New to mfp and need suggestion

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jakdak24
jakdak24 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hi my name is Melissa and I live near niagara falls ontario. I am 31years old and had a starting weight of 215 pounds (yucky) Anyways i have never worked out a day in my life up until three weeks ago. I joined the ymca and i do at least 1 1/2 hr of cardio a day. I recently started including weight training. I have only lost a total of 6-7 pounds. I am very healthy and i know this because for the last year i have been going through pre-transplant testing to give one of my best friends a kidney. On december 12th the doctor told me i am a perfect match but i need to bring my bmi down to 35 ( approx 10 pounds) in order to adhere to the kidney foundations guidelines (ive lost 6-7) . I actually really enjoy working out and pushing myself. Im looking for some healthy tips to lose the most amount of weight in the shortly period of time. I have drastically changed my diet , no soda , junk food, avoiding salt and cut coffee intake. I'm confused on alot of things like do i have to eat more? should you do weights and cardio on the same day? Now that ive starting working out i like it alot and i want to shoot for a weight of 150 i know it is a lot but with helpful hints im sure i can do it. How many calories should i be eating on average i burn 600-800 at the gym each day ( i do take one day off a week) and i drink at least 6 bottles of water a day.

Replies

  • sk2775
    sk2775 Posts: 703 Member
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    Welcome to MFP. It is nice to see another Canadian on this site. I am originally from Toronto and moved down to Miami last year for work.
    That is totally amazing that you are in the process of getting ready to donate your kidney to your friend. You can totally do this. I started at the weight of 220 pounds in March 2011 and now I am down at 157.5 and I have about 17.5 more to go. You are on the right track. The 1st step is to start eating healthy (by avoiding soda and junk food etc) and start moving...all of which you have now began to do. Keep at it.
    Couple of suggestions and answers to your question:
    1) I generally wouldn't do weights and cardio on the same day. It is nice to mix things up a bit so you are constantly changing your workout which is really good to keep the weight loss going. If you are planning to do both on the same day, it has been suggested by others that it is best to do weights first and then cardio afterwards. When I do both weights and cardio on the same day, I generally end up doing weights in the morning and then do cardio at the end of the day.
    2) It is a good think that you take one day off. It is good to give your body a day to recover.
    3) Follow what MFP has suggested for the amount of calories per day based on how much weight you want to lose each week. There is a huge debate of if you should eat back your exercise calories or not. To see more about it, you can search in this message board for people's thoughts. I have generally not eaten back my exercise calories and this has worked for me whereas couple of my friends on this site have eaten back their exercise calories and have done really well in their weight loss. Everyone is different so you need to see what works the best for you.
    4) Totally awesome that you drink so much water. Keep at it. This is one of the hardest thing for me to do and I am constantly working on this.

    Other suggestions:
    Read the message boards, expecially the success stories. Add as many friends as possible and use them as your motivation to help you on this journey. Good luck and feel free to add me as a friend.
  • LaBlue24
    LaBlue24 Posts: 7 Member
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    Hi! Welcome to MFP! Reading the boards will help keep you motivated. A great place for nutrition resources is www.choosemyplate.gov, it follows the USDA Guidelines. It is healthy to lose just a few pounds of week and with a slower loss it will be easier to maintain. You didn't gain it all over night, so don't expect to lose it all as fast.... it goes on a lot faster than it comes off, sadly :(
    Mix it up. Look online (self.com, livestrong.com, shape.com, fitness.com, sparkpeople.com) for workout tips and ideas. If you like the treadmill, try doing some hill climbs, etc.
    I think it is safe to do weights and cardio in the same day, just be sure to give your muscles a rest in between, like don't lift arms two days in a row.
    ALWAYS EAT BREAKFAST! Have a wholesome breakfast that includes fiber and protein to keep you fuller longer... lean oatmeal, oatmeal or whole wheat toast with peanut butter, add fruit and a glass of skim milk :)
    Snack sensibly when you are hungry, on fresh fruits and veggies... do not let yourself get really hungry your you'll go crazy overboard.

    Congrats on conquering your lifestyle change! Keep it up!!!
  • jakdak24
    jakdak24 Posts: 2
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    Thank for all the tips! It's good to know that im headed down the right path even though i didnt know exactly what i was doing ;)

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