New dieter - what should I aim for?

BabyBloodheart

I'm a new dieter who has never tried to lose weight before.

I'm 29 years old, 5'10 and I'd say medium build, not sure of my body type so here is a (bad) photo of me to get an idea of build and body type - http://www.flickr.com/photos/48666913@N07/7469965686

I weigh 164 lbs

Measurements;
Bust 37 inches
Waist 34 inches
Hips 39 inches
Thighs 21.5 inches
Dress size 12-14 (UK sizes)/10-12 (US sizes)

I've never tried to lose weight before but I'm bigger than I'm comfortable with so it's time to do something about it, I'm okay with most of my body but would like a smaller waste, flatter stomach and thinner thighs - what would be a good goal to aim for?

As a note I'm unemployed so my food options are seriously limited; I get to choose between unhealthy processed frozen meals, or very bland cheap food with little in the way of fresh vegetables, meats, nuts, etc. Being unemployed also means gyms or clubs are out of the question and so my exercise options are limited too. Currently I'm aiming for 1200 cals per day and I graze rather than eat meals, also I'm exercising via brisk walks of at least 10000 steps.

Any tips on losing weight and toning-up?

megsmom2

Welcome....if you log your food and exercise every day you'll soon figure out how to make this work for yourself. One word of advise though...thinking of this process as a lifestyle change and philosophy of healthy eating will help you more than :thinking interms like "diet". Diets are temporary and failure prone...a lifestyle is a journey.

lilawolf

Here is how to do it right and never yoyo diet or fall off the wagon (for long) again. I have lost 7lbs in 45 days of pure fat (I'm watching BF%) and no muscle. This is the only way to avoid lowering your metabolism.

Sleep at least 8 hours.

Keep your carbs lowish, as much protein as you can (very hard to overdo), and have a medium amount of fat. This will keep you full and satisfied. Your brain is made of fat. Many vitamins are fat soluble and cannot be absorbed without it. DIETARY FAT DOES NOT EQUAL BODY FAT. It is your friend.

Work out, even if it is just a 20 minute walk, every day. Do strength training which will keep you toned, build/maintain muscle which keeps your metabolism up, and make your skin look tighter once you have lost the weight. This will also allow you more calories. Change things up so it isn't boring. I do 30 day shred videos, walk, take bike rides, lift weights, cardio at the gym, etc.

Keep your NET calories to AT LEAST 1200 calories. Eat back your exercise calories (though be careful not to overestimate them). There is a reason that MFP adds them on to your goal cals. I aim for 1500, and I am losing just over a pound a week without ever feeling hungry. If you don't eat enough calories and enough protein, your muscle will get broken down for fuel. You WILL lose weight faster, but look and feel worse, and slow your metabolism which usually leads to yoyo dieting.

Eat the things you want just with smaller serving sizes, and only 1-2 a day that you fit into your day. Cutting all of the things you want will just lead to feeling deprived and ultimately failing. I ate pizza two days in a row (for dinner then breakfast). Breakfast was a mistake because I didn't have the protein to balance the carbs. Pizza dinner was awesome!

NO GUILT. If you don't do so well one day, try to determine why, and move on. If it is stress eating, try meditation/yoga/cuddle with SO or pet etc. If it is lack of food options, work on planning lunches and bringing healthy snacks. If you were starving, look at your macros and calories from the last two days and adjust

Drink water! This will curb your hunger. If possible, drink a glass of water before you put ANYTHING in your mouth.

Want a second helping or a snack? Wait 20 minutes. Drink a glass of water. Take a walk. Chew on gum. Brush your teeth. Meditate. Whatever works for you. Still hungry? Eat.

Do NOT go hungry. You will only binge at the next meal or the next day. Usually on something unhealthy.

Soup is low calorie, fast, cheap, and very filling. The other day, I had a protein shake for breakfast, a can of soup with an extra chicken breast for lunch, and took a walk. Now I can have the pizza I want for dinner. I added the chicken breast to make sure that I wasn't starving when I got to the pizza otherwise I would eat too much of it. This also gave me enough protein.

Listen to your body! For example, if your knee is acting up do low impact or upper body workouts such as swimming or punches. Take care of yourself, but don't use it as an excuse.

To get a realistic goal for youself, read this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12?hl=2.0
Some of it will be a repeat of what I said, but still great info.

Feel free to add me if you would like (and if you plan on eating real food) And good luck!

lilawolf

Since you are tight on cash here are a couple of foods that I suggest:
* Body fortress protein powder. This is $15 at Walmart for a HUGE tub with tons of protein per scoop. Chocolate is good. Vanilla sucks. Not sure about the others.

* Eggs. Get a flat of them for super cheap. Boiled eggs keep well for snacks. Fry them, scramble them with any protein/veggie you can get, etc.

* Tuna. Mix with an egg and some cheese and fry to make a patty. Or put on top of a salad or in a sandwich

* Big pack of chicken. Get it with bone and skin and remove it yourself. On sale, this will end up being very cheap. Cook it all, and store in baggies.

* Big pack of steaks or pork chops. Cook as above. Petit sirloin is usually tasty and can be found cheaply every once in a while

* Veggies. Carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, green beans (fresh on sale or in can), Corn, turnips, cauliflower (makes a great low carb, high fiber/vitamin mashed "potato") are all lower cost good for you veggies. There will be even better options if you have a farmer's market or a neighbor's garden

geekyjock76

Any reason why you are aiming at 1200 a day? Do you know how many calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight? If not, then you shouldn't be making a rash decision by deciding on 1200 just yet because you have no idea how much of a deficit that will be. Use MFP to log your food and see how many calories you currently eat to maintain present weight. Then simply deduct 20-25% from that. That will be your total deficit which, will the be sum of how many calories under maintenance you eat and exercise calories. So if you need 1900 to maintain, then you can create a 475 deficit, of which, 300 comes from eating less and 175 from exercise. This will put you near 1 lb of weight loss per week.