I need a diet and workout plan that works
Missycvt
Posts: 422 Member
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!
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
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which country are you in
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lisawadeson wrote: »which country are you in
United States.1 -
Eat what you like, aim to get in plenty of variety, log your food intake and hit the calorie goal MFP gave you.
Stay active.
Yes, that's all there is to it.
We often want to overcomplicate things, but I think that's just something that contributes to being discouraged, because we get overwhelmed. To succeed, we have to accept the feeling of "underwhelm", the ordinary, non-glamorous daily effort that is the true nature of permanent weight management and healthy eating.18 -
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.0
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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.0
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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.4 -
Ordinarily I would never give specific advice on something so personal, but since you asked
I'm a fan of free weights. Weight machines can be useful - in particular cable machines for rowing - but I would rather do squats and deadlifts than use a leg machine, for example. There's some evidence that heavier lifting with fewer reps is better for losing weight and conserving muscle than lots of cardio.
I can't help but notice your list is mostly classic "diet" foods like chicken breast and baked fish. There's no law that says you have to eat only boring food in order to lose weight. Chicken thighs taste better than breasts, have more iron, and the difference in calories isn't that much. Pork tenderloin is surprisingly low calorie. The main thing, though, is to look at the food you enjoy eating. Those are the foods you need to incorporate into your diet in order for it to work long term. Figure out what you like about the food that made you overweight in the first place, and how to get the same enjoyment from healthier choices. In my case, that means dark chocolate, berries, Greek yogurt, steak at least once a week, roasted vegetables - but your list of favorites will look different.
What I suggest is add some fun foods you enjoy to your list, cut back on all that cardio and up the intensity so you have more time to enjoy life, and add some strength training.
Most importantly, remember you're doing a great job just by making the decision to get healthy! There's no "doing it wrong," you are doing it right, and you will figure out what works best for you as you see the results on your own body going forward.10 -
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.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 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.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.2 -
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.
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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.
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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.0
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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.4 -
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.2
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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.
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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.2 -
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.
Way to unnecessarily confuse someone who already had a lot of misinformation thrown at her!
Getting sugar intake as low as possible- not necessary. Sugar doesn't cause weight gain, too many calories cause weight gain. If sugar is something OP struggles to moderate, then she may want to cut back, but judging from her list of current "diet" foods I think she could benefit from some more flexibility not more restriction.
Logging calories accurately and honestly - yep, definitely. Ideally using a food scale.
Not eating back exercise calories - also bad advice. MFP is set up to create the deficit with no exercise factored in. Some people find the exercise burns inflated and as such, start by eating back only about 50% of the calorie adjustments, but to blanketly dismiss them is not how this tool was designed and could lead to underfueling an individual, lead to burnout, etc.
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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.2 -
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.2
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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
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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.3 -
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. 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.
I have eaten moderate amounts of sugar throughout my weight loss, like many other successful posters here, I have had no problems losing weight or sticking to my deficit. Please don't assume that just because you've chosen to do something and it has helped you to stick to a deficit, that it's necessary for weight loss.
As for exercise you do not know how OP is calculating her calorie burns so shouldn't just give blanket advice to say don't eat any calories burned through exercise, yes MFP database calorie burns can be exaggerated for some but that is easily determined after a couple of weeks of accurate food logging and reviewing the rate of weight loss. OP is fairly active and needs to fuel that activity by eating at least some of them back..3 -
Don't make things so complicated you have no chance of succeeding. The problem with those meal plans is what if you don't like those foods? What if you don't feel like eating whatever you are supposed to eat that specific day? What if you don't want to spend a lot of money eating some crazy thing the plan says you're supposed to eat that day?
Eat the foods you like at a calorie deficit.
Find some activity you enjoy and do that.4 -
Ready2Rock206 wrote: »Don't make things so complicated you have no chance of succeeding. The problem with those meal plans is what if you don't like those foods? What if you don't feel like eating whatever you are supposed to eat that specific day? What if you don't want to spend a lot of money eating some crazy thing the plan says you're supposed to eat that day?
Eat the foods you like at a calorie deficit.
Find some activity you enjoy and do that.
QFT
I've been having great results by admitting to myself that there were certain foods I liked that I wasn't going to give up (cut back on, yes; cut out, no), keeping to a deficit, and slowly stepping up my exercise. For cardio, I walk or use a fitness glider. For strength training, I have a book of exercises that includes workouts of different skill levels and intensities. I either do a full-body workout of that every other day or, if I think I need a change, the book includes some cardio-and-dumbbell interval workouts (not strenuous enough to be HIIT; I log them as light calisthenics).
No gym membership, no 'named' diet. I mean, I'm a kosher ovo-lacto vegetarian, but other than that, no restrictions. I work to hit my protein and iron RDAs, but it's more like looking at my diary page and realizing that if I have a couple of hundred calories to play with, two veggie dogs will give me 16 grams of protein and 30% of my RDA, one piece of string cheese will give me 8 and zero, 30 grams of dry cereal will give me 1 and 30. And then I look at my daily totals and decide. There's no 'reduce dairy' or 'low carb' imperative.
The closer your eating and activity are during weight-loss to what you want them to be when you've reached your goal, the likelier you are to keep the weight off.
And treats aren't necessarily cheats.1 -
Sounds like you would benefit from a reputable trainer instead of the random and varied opinions here. Some of them are good, some not at all0
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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.
This is horrible advice. If you don't have a medical reason to limit sugar then it isn't going to make a difference. There is no need to get it as low as possible. Many on here don't even track sugar. If you eat nothing but sugary foods with little nutritional value then you will probably be hungry a lot, but there is no reason to completely cut sugar out or get it as low as possible. Fruit is good for you and it has sugar. And if you are using mfp to get your calorie goal then you should be eating back at least a portion of your exercise calories. The only reason you might not want to eat them all is because they are estimates and they may not be accurate.
Your best bet is to eat foods you like that keep you full and fit your calorie goal. And find exercise that you enjoy and will stick with.3 -
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. 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.
This is why most people say to start by eating back half of your exercise calories. I always ate back ~70-90% or more of my exercise calories and I did not limit sugar (other than staying at my deficit). I never had trouble sticking to my deficit and I lost over 70 pounds. There is nothing wrong with eating moderate amounts of sugar and cutting sugar as low as possible is not necessary. And telling someone not to eat back any of their exercise calories is not good advice. Especially when she has already said that she feels like she is exercising off all of the calories she eats and does not feel like she is eating enough. Maybe this has worked for you, but it isn't good advice for most people. Lots of things will work for 3 months. But it is more important to find something that will work for the long run.1
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