Wanting to be successful.....

JoKen2144

Can anyone share some of your daily or weekly meal plans and excersize routines?

samantha64118

don't really have a meal plan, because if I make one I'm the type that won't stick to it lol. Instead I buy mostly healthy stuff at the store, and then just eat what I want when I'm hungry. Your main goals should be staying within your calorie allowance & cutting out the processed/junk food. I'm just starting out & I don't want to deprive myself of anything, so if I'm craving something in particular, I'll buy one thing of it at the store as my "treat" (last week it was jalepeno poppers...sooo yummy!). Look up healthy recipe ideas if you need to...but a few things I always get are chicken, fat free cottage cheese, eggs, and pickles.

As far as exercise goes, it depends on what you're able to do & have time for. If you can, do at least 30 minutes a day even if you're just walking at a brisk pace. You can't start out doing anything crazy because you'll either 1) injure yourself or 2) want to quit or both.

Good luck

pspetralia

Favorite workouts: Zumba DVDs and recumbent bike (stationary)

Favorite snack: 1/2 cup of sliced cucumber, 5 large baby carrots and a laughing cow cheese wedge (69 calories)

Favorite meal: 1 cup chicken, 1/2 zucchini, 1/2 cup snap peas, 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes with juice sauteed together and served over 1 serving of smart taste elbow pasta with 1/4 cup mozzarella. (525 calories)

Feel free to friend me and you can see my diary. I would be happy to offer support and encouragement if you would offer the same.

miss_misa

I agree with Samantha. A set meal plan is usually a recipe for disaster. It can get you results quickly but they won't last because you're not setting yourself up with a new lifestyle of eating.
I recommend making substitutions in your normal diet. I'm a carb-a-holic and I especially love eating pastas and breads. This is something that is not going to change. What I've started to do is still make my pasta but then make some asparagus or some other type of vegetable and add that to my dish. I eat the veggie first which makes me eat less of the pasta. Another good thing to do is always make a small salad with dinner and use an oil or vinegar based dressing. Use spinach and greens instead of iceberg lettuce since that stuff is pretty much completely devoid of any nutrients. Don't begin your entree until you finish your salad and this will again prevent you from overeating things that are less than good for you.
You can start subbing out all kinds of foods and side dishes and eventually it will become the diet you're accustomed to. If you swear off all sweets and anything with fat in it not only will you be miserable but you won't stick to your diet long term (I mean think about it, are you REALLY never gonna eat ice cream ever again?!!)
It's all about smart choices and trying to add in fruits, veggies and whole grains as much as you can.
Another good thing to do (if you haven't already) is absolutely cut out soda completely. I gave up soda 8 years ago, went from 136 lbs (I'm 5'3") to 115 lbs. I still don't drink it and I haven't gone past 120 lbs since and not because I've been excercising and eating right (which is what I'm trying to change!). Soda is completely terrible for you, even the 0 calorie ones (which are actually even worse for you!)
Those are my tidbits. Another thing I recommend is the book "Eat This! Not That!" It can further help you with your substitutions. You'll be dieting without feeling like your dieting!