Diet Newbie

Catherinex

:happy: Hi to you all, this is first time i've joined this kind of site or tried this kind of diet, so hoping it's going to help. Tried weight watchers once but didn't fit in with the crowd, tried atkins but missed the potatoes and bread too much.

Anyhoo, am 35 living in Dubai UAE. Single :sad: and pretty shy about meeting people socially. Decided to diet try and get a figure back and then hopefully take up horse riding or some such thing that I used to enjoy, also a way to meet new people.

I work a 6 day week and am in an office 8am till 6pm, then driving usually 2 hours a day to and from work, so relatively no excerise, unless you count talking on the phone, typing or getting very frustrated in daily horrendous traffic ques lol. I bought a walking/running machine 4 weeks ago when i started the diet, but only managed to use it once... I also forked out to join a local gym for 6 months but again havent motivated myself to get there.. I am really quite shocked to see the amount of exercise some of you guys and girls do.. lol it pains me just to think about it.. I have to admit for me gym/excercise is not any fun at all. :grumble:

I have managed to lose 11lbs in 4 1/2 weeks just by controlling what I eat, but looking at the posts I may be in that starvation mode so it isn't ideal. My goal is to get to 140 pounds and live a healthier lifestyle. I'm hoping to get some good ideas on healthy eating (really need help with veggies as I do not know what half of the things on supermarket shelves are or how to prepare them).

Am really happy to find i'm not alone on this mission, and I wish you all the best success.

Catherinex

:happy: Hi to you all, this is first time i've joined this kind of site or tried this kind of diet, so hoping it's going to help. Tried weight watchers once but didn't fit in with the crowd, tried atkins but missed the potatoes and bread too much.

Anyhoo, am 35 living in Dubai UAE. Single :sad: and pretty shy about meeting people socially. Decided to diet try and get a figure back and then hopefully take up horse riding or some such thing that I used to enjoy, also a way to meet new people.

I work a 6 day week and am in an office 8am till 6pm, then driving usually 2 hours a day to and from work, so relatively no excerise, unless you count talking on the phone, typing or getting very frustrated in daily horrendous traffic ques lol. I bought a walking/running machine 4 weeks ago when i started the diet, but only managed to use it once... I also forked out to join a local gym for 6 months but again havent motivated myself to get there.. I am really quite shocked to see the amount of exercise some of you guys and girls do.. lol it pains me just to think about it.. I have to admit for me gym/excercise is not any fun at all. :grumble:

I have managed to lose 11lbs in 4 1/2 weeks just by controlling what I eat, but looking at the posts I may be in that starvation mode so it isn't ideal. My goal is to get to 140 pounds and live a healthier lifestyle. I'm hoping to get some good ideas on healthy eating (really need help with veggies as I do not know what half of the things on supermarket shelves are or how to prepare them).

Am really happy to find i'm not alone on this mission, and I wish you all the best success.

banks1850

Welcome Catherinx!

we are all here to help! That sounds like a long work week for you. Just remember what I always say,
your 20s are when you can afford to be a workaholic (because your body can handle the stress), your 30s should be for you. I don't know how much time you get off during work, or what the rules are for you with eating on the job. But generally, I make a lunch and have a "working" lunch, then use my lunch break to work out. Even if it's just a brisk walk, it will help. if they have a gym, that's even better. But I think you already know, exercise is a big part of a healthy lifestyle. The better eating is GREAT! But your body needs the muscle to help keep the weight off.

Congrats on the success you've already enjoyed. I hope you can get some workouts thrown in there, even 1 or 2 a week would be a huge help for you.

Catherinex

:happy: Thx for the welcome Banks, nice to meet you. I've put excerise on the goal plan here for about 3 times a week 30 mins. I can probably fit 2 sessions in on a friday one morning and one evening maybe.. hmm.. lol already i am really not looking forward to it.. I work in an industrial zone so there is really no place (or pavements) to go for a walk. Will try workout tonight (I did 10 mins last night on the threadmill) I have no idea if 10 mins is even worth doing? Will try to do 15 or 20 tonight. I wonder if there is something a bit more fun I could do at home that would count as excerise?

Also I've been reading the thread on food. The salad one goes right over my head... Is there any website where I can actually look at pictures of the fruit/veg so that I know what I am looking at in the local supermarket here?

banks1850

Hehe, don't worry about the food thing, it happens to everyone.
here is the wiki on veggies, it has a lot of pictures

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vegetables

As to working out at work. Might I suggest an exercise ball. They are big blow up, plastic balls that you sit on and balance on. They don't up the calories a ton, but they do force core stabilization which tones your but, abs, and lower back muscles. A great way to keep in the right frame of mind too. And when that get's easy, you can add things to it, if you google exercise ball exercises or fitness ball exercises, you will find tons.

Also, there are a lot of exercises you can do at your desk that can increase blood flow, which will, in turn, increase your metabolism throughout the day. and of course, spreading out lots of small meals (6 small meals is generally accepted as best) instead of 2 or 3 big ones raises your metabolism too. All pretty simple stuff to do, but goes a long way towards general health.

check this site out for at work exercises (some may make you look silly if you are out in the open, but really, do you care? I started by doing this, and after a few days, nobody even noticed anymore.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-at-your-desk

Catherinex

:bigsmile: lol I don't think I will go as far as the ball. Thx for the links will definately use the office ones^^. OMG.. how many vegetables... lol thankyou this was exactly what I was looking for. Now to covertly check out the weird veg on my way home Thx again, you've been a great help :flowerforyou:

Patwin55

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Best of luck to you! What a beautiful Arabian as your photo! But watch out saying that you don't like to exercise! I got a crybaby face when I did that! But, welcome, welcome! I think you are doing marvelously so far! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Catherinex

lol, well i'm sure i will get plenty deserved written abuse for being the excercisephobic on the site but reading the forums and the great replies i've had will go a long way to motivating me to try it.
And thx for the great welcome Pat^^.:flowerforyou:

Anise6789

How about belly dance, yoga, Zumba,skating, raquett ball, sports, fun fitness?