HELP- No idea what I am doing

BrookeBQ

Hi, I am 20 years old, 151 pounds and am 5'7 1/2 feet. I want to lose 10 pounds, and I have no idea how to do it.

3 days ago, I weighed 152.4 pounds, and decided to overhaul my life. I went from eating tons of carbs to rice crackers, celery, salads, and fruits and veggies. I eat many many small portions of things. I am not sure if you can see my food diaries, but I don't think they are very accurate anyways because I never weigh my portions and don't type in proper brands or anything. I burn 350 calories every day at the gym, and am having a really hard time figuring out what I should be eating. I only have a one month gym membership (student, it's pricey), so I want to lose 10 pounds this month, then manage myself to be consistently around 142-145 pounds.

I honestly have no idea what correct portions should look like, because my parents worked a lot growing up so I was always alone and just ate microwave dinners and cereal. Now that I am an adult in my own place, I have no idea where to start. I have been eating this for the following two years: sugary cereal, a homemade hamburger, more cereal, a big bowl of pasta, bread, and ice cream.

Any help would be really, really appreciated, because I think I'm eating less than I should be right now and don't know how to safely eat more and still lose weight

megsmom2

Calm down...everyone starts somewhere. Get yourself a food scale, and a set of measuring cups...and start using them. Log everything...accurately...even if you don't make any changes right away. In s few days you'll see some patterns in your food choices...and can start making some healthier choices. Logging accurately is essential...there's no way around it..but it really is the best tool to help you get to your goals. You can do this!

misskittyfantastico1991

Agreed, in the beginning you just need to log accurately.

Set yourself small goals and gradually increase them, that way you won't get disheartened.

Hang in there, you can do this!

BrookeBQ

OK, will do. Thanks everyone!

Koldnomore

Hi, I am 20 years old, 151 pounds and am 5'7 1/2 feet. I want to lose 10 pounds, and I have no idea how to do it.

3 days ago, I weighed 152.4 pounds, and decided to overhaul my life. I went from eating tons of carbs to rice crackers, celery, salads, and fruits and veggies. I eat many many small portions of things. I am not sure if you can see my food diaries, but I don't think they are very accurate anyways because I never weigh my portions and don't type in proper brands or anything. I burn 350 calories every day at the gym, and am having a really hard time figuring out what I should be eating. I only have a one month gym membership (student, it's pricey), so I want to lose 10 pounds this month, then manage myself to be consistently around 142-145 pounds.

I honestly have no idea what correct portions should look like, because my parents worked a lot growing up so I was always alone and just ate microwave dinners and cereal. Now that I am an adult in my own place, I have no idea where to start. I have been eating this for the following two years: sugary cereal, a homemade hamburger, more cereal, a big bowl of pasta, bread, and ice cream.

Any help would be really, really appreciated, because I think I'm eating less than I should be right now and don't know how to safely eat more and still lose weight

Breathe Congratulations for deciding to act.

Because you have so little to lose you run the risk of a couple of issues. If you drastically cut everything and work out like a maniac you will probably lose 10 lbs..of water weight and then it will just come back OR you will not lose anything at all and just feel like garbage. When you are so close to your goal weight your numbers, your intake and your records need to be BANG ON to see results.

Having a scale is important to measure and track accurately but so is doing your research into how many calories you NEED, your BMR and TDEE are crucial at this stage. If you are not sure where /how look at the top of this forum..There is a HUGE sticky called Newbies Please READ ME..that's a good suggestion and a good place to start.

Don't try to change everything all at once, that will just make you frustrated and drive you to give up. Make small changes, cook more, stop using salt (if you do) avoid anything to drink that is not water, tea/coffee (WITHOUT anything added). You can do it

_kannnd

About how many calories are you eating each day? If you are working out that much, you probably need to be eating more calories each day. Definitely start logging your food accurately. You can eat healthy proteins that will give you a calorie boost, like nuts. You said you were eating fruits and veggies and salads, but you need to make sure that you are getting enough protein as well.

lustrebass

As far as WHAT to eat, here are some general thoughts on what I do, and it's been successful as a weight loss method:

Breakfast: Aim for 250-320 calories. Ensure there is protein, preferably iron, not much sugar. I usually do either oatmeal with milk and an apple, or cereal with milk. Cereal choices are usually Fiber One Honey Clusters, Crispix, or Kashi. Look for high fiber, low sugar, high protein, and high iron/vitamins. I always have one (my only) cup of coffee with low fat sweetened creamer. Lots of people do other types of breakfast foods - blended smoothes fully of veggies and fruit, eggs, protein shakes, etc. Read the boards and find something you like.

Morning Snack - about halfway between breakfast and lunch I have a snack of about 100 -150 calories. Usually something like greek yogurt, 100cal pack of almonds, fiber one 90 cal bar, fruit, etc. Always looking at protein!

Lunch - I aim for 350-450 caloies. normally I have a small portion of leftover dinner from previous evening. Try to make a nice salad out of fresh spinach (iron!), fresh veggies, no dressing. Other times I'll have a Healthy Choice meal or Lean Cuisine. Look for low sodium, low fat, high protein choices. Could also do a sandwich from Subway, or home made chicken or turkey sandwich, low sodium soup with salad, lots and lots of choices. Your selection should have lean protein, healthy whole grains, fresh veggies and fruits. Limit sauces, salt, fat.

Afternoon snack - usually I munch on carrots, cherry tomatoes, snap pea pods, grapes, celery, etc. in the afternoon. Sometimes I thrown in some peanuts - but I watch this to make sure it's a small amount, since they pile on the calories too.

Dinner- aim for 350-450 calories. Lean protein (chicken breast, pork tenderloin, ground turkey are my go-to choices), lots of veggies (steam-ready packages in freezer section are a godsend), healthy whole grain sides.

General principles: Eat as much fresh food as possible - shop in the produce section and frozen vegetable section. Low fat dairy choices are good in controlled portions. Lean protein! Avoid pre-packaged stuff as much as possible because of the salt and other preservatives that are in there. Choose fresh or frozen over canned vegetables. Cook as much of your own food as possible. Good fast food alternatives are Subway and Panera.

Don't forget - drink lots of water! All day!

It's not a bad idea to consider a general once-a-day multi-vitamin to start out. I use "One-a-day".

If you're not accustomed to cooking very much, start with a goal of one new recipe per week (or 3 per week, or whatever).

If you're not accustomed to fresh vegetables, start with a goal of trying one (or more) new-to-you items of produce per week to add variety and expand your options.

Finally - start reading! Use these forums, use google, learn, learn learn! What I've listed above is just one of a million ways to go about a healthy diet. (Some folks might quibble with what I'm calling a healthy diet!) Read, learn, continue to ask for advice, try some things, use what works for you.

Good luck!

MinnieInMaine

I think you've made a great start! As far as food choices, you can pretty much eat what you like but try to make more clean choices for the sake of your health. Like you could have a 100 calorie snack pack of crackers with lunch but it would be better to have a cup of grapes instead for the same calories.

For portions, start checking your food labels. Anything with ounces (oz) or grams (g) should be weighed to get the proper portion. If the portion size says 1/2 cup or 1 cup or 1 Tbsp, that should be dry measured.

A portion of meat is 4 oz raw or 3 oz cooked. This is a weighted measurement so you either need to use a food scale or go by the label on the meat package and eyeball about how much a portion would be based on the total amount. For instance, you buy 1.5 pounds of chicken breast, that's 24 oz (16*1.5) which is 6 portions raw.

A portion of pasta is usually 2 oz which is also a weighed amount. Some labels for small pasta or rice will say like 3/4 cup uncooked or 1/2 cup cooked. Again though, the weighted amount which is usually listed as oz or g would be more accurate.

Makes friends with those food labels and you'll be a pro in no time! Also, I think it's safe to say that you only really need to weigh and measure everything for a short time. Once you're able to eyeball portion sizes, you should be close enough without worrying. Obviously if your weight stalls once you try this it may mean your eyeballing skills aren't so great so you should go back to weighing and measuring for a while again to get a better grasp. Good luck!

JasonDetwiler

Hi, I am 20 years old, 151 pounds and am 5'7 1/2 feet. I want to lose 10 pounds, and I have no idea how to do it.

3 days ago, I weighed 152.4 pounds, and decided to overhaul my life. I went from eating tons of carbs to rice crackers, celery, salads, and fruits and veggies. I eat many many small portions of things. I am not sure if you can see my food diaries, but I don't think they are very accurate anyways because I never weigh my portions and don't type in proper brands or anything. I burn 350 calories every day at the gym, and am having a really hard time figuring out what I should be eating. I only have a one month gym membership (student, it's pricey), so I want to lose 10 pounds this month, then manage myself to be consistently around 142-145 pounds.

I honestly have no idea what correct portions should look like, because my parents worked a lot growing up so I was always alone and just ate microwave dinners and cereal. Now that I am an adult in my own place, I have no idea where to start. I have been eating this for the following two years: sugary cereal, a homemade hamburger, more cereal, a big bowl of pasta, bread, and ice cream.

Any help would be really, really appreciated, because I think I'm eating less than I should be right now and don't know how to safely eat more and still lose weight

Let me make this very simple for you. The responses here are all good information and all, but you're 20 and not significantly overweight.

Eat primarily meat, secondarily veggies, third fruit, limit everything else. Eat when you're hungry.

Start a strength training program with free weights (Stronglifts 5x5 would be a very good one) and stick with it for six months.

Run 10 100m sprints in 45 minutes on Saturdays.

Don't look at the scale for six months.

Report back in six months when you're about 130 and looking fantastic.

rsadams19

I would say get a scale to go by serving size or portion plate that let you know serving size as well and how you should set your plate. Ex: Protein, Starch and Vegetables(which should be most of your plate is vegetables). Hope this help...:flowerforyou:

dahkneeka

I added you as a friend cause were pretty close to the same stats!
Anyways, my suggestions;

1. Keep calm
2. Think about WHY your eating certain foods (ie- ice cream, sugary cereals.. is it emotional/convenience?)
3. Look for healthier alternatives (ie- high fiber, more protien etc)
4. Make your own food- you will drastically reduce fat/cals/sugar in most cases, and defiantly eliminate preservatives. (i made my own protien bars, and they are such an easy and convenient go-to snack)
5. Are you in Canada by chance? I dont know what other countires food guides look like, but Canada's food guide is an awesome guide to follow.. check it out
6. Vegetables are your friend.. bulk up your meals with them
7. Fruits are a great substitue for sugar cravings
8. Portion control- you mentioned you eat many small meals a day, which is awesome.
9. water water water. drink more
10. Green Tea- not a must, but I have had exceptional sucess.. it'sa thermogenic, speeds up metabloism and makes you feel good!!

11- Keep it up.. it will be slow, you dont have much to loose AND, it sounds like your pretty active. Fuel your body.

Best of luck!!

caseythirteen

You've gotten some great advice but I just want to add one thing. My suggestion would be to figure out an exercise routine that you can do without the gym. Hitting it hard for one month and then stopping isn't going to be good for the longterm. For health, lean body mass, etc., you really should stick with an exercise program of some sort. There are a ton of great DVDs or even free things on youtube (Jillian Michaels, etc.), you can use body weight exercises to start and maybe even buy a set of weights eventually. My point is that if you only have a gym for a month, I wouldn't focus on all you can accomplish in that month because that's not going to be a lifestyle change that will make you feel good and maintain for years to come.

ETA: I'm certainly no expert, but I do believe in the power of exercise and the benefits it can have to your body and mind.

Luv2Smile55

Lustrebass ... Just a thought ... Unless your Dr. has told you to worry about your iron consumption, women need LESS iron as we age. I see that you are 44. You really shouldn't have any worries about iron consumption unless, like I said, your Dr. has told you to worry about it. In fact, once women reach menopause, they need ZERO iron in supplement form. All vitamins need to be checked during that time of life to ensure you are not taking any additional iron in. (Not saying that you are menopausal, just throwing that info in for women who are.)

Luv2Smile55

As far as WHAT to eat, here are some general thoughts on what I do, and it's been successful as a weight loss method:

Breakfast: Aim for 250-320 calories. Ensure there is protein, preferably iron, not much sugar. I usually do either oatmeal with milk and an apple, or cereal with milk. Cereal choices are usually Fiber One Honey Clusters, Crispix, or Kashi. Look for high fiber, low sugar, high protein, and high iron/vitamins. I always have one (my only) cup of coffee with low fat sweetened creamer. Lots of people do other types of breakfast foods - blended smoothes fully of veggies and fruit, eggs, protein shakes, etc. Read the boards and find something you like.

Morning Snack - about halfway between breakfast and lunch I have a snack of about 100 -150 calories. Usually something like greek yogurt, 100cal pack of almonds, fiber one 90 cal bar, fruit, etc. Always looking at protein!

Lunch - I aim for 350-450 caloies. normally I have a small portion of leftover dinner from previous evening. Try to make a nice salad out of fresh spinach (iron!), fresh veggies, no dressing. Other times I'll have a Healthy Choice meal or Lean Cuisine. Look for low sodium, low fat, high protein choices. Could also do a sandwich from Subway, or home made chicken or turkey sandwich, low sodium soup with salad, lots and lots of choices. Your selection should have lean protein, healthy whole grains, fresh veggies and fruits. Limit sauces, salt, fat.

Afternoon snack - usually I munch on carrots, cherry tomatoes, snap pea pods, grapes, celery, etc. in the afternoon. Sometimes I thrown in some peanuts - but I watch this to make sure it's a small amount, since they pile on the calories too.

Dinner- aim for 350-450 calories. Lean protein (chicken breast, pork tenderloin, ground turkey are my go-to choices), lots of veggies (steam-ready packages in freezer section are a godsend), healthy whole grain sides.

General principles: Eat as much fresh food as possible - shop in the produce section and frozen vegetable section. Low fat dairy choices are good in controlled portions. Lean protein! Avoid pre-packaged stuff as much as possible because of the salt and other preservatives that are in there. Choose fresh or frozen over canned vegetables. Cook as much of your own food as possible. Good fast food alternatives are Subway and Panera.

Don't forget - drink lots of water! All day!

It's not a bad idea to consider a general once-a-day multi-vitamin to start out. I use "One-a-day".

If you're not accustomed to cooking very much, start with a goal of one new recipe per week (or 3 per week, or whatever).

If you're not accustomed to fresh vegetables, start with a goal of trying one (or more) new-to-you items of produce per week to add variety and expand your options.

Finally - start reading! Use these forums, use google, learn, learn learn! What I've listed above is just one of a million ways to go about a healthy diet. (Some folks might quibble with what I'm calling a healthy diet!) Read, learn, continue to ask for advice, try some things, use what works for you.

Good luck!

Luv2Smile55

I agree with everyone else. Take a deep breath. You are doing a great job. Change happens gradually. You don't have very many pounds to lose, so be patient and kind to yourself. Be accurate with your portions. Good Luck to you!

jlau13

Calm down lady!!! Firstly, you can do this!! I started my weight loss journey at 175 lbs on my wedding day!! Right now, I am 5' 8" and 145 lbs!! Work hard, LOG ACCURATELY! There is no point in logging if you are not going to log properly! It defeats the purpose! You have to remember that you won't lose 10 lbs over night- I am thirty pounds down and this has taken over a year to do. Be proud of the fact that you are willing to overhaul your life! That is a huge step in itself! you can do this, get rid of all those unnecessary carbs and load up on fruit and veggies! feel free to add me (AND THIS GOES FOR EVERYONE!!!) for support and love! This is a journey and the first leg is always the hardest!

prokomds

My two cents -- at your height, weighing around 150 actually is a fairly normal weight. Are you more concerned about the number, or is it more about how your waistline looks? If it's actually the latter, I would take some measurements (waist, hips, thighs, whatever), and worry much less about the scale. Focus on adding more healthy foods into your day, and make sure some strength training is in your routine. Set your MFP to lose (at most!) a half pound per week, because you don't have much weight to lose at all. Then maybe measure yourself once every few weeks or once a month, and weigh yourself as infrequently as you possibly can. Hopefully you'll see that you're losing inches, even if the weight doesn't change that much

If you set yourself up to focus on the weight, you might get frustrated and think you're failing. Who cares what the scale says if you look awesome? I'll take inches off my waist over changes in a number (that no one else sees) any day. Good luck!

lustrebass

Lustrebass ... Just a thought ... Unless your Dr. has told you to worry about your iron consumption, women need LESS iron as we age. I see that you are 44. You really shouldn't have any worries about iron consumption unless, like I said, your Dr. has told you to worry about it. In fact, once women reach menopause, they need ZERO iron in supplement form. All vitamins need to be checked during that time of life to ensure you are not taking any additional iron in. (Not saying that you are menopausal, just throwing that info in for women who are.)

Thanks - yep, I'm working on increasing / maintaining iron. Have finally gotten off of supplements, but still look for iron-rich food sources. Have had anemia troubles forever, and still working on it.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Hi, I am 20 years old, 151 pounds and am 5'7 1/2 feet. I want to lose 10 pounds, and I have no idea how to do it.

3 days ago, I weighed 152.4 pounds, and decided to overhaul my life. I went from eating tons of carbs to rice crackers, celery, salads, and fruits and veggies. I eat many many small portions of things. I am not sure if you can see my food diaries, but I don't think they are very accurate anyways because I never weigh my portions and don't type in proper brands or anything. I burn 350 calories every day at the gym, and am having a really hard time figuring out what I should be eating. I only have a one month gym membership (student, it's pricey), so I want to lose 10 pounds this month, then manage myself to be consistently around 142-145 pounds.

I honestly have no idea what correct portions should look like, because my parents worked a lot growing up so I was always alone and just ate microwave dinners and cereal. Now that I am an adult in my own place, I have no idea where to start. I have been eating this for the following two years: sugary cereal, a homemade hamburger, more cereal, a big bowl of pasta, bread, and ice cream.

Any help would be really, really appreciated, because I think I'm eating less than I should be right now and don't know how to safely eat more and still lose weight

Breathe Congratulations for deciding to act.

Because you have so little to lose you run the risk of a couple of issues. If you drastically cut everything and work out like a maniac you will probably lose 10 lbs..of water weight and then it will just come back OR you will not lose anything at all and just feel like garbage. When you are so close to your goal weight your numbers, your intake and your records need to be BANG ON to see results.

Having a scale is important to measure and track accurately but so is doing your research into how many calories you NEED, your BMR and TDEE are crucial at this stage. If you are not sure where /how look at the top of this forum..There is a HUGE sticky called Newbies Please READ ME..that's a good suggestion and a good place to start.

Don't try to change everything all at once, that will just make you frustrated and drive you to give up. Make small changes, cook more, stop using salt (if you do) avoid anything to drink that is not water, tea/coffee (WITHOUT anything added). You can do it

This. Make small changes you can stick to once you've lost the weight. Measure and log accurately. Set your goal for .5 lbs per week, not 2 lbs per week. You don't have much to lose so you want your goal to be realistic.

BrookeBQ

WOW, what a great community here. Thank you so much, everyone, for your input. It was nice logging on to some friend requests, too!

I get stuck on numbers, but I really want to fit into some old clothes, and not be upset when shopping, which I've avoided doing.

My eating habits have been ridiculously bad. Learning about portions and using new vegetables is very good advice. So is seeing all of your food diaries, so that I can correct mine!

I will now try to slow down and make more of a lifelong change, and try to find some good recipes. Knowing I may just lose 10 pounds of water weight and gain it all back is very discouraging. I am making notes from all of the advice, so thanks again, everyone!