I need a diet and workout plan that works

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Missycvt
Missycvt Posts: 422 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Can someone help me make a healthy, balanced diet and workout plan? I'm 5'3 CW 180...goal weight is 140.
I currently am working out at the gym 5 days a week. STTH Cardio- 30 minutes treadmill interval walk/jog...30 mins elliptical. MW 30 minute circuit (PF). I eat chicken breast, baked fish, veggies...fruit... subway...drink lots of water. I feel like after I exercise I have burned all the calories I've eaten and I'm not eating enough. I just started last week and I'm very motivated because I want to be healthier and I want to fit into my old jeans and look and be fit. I used to weigh 135 when I got married 5 years ago. I've put on over 40 pounds.
Basically, I feel like I am not doing this right even though I just started. I need someone to help guide me with a steady meal plan and workout routine so that I won't get discouraged. Thank you for reading my post. I appreciate anyone's help!
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Replies

  • lisawadeson
    lisawadeson Posts: 11 Member
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    which country are you in
  • Missycvt
    Missycvt Posts: 422 Member
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    lisawadeson wrote: »
    which country are you in

    United States.
  • Missycvt
    Missycvt Posts: 422 Member
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    There are so many workout plans and meal plans that I don't know which one to choose? Are there specific ones for specific people? Specifically for weight loss and muscle building? I think I am overwhelmed with the amount of information out there and I really can't get a personal trainer/nutritionist so that's why I'm asking for help here.
  • Missycvt
    Missycvt Posts: 422 Member
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    I feel like I'm not balancing my food and exercise this is where I'm stuck. I really would like to know what weight machines to use and perhaps what foods to eat.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    You can eat any foods. The only general recommendation for food that is important for most people is: get more protein and eat your vegetables.
    Stay within the calories given.
    Do a progressive resistance program for exercise. If you enjoy weight lifting, lift weights. Preferably free weights. Compound movements (stuff like benchpress, deadlifts and so on). Progressive = increase weights if possible (i.e. you can lift more without your form suffering).
    If you don't enjoy weight lifting, don't lift weights. Bodyweight exercises are a thing. But make it progressive if you want to add muscle mass. Being able to do 100 pullups is impressive but your muscles stopped really growing from them when you were able to do 25 or so. So any regime you find that only has you do a fix set of exercises is no good. If it tells you to add weight or switches to different, harder exercises after a while that's what you want.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Missycvt wrote: »
    There are so many workout plans and meal plans that I don't know which one to choose? Are there specific ones for specific people? Specifically for weight loss and muscle building? I think I am overwhelmed with the amount of information out there and I really can't get a personal trainer/nutritionist so that's why I'm asking for help here.
    You don't need a trainer or nutritionist. You don't have to choose a meal plan. You compose your own meal plan. The only specific thing for weight loss is "calorie deficit". The calorie number MFP gave you, provides your own personal calorie deficit. You fill your food diary with what you (intend to) eat. That is your meal plan. To build muscle, you need enough protein and resistance training.
    Missycvt wrote: »
    I feel like I'm not balancing my food and exercise this is where I'm stuck. I really would like to know what weight machines to use and perhaps what foods to eat.
    You eat food you like, and you move your body. If you feel great, have energy, good mood, you're eating and training well. If you really can't tell if you are eating well, you can track macros. A balanced macro split is a marker for a good diet. But there are several macro splits that can work, so you're really back to square one: You have to figure out what works for you, and you have to do it yourself. If you eat some fruit and vegetables, and some whole grains, and not too much meat if you eat meat, and - this is important - don't let yourself get overwhelmed and confused by everything you read, you'll have a much better outcome. Maybe read a little less, and pay a little more attention to your own needs, without getting obsessed with either. It's a balancing act. Just like life is supposed to be.
  • ldwatene
    ldwatene Posts: 150 Member
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    Stick to basics. A good friend once told me...

    "Weightloss starts in the kitchen."

    Eat less calories than you burn in a day and you will lose weight. Set your goals in this app and log everything you eat. Hit your goals and time will do the rest.

    "Good health and well being is achieved in the gym."

    If you want to be stronger lift weights. If you want to improve general health. Do cardio.

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    The right way to do the food is to weigh all of it and log it accurately in your food diary. That way you can have certainty about your calorie intake and you won't have to 'feel like' anything.

    The right way to do the exercise is like stevencloser said.

    Logging exercise is a bit tricky. If your cardio workout uses a machine and the machine claims a calorie burn, log that but try not to eat all of the calories you earn from it because it may be very inaccurate. If your cardio work does not use a machine which claims a calorie burn, you can use an electronic gadget to count your steps or monitor your heart rate to get an inaccurate estimate of your calorie burn. If you don't have any gadget, you can still find various web sites which offer to calculate your calorie burn from various exercise activities. The point about all of this is that these methods are inaccurate and you have to pay attention to your weight change over time in context of your best efforts at logging your food and your exercise.

  • paulwatts747
    paulwatts747 Posts: 60 Member
    edited June 2017
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    I would suggest you try to get your sugar intake as low as possible, in addition to logging your calories honestly and as accurately as possible using MFP. Also if you are entering exercise calories, try not to eat what you earn from exercise.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,131 Member
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    paulwatts747 wrote: »
    I would suggest you try to get your sugar intake as low as possible, in addition to logging your calories honestly and as accurately as possible using MFP. Also if you are entering exercise calories, try not to eat what you earn from exercise.

    Why? MFP is set up with the intention of you eating back your calories from exercise otherwise you're creating a bigger deficit than intended.

    Also sugar doesn't make you fat, eating too much food does, so lowering sugar intake isn't going to make someone magically lose weight.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    Weighing, measuring and logging works, as long as you stick to your deficit. Losing weight doesn't require special food or a special exercise program. Move more, eat less.
  • paulwatts747
    paulwatts747 Posts: 60 Member
    edited June 2017
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    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

    Why? MFP is set up with the intention of you eating back your calories from exercise otherwise you're creating a bigger deficit than intended.

    Also sugar doesn't make you fat, eating too much food does, so lowering sugar intake isn't going to make someone magically lose weight.

    The calorie allowances for exercise are too generous, I have found. MFP allows over 1000 calories for cycling at 19-23km/hr for 75 minutes at 123kg, whereas a heart monitor indicates just under 500. Possibly the truth is somewhere in between. You kinda work out where you stand after a while, depending how much you are losing. But I definitely would not rely on MFP exercise allowances, or those from gym machines either, when starting out. If wanting to eat your MFP exercise allowance, I would suggest halving it.

    Sugar (fructose) overrides the body feeling full. Alcohol (fermented sugar) likewise. Consuming lots or even moderate amounts of sugar makes it much harder to stick to a calorie limit. And it is empty calories.

    I've lost 19kg in well under three months, which I wouldn't have thought possible. This is what has worked for me.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited June 2017
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    paulwatts747 wrote: »
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

    Why? MFP is set up with the intention of you eating back your calories from exercise otherwise you're creating a bigger deficit than intended.

    Also sugar doesn't make you fat, eating too much food does, so lowering sugar intake isn't going to make someone magically lose weight.

    The calorie allowances for exercise are too generous, I have found.

    Sugar overrides the body feeling full. Alcohol likewise. Consuming lots of sugar makes it much harder to stick to a calorie limit.

    I've lost 19kg in well under three months, which I wouldn't have thought possible. This is what has worked for me.

    This is why it is often suggested to start off eating only 50% of exercise calories back, and gauge your results from there.

    OP - if you work out a lot, you definitely want to be sure you're fueling your body properly. That means eating back at least some, if you are using the MFP method.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    stevencloser wrote: »
    You can eat any foods. The only general recommendation for food that is important for most people is: get more protein and eat your vegetables.
    Stay within the calories given.
    Do a progressive resistance program for exercise. If you enjoy weight lifting, lift weights. Preferably free weights. Compound movements (stuff like benchpress, deadlifts and so on). Progressive = increase weights if possible (i.e. you can lift more without your form suffering).
    If you don't enjoy weight lifting, don't lift weights. Bodyweight exercises are a thing. But make it progressive if you want to add muscle mass. Being able to do 100 pullups is impressive but your muscles stopped really growing from them when you were able to do 25 or so. So any regime you find that only has you do a fix set of exercises is no good. If it tells you to add weight or switches to different, harder exercises after a while that's what you want.

    All of this! Additionally, your diary is not open, so it is hard to take a look and advise. You've only been back at this 1 week if I'm reading correctly? Relax, make a couple of minor adjustments and give it some time.

    As far as a meal plan and exercise plan, the best advice I've ever heard is: the best meal plan and workout routine for you are the one you will enjoy enough to stick with. There is a great thread here about setting up your food plan for yourself. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

    This is how to construct it. What foods are totally up to you. Again, eating what you enjoy and will stay with is the best plan.

    Both cardio and resistance training are beneficial. Cardio for calorie burn and overall health. Resistance training to develop your muscle structure and give you a nicely shaped body. As you've discovered, excess cardio can up the hunger factor.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
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    I agree--you are complicating things. You need to know your daily calorie goal and stay within it everyday. Be consistent. Eat what you like--everyone needs to experiment to find out what keeps them fuller. Be accurate--a digital food scale is an excellent tool. Exercise regularly and there again, try different things to see what you like and what works. Eat enough to fuel your workouts. Many people try to cut their calories as low as possible, and wind up with no energy. The trick is to eat as much as you can and still lose. Good Luck.
  • carolfessler
    carolfessler Posts: 2 Member
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    I have been following the calories and nutrition amounts for 50 days now. I have lost 13 lbs. It does work. I don't eat too much of the extra calories it gives for the exercise. Also a couple of times I went over on fat and carbs and I gained weight. So I found the amounts MFP gives is important. I stressed about it at first, but now it becoming a habit :)
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    I never chose a "plan."

    Diet: food I like within my calorie goal, gradually tweaking for nutrition and satiety as I see fit (before: lots of fast food and Lean Cuisine. I lost weight on that. Now: lots of salmon, eggs, yogurt, nuts and vegetables. Occasional fast food. Always making room for sweets. It didn't evolve to that in a day and it doesn't have to.)

    Exercise: whatever I feel like doing on a regular basis. For pretty much the first two years it was nothing but walking. Now I've built myself up to running and bodyweight exercises (I can almost do a whole push-up! Yay!).

    I've been plenty successful.

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