overwhelmed by all the conflicting information out there

tamtamzz

I feel the same way at times. Sometimes it really bugs me when people don't know what they're talking about.

It really is about eating fewer calories and exercising more.

I lost 115 pounds in 1 year. I'm 51 years old and I have hypothyroidism. People say it's hard because you're "older" , or "Oh I have a thyroid problem". Yeah. Ok. Maybe. I don't know. I also had bad knees. I had to use my arms to lower myself into a seat and the pain going up and down steps was not fun. I do know that when I finally decided I was going to lose the weight it came off.

You have to get it in your head that YOU ARE GOING TO DO IT. It takes dedication. I did start with walking months before I started adding jogging. The walking was making me stronger but the weight wasn't coming off as fast as I wanted it to. I added slow jogs... from this driveway to that... that telephone pole to that mailbox, etc. and for you runners out there I'm going to call it "jogging" because I wasn't going faster than walking just bouncing around more : Þ

Eventually I was running. The more active I got the more I found I could eat. I eat a lot. I still eat a lot of junk and I'm working on it. One thing I've done from early on was start eating oranges, apples and bananas. Oranges I crave. I drink a lot of water. I can go through 48 ounces if I run 6 miles. But that's me... I drink a ton of water.

The more I ran the better I felt. Sure there were times I didn't want to run. I usually went anyway. I felt best if I was out there an hour a day. I didn't care at first that it was walking/jogging. The energy and good feeling that last all day is so worth it! Eventually I didn't care so much about the weight loss. I started caring more about how my body was feeling and how fast can I get... Wow my body hasn't felt like this in years! Woaaa I feel good!!!!!!! What would happen if I tried pushing a little harder. Oh, that's cool! Then I found I could win races. Ohhhh but there's some ladies still faster than me. Wow, she runs a 21-22 5K and she's 52 years old! How does she do that? Hmmmmmm... .wonder what would happen if I try this... Wow I did a half marathon and lived! That was so cooooooool. Why did I try to run the day after a half marathon? My poor ankle. Man I gotta runnnnnnn. Next day... I'm running. Slow running but I'll live. It feels better to get out there and do something then not to. Cool, new PR! oh yeah. I can get faster! Another half marathon.... geez... why do people run full marathons???? They're crazy. Wow! I lived through it! A week later. Wonder if I can train for a full marathon...

Not ready for a full marathon. I feel great! What can I do? I've got too much energy. Time to go swimming! Hey, if I use the bike I can train for a triathlon. That would be cooooooooooooooooooooool. Wonder how far I can swim..... what if I push harder. Hey I've got sore muscles. I haven't had sore muscles for awhile. I must be doing something right. Wow I can swim a mile. Gotta dig out the bike.

The more active I got the better I felt. I can eat a ton of calories now, but if I eat junk my body can tell the difference. I'm working on carbs before a run, carbs and protein after a run. For some reason dark red kidney beans, corn and brown rice give me energy for running so I like to eat that the days before a race.

It really does come down to fewer calories and more exercise. You don't have to exercise as much as I do. I just found that I love working out and I love being able to eat whatever I want.

The reason I love working out? Not so much about the weight loss anymore. (It's still cool when I run into people that don't recognize me). I love how I feel. I've been feeling really really really good. Yesterday morning I woke up and didn't know what to think. This 51 year old body felt like I did back when I was kid and swimming everyday and not caring about anything but having fun. That so much makes it worth it.

haha! This is EXACTLY how I feel! Gosh, when I first started, I couldn't even jump. I was huffing and puffing when I would walk my daughter to the bus stop. It was awful. I started doing Turbo Fire, my body was KILLING me, but I modified, then I could do it. I tried P90X but it was too boring for me, so I went back to TF.

Then my husband bought a treadmill, and that's when it started. He used it for about a month then stopped. I was happy with my beachbody products, but I'll be damned if we're gonna pay for a treadmill no one uses. That's how I started running. I knew about HIIT and Plyo from TF, so I incorporated in my running.

With strength training, well, I hate lifting weights. I find it unbelievably boring. I enjoy calisthenics, so that's what I do.

I guess the important thing is I like what I'm doing. I'll just stick with that. I'll also remember to use my common sense when it comes to weight loss. Most people who are successful in weight loss eat less and move more. Period.

jahzbuttafly

I'm so overwhelmed and confused, and I'm starting to lose motivation a little bit. :-/

Why is it when it comes to weight loss everything one does is wrong or incorrect? It's so aggravating. I like to run, so I run. I was doing a little surfing to find a hill repeat schedule only to find running is a waste of time, and you won't lose any weight. Great. Don't even get me started about diet because it's the same thing. It also seems that strength training MUST be done in a gym, or at the very least with weights. Anything else is sub par and a waste of time.

After a while it's like, "Well, what the hell am I supposed to do to lose weight?!" That leads to sitting on the couch trying to figure out what to do, also know as analysis paralysis.

What are some things you have done to get past allll the conflicting information? How do you make sense of it all and actually lose weight?

I have been losing, but, of course, that's supposed to stop and stall out any day now. Arghh!!

I am so in agreement with you on the information overload and the analysis paralysis!!! I am adopting the philosophy of some others "if it works for you, do it until it works no more, then try something new!"

ladykate7

Compare yourself to you. Do you not eat veggies, and you had a veggie today. Thats good! Sure you're supposed to have more than that, and I've read somewhere that if fruits and veggies are interchangable, but whatever. You did something that was a step in the right direction for you. And that's the focus, you.

Same with exercising. Did you move around a bit more? Great! Even if it only burns 10cals its still 10cals more than if you hadn't. As far as weights and the gym. There are plenty of things to do at home with no equipment. Ballet moves are all body weight. Try moving your legs around like that of 20mins and tell me its not a workout. Same even with arm circles. Its more endurance weight training then actual strength, but your body is a weight. Sit-ups, push-ups, planks, any yoga pose that makes your body shake from holding it so long. jumping jacks, burpees, hopscotch type drills, squats, lunges, dips off the dining room chair. Just to name a few.:happy: