Where to start?!

laurab834
laurab834 Posts: 2 Member
edited February 7 in Food and Nutrition
Hello,

I am new to this site and am hoping you can help me.

I've tried every 'diet' out there with varying degrees of success...ultimately any weight lost has been regained plus extra. I'm now 200 pounds (5ft7, 30yo) and serious about changing things for good.

The problem is, after years of dieting I genuinely don't know what my body needs. I have PCOS so generally avoid processed foods, simple carbs and fruit but other than that, I'm clueless.

I've looked at the macros thing but don't know what would be a suitable ratio to aim for. I want to lose fat and develop lean muscle mass (I'm doing a 30 minute body weight workout 3x a week to begin with) but how do I know what percentage carbs/protein/fats I need? I've set it to equal thirds for now because the default one had something like 45 carbs which seemed high to me.

Also, I found out I've always eaten too little. I struggled with eating disorders as a teen and always looked to reduce my intake think 1000 cals or less was great. If I skipped breakfast then wasn't hungry until 4pm then great! Obviously that's BAD and I've knackered my metabolism so I'm trying to improve it by not dropping below my BMR (1680) with 5 small meals a day instead. Should I try and boost my metabolism for a few weeks and then get down to the details or can I kill 2 birds with 1 stone and lose weight at the same time?

Anyway, does anyone know where I can find this sort of information? Every website I've seen seems contradictory and it's confusing the hell out of me :(

Replies

  • LunaInverse
    LunaInverse Posts: 109 Member
    Diets do not work, because when you stop dieting, you will gain everything back. You need a lifestyle change. Eat clean!!! Protein and veggies should make the majority of your diet. Boost your metabolism by drinking lots of water, and eat right at the same time. Exercise would be really helpful too. Losing weight and getting in shape is 80% eating habits, 20% exercise.

    Good luck!
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    For me, baby steps worked better. Try cutting back on your portions, first. Eat 3/4 of what you normally would. Then, cut another 1/4 (from original amount) back to 1/2 of original amount. If you're eating lots of sweets, bread, and pasta, cut back on those first. Find ways to add in veggies. Veggies are not only great for nutrition, but also great for bulk in your diet (which helps with satiety). You will see results the first week, which is usually water, but you should lose about 1/2 lb. per week after that, at minimum. Be patient and allow yourself to embrace the improvements to your diet for sustainability. Imo, if you go "all in" on a 1200/day diet, you will shock your mind and body and will fail, so, slow and steady is best. Try journaling as you currently eat for the first 1-2 weeks, then start cutting back from there, so you know where you started. You might find that you've been eating 2500 calories/day, so cutting back by 250-500 calories per day will be reasonably easy and will produce results. As you hit plateaus, decrease accordingly. If you are ready to start now, several people recommend this site to figure out your BMR and TDEE, which also may be helpful:


    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Good luck!
  • Routerninja
    Routerninja Posts: 201
    Calories in, Calories out. Start there.

    Baby step your way to the complicated stuff, break it down to manageable pieces and add what you can to your life. Changing too much at once will be discouraging and frustrating.
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    Calories in, Calories out. Start there.

    Baby step your way to the complicated stuff, break it down to manageable pieces and add what you can to your life. Changing too much at once will be discouraging and frustrating.

    ^^Agreed! I "rebel" every time I restrict my diet too much, all at once.
  • laurab834
    laurab834 Posts: 2 Member
    I'm eating loads more now than I ever have before. As I said, I'm trying not to go below my BMR which is 1680 but that's 400-800 calories more than I normally aim for. I know I need to boost my metabolism so I'm hoping this'll help.

    I'm current eating porridge made with half milk half Greek yoghurt, topped with banana for breakfast. A handful of almonds and grapes mid morning. A whole meal wrap with tuna and lots of salad and seeds for lunch. And dinner is chicken or chick peas with quinoa or bulgar wheat and a whole load of vegetables. I am also having a mid afternoon protein shake to get my calories and protein proportion up.

    I've always eaten loads of vegetables, that's not a problem. I'm just finding it difficult to get a better protein ratio as I'm not a huge huge meat or fish eater and the suggested alternatives are very carb-y!
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