I have no clue what I'm doing

kbiering

According to myfitnesspal I need to only eat 1600 calories a day.

I often cheat while at work. I sneak little bites here and there. My intake of fruits and veggies has increased a lot. I just wish I knew how to cook more veggies.

People around me are really discouraging and laugh when I tell them I'm on a diet. They also say that I don't need to lose weight because I look fine. No, I'm 177lbs at 5'8". I should be around my goal weight to be healthy. I should also eat healthy to have good cholesterol for my future. It infuriates me that people look down on me because I'm trying to be healthier.

As for working out I do Tae Bo when I have the time. I'm in college so I have a ton of studying to do. I honestly don't know how people feel about Tae Bo but it gets my heart rate up for 30 minutes a day.

Then I'm struggling with drinking the amount of water I'm supposed to be drinking per day. Any tips on that one?

Finally, I know that weight loss takes time but why am I gaining weight?

DexterDarko

I have a realllllllyyy old taebo tape, probably older then me, that I used to work out with, it's definitely a good workout. It sucks to have discouraging people around you, but just remember you're mainly doing this for yourself. I bet the people who are discouraging you are just judging you to feel safe with themselves.

Aim for 64oz of water a day if you can (about 8 glasses)

I've also been gaining weight and now I'm maintaining, keep in mind you're not only burning fat but you're building muscle. Just be patient and it's not possible to gain a few pounds of fat if you're doing everything fine. You'd have to eat a whole lot.

ixap

It looks like you're not logging your food consistently.
I'd start doing that, including any little bites you have here and there - everything you eat - and see where your calories are at.

KaitDW

Weight loss in a healthy way does take time. Healthy weight loss is 1-2 pds a week.

Just looking over your diary. It looks like you could eat some more veggies/fruit and healthy higher fiber grains. Tae bo is awesome but also maybe switch up some other work outs with it. Muscles burn more fat so maybe add 2-3 sessions of strength training.

And I am sorry your are dealing with so many discouraging people at work. That always makes things harder! I have only been on here for a few days and I already feel more inspired. I am also working on calling this a life style change rather than a diet.

I know when I was in college all of this was much harder ! But its totally possible. Do you have a free gym on campus? I used to study while on the elliptical.

Feel free to chat with me anytime. I have been on this journey for a long time and have tried lots of different things.

wargo1et

When I was in college, I started taking my notes with me to the gym. I would use the elliptical, stairmaster, or bike and read over them when I had to study. I know some people don't agree that this is the best thing to do because you are "distracted" from your work out, but it actually kept me focused on studying and I got in a work out.

MaleyaB

Hello! As a college student, I know where you are coming from: it is difficult to be able to lose weight and such when you have a busy college schedule.

It really sucks that you don't have support. I am really lucky and am doing weightloss and fitness with my boyfriend. We keep each other accountable. See if any of your friends are interested in doing this journey with you. And feel free to add me-- I'd love to have other college students to work with.

Again, since we are so busy, it is important to plan ahead. I wake up in the morning and plan my whole eating day so I can account for all my calories and carbs and protein. I don't normally make adjustments to that during the day. Thus, when I spend a whole day at school, I have two tons of food in my backpack that I know I can eat because I planned for it. Yesterday, I brought celery, 100 calorie pack pretzels, strawberries, grapes, applesauce, and cottage cheese doubles with me. I basically ate between and in every class or meeting I went to. (We try to eat about five times a day minimum to keep our metabolism running-- this also helps with getting hungry).

We exercise 3-4 times a week. Our apartment has a gym, and I usually do 15-20 minutes of cardio, and then I use the weight machines doing 2 reps of 8. We are also doing a 5k on Thanksgiving, so sometimes we will walk 1.5 miles and back (we are hoping to be able to eventually run the whole way).

I would look at your BMR and TDEE. I used MFP calorie goal, and it worked, but I felt tired all the time. IT turned out, I was not eating enough calories. Some people debate this. So look into it because that could be why you aren't losing weight.

Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated. Before you eat, drink some so you can make sure you are really hungry and not wanting to eat because you are bored.

Log EVERYTHING in your diary. It may be a pain. Or it may make you feel bad. But it helps keep you accountable. Seriously. I log every single bite and liquid (with the exception of water) into my diary.

Good luck! Weight loss takes time and patience. Hang in there though