AM I DOING THIS RIGHT!?

iBreatheMusic88
iBreatheMusic88 Posts: 115
in Health and Weight Loss
I just downloaded this app and I have started paying even more attention to my caloric intake seeing that its labled out in the diary. But thats not the problem. I have been going to the gym for 3 weeks straight now with the expection of two days due to snow and work. I do alot of Cardio because Im trying to drop some weight. I usually do 45 min to an hour on the elipitical or cross trainer/climber (Hate the tredmill, hurts my legs) So I burn all in all between 500-900 calories depending on how long and my pace, but I make sure I AT LEAST hit my 4 mile mark. I let go of soda and fast food 3 weeks ago and the only time I drink Orange Juice is on Sunday for breakfast. I want to know if I am on the right track, and is having one off day being sunday a good idea. Also seeing if it would be ok to have that as a cheat day... Not for fast food, but for like real food. I believe my food diary is open so you can pretty much see what I have been eating just imagine 3 weeks time.

Also I lift weights because I am terrified that I will have loose skin. I do 3 sets of 15 with about 4-5 different machines at around 60-90 pounds. My profile pic is the most recent pic I took, even though its in black. Ill change it soon so you can have a better Idea.

Now My goal isnt to be really skinny, but I dont want to be buff either even though I have a stockier build. Im just trying to change it a bit...

Replies

  • MeIShouldB
    MeIShouldB Posts: 578 Member
    Sounds good to me.
  • ladynblu87
    ladynblu87 Posts: 43 Member
    I think you are on the right track as well. You should also try some HIIT training as well. As for cheat days, what do you mean? You also have to change the weight you use often and don't continue to do the same exercises when you hit the gym change it up.
  • red0801
    red0801 Posts: 283 Member
    It sounds like your on the right track. But my approach is more of a lifestyle change than a weight-loss program. I try to induce habits into my life that enforce positive results.

    Shop from the outside of the store. Almost everything on interior shelves is processed for packaging and contains refined sugar & starch.

    Eat a balanced diet more veggies than fruit, more fruit than protein, more protein than starch. more starch than fat

    Exercise @ least 60 minutes a day. That for me is anything that gets my heart rate to its 80% range. (if you hurt when you run, you may want to look @ your foot strike & leg stride)

    & I need to remember it's about how I feel not what what I weight

    & fabulous job asking questions.

    Here is a post I was recently directed to
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
    The road map link above is pretty much a holy grail, go ahead and read it. I think you are doing great, and many people have a cheat day and it works for them. As long as you don't eat over your TDEE on your cheat day, you're fine.
  • iBreatheMusic88
    iBreatheMusic88 Posts: 115
    It sounds like your on the right track. But my approach is more of a lifestyle change than a weight-loss program. I try to induce habits into my life that enforce positive results.

    Shop from the outside of the store. Almost everything on interior shelves is processed for packaging and contains refined sugar & starch.

    Eat a balanced diet more veggies than fruit, more fruit than protein, more protein than starch. more starch than fat

    Exercise @ least 60 minutes a day. That for me is anything that gets my heart rate to its 80% range. (if you hurt when you run, you may want to look @ your foot strike & leg stride)


    & I need to remember it's about how I feel not what what I weight

    & fabulous job asking questions.

    Here is a post I was recently directed to
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    ==================================================================================================

    Thanks, So I know this sounds terrible but can you give me like a list of things that are good to eat. I dont want to say Im clueless but apparently Instant oatmeal maybe one of the only things that I eat that is processed... I

    For Breakfast: Oatmeal, piece of fruit

    Lunch: Salad with tomatoes, little bit of ranch dressing, little bit of croutons (because those are carbs lol) cranberry raisans
    A turkey Sandwhich with lettuce tomatoe, and a piece of cheese (which Im going to start taking off) Its a Sandwhich that is hand made by the store, And maybe a bowl of soup. This is the most heaveiest I eat all day...

    for snack: baby carrots, maybe another bowl of oatmeal and a peice of fruit.


    ***GYM TIME ***

    For Dinner: Chicken Breast (not fried but in a pan seared I believe its called) with a salad or something light Like veggies or something. OR if that isnt made I have a bowl of whole grain cherrios with 2% milk (approx 2 cups of cereal)

    I do that because I dont want to eat up all of the calories I just burned at the gym. I know this is alot, but if you can tell me if it needs to be adjusted I would greatly appreciate it. I have not weight myself since I started so I can imagine being 280-270 by now Im trying to get down to 180-200.
  • iBreatheMusic88
    iBreatheMusic88 Posts: 115
    Thanks, So I know this sounds terrible but can you give me like a list of things that are good to eat. I dont want to say Im clueless but apparently Instant oatmeal maybe one of the only things that I eat that is processed... I

    For Breakfast: Oatmeal, piece of fruit

    Lunch: Salad with tomatoes, little bit of ranch dressing, little bit of croutons (because those are carbs lol) cranberry raisans
    A turkey Sandwhich with lettuce tomatoe, and a piece of cheese (which Im going to start taking off) Its a Sandwhich that is hand made by the store, And maybe a bowl of soup. This is the most heaveiest I eat all day...

    for snack: baby carrots, maybe another bowl of oatmeal and a peice of fruit.


    ***GYM TIME ***

    For Dinner: Chicken Breast (not fried but in a pan seared I believe its called) with a salad or something light Like veggies or something. OR if that isnt made I have a bowl of whole grain cherrios with 2% milk (approx 2 cups of cereal)

    I do that because I dont want to eat up all of the calories I just burned at the gym. I know this is alot, but if you can tell me if it needs to be adjusted I would greatly appreciate it. I have not weight myself since I started so I can imagine being 280-270 by now Im trying to get down to 180-200.
  • alienrite
    alienrite Posts: 314 Member
    You're on a good track. Because so much of weight loss is centered on motivation, it is a very personalized path. Focus on eating at or slightly under your calorie goal every day and be active every day. Weight loss and habits are built on consistency over time (10 to 14 weeks). Also be aware of the things that trigger bad eating habits or missed exercise and work to eliminate the things that pull you off track. For me, I tend to lose control of my appetite if I eat too many carbs and not enough protein in the morning so I have a routine breakfast that is high protein and low carb.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Your diary isn't open. I just want to make sure that you realize that the calorie goal MFP gives you has a substantial deficit in it...if you're exercising, MFP expects you to log those calories and eat them back as the activity level settings in MFP do not assume exercise.

    Also, you can eat "real" food 7 days per week, not just on Sunday. Check out my diary if you want...I eat real food all of the time...I eat around 2,000 calories per day (this includes my exercise as I use the TDEE method, not the MFP method). I've been steadily losing around 1.2 Lbs per week since October. Yes, it's slow...but it's slow and steady and I don't have to deprive myself of anything to lose the weight.
  • iBreatheMusic88
    iBreatheMusic88 Posts: 115
    What would that breakfast be... Im fine with just the oatmeal in the morning because it is making me realize I just need to the food for fuel. COngrats on your weight loss as well! :-)
  • iBreatheMusic88
    iBreatheMusic88 Posts: 115
    Your diary isn't open. I just want to make sure that you realize that the calorie goal MFP gives you has a substantial deficit in it...if you're exercising, MFP expects you to log those calories and eat them back as the activity level settings in MFP do not assume exercise.

    Also, you can eat "real" food 7 days per week, not just on Sunday. Check out my diary if you want...I eat real food all of the time...I eat around 2,000 calories per day (this includes my exercise as I use the TDEE method, not the MFP method). I've been steadily losing around 1.2 Lbs per week since October. Yes, it's slow...but it's slow and steady and I don't have to deprive myself of anything to lose the weight.

    What are those? Im new to this and Im so unsure of the terms for things (TDEE) the mfp is self explanatory lol, ALso I opened up my diary so anyone can see it now! Thanks for letting me know.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    Just do the oatmeal from rolled or steel cuts oats. I like the balance of cardio and resistance training. For some nutrition advice you can go here and check out the basic and advanced nutrition tabs:
    http://www.homefitnessextreme.com/nutrition/
  • Lunatic379
    Lunatic379 Posts: 58
    I noticed you posted "Not for fast food, but for like real food" in your OP.

    Why not just real food all week? Also cheat meals are okay, cheat days are not. IMO
  • Richie2shoes
    Richie2shoes Posts: 411 Member
    I don't think you are eating nearly enough calories. I have my diary set for 2000 calories and I try to eat between 2000 and 2500. There are some things I don't log, like cream in my coffee, and I don't weigh my portions although I do measure them, so I figure the 500 is my buffer zone. I sent you a friend request so that you can view my diary if you want.

    TDEE means the total calories you burn in a day. Your BMR plus anything you do on top of it, walking around, exercise, etc...
  • subconscious_ink
    subconscious_ink Posts: 194 Member
    Thanks, So I know this sounds terrible but can you give me like a list of things that are good to eat. I dont want to say Im clueless but apparently Instant oatmeal maybe one of the only things that I eat that is processed... I

    For Breakfast: Oatmeal, piece of fruit

    Lunch: Salad with tomatoes, little bit of ranch dressing, little bit of croutons (because those are carbs lol) cranberry raisans
    A turkey Sandwhich with lettuce tomatoe, and a piece of cheese (which Im going to start taking off) Its a Sandwhich that is hand made by the store, And maybe a bowl of soup. This is the most heaveiest I eat all day...

    for snack: baby carrots, maybe another bowl of oatmeal and a peice of fruit.


    ***GYM TIME ***

    For Dinner: Chicken Breast (not fried but in a pan seared I believe its called) with a salad or something light Like veggies or something. OR if that isnt made I have a bowl of whole grain cherrios with 2% milk (approx 2 cups of cereal)

    I do that because I dont want to eat up all of the calories I just burned at the gym. I know this is alot, but if you can tell me if it needs to be adjusted I would greatly appreciate it. I have not weight myself since I started so I can imagine being 280-270 by now Im trying to get down to 180-200.

    What you're eating sounds fine to me, if you enjoy it. You don't have to go crazy with worrying about your food; just eat generally healthy (fruits, veggies, lean protein -- even cheese is fine). Are you taking the cheese off your sandwich because you don't like it...? This doesn't have to be terribly complicated - you can lose weight eating some unhealthy things. And yes, having "cheat days" is fine, as long as you don't binge eat on your cheat day.

    Just make sure that whatever eating plan you decide on is something you can sustain your entire life. If you really love cheese (and you're not lactose intolerant), there's no reason to cut out cheese. Just watch your calories, exercise, and don't completely live off of fast food and junk food, and you'll be fine.
  • gigiangelique
    gigiangelique Posts: 233 Member
    It sounds like your on the right track. But my approach is more of a lifestyle change than a weight-loss program. I try to induce habits into my life that enforce positive results.

    Shop from the outside of the store. Almost everything on interior shelves is processed for packaging and contains refined sugar & starch.

    Eat a balanced diet more veggies than fruit, more fruit than protein, more protein than starch. more starch than fat

    Exercise @ least 60 minutes a day. That for me is anything that gets my heart rate to its 80% range. (if you hurt when you run, you may want to look @ your foot strike & leg stride)

    & I need to remember it's about how I feel not what what I weight

    & fabulous job asking questions.

    Here is a post I was recently directed to
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    yes what he said
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    The link that was posted explains all of TDEE/BMR...give it a good read through.

    As far as foods to eat....

    - Stay away from processed foods as much as possible. I don't knock them out entirely, I just cut back on them a lot. I don't eat pasta as much, don't do canned veggies (they taste nasty to me now after eating fresh and frozen for a year), etc...
    - Don't go crazy and get ONLY low fat stuff. Stick to a macro of 40/30/30....40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein. I have a mixture of lower fat/normal fat foods.
    -Water, water, water. Not because of the whole 8 by 8 rule, but because it is calorie free so a freebie in my books. But, also don't get stuck in the mindset that you have to drink 8 cups of water a day. You can mix it up with lower calorie juices, for example I usually have a V-8 lite at least once a day. And if water seems to be a challenge, use the water flavorings or lemon/lime wedges.
    - Pay attention to the foods you eat. Learn what fills you up and keeps you satisfied. Also learn what you can swap to add in more nutrition...basically more bang for the buck. For example, greek yogurt. I hate it by itself....never been a yogurt fan anyway. But used as sour cream? Now we're talking!
    - If need be start slow. Some people can go in gun blazing, some can't. Learn what works for you, and forget what everyone else says. You will get people on here who swear by the 1200 method, some swear by the TDEE/BMR. Some will tear your diary up and down saying don't eat this, dont' eat that. But if it is working for you, then ignore them.
    - Finally, the cheat day is an okay thing to me as long as you are able to keep it to a day. For some, the cheat thing is just too much and can send them flying off the wagon and smacking a barn. Personally, I dont' really have a cheat day...but when special occasions come up (for example this past Valentine's Day) relax a bit and eat what you want to eat just be smart about it. If before you used to get that 14 oz Ribeye steak, get the salmon plate instead. Your diet should end up being something you will want to live with for the rest of your life. Eat now how you want to be eating in 20 years.

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