Lessons for the newbie?

lilteepot

I'm just starting out here (like so many others). So if you're feeling generous, why not share the lessons you learned along the way with the newbies! Lessons learned the hard way? "If-I'd-known-then" thoughts? Motivations? I'm ready to absorb it all like a sponge... (Unlike my newly-upped water intake which seems to make its way through me quicker than I can drink it!) Thanks in advance!
-Teeps

T2trinco

DO strength training!! Eat lots of veggies - lots of color, the more the better! (and not the Cheetoes kind of color!)

Hammertown

Advice?

Don't starve yourself.
Set realistic and moderate goals. 1lb/week is fairly easy.
Be honest about what you're eating and how much of it and make healthier choices. For me, I love eggs and toast and cheese and bacon - so I've replaced breakfast with a nutriontionally complete shake. That alone shaves about 400 calories out of my day.
Do exercises you actually enjoy. For me it's elliptical at the gym (I watch tv shows while working out), and I love cycling, swimming and walking. Don't force yourself to do anything you don't like. I don't like yoga or aerobics or weight lifting, so I don't do them.
Ask for support when you need it.
Be gentle with yourself.

I personally find it takes two weeks for my body to register a change and for my metabolism to catch up to what I'm doing. So, be patient. Don't weigh yourself every day and just keep at a healthy routine and you WILL see results eventually. Everyone is different,

Treat yourself once in a while and try to record everything you eat and drink into the app. You'll find yourself making different food choices - it will change what and how you eat.

Don't skip meals. Bad for metabolism. Better to keep it running on light stuff than to have huge amounts of time where you are hungry...

Yeah. hope that helps...

iLoveMyPitbull1225

beware of the forums

Inspired30

If you have a cheat meal don't beat yourself up about it....I know, easier said than done. I am in my second week and I have made a promise to myself not to get on the scale until I am done with Shred. I am not a patient person, so getting on the scale everyday is really discouraging for me. Do what works for you and good luck!

Hammertown

Ok, one more thing. Ultimately you need to decide what your goals are. If its just burning off some fat, focus on cardio, and if you want to also become strong, lean and toned, then add in strength training.

For me, I am already fairly strong and I ant to focus on losing fat. When I'm 30 more pounds lighter, and can see my muscles better, I might decide to switch gears and focus on building more muscle.

But even doing the elliptical for 45mins a day, 5-6 days a week for the last two weeks, I've noticed muscle growth in my arms, chest and legs... So yeah.... HOW you do your cardio can also affect muscle mass. Elipitcal works more muscles than a treadmill for instance... But again, find something you enjoy. That's the most important thing. Shouldn't be a big struggle.

Discoveri

Take your measurements! The scale may not be moving but you can bet that your body is changing.

Lors2u

I'm a newbie too. I have been finding it helpful to read the different posts in the forums. Lots of good ideas and same struggles. Its nice to see the support and the good outcomes of working through a rough spot.

stemab3

Do not.....I repeat do not weight yourself everyday!!!! This is my biggest fault and gets me into trouble too many times.

Good luck on your journey and feel free to add me.

Ticktockman

I would say to get an easy to use food scale and a set of measuring cups. Try to accurately measure what you're eating instead of estimating it. At the beginning, log what you eat before you eat it so there are no surprises. After a while you'll probably know the calories in most of the foods you eat regularly, but give your self some time to get there.

thomasjbrock

Almost every diet out there says the same thing. Eat less food, eat healthier food, exercise, and think possative. I think that next to this is to get envolved in your diet. Research the foods you eat, use web MD, and Medline for information you can trust. The only way to lose weight is to follow the rules, and they're the same for everybody. All the diet pills and voodoo on the planet don't help unless we follow the basic rules. AGAIN!!! ( eat less, eat healthier, exercise, and think positive ). The Dash diet, or the Mediterranean diet only work if you follow them, and nothing works if you try to do it from a couch 24/7. The only people that fall off the wagon are people that were never really on the wagon in the first place. Have a couple dozen crispy cream donuts, and a gallon of ice cream and think about it, on your way to the All you can eat Pizza joint.

thomasjbrock

Check out these web sites for a wake-up call.

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html/ Scroll down and watch the graphic.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

http://www.webmd.com/

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/

lilteepot

Thanks all

Most of it has been said before, and I hope that this different approach (one that focuses more on awareness, rather than "Diet rules") will be a solid start for me. Already, in logging everything for a couple days just to get the habit of keeping track (without really focusing on changing bad habits yet), I'm floored at what I didn't realize I was putting in my body simply because I wasn't paying attention.

Measuring cups and scale: CHECK. Staying positive: SUPER CHECK. Doing exercise I ENJOY: CHECK.

Keep the advice coming! I love the support here!
-Teeps