dont know where to start...
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armywife0424
Posts: 5
hi i just joined and i need to lose about 100 pounds but dont know where to start i was never raised on what are good foods to eat so i dont know the things to stay away from and im a picky eater but would like to know what things are good and how much workout a day do i do and what kind of workout i have a treadmill do i just walk on that like what other things should i do. how do i know how many calories a day i should have? i appreciate all your help in advance. thanks
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Replies
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Use the guided MFP options, they are really good. And just start with calorie counting and walking. You can do this! Feel free to add me as a friend.0
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#1 trick I was told - your healthier foods are normally located on the outer areas of grocery store, the processed, boxed, added sugars, added sodium and not so good food for you is normally in the many aisles of the stores. Fresh fruits and veggies are better than canned or frozen (not that you can't have those, but those normally have more sodium as preservatives and flavor enhancers). Fresh cut (or even frozen without breading and flavors added) meats, fish and chicken, etc. Add your own flavoring, so you can control the addtives. Cheeses, yogurts, milk all have their benefits.
Did you allow MFP to set up your goals? Start reading labels, pre-plan meals and be diverse in your foods, it will make it easier to stay on track, if you don't go to the same foods all the time.
Exercise - and if you have a bad day DON'T give up.
Most important ***WATER***, minimum 8 cups a day - some recommend taking your weight dividing number in 1/2 and that's how many ounces per day.
Good luck and feel free to friend me, if you would like!0 -
Use the guided MFP options, they are really good. And just start with calorie counting and walking. You can do this! Feel free to add me as a friend.
First - HEYA Armywife - welcome to the site and thank you SOOO much for the service that you and your family provide! (your hubby rocks obviously, but the entire family serves so THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
tkcasta is totally on base with her suggestions - The only thing I'll add is the suggestion that it's ALWAYS a good idea to get input from your doc as to what you should do too - providing the info from the guided goals on MFP is a great thing to take to her/him as a starting point
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Walking is a good place to start. When it comes to eating for I like to choose things like fresh fruits, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. And foods that dont have high calories. You can add me as a friend too0
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I'd start by just walking on the treadmill for like 30 mins a day. Drag it to the living room and watch a TV show while you walk. As far as food goes, there are a lot of little things you can do that can lead to big results down the road.
- Make yourself eat something for breakfast, even if it's just a banana or a bowl of cereal.
- Switch from white bread/pasta to wheat. If you're not keen on the texture of wheat, there are some "white wheat" versions that you can use as a transition.
- Switch from soda to tea or water.
The biggest thing for me was just paying attention to portion sizes and making sure I log every thing I eat, even if I know it's not good for me or it might make me go over my calorie goal for the day. Log everything, just start walking on the treadmill. Little steps lead to miles of difference!0 -
When I first started my weight loss journey, I was really uneducated. The only thing I knew for certain was to exercise at least 30 minutes a day so I made that my first goal of exercising at least 3 times a week then I upped it to 4 then 5. I also cut out soda (even diet), anything that started with a c (cookies, candy, chips, chocolate, cream, corn). My only exception to the "c" rule was cottage cheese which I ate everyday and still do. Just make little changes to your current lifestyle and you will be amazed at how simple adjustments can do so much for your overall well being and also the scale! Feel free to add me as a friend or send me a PM if you want any additional information. I've informed myself quite a bit over the past year so I can do my best to help you out. The most important step is that you've joined the MFP community so you're on the right track!0
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It really depends on you! If you arent going to put your gym membership to good use, dont pay for one (by your name you live on or near an installation more then likely, you should have access to the gym on post). I started just walking, every day, exploring my neighborhood more, making a point to take the wicked hills some days (gotta love colorado when I started) I lived ina two story house with a basement, so when I did laundry I made a point to do as many stiar trips as possible to get it done, each load went from the upstairs bedroom to the basement then all the way back up. to get more out of your treadmill at home steadily increase speed and incline, Ive gotten to the point I start at a 3 and most days can make it to a 10 in a 15-20 min walk without hurting, which means I need to up it at a 3.0 pace.
As far as foods, Im a firm believer in dont deprive yourself, but learn what a proper portion is and reduce reduce reduce the bad things until you only crave them periodically. I do give into my cravings so I dont binge. I also made a point to replace one meal (my lunch) with a sald with chicken for protein, as I learned healthier eating and expanded my palate. If you look in the nutrition section there are amazing posts about food. The best things you can do are fruits and veggies, buy raw, and enough for 2-3 days because thats about as long as they stay good (except apples and oranges lol) whole grains, brown rice, you can learn about new grains like quinoa.
As far as calories, if you were honest with MFP they will have set a very good calorie base for you already, if you excercise you are meant to eat more, but again thats a controversial topic, and one where you may have to figure out what works best for you. The more you have to lose the less not eating those calories back seems to effect you, but I dont want to start that debate on here (although I probably just did due to the passion over it)0 -
Watching your calorie intake and exercise ( walking) are the 2 keys I think. You should really check with your doctor before starting any type of diet plan, that is very important. Another great exercise choice is Zumba, it is alot of fun and you meet lots of nice and fun loving people. I have found that high fiber foods, whole grains help me. I slid back for a while and wasn't recording in my daily log, it really made a difference. I'm much more accountable when recording. Different things work for different people, but if you exercise regularly and watch your food intake, you'll be successful. You can do this !! You are a tough gal !!! please feel free to add me as a friend.0
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Walking, either on your treadmill or outside, and following the guidelines MFP gives you after you input your goals are the two best places to start. Track every single morsel of food or beverage that you drink. Make sure to get in your 8 cups of water each day and all of your recommended fruits and veggies. Check out the "Recipes" section of these message boards for some good ideas of healthy things to eat.
I will disagree with one earlier point: frozen fruits and veggies are actually often better, and cheaper, than fresh. Produce loses nutrients the longer it sits after being picked. When frozen, the produce is usually flash frozen within a day of being picked, preserving more nutrients than the produce which is shipped to your local store, sits in the the bin for a few days then sits in your fridge for a few days more. Frozen produce also doesn't get thrown out because it's gone bad. Buy fresh produce in season, when it's cheap and good quality, otherwise frozen is a great alternative.
Stock up on frozen veggies, either single types (broccoli, corn, green beans) or mixed varieties. The mixed kinds are great for cooking. My favorite are those for stir fry. When added to chicken, shrimp or lean beef they make a quick, easy, low calorie (if rice is used sparingly) and cheap dinner.0 -
That's the beauty of MFP, it gives you so much info when you input your data. LOVE IT! Start off with the walking on the treadmill and get yourself into a routine, meaning pick a time of day for you to exercise. I find you wll get it done if you make it a part of your day. As someone else stated, stay out of the center of the grocery store!!!! All you need is in the outside aisles. The inner aisles are full of temptaions! I actually started using a shopping delivery service and have saved money, time, and calories!!!! I don't get to see the tempting items I would buy!
You can do it! Always remember to learn from your mistakes (what made you not exercise on a certain day? or why did you over eat on garbage food another day?), and move forward with the new knowledge! Also remember, it is a journey! It is NOT just about losing weight! You can cut all teh garbage out of your diet but can you amintain the rest of your life like that. Personally I cannot so I cheat daily in small moderations!
Set mini goals so you will be able to reach them fairly quickly to get a taste of success.
Add me as a friend if you'd like!!!!!!0 -
Good luck on your journey! I agree that walking is a great place to start. Just try to get moving for 30-60 minutes a day. It doesn't all have to be at once! And keep challenging yourself to try new things. As far as food goes, it might sound boring but the standard 5 servings of veggies and fruits, switching out all grains for whole grains, avoiding processed foods, and sticking with lean protein choices are probably your best bet. Even if you are a meat eater, you might want to try out some vegetarian cookbooks for ideas. This really helped me learn how to prepare grain dishes and how to incorporate more plants into my diet. My vegetarian cookbooks have been invaluable for helping me learn to really enjoy high fiber, high nutrient foods. Try an online book retailer and look for the books with the best reviews. There are tons out there. The absolute best veggies for you are the ones you'll eat!
One thing that really helped me drop my first 50 lbs was just learning how to enjoy healthier foods and how to incorporate more activity into my daily life. If there are farmer's markets near where you live, try going once or twice a month and pick out at least one new veggie you've never heard of before, then find out how to prepare it when you get home. Learning to love healthy foods is a great first step. If you have a few misses, and don't like the new foods you try, no worries. Just keep trying. Try to replace one food a week with a healthier option, and then keep it in your diet. Drink lemon water instead of soda, learn how to enjoy coffee without cream and sugar, pack a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread instead of hitting up the drive through. Don't like whole wheat bread? Keep trying different ones! There are so many options out there now, it's just a matter of time before you do find the healthy foods you like. Before you know it you won't even be able to eat too many unhealthy foods because they will actually gross you out! I tried to be really strict on my diet at times and that doesn't work so well for me. I find I do best when I have dessert on Sundays, and I allow for a glass of wine a couple of nights a week, and at least one or two of my favorite snack foods a week. With the calorie counting tools on MFP this has been pretty easy to do.
Congratulations on taking the first step toward getting healthy.0 -
I'm Hollycat and I have 100 pounds left to lose too. I've lost 11 so far and I am certain beyond a shadow of a doubt, for the first time in my life, that I will succeed.
Some tips:
Log your food for the day in the morning or the night before. If you plan what you're going to eat that day, you're less likely to waver. If you just have to have an ice cream cone, don't sweat it. Burn it off.
Walk. Anyone can do that and it's one of the best things you can do. Stick your headphones on or find a friend, get some good cushy runners to protect your feet and joints [it's harder on your knees and hips to walk if you're heavy, so good, supportive shoes are a must if you want to avoid unnecessary pain], dress for the weather and go. Log your walking in MFP.
Find some good recipes and don't be afraid to look for and try more when you start getting bored. Changing things up from time to time is good. Some good sites to start with are HungryGirl.com [for those of us who just can't let go of our likes] and SparkRecipes.com. [for those who like it healthier or are working towards it]
Here's a freebie:
Breakfast Burritos - scrambled eggs, diced red pepper, diced onion, diced fresh tomato [seeded, or your tortillas will be soggy], shredded cheddar, 6" WW tortillas. Make a bunch of them on Sunday night, let the scramble mixture cool to room temperature [or your tortillas will be soggy], then place a portion in a tortilla, add some shredded cheddar, wrap in a paper towel, then in waxed paper and refrigerate. When you're ready to have one in the morning, microwave for 45 seconds, open it up, add some salsa, wrap it back up and voila! You're ready to go! Easy peasy. About 209 calories each. I suggest you enter your own 'recipe' in MFP to get the exact calorie count for the ingredients you're using.
Don't allow yourself to be confused by details. For today, go on the knowledge you already have. Don't dismiss what you've already done because you get new info. We're all learning and trying to share our info with like-minded folks. It doesn't mean we can't be acting today on what we know. Do what works for you. Let yourself become the person you want to be, gradually. You don't have to do it all perfectly right now, or ever.
Accept that this is not a temporary solution, but something you're going to have to work at every day for the rest of your life [while allowing yourself the odd slipup, binge, whatever and then forgiving yourself and getting on with it immediately] and you've got it made in the shade!
Good luck!
Hollycat
:flowerforyou:0 -
#1 trick I was told - your healthier foods are normally located on the outer areas of grocery store, the processed, boxed, added sugars, added sodium and not so good food for you is normally in the many aisles of the stores. Fresh fruits and veggies are better than canned or frozen (not that you can't have those, but those normally have more sodium as preservatives and flavor enhancers). Fresh cut (or even frozen without breading and flavors added) meats, fish and chicken, etc. Add your own flavoring, so you can control the addtives. Cheeses, yogurts, milk all have their benefits.
Did you allow MFP to set up your goals? Start reading labels, pre-plan meals and be diverse in your foods, it will make it easier to stay on track, if you don't go to the same foods all the time.
Exercise - and if you have a bad day DON'T give up.
Most important ***WATER***, minimum 8 cups a day - some recommend taking your weight dividing number in 1/2 and that's how many ounces per day.
Good luck and feel free to friend me, if you would like!
hey there thanks for all the great info how do you allow them to set up your goals only thing is i put that tracker on is that preset like it knows that i need to lose 122 i have no idea.0 -
Use the guided MFP options, they are really good. And just start with calorie counting and walking. You can do this! Feel free to add me as a friend.
First - HEYA Armywife - welcome to the site and thank you SOOO much for the service that you and your family provide! (your hubby rocks obviously, but the entire family serves so THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
tkcasta is totally on base with her suggestions - The only thing I'll add is the suggestion that it's ALWAYS a good idea to get input from your doc as to what you should do too - providing the info from the guided goals on MFP is a great thing to take to her/him as a starting point
awww thanks yeah its a tough job but so worth it hubby has been in for 5 years. What exactly are the MFP options? yeah i should make a doctor appt they are just so hard to get on an army post its like you have to make an appt for every little thing. like they send you to the same doctor for everything but to look at your arm you need a certain appt to look at your leg you need a appt for that they just drive me NUTS if that makes any sense.0 -
i saw you had a lot of post.. Honestly I didnt read them all.. but I just wanted to throw out there "eat this not that" books.. THEY are awesome!
Once you start logging in your food, you will learn fast at what fills you up, and what sucks away your cals
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It really depends on you! If you arent going to put your gym membership to good use, dont pay for one (by your name you live on or near an installation more then likely, you should have access to the gym on post). I started just walking, every day, exploring my neighborhood more, making a point to take the wicked hills some days (gotta love colorado when I started) I lived ina two story house with a basement, so when I did laundry I made a point to do as many stiar trips as possible to get it done, each load went from the upstairs bedroom to the basement then all the way back up. to get more out of your treadmill at home steadily increase speed and incline, Ive gotten to the point I start at a 3 and most days can make it to a 10 in a 15-20 min walk without hurting, which means I need to up it at a 3.0 pace.
As far as foods, Im a firm believer in dont deprive yourself, but learn what a proper portion is and reduce reduce reduce the bad things until you only crave them periodically. I do give into my cravings so I dont binge. I also made a point to replace one meal (my lunch) with a sald with chicken for protein, as I learned healthier eating and expanded my palate. If you look in the nutrition section there are amazing posts about food. The best things you can do are fruits and veggies, buy raw, and enough for 2-3 days because thats about as long as they stay good (except apples and oranges lol) whole grains, brown rice, you can learn about new grains like quinoa.
As far as calories, if you were honest with MFP they will have set a very good calorie base for you already, if you excercise you are meant to eat more, but again thats a controversial topic, and one where you may have to figure out what works best for you. The more you have to lose the less not eating those calories back seems to effect you, but I dont want to start that debate on here (although I probably just did due to the passion over it)
yeah i was honest with everything i filled out where do i find out where they tell me how many calories to eat.0 -
the one thing no one mentioned here that seems to by pass alot of people as they begin in its not just about eating better and exercising for a short period of time, but also developingan better lfestyle. you cant work out 30 minutes and day and sit on your butt the rest of it. try parking further at the store taking stairs instead of the elevator occasionally, and just try to get yourself moving more the whole day.0
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If you look at the Food tab on this site, your Food Diary is there. It'll show how many calories you have left for the day, including how many grams of carbs, fat, protein, etc. That's where you'll enter the food you eat, too.yeah i was honest with everything i filled out where do i find out where they tell me how many calories to eat.0 -
Portion size was my big thing, I LOOOOOOVE food and I will just eat and eat and eat and eat and ....well you get the idea. So for me I honestly onlt do 2 things -- I eat less (I cut my food in halves, and eat half. wait a few minutes - finish your glass of water. If you still want food, cut your portion in half again -- this doesnt' apply to veggies, I eat ALL my veggies before I eat any more than half)
And then after I finish my meal, if I normally might have gone to get a boba tea or a cookie or another yummy dessert ...well. I don't. Unless I ate really healthy adn then I get something like nonfat frozen yogurt (PINKBERRY YOU ARE MY GOD) with fresh fruit on top (stay away from candy and cookie type toppings).
I made myself go for a good solid walk every day for about a month. After about a week, I let myself go buy new workout pants and shoes (I needed em). After a month I let myself buy something else for working out.
If 'm still good in another month or so I will probably hook up with a personal trainer I know.
In other words dont' run out adn spend a ton of money - you don't need to. You dont' even need to totally change what you eat - YET (People will disagree with me but this is what I did). I went and ate more or less the same things -- but picked slightly healthier options by eliminating things like mayo, cheese, and choosing wheat over white, veggies/salad over fries/mashed potatoes. And like I said - reduced portion size of those things.
When you are doing good on the LITTLE changes like that - then you can make antoher set of little changes.
*edit* and I meant to give you this - http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php0 -
I needed to lose 101lbs when I started and I told my story in a blog if you would like to read it. It tells what I did. The link is in my signature. Good luck!0
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