Needing some tips!

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KMiYong
KMiYong Posts: 130 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hi!
so.. I just started dieting, again, and trying to maintain a healthy eating schedule while recovering from an eating disorder... long story..
anyways, I started a while ago, trying to first cut off the slack and get my eating habits straight, at my highest weight of 231lb. right now I'm down to 223, with loads of ups and downs, but getting better.
I can tell I'm getting better really - I eat considerably less, and even if I eat much I do it in smaller portions, not eating a bunch of food at one meal, and having healthier choices.
I overcame a big obstacle - sweets, and right now I only ate about 2-3 ice creams last week, and one this week, when before I used to eat chocolates all the time, and whatever sweets were at home. proud!

anyways, I am here for tips, but I thought you'd wanna know some background.

I am looking into losing about 90lb in a course of a year, I honestly won't be able to tolerate more than that, and the faster the better (ofcourse, in a healthy way ^^")
but except of losing, because I honestly don't care about the number as much, I want to achieve a certain look.
I am 5"6.5-5"7, and I have a large body frame, so I guess it is understandable that at a certain number I'll just be bony, which is not something I want.
I want to have long, lean muscles, a flat stomach, and nice round butt. I don't like the too-visible look, I don't want muscles to be shown unless I flex, and even then, I just want it to be very... gentle and feminine, I guess.
I have no idea what kind of exercise I should be doing right now really... I don't have a regular access to a gym, unless it's once a week in school until farther notice (my gym teacher wants to open up an after school opportunity to use the gym), and I am only starting exercising again, so I'm in bad shape.
Being honest with you, I am getting a shortness of breath whenever I run, and I am having troubles I never did before, which bothers me a lot... I wouldn't wanna try doing something that is more than my ability right now.. and I'm afraid I alone cannot find a good exercise regimen without causing damage or being too soft on myself, if you know what I mean..

Eh, what a rant here lol.. So umm... Do you guys have any recommendations? I saw success stories and that thread about weights lifting, and wow, I am impressed!

I cannot show you a photo of how I look right now, simple because I do not have full body pictures, and if I did I'd be too embarrassed to upload them, but I can show you a reference of how I wanna look, in case it could help.. ><
My idol when it comes to singing, and a woman I found out has the same body type as me:
christina-aguilera-golden-globes-2010.jpg

and this is one of those transformations I absolutely love..
15-overweight-to-fabulous-weight-loss-transformations-3.jpg
(Don't wanna be too skinny tho.. I got a nice shape to show off! but yeah.. ^^")

Thanks to whoever took the time to read the post and/or reply!

Replies

  • Khoes
    Khoes Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi WinterValen,

    I think it's great that you're on a journey to lose weight. It's seriously such a great journey and once you start it'll hopefully never end because it'll eventually become a lifestyle.

    Make small changes, which you seem to be doing. It's hard to go cold turkey for some people; I used to be an ice cream junkie too. :p

    Lots of water for your body, keep yourself hydrated especially in regards to exercising! You don't want to overwork yourself.

    Starting adding veggies and fruits into your diet! Find recipes you think might taste good, mix things up, you know? I struggled with eating vegetables, but I've found that baked sweet potato fries are amazing, spinach in a strawberry-banana smoothie tastes delicious and you can make mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes! Remember diet is super important in regards to losing weight. You can exercise all you want, but you can't outrun a bad diet!

    In terms of exercise, start slow. You don't have to rush into everything, it can be a bit overwhelming. Get some cardio in, but really take this beginning stage to really do some research about exercises you like. Practice push ups and planks for some strength training. Try light jogging and just work your way up. Look into kettleballs or dumbbell work outs in which you could easily buy dumbbells, but don't push yourself into strength training. With all the strength training you would do, you'd still need a lot of cardio to be able to see the muscle definition.

    You've got great goals, so don't let the scale or what you're not seeing in the mirror deter you a few months down the road! Start cutting the processed food out, start exercising more and you'll get there!
  • jmadams111
    jmadams111 Posts: 145 Member
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    The previous post had some great ideas, so I won't repeat, but:
    1 - walk ( a lot easier than running and not as tough on the joints)
    2 - simple body weight exercises (push ups, squats, pullups, isometrics, etc.)
    3 - set small enough goals you can hit in a week...then reward yourself with one of your "addiction" foods, like ice cream (I love Blue Bell!)

    Good Luck.
  • KMiYong
    KMiYong Posts: 130 Member
    Options
    Hi WinterValen,

    I think it's great that you're on a journey to lose weight. It's seriously such a great journey and once you start it'll hopefully never end because it'll eventually become a lifestyle.

    Make small changes, which you seem to be doing. It's hard to go cold turkey for some people; I used to be an ice cream junkie too. :p

    Lots of water for your body, keep yourself hydrated especially in regards to exercising! You don't want to overwork yourself.

    Starting adding veggies and fruits into your diet! Find recipes you think might taste good, mix things up, you know? I struggled with eating vegetables, but I've found that baked sweet potato fries are amazing, spinach in a strawberry-banana smoothie tastes delicious and you can make mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes! Remember diet is super important in regards to losing weight. You can exercise all you want, but you can't outrun a bad diet!

    In terms of exercise, start slow. You don't have to rush into everything, it can be a bit overwhelming. Get some cardio in, but really take this beginning stage to really do some research about exercises you like. Practice push ups and planks for some strength training. Try light jogging and just work your way up. Look into kettleballs or dumbbell work outs in which you could easily buy dumbbells, but don't push yourself into strength training. With all the strength training you would do, you'd still need a lot of cardio to be able to see the muscle definition.

    You've got great goals, so don't let the scale or what you're not seeing in the mirror deter you a few months down the road! Start cutting the processed food out, start exercising more and you'll get there!

    omg! thank you sooo much!

    I don't find eating my veggies hard, really.. I'm a big fan of tomatoes, and I absolutely LOVE my salads, especially a Bulgarian or Greek one (the contain Bulgarian or feta white cheese along with the veggies :3)
    as of now.. I'm doing walks, once in two weeks when I visit my diatitian I use the stairs instead of the elevator (up and down 4 floors), and I am struggling very much with things I used to do.. simply because my stomach is too big for crunches :(
    I don't do planks\push ups, they were always wayy too hard and I think I need some time to get there.

    I'll take your tips in mind! thank you so much, again! you're awesome :)


    The previous post had some great ideas, so I won't repeat, but:
    1 - walk ( a lot easier than running and not as tough on the joints)
    2 - simple body weight exercises (push ups, squats, pullups, isometrics, etc.)
    3 - set small enough goals you can hit in a week...then reward yourself with one of your "addiction" foods, like ice cream (I love Blue Bell!)

    Good Luck.

    thanks :) yeah, that's basically what I do, without the rewards. I eat my icecream whenever I feel like it really, especially because I can't resist an opportunity when it's so hot (over 40c here!), but I do reward myself in a different way.. every weigh in where I lose a bit, even 100g, it makes me smile and happy :) and I can already see it, surprisingly!
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
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    Don't worry! You don't need a gym to get a good workout! ^__^ Walking is great and it was my first big step to working out regularly. There are also a ton of free online routines that range from beginner to athlete difficulty and from cardio to strength that you can do at home. Just for now do what you can and if you need to take a minute here and there to catch your breath no big deal!! In time, when your body is ready to amp up the difficulty you'll know and you can tackle harder workouts. That said, don't be afraid to try! You are already a lot stronger than you probably give yourself credit for and most moves have an alternative move that is for beginners.

    If you're like me you need someone yelling at you or encouraging you to make you actually do it xD Because of that I use a lot of dvds and online tutorials. >This girl, Cassey Ho is my favorite youtuber. She has a million and 10 workout videos, both cardio and strength you can do at home. Her videos almost never need any equipment either. This video here is a beginner one and it will hit you all over.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCg_gh_fppI

    Good luck!! Don't be afraid to screw up either! You're going to do just fine =^__^= I'll be tuned in to see your success story :flowerforyou:
  • WithASmile19
    WithASmile19 Posts: 8
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    Hi WinterValen,

    I can relate to your post. I suffered from an eating disorder after my mother's death and in result I hated my body. (You can friend me and read my blog on that) But my tips are:
    To exercise. Don't overwork yourself because you may avoid it.
    Take it one step at a time.
    Avoid diet pills and the "high school reunion" diets. They are not effective and you Will gain the weight back.
    Water is your new best friend. Even if you don't like water, you can use the flavor packs.
    Try to control your sodium intake.
    Take it day by day with eating fruits and veggies.

    YOU CAN DO IT!
  • tdh1991
    tdh1991 Posts: 511 Member
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    Eat a lot of veggies and fruit. Think GBOMBS Greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds.
    shoot for a 1 lb of cooked veggies, 1 lb of raw veggies, 1 cup of beans, some mushrooms, onions, berries everyday. Limit nuts and seeds to 2 tablespoons. After trying to eat all that food it is only about 1400 calories and you will drop weight really fast. I lost 10 lbs a month doing that.
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