FINALLY REALIZED

dsxx1321

I'm 19 & I'm severely overweight. I finally realized it's gonna take some hard work & self control to get this weight down. My goal is to lose 60 pounds by April. I'm starting to watch what I eat. No fried foods, more veggies fruit etc. Common sense eating to be healthy. Today I started exercising. I have a treadmill & my question is can I actually lose weight if I do at least a mile jogging & walking on the treadmill. I pushed myself today & I want to progress because even though I did my workout for the first time in a very long time, I was disappointed in myself & how far I let myself go.

arditarose

Exercise will make your calorie deficit large, but weight loss comes from the deficit itself.

I exercise for health, and also so I can eat a little more

karenbobaren

I don't know the exact statistics but I've heard that almost 80% of weight loss is due to diet and 20% due to exercise. It's not about eating more veggies and fruits, but you can also a lot of your favorite foods by cooking them in healthier way such as baking instead of frying, staying away from processed foods and preparing your own meals is also a huge factor in your weight loss journey. I use Pintrest to find simple and healthy alternatives to my favorite foods. Good luck!

shank35l

It can be a shocker when you recognize that there is an issue. You can take off the pounds by walking and jogging. You have to watch what you eat and hydrate. Hydrating is really important.

Sjmsr

No sugar, no carbs, count calories. Smaller meals more regularly..

Big breaky, moderate lunch, small dinner.

BombshellPhoenix

No sugar, no carbs, count calories. Smaller meals more regularly..

Big breaky, moderate lunch, small dinner.

No....

I eat sugar, carbs, and only eat 3 meals a day. Completely unnecessary to cut things out of your diet or fit a certain structure purely for weight loss....


To lose weight, you focus on creating a calorie deficit. That number will vary depending on age, weight, height, gender. You want to create one that isn't too aggressive, so that you can maintain your lean body mass along the way. That is what will leave you looking leaner at goal weight. Macros for body comp: protein (typically 1g per pound of lean body mass), fats, fiber are priority, leaving carbs to fall wherever makes you feel best. Some people like high carb (me), some do better low. It will take time to find a balance that leaves you satiated and happy. Micronutrients for health. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, etc can help with those.

Exercise is for fitness. A good resistance training program would be nice to again, retain lean body mass. Ideally, weightlifting but body weight exercises are nice as well.

Patience. It takes time. A lot longer than we want a lot of times but it's all worth it in the end. This had to be a life pursuit, not a means to an end. This is the beginning.

You don't have to cut things out. The best thing you can do to set yourself up for forever is to learn to practice moderation. I lost 53 lbs still eating ice cream, fast food, candy. I learned how to make most of my day nutrient dense whole foods, then squeeze in thingsi loved. It left me satisfied and not deprived.

When and how often you eat is up to you. Meal frequency does not regulate your metabolism, your metabolism is always running. Eat in a way that leaves you satiated and can adhere to. Whether that's 2 meals or 6.

I can't eat the small frequent meal way. I'm hungry and miserable all day. Waking at 7 and eating at 12 in the afternoon has done me just fine from weight loss to bulk. It's all about what you can adhere to. Don't make it more difficult than it has to be.

Sjmsr

No sugar, no carbs, count calories. Smaller meals more regularly..

Big breaky, moderate lunch, small dinner.

No....

I eat sugar, carbs, and only eat 3 meals a day. Completely unnecessary to cut things out of your diet or fit a certain structure purely for weight loss....


To lose weight, you focus on creating a calorie deficit. That number will vary depending on age, weight, height, gender. You want to create one that isn't too aggressive, so that you can maintain your lean body mass along the way. That is what will leave you looking leaner at goal weight. Macros for body comp: protein (typically 1g per pound of lean body mass), fats, fiber are priority, leaving carbs to fall wherever makes you feel best. Some people like high carb (me), some do better low. It will take time to find a balance that leaves you satiated and happy. Micronutrients for health. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, etc can help with those.

Exercise is for fitness. A good resistance training program would be nice to again, retain lean body mass. Ideally, weightlifting but body weight exercises are nice as well.

Patience. It takes time. A lot longer than we want a lot of times but it's all worth it in the end. This had to be a life pursuit, not a means to an end. This is the beginning.

You don't have to cut things out. The best thing you can do to set yourself up for forever is to learn to practice moderation. I lost 53 lbs still eating ice cream, fast food, candy. I learned how to make most of my day nutrient dense whole foods, then squeeze in things i loved. It left me satisfied and not deprived.

When and how often you eat is up to you. Meal frequency does not regulate your metabolism, your metabolism is always running. Eat in a way that leaves you satiated and can adhere to. Whether that's 2 meals or 6.

I can't eat the small frequent meal way. I'm hungry and miserable all day. Waking at 7 and eating at 12 in the afternoon has done me just fine from weight loss to bulk. It's all about what you can adhere to. Don't make it more difficult than it has to be.

That worked for you, my method worked for me, and i certainly wouldn't encourage people to continue eating ice cream, fast food, candy etc. Thats how they became over weight in the first place.

We all have cheat days, infact your PT would say its okay to have a cheat meal once every couple of weeks.

Ive not once been to a nutritionist or weight loss consultant who has advised me that sweets, fast food etc are still ok, they advise to cut it out completely.

mermaidart

I started to lose weight when I started to count and reduce my calorie intake. I still eat bad foods on occasion, but I make sure that it's rare and that I log it in my food diary. I try my best to never go over my daily calorie goal.

PrizePopple

No sugar, no carbs, count calories. Smaller meals more regularly..

Big breaky, moderate lunch, small dinner.

How the hell do you even eat no carbs and no sugar? I mean really, that's all fruit and vegetables out the window... and since when did some bread keep a person from losing weight? *face palm* Unless you are a licensed nutritionist or dietitian please stop trotting your personal methods out as some sort of fact. I had cake and beer tonight, and holy crap, I've still lost 10 pounds in the last month! Amazing, isn't it?? :drinker:

OP - Don't push yourself too hard on the exercise and suffer from burnout. Being moderate but consistent is perfectly acceptable. I've personally been focusing more on my food and watching my portions as I start out because that's something I personally struggle with. I've slowly added some walking and jogging in, an exercise video here and there, randomly using my hand weights throughout the day, 10 push-ups before I hop in the shower, 50 crunches during a movie. It all adds up over the course of the day. :flowerforyou:

kkimpel

My advice.. Set small goals and increase them daily. When I first started out (2011), walking from the car made me breathe hard. I walked down the street, then the next day I walked a little further, then a little further ... One thing I reminded myself of daily, no matter how many steps I took.. I was getting 100% more exercise than I was getting sitting on my butt.. Now I average about 5 miles a day and do Pilates once or twice a week. And I love it when I reach a new vista hiking my mountain or learn a new pilates routine, that would have been impossible for me, even a year ago.

If I had started out doing a mile, I might have given up.. not sure.

With my food, I started bringing my lunch, instead of going out to eat. Using a calorie counter, like this one. I dropped fast food from my diet .. I literally had to bring a little bag of carrots with me, so I would not stop on the way home. I figured no matter how many little carrots I ate, it was less calories than a happy meal. Eventually, I was able to make better choices daily. I have occasional "exceptions" but I make good choices because I feel good about myself and want to be healthy.

I have spent my whole life yo-yo dieting, mostly addicted to sugar ... I wish I had realized what you are realizing at 19.. The one thing that I learned that changed my life is that when you make grandiose promises to yourself, instead of step by step attainable goals, you loss confidence in yourself, because you let your self down.

If you pick small daily goals, towards your grand goal, you gain confidence in your ability to succeed. It is like success breeds success. : One block, becomes 2 blocks, becomes 5 miles. Packing a healthy lunch, skipping the "frozen yogurt" and tracking choices..becomes good choices daily

There's no silver bullet .. day to day, goal by goal .. From a size 20W to a size 8 .. it took 3 years, partially because of a set back when my mom passed away .. BUT unlike prior yo-yo's I gained just 20 of the 60 lbs I had lost.. and now have lost an additional 17.. 3 lbs from my goals.

Sorry.. to drone on. But I know how hard it is to take those first steps and how easy it is to get disappointed in yourself .. Welcome aboard.. and keep on keeping on..

Sjmsr

No sugar, no carbs, count calories. Smaller meals more regularly..

Big breaky, moderate lunch, small dinner.

How the hell do you even eat no carbs and no sugar? I mean really, that's all fruit and vegetables out the window... and since when did some bread keep a person from losing weight? *face palm* Unless you are a licensed nutritionist or dietitian please stop trotting your personal methods out as some sort of fact. I had cake and beer tonight, and holy crap, I've still lost 10 pounds in the last month! Amazing, isn't it?? :drinker:

OP - Don't push yourself too hard on the exercise and suffer from burnout. Being moderate but consistent is perfectly acceptable. I've personally been focusing more on my food and watching my portions as I start out because that's something I personally struggle with. I've slowly added some walking and jogging in, an exercise video here and there, randomly using my hand weights throughout the day, 10 push-ups before I hop in the shower, 50 crunches during a movie. It all adds up over the course of the day. :flowerforyou:

Sorry, i should have clarified, when i said carbs and sugars, i should have been more specific, i meant more so in terms of limiting rice, bread, etc, and sugars such as chocolates, alcohol, not cutting it out completely.

fatcity66

I don't know the exact statistics but I've heard that almost 80% of weight loss is due to diet and 20% due to exercise. It's not about eating more veggies and fruits, but you can also a lot of your favorite foods by cooking them in healthier way such as baking instead of frying, staying away from processed foods and preparing your own meals is also a huge factor in your weight loss journey. I use Pintrest to find simple and healthy alternatives to my favorite foods. Good luck!

Depends on how much exercise you're doing...

Sarauk2sf

No sugar, no carbs, count calories. Smaller meals more regularly..

Big breaky, moderate lunch, small dinner.

No....

I eat sugar, carbs, and only eat 3 meals a day. Completely unnecessary to cut things out of your diet or fit a certain structure purely for weight loss....


To lose weight, you focus on creating a calorie deficit. That number will vary depending on age, weight, height, gender. You want to create one that isn't too aggressive, so that you can maintain your lean body mass along the way. That is what will leave you looking leaner at goal weight. Macros for body comp: protein (typically 1g per pound of lean body mass), fats, fiber are priority, leaving carbs to fall wherever makes you feel best. Some people like high carb (me), some do better low. It will take time to find a balance that leaves you satiated and happy. Micronutrients for health. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, etc can help with those.

Exercise is for fitness. A good resistance training program would be nice to again, retain lean body mass. Ideally, weightlifting but body weight exercises are nice as well.

Patience. It takes time. A lot longer than we want a lot of times but it's all worth it in the end. This had to be a life pursuit, not a means to an end. This is the beginning.

You don't have to cut things out. The best thing you can do to set yourself up for forever is to learn to practice moderation. I lost 53 lbs still eating ice cream, fast food, candy. I learned how to make most of my day nutrient dense whole foods, then squeeze in things i loved. It left me satisfied and not deprived.

When and how often you eat is up to you. Meal frequency does not regulate your metabolism, your metabolism is always running. Eat in a way that leaves you satiated and can adhere to. Whether that's 2 meals or 6.

I can't eat the small frequent meal way. I'm hungry and miserable all day. Waking at 7 and eating at 12 in the afternoon has done me just fine from weight loss to bulk. It's all about what you can adhere to. Don't make it more difficult than it has to be.

That worked for you, my method worked for me, and i certainly wouldn't encourage people to continue eating ice cream, fast food, candy etc. Thats how they became over weight in the first place.

We all have cheat days, infact your PT would say its okay to have a cheat meal once every couple of weeks.

Ive not once been to a nutritionist or weight loss consultant who has advised me that sweets, fast food etc are still ok, they advise to cut it out completely.

How many nutritionists have you been to and did you check their credentials?

Also, that method may have worked for you, but it does not work for many people and is not necessary.

Sarauk2sf

OP: some good suggestions (and bad ones) here. Setting small goals and 'pacing yourself' are good.


Eat in such a way that is sustainable (for some that is giving up, for example, candy totally, for others its eating it in moderation) and exercise in a way that is sustainable - do something you enjoy - be active. Make 'sensible' choices with your eating - try to focus on whole foods and those that are satiating (fruits and veggies, especially ones with a good amount of fiber), and have a treat here and there if you wish. While there is nothing wrong with fast food in itself, it can be calorie dense and hard to get accurate calorie counts, so you should look to limiting those (and restaurant) foods if at all possible, especially if you are having hunger issues and/or are not seeing the results expected.

Pick a reasonable deficit, be honest with your logging (and using a digital food scale helps a lot) and look at the overall trends of what your weight is doing - not day to day, or even week to week (as our cycle and general water weight fluctuations impact or weight). Tweak your intake and/or activity if you are not seeing the results you want.

I would also advise doing some form of resistance training at least 2 x a week.


Edited for typo

Unknown

This content has been removed.

dsxx1321

Thank you all for your input & especially thanks for the encouraging words!!!!!

dsxx1321

kkimpel thank you very much for your encouragement and supportive words!!