trying to lose 40 pounds

hannahbrookss
hannahbrookss Posts: 12
in Introduce Yourself
well this is introducing yourself so I guess I'm gonna do that lol. my name is hannah i'm 16, and i'm trying to lose 40 pounds! I'm 5'2 and a half now and weigh 160 and I wanna get down to 120. I've been eating well and exercising for about a week now and i feel like i'm off to a good start. I eat between 1000-1300 calories a day and on days I workout I burn 400-500 & do ab workouts and squats. On days I don't, I try to at least go on a brisk walk or I go for a 10 minute run and do abs and squats. I'm trying to eat all natural and no processed, and I cut out all drinks except for water. Mainly, I eat foods like pasta, different kinds of wraps, veggie burgers, fruits, yogurt, etc. It's only been a week but I really hope I can reach my goal!

Replies

  • ladyred2479
    ladyred2479 Posts: 21 Member
    you CAN definitely reach your goal if you keep with the habits you just listed that you are doing right now!! What sort of workouts are you doing??
  • Sunshine2plus2
    Sunshine2plus2 Posts: 1,492 Member
    Hello and welcome! I would not eat less than 1200 calories and eat back at least half your exercise calories! Keep eating right and exercise and it will come off! Remember you didnt put it on overnight and it aint coming off overnight! Now you can do this weight loss the right way and keep the weight off or you can do it the wrong way achieve instant results that only last a short time! Do it right I promise its worth it!! Good luck!
  • Ataraxia81
    Ataraxia81 Posts: 63 Member
    Water is good but be sure to drink some gatorade or other type of sports drink once in a while. It's important to replenish your electrolytes!
  • hannahbrookss
    hannahbrookss Posts: 12
    it depends on the day. if i go to the gym, i'll go on the treadmill, bike, rowing machine & elyptical and when I'm at home I go on the treadmill for 10-20 minutes and go on a 4 mile walk
  • Hodgenska
    Hodgenska Posts: 55 Member
    Sounds like you're doing great already! A lot better than I am. lol I'll send you a friend request; you can add me if you'd like. I need to get back in the swing of this, I've still got some ways to go. Good luck!
  • CherylG1983
    CherylG1983 Posts: 294 Member
    Do not drink gatorade. You do not need to replenish your electrolytes, you don't lose that many unless you're competing in a five-hour triathalon or something! Those things are FULL of sugar. Something like 10 tbsp!

    I would, however, suggest eating more. 1000-1300 cals./day is not enough if you're working out. It seems counterproductive to eat more when you're trying to lose weight, but trust me, as long as it's good food, it works! I was struggling with losing weight for a while, working out everyday and consuming 1200 cals. Now, I try to eat 1500, and the pounds are dropping off!

    I would also suggest cutting back on the pasta. If you're like me, and this seems impossible, find substitutes, like brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta. I prefer quinoa pasta, as the taste and texture is pretty well the exact same as regular pasta. Brown rice pasta can get starchy and gooey.

    Also, for your wraps, try using bibb lettuce to wrap your stuff in instead of a tortilla. This has a few names, it could also be called Boston lettuce or butterhead lettuce. It has big silky leaves and it's perfect for wrapping. Bonus part of the lettuce? When I used to have fajitas, for example, I could only eat two small ones. With the lettuce, I can eat four! And it's just filled with boneless, skinless chicken breast, peppers, onions, and salsa!

    There is a lot of adjustments you can make that will make a huge difference on your weightloss journey. Just remember... stick with it! Don't buckle under the pressure. Within a few weeks of cleaner eating and drinking tons of water, it will be like second nature to you!

    GOOD LUCK!
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    Do the math and find out what you need to have calorie wise to be at a deficit with the exercise factored in. I would only go for 1 to 2 pound loss a week max. If you starve yourself you will eventually break down and need to eat junk. I highly recommend adding cardio in there and my favorite is running but start slowly. Log everything for both food and exercise. I like runtastic app but there are many out there that will sync. Good luck.
  • jsj024519
    jsj024519 Posts: 400 Member
    It is doable. It's all about hard work and dedication!
  • klkateri
    klkateri Posts: 432 Member
    Go ahead and add me too. I'm on here too for a HUGE journey and can use a lot of help too!! I wish I had had this site when I was 16 so I never would have gotten to where I am today!! Congrats on starting your journey!!

    Anyone else on this thread, I could use more support too!! I'm starting to hit a wall and it's making me mad lol!!

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