WANTED: ADVICE

siouxperwoman

Hello,

I am looking for advice on what foods to eat and which to avoid, as well as what work outs are best!

Also, looking for any great advice from those who know best, fellow mfp members!

Thank you in advance for all your wisdom

-Kayla

therealangd

1. Don't eat processed food.
2. Get moving

gp79

Since you're new to the site, the single best piece of advice I'd pass on to you is to simply log absolutely everything that passes between your lips. MFP has excellent potential to increase your nutritional awareness. The motivation and you just getting off your 5th point of contact comes from within. Once you've got a good idea of your current eating habits, it's time to go through your pantry / fridge and get rid of a few junk items that you may have come accustomed too and replacing them with some better choices.

Nutritional guidelines from all of us here on MFP will vary with personal preference. MFP in my opinion sets protein levels on the low side. I'll suggest 1g of protein and .4g fat for every lb of body weight. Those obviously are not changes you can make overnight but in time those are some solid goals to work towards.

If you're not active, simply find something that you can do and most of all enjoy. If you don't enjoy it you will not want to continue doing it. Think baby steps that you can sustain over time. Afterall it should be a lifestyle change.

kmcka637

I use my Wii for exercise which means I can exercise at home. EA Active 2 is a good program as it comes with a HRM for tracking calories burned more efficiently. I highly recommend it. You can start off easier and the program gets harder as you go!

As for foods, I like high protein food! I drink soy milk, eat Special K cereal, cheese, and peanut butter! Thinsations snacks are good if you are craving junk food as it controls your portions which I need sometimes

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

Ah, such a big question - where to start? I'll list the foods that I eat daily & the foods I avoid (keep in mind I'm a health & fitness nut).

Do's:
- Dariy: eggs (whole and/or whites), non-fat yogurt, 1% or skim milk, low fat cheese
- Meats: chicken, turkey, shrimp, fish (I like tilapia, trout, and tuna)
- Carbs: wheat/multigrain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, baked/red/sweet potatoes
- Fruit & Veggies: anything thats on sale or in season - I eat pretty much every kind of plant
- Misc: nuts, peanut butter, and black beans

Don'ts:
- Anything processed where half or more of the calories come from fat
- Anything that can't be grown or raised on a farm
- Any stereotypical/popular "junk food" (ie. tastycakes, twinkies, etc)

My diary is open if you want a better idea of my diet. Just remember: everything in moderation! Good luck!

Cathleenr

I think the best approach might be to get your daily macros setup, and then start reading labels and know what foods are going to fit into your daily menu. For me, I am currently in maintenance for about a month. I competed in a couple of figure shows late last year and will be starting up again in the spring and I intend to compete most of the year, so I am eating a few foods that I normally don't eat, because it won't fit into the calorie or protein goals I have set. The best thing about training was that I found out losing weight...fat..was not mysterious at all. I struggled with weight issues all my life and fell into the same cultural "wisdom" of eat as few calories as you can and just drink water and you will be thin" Well, I don't want to be thin..I want to be lean and there's a difference. I was able to lose almost 100 pounds in 17 months. I'm currently a size 6, down from an 18, I'm 5'9 and about 144 (OK, maybe 146 since I had all that ice cream over New Years ). But it IS doable..really. Eat enough to fuel your body and what you want it to do, know what your BMR is and set goals...stick to the daily menu including portion sizes and pay attention to your macros.The bit about no processed foods is fine if you are trying to stay away from the chemicals and all, but as you go along you will find fresh foods give you the most bang for your nutrition buck, is generally cheaper and in the end you are in control.
It is definitely an everyday thing, deliberate and intentional. You can't get there just winging it. MFP is a great tool, but its just a tool. You are the driver and you steer your own destiny.

xSophia19

keep your carbs low, eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, fish, meats. and as for excercise you can go jogging, zumba, any wii dance games (if you have a wii), run up n down the stairs, squats, jillian michaels 30 day shread - is a very hard workout, but many people on here have had awsome results!!

i love to do zumba, and this has helped me alot to become the weight i am today. i also go jogging now n again at night time when everyone is indoors and its dark! too embarassed to go out in broad daylight. and that has helped me alot with my thighs x

sunshinegirlnm

WATER: half your weight in oz each day :drinker:

LMHinson15

As you can see you will get lots of opinions and advice from lots of people on here. Much of it is actually really interesting. There are things I find that I agree with, others I disagree with. Some people are very gracious, while others think there's is the only right answer (we're all still people after all)

My advice...

Listen with an open mind, to input and advice, but find what works for you and what will be sustainable for you! Something that worked like magic for one person might be nearly impossible for another person to sustain in their own life. The changes, no matter how small, that you can stick with are the ones that will count in the end. That's my 2 cents anyway...

as far as actual diet advice. I agree with the limiting/eliminating as many of the processed foods as possible. That's what's worked for me, and I'm rarely hungry anymore.

Best of luck to you!

LMHinson15

WATER: half your weight in oz each day :drinker:

^^^ AND THIS... this one I'll actually say was the best thing I've done for myself. I think this has helped the hunger issue, AND I've got way more energy!

Ruz456

One philosophy that my brother and I try to live by is eat lean and green. Meaning eat lean protein (eggs, chicken, turkey, tilapia) and your green vegetables. Vegetables are AWESOME and are ridiculously healthy for you they give you tons of vitamins and minerals and are loaded with fiber which makes you feel full.

Fruits are simple carbs which get absorbed into your body faster and give your more of a short term energy boost, they are great but tend to be higher in sugar. complex carbs are carbs which are digested and absorbed into your bloodstream slower and give you more long term energy. complex carbs include whole wheat bread, bagels, plain oatmeal, instant gritz.

in terms of liquids I try to just stick to water, water is great for hydration, your body needs tons of it and if you keep drinking water throughout the day your appetite will be suppressed. When I do have something other then water I like to have skim milk with my protien shakes.

If you have questions at all please feel free to message me and ill be happy to help, good luck!

FierceFitBeautiful

Congrats on deciding to lose the weight! I know getting started in the beginning is probably the hardest part! Here are some things that helped me:

DIET:
- Learn to love fruits and veggies -- there's really no way around it! Replace all of your snacks with fruits and veggies. My favorites are grapefruits, strawberries, apples, celery, broccoli, and carrots.
- Eat more often! I usually try to eat something at least every 3 hours, and as a result my meals have gotten smaller just because I eat more frequently which makes staying in the 1200 calorie range MUCH easier!
- I only allow myself to eat between 9am-6pm, and honestly if you're eating throughout the day that's not really that hard at all!

EXERCISE:
- Find something you LOVE! My favorites are running and swimming, but living in the northeast swimming doesn't really happen too often! I suggest you try out all kinds of things and see what works for you. Exercise is much less of a chore when you enjoy it!
- I plan to exercise every day. I know it seems like a lot, but I do take rest days and they usually just end up happening when I'm super busy. It's hard to schedule rest days so I take them whenever they pop up, so if you plan to exercise every day chances are you won't fall behind trying to stick to a schedule!
- Do a little every day! 20 squats, crunches, jumping jacks before bed makes a world of difference in the long run!

Also I suggest you check out undressedskeleton.tumblr.com
She has a TON of recipes, tips and tricks and is super positive!
GOOD LUCK! You got this!!