need some advice/opinions

Missi3601

Okay so I've been at the whole eating right most of the time thing for 31 days now. I must say I feel so much better- rarely sluggish, and notice even my attitude is more positive. I still have some questions that I would love to get peoples opinions/advice on....

What is a decent amount of weight to lose per week? Should I focus on a weekly goal or more like monthly?


How often should one "treat" themselves to something they really probably shouldnt eat? i.e. pizza, tacos, pasta


What is a good amount of time to workout? I just joined a gym and had to laugh because the first day alone I tripled my workout time from what I usually do at home. It wasnt purposely- I really didnt notice the time passing.

How many days a week should one workout? I have a big goal set and would like to reach it as fast as possible while keeping my body healthy. I set my goal for 4 days a week but I've had a few times I workout extra because I feel guilty for eating something, or just have nothing to do so I jump on my elepitical.



I heard you are supposed to eat after working out- is this true? If so how many calories is one supposed to burn daily- I usually eat around 1100-1200 on a good day and burn roughly 200-300, sometimes when I finish my dairy it tells me I may be eating too few calories.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I think I have finally came to a point in my life that I am dedicated to changing my lifestyle to be healthier.

CarmenSandiegoInVA

Ok, Let's see if I can help you with some of this. You can workout as many days as you want to/as you feel. I workout at least 6 days a week. I Strength Train 4 days a week as well. I rotate upper and lower body on the 4 days. I do 50 mins of cardio a day on weight days. And 90 Mins of Cardio on non-weight days. Except Fridays, I swim laps for 2 hours. Mix up your Cardio. Keep your body guessing. The only thing I do guarantee that I do most days is Stationary Bike. Typically I rotate between Eliptical, Step-mill, and Running 2 miles. But, you do what works for you. I have big goals as well. I have been losing it slowly. Because I don't want to drop it fast and have loose skin hanging off because I dropped it too fast. I have total 170 pounds to lose. Still have 82.4 to go. Make sure you get plenty of Protein. Try to avoid Sugar and any white flour or white carbs. Like potatoes, white rice, etc. It all hinders what you are trying to do. Eat plenty of fiber. It will help flush your system out. Take a cue from Diabetics. Eat 6 meals a day. Not all big. Just eat every 3 hours or so. You will find that once you start getting more into working out you will need to eat more. Remember that if you have a lot to lose, I have no idea how much you want to lose, that the more a person weighs, the more calories you burn which means the more calories you can consume and lose weight. Crazy I know. Remember the glycemic index when it comes to eating. If you follow that, you will be just fine. For best results, make it a lifestyle change and not a diet Over the past 10 years, I've been working on eating better little by little. Take bad things out and find ways to make the things that you love more healthy. You can have Cheat meals. or treats if you want, I would say once a month. That's the rule that I go by. Eat before and after you workout. I don't do anymore than 200 calories usually for each snack. Protein Bars are great. Look at the Think Thin line. It's found in the organic section of the grocery store. they have on average 20 grams of protein per bar. Also Cottage cheese is great. Also look into protein powders. Whey Protein Isolate. I have a protein shake a lot before I workout. Made with unsweetened Almond Milk, half a frozen banana and some chocolate protein powder. Walmart sells some good ones. Body fortress is great and it's 14.99 for a 2 pound tub that's a ton of protein shakes. We;re talking months. And they keep you full and give you a ton of energy. Care more about the inches you lose the experts will tell you not to go by pounds. Go by inches. Because when you're working out. Muscle weighs more than fat. And the scale may not move but don't fret. Take measurements now. Take them once a mont.h You will be surprised. My goal is 2 pounds a week, but, I just got off a 2 month plateau that took everything for me to get over. But, you have to ride those waves as they come. Also go to bed bath and Beyond and purchase a food scale. Trust me. This will be your best weight loss tool.. You will get some awesome results. I have plenty of information for you. I've done a lot of research. I can help you in your journey. I still have so far to go and we can go through it together. Check out my food diary. I eat like an athlete, I probably train like one. but, that's only because I love the cardio. I'm trying to run a half Marathon next year with my sister. It's been a long time coming. Let me know if this helps you any. I think the 4 days a week will be awesome for you. Congratulations on all you have done.

Missi3601

Ok, Let's see if I can help you with some of this. You can workout as many days as you want to/as you feel. I workout at least 6 days a week. I Strength Train 4 days a week as well. I rotate upper and lower body on the 4 days. I do 50 mins of cardio a day on weight days. And 90 Mins of Cardio on non-weight days. Except Fridays, I swim laps for 2 hours. Mix up your Cardio. Keep your body guessing. The only thing I do guarantee that I do most days is Stationary Bike. Typically I rotate between Eliptical, Step-mill, and Running 2 miles. But, you do what works for you. I have big goals as well. I have been losing it slowly. Because I don't want to drop it fast and have loose skin hanging off because I dropped it too fast. I have total 170 pounds to lose. Still have 82.4 to go. Make sure you get plenty of Protein. Try to avoid Sugar and any white flour or white carbs. Like potatoes, white rice, etc. It all hinders what you are trying to do. Eat plenty of fiber. It will help flush your system out. Take a cue from Diabetics. Eat 6 meals a day. Not all big. Just eat every 3 hours or so. You will find that once you start getting more into working out you will need to eat more. Remember that if you have a lot to lose, I have no idea how much you want to lose, that the more a person weighs, the more calories you burn which means the more calories you can consume and lose weight. Crazy I know. Remember the glycemic index when it comes to eating. If you follow that, you will be just fine. For best results, make it a lifestyle change and not a diet Over the past 10 years, I've been working on eating better little by little. Take bad things out and find ways to make the things that you love more healthy. You can have Cheat meals. or treats if you want, I would say once a month. That's the rule that I go by. Eat before and after you workout. I don't do anymore than 200 calories usually for each snack. Protein Bars are great. Look at the Think Thin line. It's found in the organic section of the grocery store. they have on average 20 grams of protein per bar. Also Cottage cheese is great. Also look into protein powders. Whey Protein Isolate. I have a protein shake a lot before I workout. Made with unsweetened Almond Milk, half a frozen banana and some chocolate protein powder. Walmart sells some good ones. Body fortress is great and it's 14.99 for a 2 pound tub that's a ton of protein shakes. We;re talking months. And they keep you full and give you a ton of energy. Care more about the inches you lose the experts will tell you not to go by pounds. Go by inches. Because when you're working out. Muscle weighs more than fat. And the scale may not move but don't fret. Take measurements now. Take them once a mont.h You will be surprised. My goal is 2 pounds a week, but, I just got off a 2 month plateau that took everything for me to get over. But, you have to ride those waves as they come. Also go to bed bath and Beyond and purchase a food scale. Trust me. This will be your best weight loss tool.. You will get some awesome results. I have plenty of information for you. I've done a lot of research. I can help you in your journey. I still have so far to go and we can go through it together. Check out my food diary. I eat like an athlete, I probably train like one. but, that's only because I love the cardio. I'm trying to run a half Marathon next year with my sister. It's been a long time coming. Let me know if this helps you any. I think the 4 days a week will be awesome for you. Congratulations on all you have done.

Thanks for all ur advice! I'll look into alot of what u mentioned! I'd like to drop 90 pounds but I'm just glad some of it is disappearing now! I'm so thankful to have you on here!

Toddrific

Walls O' Text.

I believe amount per week is based on amount to lose, around 2 lbs or less a week is a solid goal.

1 cheat meal a week, and by cheat not a whole pizza, but maybe a slice or two of the bad stuff.

1 hour of moderate exercise a day for weight loss is what's recommend by various organizations.

You really don't need to eat after a workout unless you are going hard.

Sidesteal

What is a decent amount of weight to lose per week? Should I focus on a weekly goal or more like monthly?

Depends on how much you have to lose. The larger you are the faster you can lose without concern. I would suggest monthly goals.

How often should one "treat" themselves to something they really probably shouldnt eat? i.e. pizza, tacos, pasta

There's nothing wrong with the foods you just listed. I'm going to share something that I believe is critical: Your goal should be to hit your end of day calories and macros (protein/carbs/fats). You should select mostly whole and nutrient dense foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. But if you're capable of eating a balanced diet, the INCLUSION of foods like tacos, pizza, or even ice cream, is perfectly fine provided that

a) You don't go over your daily intake (moderation required here).
b) The inclusion of these foods doesn't prevent you from consuming adequate nutrients via the OTHER foods in your diet. To elaborate on this point: Pizza is calorie dense. If you get 1500 calories per day and you eat 1400 calories of pizza, you're not going to adequately nourish yourself. But if you eat 400 calories of pizza and spend the other 1100 wisely, you'll be fine and there's no reason you can't employ some strategy to do this somewhat regularly. This is ESPECIALLY critical IF it helps you adhere to your plan.

I wouldn't let anyone tell you that a specific food is bad outside of your individual intolerances or medical conditions with artificial trans fats being the only exception that I can think of immediately.

In short, enjoy "a little" pizza or "a couple" of tacos when you feel like it, just be sure that you compensate by making smart food choices the rest of the day so that you can still end the day in a good spot, and you'll do just fine. Probably better than people who eliminate half of their diet out of fear.

What is a good amount of time to workout?

That's largely personal preference. Any workout is better than none, but I think as a very vague generalization, 30 minutes to an hour is a good start.

How many days a week should one workout?

That is also personal preference and depends on a number of factors (the individual, his or her goals, the training protocol, etc). I think 4/week is a good target to hit for "most people".

I heard you are supposed to eat after working out- is this true?

Let personal preference dictate this also. Your primary concern is to hit your end of day targets. When you choose to eat the food should largely be driven by your preferences.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I would simplify things like this:

1) Eat at a reasonable calorie deficit with sufficient macronutrient intake.
2) Select mostly whole foods and allow yourself "some" junk food.
3) Exercise, ideally do some weight lifting.
4) Rest
5) Repeat
6) And stop micromanaging all the crap that doesn't matter.


Good luck OP!

bkandisjj29

This is a good tip on cheating: When you cheat, pick the healthiest option. So if you are craving ice cream, get frozen yogurt. If you are craving a brownie, pick Fiber One Fudge Brownies 90 calories each. If you are craving pizza, make one at home where you can make it as healthy as possible. ETC. And always always always keep portions small with cheating. :happy: You are doing great, keep up the great work!

CarmenSandiegoInVA

Aww thanks. I'm always here if you need me.

Missi3601

What is a decent amount of weight to lose per week? Should I focus on a weekly goal or more like monthly?

Depends on how much you have to lose. The larger you are the faster you can lose without concern. I would suggest monthly goals.

How often should one "treat" themselves to something they really probably shouldnt eat? i.e. pizza, tacos, pasta

There's nothing wrong with the foods you just listed. I'm going to share something that I believe is critical: Your goal should be to hit your end of day calories and macros (protein/carbs/fats). You should select mostly whole and nutrient dense foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. But if you're capable of eating a balanced diet, the INCLUSION of foods like tacos, pizza, or even ice cream, is perfectly fine provided that

a) You don't go over your daily intake (moderation required here).
b) The inclusion of these foods doesn't prevent you from consuming adequate nutrients via the OTHER foods in your diet. To elaborate on this point: Pizza is calorie dense. If you get 1500 calories per day and you eat 1400 calories of pizza, you're not going to adequately nourish yourself. But if you eat 400 calories of pizza and spend the other 1100 wisely, you'll be fine and there's no reason you can't employ some strategy to do this somewhat regularly. This is ESPECIALLY critical IF it helps you adhere to your plan.

I wouldn't let anyone tell you that a specific food is bad outside of your individual intolerances or medical conditions with artificial trans fats being the only exception that I can think of immediately.

In short, enjoy "a little" pizza or "a couple" of tacos when you feel like it, just be sure that you compensate by making smart food choices the rest of the day so that you can still end the day in a good spot, and you'll do just fine. Probably better than people who eliminate half of their diet out of fear.

What is a good amount of time to workout?

That's largely personal preference. Any workout is better than none, but I think as a very vague generalization, 30 minutes to an hour is a good start.

How many days a week should one workout?

That is also personal preference and depends on a number of factors (the individual, his or her goals, the training protocol, etc). I think 4/week is a good target to hit for "most people".

I heard you are supposed to eat after working out- is this true?

Let personal preference dictate this also. Your primary concern is to hit your end of day targets. When you choose to eat the food should largely be driven by your preferences.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I would simplify things like this:

1) Eat at a reasonable calorie deficit with sufficient macronutrient intake.
2) Select mostly whole foods and allow yourself "some" junk food.
3) Exercise, ideally do some weight lifting.
4) Rest
5) Repeat
6) And stop micromanaging all the crap that doesn't matter.


Good luck OP!

Thank you so much!