How to get going?

charmedparis07
charmedparis07 Posts: 8
in Getting Started
I am having a hard time getting started eating less and moving more, any tips to help?

Replies

  • candy423
    candy423 Posts: 28 Member
    Start with small goals. Pledge to eat not bread nor pop/soda for 7 days. For exercising find a walking away the pound video on you tube. They have a 14 min video for the 1 mile walk. Hope this helps.
  • LisaKaren1106
    LisaKaren1106 Posts: 8
    Me too! I did really well for a while, now I've been slacking again! I cut out caffeine, do you think that's affecting me?
  • millielosesweight
    millielosesweight Posts: 11 Member
    Start by cutting down gradually. If I were you, I would start with fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate...etc. Swap this out for healthier options like more fruit and vegetables. If you want to stay committed it's best if you actually make or buy stuff which you think is genuinely tasty; that way you are more likely to carry it on. For example, (like me) if you don't like salad, don't force yourself to eat it just because it's 'healthy'.

    As for exercise you are just going to have to find the motivation to get going. Again, try out sports and exercise which you find enjoyable. Lots of gyms offer zumba, yoga, aqua aerobics and spinning classes which may be something which you would be interested in.

    In addition, I would say you should add lots of people on here as it's the most motivating thing. People will leave you really sweet comments and it is a great way to urge yourself to keep coming back. If possible, also find someone who you can go through this with so things don't seem so hard and you can have someone to help you when you feel like just eating all the ice cream in the freezer. :) Good luck and feel free to add me. xox
  • Tamigg
    Tamigg Posts: 4
    Just checking to see if you guys are getting my posts. Newbie here!
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Start by logging accurately and honestly, even if you're not currently dieting. This way you can see exactly what you're putting into your body. This will give you an idea of what you need to start doing in order to begin eating at a deficit.
  • Slrajr
    Slrajr Posts: 438 Member
    Track what you eat. Weigh and measure. I did this for about five months before I created a deficit. It felt good to notice how my weight (which I was also tracking) was related to my calorie intake. I was able to confirm my TDEE from my records, and I had proof that what I was putting in my mouth reflected how much I weighed ( not genetics or some other reason that I had no control over). Empowerment is what got me going:)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
  • aprilmayrocks
    aprilmayrocks Posts: 25
    My life coach friend suggested I maintain a routine and stick to it. This is a real challenge for me, but I am trying to plan my morning/day which includes my workouts. My goal is to stick to this routine each day. The idea is that exercising and eating healthy becomes natural as you stick to the routine. It has been said it takes 21 days to create a habit and small daily acts of greatness creates success.

    I am open to matching up with somebody for being accountability partners. Let me know if anyone is interested in this.

    Thanks
    April
  • haleycreations
    haleycreations Posts: 89 Member
    Well I started looking at why I wanted to get in shape, asking myself one important question "WHY". I decided that it was for my girls and that I wanted to be around for them to graduate and get married and hopefully one day grandkids. Once I committed to that I chose to follow Insanity, and then P90X and proceeded to lose 60 lbs and 10 1/2" on my waist in the first 120 days. I just had to make the chose to when I went out with friends that I would stick to the plan that I had put into place for myself.

    Before I started I had high blood pressure, High Cholesterol, Major depression, and High levels of Anxiety taking medications everyday and at times saying I don't want to do this so I would stop taking them which you all know is and was bad for me. I then started the programs and felt a different release of energy that I had not felt before and wanted to keep that feeling going. I soon was able to stop the Medications for better reasons since all levels were normal again. I still take the medications for depression and anxiety because it is a chemical imbalance that I will always have to take but not for reasons previously described.

    With this I soon decided to be a coach with Beachbody wanting to share all my results with others and that anyone can do it if you put your mind to it and commit. I have since completed two rounds of Insanity and 2 rounds of P90X and have moved onto other now keeping the weight off for the most part. I used to be a size 40 inch waist and now I am a size 34" not where I want to stop but really a big improvement. I also drink a meal replacement shake everyday for lunch at work which helps control my cravings and helps me not want to just snack all the time instead of going out and spending money on something that is not good for me. It will never be a get quick slim program by any means but it is a healthier lifestyle that I am trying to show for my daughters. I hope this helped anyone that wants to read this

    Robert
  • DancingJester
    DancingJester Posts: 76 Member
    It can be really hard to 'get in the zone' i tried for almost 2 years before i actually stuck at it and lost something. oddly enough i lost my first pound unintentionally. i was away with friends for my bday and even tho i drank about 100 cocktails and ate a lot because i moved around so much i lost weight. just that 1lb made me determined. So just work really hard to lose the first bit then it'll be easier to carry on. I focused of calories mainly, go slowly, begin on 1900 then every 3 days or so go down 100 until you got to your aim. Work it out with this:
    http://caloriecount.about.com/tools/calories-goal
    I go on calories a week so 1200 is 8400 a week, this way you can alternate between what you eat so your metabolism doesn't get used to it.
    I will say however that this time of year is really hard to lose anything so I'm on 1500 till xmas day then i stop dieting until new year. And I've lost 27lb so far so you shouldn't feel bad for waiting until then.

    Try and fine a physical activity you like. i recommend swimming as it is less strain on your body and you burn more calories swimming than you do running.
  • angelicamendoza2
    angelicamendoza2 Posts: 71 Member
    I have started time after time and fallen short on the third day or so.. I cut all the sugar and starch trying to go big or go home so to speak and it never works out for me.. This time I have committed to walking at least 3 times a week and minimizing portion size to start off. So far so good.. I am on day 10 I don’t feel like I am on a diet and I am down 5 pounds..
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    I started with small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work and skipping the hot chocolate I was previously drinking every morning. Little things like that don't make a whole lot of difference on their own, but they add up when you continue to make new changes. Don't try to change everything all at once. That's so overwhelming that you're likely to give up.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I am having a hard time getting started eating less and moving more, any tips to help?

    You'll know you're ready when you just "start".
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Don't over complicate it. Start by tracking your food. Don't drastically change your diet to start with as that'll just put you off. Start by reducing your portion sizes to hit your calorie goals and introduce some light exercise like walking. You can then look to changing any food choices and upping exercise at a later date. just get the basics down first.
  • tomwatso
    tomwatso Posts: 1,304 Member
    i use MFP and I also use a diet minder journal. It makes you think about what one consumes.
  • ProjecThinspiration
    ProjecThinspiration Posts: 64 Member
    Slow and steady.
    just make small gradual changes because if you run into it, you'll tire yourself out very very fast and will give up easily..
    introduce working out first, because I find once that is good, the food choices will come and you'll want to eat healthier.
    Make sure you keep your carbs and fats in check.
    I've found that since I've learnt about reading labels its been easier to know what I can't and can consume. Plus I'm liking that I can eat SO MUCH MORE healthy food compared to having one McD's burger.
  • Jericamyfitnesspal
    Jericamyfitnesspal Posts: 2
    Start by logging accurately and honestly, even if you're not currently dieting. This way you can see exactly what you're putting into your body. This will give you an idea of what you need to start doing in order to begin eating at a deficit.

    This is the fastest way to make yourself accountable for well.. yourself. Before I started doing this I didn't actually realize how many calories I was consuming. The extra scoop of sour cream or creamer in your coffee makes a difference. I started experimenting with healthy cooking recipes and found a few I really liked and it helped me stay on track. Sometimes it helps to keep me motivated when I buy a new workout outfit. If you feel like you look good it makes you want to work harder.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    I am having a hard time getting started eating less and moving more, any tips to help?

    Tips depend on why you're finding it hard. If it's a matter of sticking to old habits, you need to make new ones: work out a routine for moving more and stick to it for at least 30 days. If it's a matter of feeling like you don't have enough time, keep a time diary for a week and figure out what you do that you could cut back on to make time for exercise.

    If you get hungry between meals and snack, try to get more fat and protein in your meals (they're digested more slowly than carbohydrates). If you eat too much at meals, try using smaller plates, take smaller portions, and eat slowly; sometimes people eat too much because they chow down and then take seconds before they get the signal that they're no longer hungry.

    Beneath all the tips, though, you have to want to lose weight badly enough to put up with the inconveniences. A lot of people want to have lost weight, but far fewer want to lose weight - that is, to put in the hard work that weight loss requires, especially because it will be quite a while before that hard work pays off.
  • bobkat80
    bobkat80 Posts: 347 Member
    I plan my meals and put them into MFP the night before. Then I know exactly what I am eating the next day and don't get sidetracked from my calorie goal. I also have my food spread out during the day. If I eat too much too early I end up getting hungry later in the day, so I try to even it out.

    I also like the walking videos on youtube. They helped me get started with walking indoors. Of course now that we are getting snow I am getting my daily exercise shoveling it!
  • jlar09
    jlar09 Posts: 99
    Eat three pieces of cake instead of one and then be horrified of the fact that that wasn't an abnormal occurance. That's how I got going.

    Also, two weeks before I started officially counting calories, I cut out sugar and all sodas. Breaking myself from a steady stream of real and fake sugars helped me quite a bit.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I plan my meals and put them into MFP the night before. Then I know exactly what I am eating the next day and don't get sidetracked from my calorie goal.

    I mostly do this, too, with a double check against the pantry to make sure I actually have what I think I'm going to eat. :)
  • charmedparis07
    charmedparis07 Posts: 8
    Thanks I will start doing the night before thing and try to get in more exercises,
    thanks for all the tips
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Watch one of those programmes about the lifestyle of a very morbidly obese person and think that you wouldnt want to be like that. Then go for a jog.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    I am having a hard time getting started eating less and moving more, any tips to help?

    I found that starting an exercise program that had a set duration and schedule and tracked missed days helped motivate me to move.

    In my case, it was EA Sports Active 2 for the PS3, and YourShape Fitness Evolved on the Xbox. They both had routines that had set goals for number of days a week, and they also had planned routines, so I would just log in and it would have my exercises lined up.

    MFP served as the motivation to eat less (and move more, to a point as I ate back my exercise calories). I logged everything whenever I possibly could, even days where I went over, and found it kept me accountable to myself.
  • nccarolb
    nccarolb Posts: 858 Member
    As others said, go ahead and log everything you eat. I found out the hard way that a Sonic burger (regular #1 burger alone) had 750 calories. That horrified me so much that it made it easy for me to avoid Sonic after that. I, too, typically enter my food the night before so that I know what I'm going to eat and don't make poor choices because I get too hungry and tired and just stuff my face with what I lay my hands on. It helps me to know that if I do pig out on something unhealthy, I will end up with nothing but a bowl of plain lettuce for dinner.
  • jelineee
    jelineee Posts: 81 Member
    Exercise in the morning so that you won't have an excuse not to. Plus after a good workout you will be less inclined to eat unhealthily. And make sure you stay hydrated.

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