Novice looking for Nutrition advice

afrochique89
afrochique89 Posts: 2
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hello everyone,

I just recently started taking working out and my health seriously and I had a couple of questions. I live in an African family and most of our meals are shared the main meals involve white jasmine rice so it is really hard for me to go off and try to do my own thing . So I thought Maybe I can do portion control which is hard to keep track of but I'm doing my best. Because my meals are usually prepared at home by a family member it is really hard to keep track of the calories so I just try to eat sensibly. Because of this i invested I'm GNC's lean shake which I can use as a meal replacement for lunch and dinner then for dinner I can have a regular proportioned family meals. I was wondering if this sounds okay or if I'm sabotaging myself. Mind you I have researched a lot regarding diets and everything out there is expensive and I can't afford at this point in my life. I'm just trying to work with what I have. Any advice would be appreciated. As for working out I am trying to do insanity (trying is key word) but also walking every evening for at least 35 min. I am a beginner and super out of shape, I just woke up one day and I realized I am 80 pounds overweight yikes. Once again any advice you may have for a novice would be appreciated. Thank you

Replies

  • angelbaby75
    angelbaby75 Posts: 15 Member
    I think you have the right idea. You have to work with what you have. If you can't change the foods you eat, eat less of them. Get as much physical activity as you can. Some is better than none. Walk 35 minutes nightly this week, push it to 45 next week. Then maybe jog some of the time. Keep adding as you are able.
  • afrochique89
    afrochique89 Posts: 2
    Thank you very much!
  • DonnaJones7
    DonnaJones7 Posts: 99 Member
    Portions are important. Here's another thing that I have tried. At big family meals, I offer to bring one thing - then make that thing a healthy thing. One of my favorites is acorn squash or butternut squash. I bake a bunch of them, then scrape out and put into a big bowl. Everyone assumes there's butter and brown sugar, but I just leave it plain. Everyone always asks for my secret recipe and I laugh because there is none. I do enough for 3-4 days and just keep eating it. Any time you can have a vegetable (or even a starch) with no butter or sugar, you're better off with a bunch of that than the rest of the food at family meals. I'm not a great cook, but like to know there are choices.
    I also have learned (slowly) to really like fresh raw veggies. I sometimes make a dip I really don't like, and just skip the dip.

    Keep working on it! Every bit helps. I'm often surprised at how many in my family would like to be thinner, and are willing to eat healthier, it's just habit that food = love. Good food can mean good love too. :)
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