Looking for guidance

lisamichellegabrielle
lisamichellegabrielle Posts: 9 Member
in Getting Started
Really new to this and on day 6. Obviously I am not good at loosing weight or I wouldn't need to loose 95 pounds now. I could use some help:

1) I am starting by tackling food and calories instead of being overwhelmed with food, exercise, specific avoidance of types of foods (carbs, dairy, sugar etc...) as long as I am in my goal of MFP areas. Once I got this under control I will add other aspects since I will be at this for a long time. Is this a good method or am I totally wrong?

2) I am counting movement that makes me hot, sweat and out of breath as exercise even though it is not for exercise. Example-I scrub my floors by hand once a week, I pulled everything out of the garage then painted the floor and put everything back in. Do these things count of exercise even though they are chores?

3) I read that probiotics are a good idea when trying to loose weight any thoughts on that?

4) LOVE pistachios but CRAP I never realized how many calories they are!!!! What do you think I could replace them with?

Thank you for any and all help!!!

Replies

  • babydaisy81
    babydaisy81 Posts: 218 Member
    I dont have much on the rest of your questions, but I think you're starting out on the right foot with just tracking. There are so many opinions on what and what not to eat, and its overwhelming to say the least! You're on a great start, lets keep at it!

    (And I counted shovelling snow the other day as exercise, damn right I did!)
  • DoctahJenn
    DoctahJenn Posts: 616 Member
    Sounds like you're on the right track! Anything that gets your heart rate up beyond your normal range is exercise, but I really suggest investing in a Heart Rate Monitor if you haven't already to accurately figure out what you're burning. Anything with a chest strap will work. :)
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
    Really new to this and on day 6. Obviously I am not good at loosing weight or I wouldn't need to loose 95 pounds now. I could use some help:

    1) I am starting by tackling food and calories instead of being overwhelmed with food, exercise, specific avoidance of types of foods (carbs, dairy, sugar etc...) as long as I am in my goal of MFP areas. Once I got this under control I will add other aspects since I will be at this for a long time. Is this a good method or am I totally wrong?

    2) I am counting movement that makes me hot, sweat and out of breath as exercise even though it is not for exercise. Example-I scrub my floors by hand once a week, I pulled everything out of the garage then painted the floor and put everything back in. Do these things count of exercise even though they are chores?

    3) I read that probiotics are a good idea when trying to loose weight any thoughts on that?

    4) LOVE pistachios but CRAP I never realized how many calories they are!!!! What do you think I could replace them with?

    Thank you for any and all help!!!

    1) Sounds good! You need to take it at your own pace! Otherwise you're right, overwhelmed could lead to giving up!
    2) If it is any exercise that gets your heart rate up and it isn't something you do everyday, I would log it. But I would get a HRM to make sure you are accurate with your calories burned. You don't want to overestimate.
    3)I don't know too much about probiotics. But IMO, calorie deficit is what makes you lose weight.
    4) I eat pistachios all the time! I just had some an hour ago! lol They are a good source of protein and they have healthy fats that should keep your full. I wouldn't rule them out! Nuts are great! You just have to fit them in your calories.

    How many calories a day do you eat?
  • caitconquersweight
    caitconquersweight Posts: 316 Member
    1) I started exercising before I started counting calories, but I think your method is probably better. I've been back at this for almost two months, and have just now started looking at cutting carbs a bit. The most important thing you can do for weight loss is to track your calories. So once you have that under control, the rest will sort itself out.

    2) Yep, absolutely. I have a heart rate monitor that I wear while cleaning my house. It takes about 1.5 hours to completely clean it, and I end up burning almost 400 calories if I do the mopping and vacuuming. Anything that gets your heartrate up is a good thing.

    3) Probiotics can help aid digestion, and are fine as a supplement, but be careful when someone tells you that a specific vitamin or product will help you lose weight. It's so easy to get sucked into the underbelly of the dieting world. A calorie deficit and adequate exercise will make you lose weight.

    4. Pistachios are so goooooooooooooooooooodddddd. But you're right, the calories are just a bit too high for me. I still eat them sometimes though. Do you like almonds? I LOVE salted, oven-roasted almonds from Aldi. There's also cashews, peanuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts...pretty much any nuts are great. They have protein and healthy fats and are delicious. The only drawback is that all nuts have quite a lot of calories. But since they have the protein and fat, they can help you stay fuller for longer.
  • lisamichellegabrielle
    lisamichellegabrielle Posts: 9 Member
    Okay I am looking for a heart rate monitor on amazon currently, never would have thought of that honestly.
    I did think of a pedometer though is it worth the investment?
    Going to hold off on the probiotics
    Glad I am not totally off track on my beginning methods of tackling this! Glad that others share my love for pistachios but for now I think my calories may go towards a more filling use of calories.

    Thank you soooo much for your guidance! I appreciate it so much!!!
  • glassgallm
    glassgallm Posts: 276 Member
    A heart rate monitor is very helpful because you can use it for many different exercising/workouts, etc. Pedometers sometimes don't register every step, and wouldn't work for cleaning, gardening, etc. All movement is exercise. Walking is also a great way to start.

    Nuts are are great sources of protein and other good things, but you have to control your portions. A kitchen scale to weigh your food portions is extremely helpful.

    In my opinion, you have to make all this a lifestyle change, something you have to do for the rest of your life, adjusting your calorie intake as needed.
  • lcroslin
    lcroslin Posts: 22 Member
    I just wanted to welcome you to MFP. Sounds like you are on the right track. I take probiotics daily but for digestion purposes to maintain a healthy flora blance. It promotes digestive health. Then, the pistachios are a healthy choice just watch the amount you eat. I started last month and I've gotten lots of help from the people here. So good luck and feel free to send me a friend request.
  • lisamichellegabrielle
    lisamichellegabrielle Posts: 9 Member
    Heart Rate Monitor it is!!!! Just deleted the pedometer from my amazon cart. Going to keep researching and will get the HRM as one of my goals and to get off the inevitable plateaus. You all are wonderful!

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