I could use some help...

chevveyproud · April 2015

Hello, I am a young mother of a three year old, my husband recently joined the military and he has lost weight like crazy and looks great. I am trying to do the same for myself now because i want to be the women that i can picture standing at his side, not the way i am now. I weigh around 195

(we currently don't have a scale) I want to start eating healthier and being more active, for multiple reasons. I am a smoker and i am not currently ready to give this up, i know its only going to make things harder for me, but i have always taken the up hill path in life.
Okay for me to get back on track now, eating healthier is hard for me because i am what i call a picky eater, i dont like most of the "healthy recipes" i come across, i love pasta, bread, pretty much anything with carbs, and i am trying to train myself that smaller portions are okay and that they are good for me but when it comes to certain foods im finding that i am having a hard time only eating what i should. I have done this before but it was my sister in-law, mother in-law, and i, we were doing it together we were each others support system. If i would go for something i shouldnt have then one of them would step in to say no. I am at a loss for how to help my self now that i have had that support system and we are now 2000 miles apart and one of them is pregnant.
Exercising... okay this is a completely different subject for me. I have not been very active my whole life. I have always been on the lazy side. I am really trying to change this though, My husband and I have made the agreement that everyday after dinner we would go for a walk. He has no idea its because im trying to "get fit" and loose weight, but along with going for a walk in the evening i want to do some type of at home exercising in the morning but everything i have found i feel like im going to die and its things that i try to do but i cant. Like push ups, i try to but i just cant do them.
So if anyone has any suggestions or advice for me i would greatly appreciate it because i do not want to give up this time. Thank you so much for your time! have a great day!

tulips_and_tea · April 2015

My first thought was, can you "pretend" that you joined the military, too and do whatever he did to lose weight? However, making too many changes at once can be overwhelming, so here's what I'd suggest:

Start walking every evening.

Keep eating the foods you currently eat, but cut down your portions. Serve yourself a serving then put the rest away. When you feel the urge to overdo it on your favorite foods, get up, walk around the house, drink a glass of water, anything for 10 - 15 min. Generally, the urge will pass. Keep searching for healthier replacements until you find things you like.

Start with light body-weight exercises. Jumping right into push-ups is too hard and will make you want to give up. Look up "You are your own gym" and other body weight exercises. Start there.

Once you start making progress physically you may start to want to stop smoking. Then tackle that hurdle. One step at a time.

Sparks_wife2013 · April 2015

I inboxed you

Nyappykim · April 2015

From my personal experience, I agree with eating how you currently are but in smaller portions. That way you don't feel so restricted and can still enjoy your favorite foods. Eventually, you will want to try out other alternatives and find delicious snacks that are low in calorie which will help with your weight loss.

Just like you, I never worked out a day in my life until two months ago. I signed up for the gym and was overwhelmed with all the equipment but stuck to the treadmill. I started off walking for 30 mins 3 times a week and as I got more used to it, I started adding in intervals of running and longer duration as well as 30 mins of weights.

It's all about baby steps. Once you start feeling comfortable, push yourself a bit more!

cathipa · April 2015

What do you like to do and what do you have time for? I see a lot of what you don't like. I also know what its like to have kids and have limited time. I don't go to the gym so I work out at home. I (like many others here) have used Jillian Michaels 30 day shred for exercise and its great because you only need 30 minutes a day. It can help you get on the right track. Walking is great, but make sure its enough that you are breathing heavy. Leisure walks aren't much for exercise.

As far as diet, set your goal for 1 lb per week on MFP. 2 lbs will probably set your calorie goal too low and can lead to binges and giving up. The nice thing about MFP is you can eat what you want, but you need to log it and be truthful. Weigh your food (with a food scale) and try to avoid using "homemade" selections from the food diary. Drink plenty of water (at least 64oz daily).

What ever you do don't be discouraged and negative. Be positive that you will lose. Instead of "I can't" keep trying until you can. Your scale will fluctuate, but don't let it be the only source of your success. Take a before pic and a month later take another one. Changes will be made and may be slow at times, but you didn't gain weight overnight.

Good luck!!

EDIT: Oh yeah I forgot Fitness Blender. google it. Free exercises

TeaBea · April 2015

I agree....."One step at a time." It gets overwhelming when you try to do everything at once.

For me, I don't cut carbs because it's not how I will eat after I've lost the weight. Just watch your portions. To make things less calorie dense I add (non-starchy) veggies whenever I can. Carrots in marinara or chili. Cauliflower (very mild flavor) can be mashed in with potatoes. If you have strong flavored sauces adding certain veggies doesn't change the flavor much.

I like Walk At Home DVDs....this is exercise for beginner's and up to intermediate. You can go at your own pace because there are no "steps" to learn. Bigger arms and higher knees when you are ready.

www.youtube.com/user/walkathomemedia

1nelle · April 2015

I agree 100% what BZAH10 said you have to make small changes. If you do to much at once you are going to give up on something. I also am a smoker i have cut back but i also am trying to lose weight. Just start slow and take your time.We all didnt put weight on over night and it is not going to fall off over night.If you need a friend feel free to add me i will talk to you and try and help i am also down 45lbs and have 55 more to go it just takes time.

bluworld · April 2015

You've put up a lot of road blocks. There are so many can'ts and don't likes in your post.
Start with what you CAN do. You can walk. Find a Leslie Sansone video on you-tube, or a similar walking video, and go from there. Heck, 2 years ago I started with sitting exercise videos. It only took a few weeks to go from that to doing Zumba (very badly).
Start with the veggies you DO like. There has to be some. Eat them in different ways (raw, roasted, steamed). Try a related veg, in a variety of ways. Same with fruit. Adapt recipies to the seasonings you enjoy. My family loves spicy food, heavy on curry or paprika. If you like dill, use that a lot.

Annie_01 · April 2015

As long as you focus only on what is hard for you...it will remain hard.

Try instead...focusing on what you can do.

I love pasta too...lots of pasta. I still eat pasta...just not as often and not such as large of portion that I used to eat.

Try a new vegetable each week...try different ways of fixing them...until you find at least a few that you like.

You don't have to be able to a pushup to be healthy...lost weight...or part of the club. Find something that you can do...such as walking. Go from there...add new stuff later.

Give yourself some credit...YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!

999tigger · April 2015

your#1 priority is to understand and be able to create an accurate consistent calorific deficit. Id forget the exercise until you know how to do this. Its likely to mean weighing and logging all your food. its the basic building block for weight loss. As you say you cna eat smaller portions.

I could use some help...

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