eating the right foods and exercising correctly?

sabmar190

i am 22 years old and i weigh 123 pounds. I am 5' 2". I would really like to try to lose several pounds and noticeably tone up my body. I do not have money to buy all organic, protein, health foods at the moment.
For the past several days i have come up with a routine i would like to stick to help me out but i want to confirm that this will actually help me lose and tone.
I have been brisk walking for an hour 5 days a week, as well as 1:1 jogging. Every week or two i want to increase to 2:1 jogging, 3:1, etc. I am also doing sets of crunches, squats, jump squats, reverse sit-ups, and push ups every night. My goal is to do that situps etc routine every morning and night but since i just started back at everything its hard right now.
As for my eating habits go, in the past i really haven't cared about what i ate, whatever was the quickest. Fast food, etc. Although i did eat pasta and other meals as well.
For the past several days i have only been drinking water and eating non-processed foods such as beans, rice, chicken, chicken salad, veggies, fruits and whole wheat breads.
Really, i just want to cut up junk food and soda and eat less portions.

If i continue these specific exercise habits and watch what i eat (can i watch what i eat or do i have to count calories to lose weight??) will i eventually notice a difference in my body?

complikaited

I'm not sure about your current routine, but I've heard a lot of wonderful (and I mean wonderful) stuff about weight training for women. They don't get bulky, they tone. Here's a link I saw recently posted on here. Might be right up your alley. Good luck! http://mealsandmiles.com/new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-recaps/

jenilla1

For me, personally, counting calories is what matters most for weight loss/maintenance. For health and fitness purposes, quality of food and exercise are also important. I do both calorie tracking and purposefully eating high quality foods, but I don't eliminate my favorite foods. I just make sure I eat them within my calories and that most of what goes in my body is nutritious. The most important thing, IMO, is that whatever you do to lose the weight and get fit needs to be something you are willing and able to do for the rest of your life. Temporary diets give temporary results. Good luck! :drinker:

ETA: In response to the previous poster. I run cross-country and also do (heavy weight, low rep) weight training. I agree that strength training is an excellent idea. Plus, I can confirm that getting bulky should not be an issue! Check out my profile pic. :laugh:

jonniemomof9ak

I have been able to see a noticeable (in the mirror) difference after about three months of consistent exercise & healthy eating. As far as eating, if you add a lot of fresh raw veggies & fruits, you may not have to count calories, but it might be a good idea to count calories for a few weeks. In that time you would have a good idea what amount of food and what types add up to the amount of energy/calories you need.

It sounds like you are off to a great start. The best of luck to you,

sugarfree123

Sounds like you are doing the right things. Your mind might try to play tricks on you by telling you that you are wasting your time or not doing enough or doing the wrong exercises. Don't listen. Just keep eating whole foods. If it has a label, read carefully then don't eat it. You can't out exercise a bad diet (I tried). so pay close attention to what you eat and how much. Although you could maybe stumble through without counting calories, I highly recommend counting calories. How else are you going to find out if you are eating too much or too little calories. It will help you learn how many calories you can eat to lose weight or just maintain your weight. (or gain). Try tracking your calories for a while until you learn what your body needs. Then have patience. You will get there it may just take longer than you think. You got this!