Is this the wrong way to go about it?

sassyshook

I have just started my journey for a better and healthier lifestyle. In the past, when I decided this was it no more being this way, so I would establish this " I will workout at this time and I will eat less and better foods for me". I would just jump right in exercising and eating right, and then I would just give up. I would tell myself I have been doing this for however long I did it and there would be no change, but everyone else could see it, but i did not believe them. So anyway, this time I am taking it slower and I am baby stepping my way into a healthier lifestyle. I am first trying to conquer eating healthier and staying under my calorie goals. I think that when I lose some weight just from changing the way I eat then I will add some exercise slowly into my weeks. I wont to make this a habit that I can't drop. Does anyone think this is the wrong way of going about changing my lifestyle?

michalita

The only wrong way is one that's unsustainable. However you need to ease into it to make it a lasting lifestyle change is the "right" way for you. Good luck!

dls06

Don't start by staying under your goals. Stick to your goals and make healthy choices. Treat yourself once in a while and take it slow. If it is truly a lifestyle change you will not see quick results because the slower you take it the better chance you have of sticking with it forever.

momma3sweetgirls

Sounds perfectly fine to me. Nobody says you have to exercise to lose weight. Diet alone will do it. However, if you want to build lean muscle, you'll need to exercise. No rush. I didn't start exercising right away either.

sophieshaped

I think that sounds like a good plan – you don't want to fall off the wagon like before if you overdid it.

However a little walking or something wouldn't hurt in the early days, and gets you into the right mindset in terms of calories in vs calories out )

lawilgus

As long as you considered yourself essentially 'sedentary' for the calorie setting sheet (unless you are really working on your feet all the time), I think you should be fine. If you are like me and give up easily if you don't see progress immediately, I would advise just calorie watching first with maybe adding some additional walking not workout videos or classes. When you gain lean muscle it is almost like, for me at least, you stay around the same weight but your body is transforming into a leaner person so you would see it in the measurements.

Totally up to you and what keeps you motivated! Good luck!

lisastrom

The most important thing is to set REALISTIC goals! Don't set your goals to lose 2 lbs. a week or more, you're only setting yourself up for failure. Take the recommended approach, change things about your lifestyle and eating habits slowly. Don't deprive yourself but decrease your portions. Add exercise a little at a time and increase over time. You can do this!! Good luck!:)

P.S. It took me 2 wks. to start losing weight and at least 10 lbs. to start noticing a difference. Stick with It and it will happen!

sassyshook

I want this to be a lifestyle change so anything I can do to help myself stick to this is what I want. But I do need to see some sort of result soon or I will not stick to it. In the past I would workout and eat right and the scale would never budge, but my clothes would feel loose and people would say my face looked thinner and I didn't care I wanted my belly gone. So I figured I was gaining more muscle by working out then, so now I want to lose weight from eating right to get my body on the weight loss down slope and add exercise later so the muscle build doesn't hold the scale up. I will always be a big girl, thats just the way my family is but, I wont less flab with the my thickness that is natural.

SiltyPigeon

That is exactly how I went about it. I started in January just re-learning portion sizes. Once I became comfortable with that I started adding in exercise. Easy stuff at first like walking. Then I added Zumba and bike riding. Finally, I've recently started high intensity cardio and resistance training. I reached my weight goal a couple weeks ago. I'm so used to this lifestyle now that I'm actually having trouble STOPPING losing weight! I've lost 2 more lbs since reaching my goal (not complaining!!!). Oh well! Better than the opposite problem I used to have!
Good luck with your journey. The first few weeks are the most difficult. After awhile it just becomes habit! :flowerforyou:

PS... take measurements. A lot of time when the scale wasn't moving I WAS losing inches around my thighs and stomach.

stefraab

Take pictures and measurements!! It's hard to notice on yourself, but you can see the diff in comparison pics.

shaunshaikh

I think you've got the right idea. First, I would just try to meet my calorie goal, no matter what I was actually eating. Then, I would start to make little changes in my diet and activity level. Maybe it's eating less sodium, making sure you get all your vitamins, eating 5-6 servings of veggies a day, cutting down on added sugars, cutting out pre-packaged food, incorporating cardio and a strength training program into your routine, etc. That's kind of how I approached it and the entire time I haven't felt like I was on a diet. I did things long enough for me to feel normal, then I slowly added things to what I was doing, so it wasn't that drastic of a change.

CARNAT22

I barely exercise at all (which makes me like Satan around here LOL) as at the moment I don't have the time.

I am now pretty much at goal weight so my aim for the rest of the year is to tone up and get fit... I don't even mind putting a bit of weight back on if it means toning.

You do what is right for you OP. Personally I would have been too overwhelmed with the healthy eating AND a full on exercise programme.

tbrown1025

You will see faster results with some sort of exercise alongside nutritional changes. However, those changes aren't always reflected on the scale. Take your measurements once a week as well. Also, even if the scale and measurements do not change in one week, the exercise also improves your heart musle...you can't "see" that result, but your body will definitely thank you.

Also, remember that building muscle (especially in your lower body) will boost your metabolism...building enough muscle to see a big scale drop from that boost does take time, so do NOT give up - keep your eye ont he prize.

I don't think I've ever been tested so much in my patience as I have when I'm trying to lose weight and change my body. Good luck!

HaleyAlli

If you feel it's right, do it. No one else can tell you how to do this, it's YOUR life!

l3ugjuice

I want this to be a lifestyle change so anything I can do to help myself stick to this is what I want.

Bingo!

But I do need to see some sort of result soon or I will not stick to it.

No bingo, particularly not the way you are going about it. You are saying you want to start slowly, but you wont stick with it unless you see immediate results. You are setting yourself up for failure.

I think going slowly is a GOOD plan. None of us gained weight overnight, none of us are going to lose it overnight. Getting healthy and/or losing weight isnt a sprint, it's more of a marathon. But you have to prepare yourself to stick with it over the long haul and focus on things other than what your eyes (and frequently even the scale) tell you. As for the eyes I mean heck, I cant see a bit of difference in myself now as compared to December when I was over 300 lbs. Nevermind that I'm down to 235 now, that none of my clothes fit anymore and I've had to poke at least 2 new holes in all of my belts (none of which even fit AT ALL when I started this)...I still cant *see* a difference, I dont even see it in pictures. My wife tells me I'm nuts, but that's what I see. So if I was relying on my eyes for motivation, I'd never be able to stick with this.

What I focus on is just how much better I FEEL. In December, I couldnt jog 10 feet without wheezing and having to sit down....now I jog 5 miles every evening after work. I have more energy. I cant SEE the weight loss, but I can TELL I'm not carrying it around all the time. That's what works for me. I wish I could help you find what works for you, but I dont know you well enough...certainly not as well as you know yourself...to give you that answer. I just want to help motivate you to find it.

tn2010

That is exactly how I went about it. I started in January just re-learning portion sizes. Once I became comfortable with that I started adding in exercise. Easy stuff at first like walking. Then I added Zumba and bike riding. Finally, I've recently started high intensity cardio and resistance training. I reached my weight goal a couple weeks ago. I'm so used to this lifestyle now that I'm actually having trouble STOPPING losing weight! I've lost 2 more lbs since reaching my goal (not complaining!!!). Oh well! Better than the opposite problem I used to have!
Good luck with your journey. The first few weeks are the most difficult. After awhile it just becomes habit! :flowerforyou:

PS... take measurements. A lot of time when the scale wasn't moving I WAS losing inches around my thighs and stomach.

This was how I went about it, as well. I lost 5 pounds right away just from increasing my water and scaling back my portion sizes. Another thing I was very conscious about was the quality of food I put in my body. I'm lucky to live in a very health-conscious city and have easy access to organic and/or local ingredients. I cut back drastically on the processed food I keep in the house and have completely banned high fructose corn syrup. I found the books "Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" to be very inspiring. I'm not sure if any one thing has contributed to my weight loss and how seemingly easy it's been this time around, but those books, mfp, Jillian Michaels dvd's, and my elliptical trainer helped me lose 35 pounds in the last year.

Melinda1987

I think your plan is a great one! It's exactly what I've done here, and for the exact same reasons. In the past I've tried to make a PERFECT LIFE CHANGE - eating perfect, exercising perfect, journaling perfect, etc. This time I kind of eased myself into it. My first goal was just to show up on this site and journal for a few days. Then to stay under my calorie limit. Then to add exercising. Now I'm trying to increase my protein while getting my carbs under goal. Eventually I'll work on things like watching fat & sodium, as well as increasing my cardio and adding strength training. Baby steps!! :happy:

sassyshook

Thank you all for your advice and inspiration!! I think I can do this this time!! I have MFP which I am really loving at the moment and really hope it doesn't change. My husband is always on board. He will eat whatever I put in front of him, so if I make healthy foods for supper thats what he eats and never complains. I do beleive in the past I overwhelmed myself with everything at the beginning, thats why I want to take it much slower this time. I am going to try and remember not to be discouraged when I dont see results. :happy:

sassyshook

Melinda I love your signature. I will have to tell my husband that because when we go walking he tells me I walk to slow to even make a difference. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

googagene

Your diet is the true key to weight loss and keeping it off. That being said, I think taking control of your diet and learning to eat correctly is a great place to start. With that change alone weight will start to come off slowly. Once you begin to see the benefits and results it will give you the drive to start exercising and push your weight loss even further. Losing weight is a slow process if done correctly. It's a lifestyle change. You can't expect results immediately. Promise yourself you'll work at it for at least 30 days. Set small goals be it weight loss #'s or fitting into your last old pair of jeans (I love the feeling of taking jeans directly from the dryer and slipping into them with no bulges or having to suck it in) and WORK to attain the goals. Anyone can do anything for just 30 days and we're all here for backup if you need us. You can do it!

abalicious

IMO, the best way to go about weight loss is to jump right into it. Set goals for yourself and achieve them. I hadn't been to the gym in 2 months yet still made myself stay there for 60 minutes and knew I wanted to burn a certain amount of calories.

sassyshook

Thanks everyone!! Ya'll are all an inspiration and I hope you all succeed in your weight loss goals!! with all the weight loss I see on this website there are some strong willed people and its a bittersweet thing to see that most struggle the same struggles I do.

sassyshook

Thanks everyone!! Ya'll are all an inspiration and I hope you all succeed in your weight loss goals!! with all the weight loss I see on this website there are some strong willed people and its a bittersweet thing to see that most struggle the same struggles I do.

withchaco

Melinda I love your signature. I will have to tell my husband that because when we go walking he tells me I walk to slow to even make a difference. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

When I first started exercising, 2.6 mph was the fastest I could go! Now it's been only two months, and I can walk at 3.6-3.7mph. Stick to it and you will see improvements.

countrydarling1

The only wrong way would be stopping! Trugg ahead & we can kick each others butts to keep us goin! Take pics, thats a great idea! that way u can see & we will have some before picks to show all our mfp friends to help motivate others like they have motivated us!! Our bellies r the biggest part of our bodies, so they will b the last to leave us! Just keep at it! Keep in mind these yrs of putting on weight wont leave us n a few months, we have to remind ourselve it will probably b a 1/2 a year to a year when we will b happy w the results! Love Ya! We got this! u did great yesterday! Tonight i went over by 500something, but i did pretty good to have gone to the favorite mexican resturant! LITTLE BABY STEPS R STILL STEPS!