New, and somewhat scared!

treni87

Hello everyone! My name is Teresa, I'm 23 and have been a yoyo dieter since I was about 15. I had my final crying break down in front of my boyfriend and decided to really go full force with fitness and weight loss. My ultimate goal is to lose about 70lbs, since that number looks so big and unreachable, Ive decided to just go in increments of 10lbs at a time. So far I have lost 8lbs! Ive been riding my bike every other day for about 30 minutes (3 miles). Any advice on eating out? Or advice on bike rides? Thanks!

dls06

Don't be scared. Just log in everyday, stick to your goals, get recipes and suggestions from fellow members and you will lose all you want. Slow and steady, don't make it a diet make it a new lifestyle.

treni87

Thank you!

EuroDriver

Eating out id say subway lowfat subs or their salads.. Thats what me n wifey do... Salads in places like macdonalds etc are just as much as burgers... Whats ur current weight n height?

Ull also need to excersise more n go for longer walks

swiggy1000

wow - 8lbs is a great start. Just keep it up and having small but reachable goals is the right way to do it. I've been on and off again with every different diet program there is and I would usually quit when I didn't see instant results. I'd like to lose at least 70lbs as well. I am a lot older than you so it seem so much harder for someone my age, but I am determined to do it one pound at a time. GOOD LUCK!

kk281

Eating out id say subway lowfat subs or their salads.. Thats what me n wifey do... Salads in places like macdonalds etc are just as much as burgers... Whats ur current weight n height?

Ull also need to excersise more n go for longer walks

this is good advice. the bane of an salad is the dressing, plain oil and vinegar or Italian is the way to go. don't be fooled by the "lite" dressing either, oftentimes that reduce the fat but inject it with more sugar to make it more appetizing and that can be worse for you than just eating the full strength. also" don't dump, dip" dip your fork in the dressing instead of coating the whole salad.

and walking, especially very first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, is an awesome (and IMHO the BEST) way to burn fat. you should try some light lifting weights as well. adding muscle, even just a little, will help you burn more calories throughout the day, as muscle burns calories even when your not exercising

DarkDiva2005

Great Job! Don't worry, this is a great site to help keep you on track. If you like add me as a friend

MrBrown72

When eating out I generally go for the weight conscious section of the menu. If I need more bulk I wait till I'm home where I know what's in everything.

For bike riding, get a GPS cycling program for you phone if you have a iPhone or Android or a GPS watch. They track your rout and how long it took you. Then you can compete against yourself the next time around. Go further, or do the same rout faster. I use a garmin watch with a heart rate monitor. Being able to compare heart rates over workouts keeps me from lying to myself trying to convince me I'm trying with I'm really not pushing it as hard as I could be.

Most of all, get someone to go through this with you. A friend for support or competition is an amazing motivator.

abbyholm

Hi! I'm new too, Abby (21). You asked for advice on eating out, and I've been a longtime vegetarian (not so longtime dieter), so I've learned a few tricks when it comes to ordering food to get what you need and still eat well. Granted it depends on what sort of restaurant you're at, but I've found that there can be a lot of good options at Asian restaurants (although watch out for some things). Things like Vegetable Potstickers are great. At any restaurant, avoid anything that is advertised as "crispy" (translation: fried), "creamy" (translation: full of fat), and anything that comes buttered. Avoid the breadbasket if possible, loading up on carbs isn't good and it's hard to stop once you start. Look for things that are seasoned with herbs or vegetable-based sauces (marinara, without the meat). Avoid meat or heavy dressings or excessive cheese on salads. If you must have dressing on your salad, a good rule of thumb is the clearer the better. Things that you can easily see, like Ranch or Caesar, are generally more fatty than lighter dressings. A lot of dishes that contain chunks of meat can often be ordered without the meat (cutting a ton of calories), but only in the US (other countries, especially in places like France and Spain, will not alter the menu ever).
Try to load up on as much light salad and water as you can before the actual meal comes (which generally has more calories), and then you'll be less inclined to eat the entire thing. If you must order dessert, go for a sorbet or fruit rather than some sort of baked good.