Someone point me in the right direction.. PLEASE!!

AshleyMack0
AshleyMack0 Posts: 5
edited December 24 in Introduce Yourself
I'm Ashley.I'm 24 years old and I live in a small town in Mississippi. . I've recenlty decided its time to get up and change my lifestyle.. I have gained around 50-60lbs since 2008. I have no idea where to get started.. i know i need to eat right and exercise.. my problem is, i work 6days a week in a office setting. So, junk food has been my best friend. If anyone wants to help me get started on my weight loss journey i would greatly appreciate it, I see so many success stories on here and i'd like to eventually have mine on here too!

Replies

  • desireehook
    desireehook Posts: 2 Member
    Hi Ashley. Can you bring lunch to work? If your really busy you can buy frozen smart ones meals that count the calories for you. They just require a microwave. But if you could bring a salad for lunch and maybe a yogurt or fruit thatd be the best. For breakfasts try to make a low fat omlette or have sugar free instant oatmeal and a piece of fruit. Then dinner drink a big glass of water and maybe a salad. Use smaller plates and have lean protein. Try taking vitamins as well. If you dont have time to workout try moving constantly all day and get up at work and walk or stand as much as you can. Drink drink drink your water. Your skin will glow and it will help you stay full rather then snacking. Count your calories go to a calorie calculator on google and fill it out. it will help you know how much to eat. Good luck and stay in touch
  • cavegrl140
    cavegrl140 Posts: 19
    Hi Ashley,

    I'm willing to help you out with what has worked for me. Personally, I'm a Paleo kinda girl which ultimately leads to a low carb lifestyle given that I don't eat any grains at all. I have been very creative with recipes and have found a multitude of websites that have rocked my world!

    What got me started was watching a documentary during the last weekend of September, 2011, called "FatHead" and it really got me thinking. From there I started listening to lectures by Dr. Robert Lustig, (an endocrinologist and childhood obesity expert from UCLA), Gary Taubes and others. I sort of went at this lifestyle as a "last resort" because I have lived the high fibre, low fat diet for 20 years since I was a chubby teenager and I have KILLED myself with exercise, (we're talking 7 days a week here), and yet I held on to 23 extra pounds. As soon as I switched over, I dropped those 23 pounds within 2 months and weighed the least I had since I was 12. Amazing. And I no longer kill myself with exercise. I work out 4 times a week max.

    Here's the funny thing... I recently did an experiment to see how grains and sugar affect me. Apparently not well given that in 3 weeks of allowing myself to have 2 servings of grains a day plus 3-4 servings a week of something sweet, I gained back 6 pounds. I almost choked this morning when I weighed myself. However, I'm not going to worry about it or cry. I know what I need to do. So back I came to MFP to track my food, (see what I'm putting in that's high carb and sugar content), and 6 pounds will be gone in a few weeks I'm certain.

    Do you know what blood type you are? I'm an O and from what I've read, Os are not very carb tolerant which explains a lot. I am also predisposed to be diabetic as it runs in my family, but I do wonder if this hasn't been self inflicted in my family given the eating habits...

    If you are interested in learning how I eat, I suggest marksdailyapple.com for starters and I highly recommend FatHead on Netflix under documentaries. From there, lectures by Dr. Robert Lustig on YouTube are fascinating. I'm here for any questions you might have :) Feel free to friend me!

    25734920.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • AshleyMack0
    AshleyMack0 Posts: 5
    Thank you so much for the advice!! I started my "journey" tuesday July 3rd. I've had Fruit (bananas or watermelon) and a Nutri-grain bar for breakfast everyday. (not sure if thats good, but its alot better than what i have been having for breakfast) then at lunch i've been eating different Lean Pockets (just one) for dinner I have either ate another lean pocket or i cooked a healthy meal at home. I will have to invest in the smart one meals. I am just worried that i'll get tired of eating the same thing.... I know that sounds crazy but thats exactly what has discouraged me in the past
  • AshleyMack0
    AshleyMack0 Posts: 5
    Hi Ashley,

    I'm willing to help you out with what has worked for me. Personally, I'm a Paleo kinda girl which ultimately leads to a low carb lifestyle given that I don't eat any grains at all. I have been very creative with recipes and have found a multitude of websites that have rocked my world!

    What got me started was watching a documentary during the last weekend of September, 2011, called "FatHead" and it really got me thinking. From there I started listening to lectures by Dr. Robert Lustig, (an endocrinologist and childhood obesity expert from UCLA), Gary Taubes and others. I sort of went at this lifestyle as a "last resort" because I have lived the high fibre, low fat diet for 20 years since I was a chubby teenager and I have KILLED myself with exercise, (we're talking 7 days a week here), and yet I held on to 23 extra pounds. As soon as I switched over, I dropped those 23 pounds within 2 months and weighed the least I had since I was 12. Amazing. And I no longer kill myself with exercise. I work out 4 times a week max.

    Here's the funny thing... I recently did an experiment to see how grains and sugar affect me. Apparently not well given that in 3 weeks of allowing myself to have 2 servings of grains a day plus 3-4 servings a week of something sweet, I gained back 6 pounds. I almost choked this morning when I weighed myself. However, I'm not going to worry about it or cry. I know what I need to do. So back I came to MFP to track my food, (see what I'm putting in that's high carb and sugar content), and 6 pounds will be gone in a few weeks I'm certain.

    Do you know what blood type you are? I'm an O and from what I've read, Os are not very carb tolerant which explains a lot. I am also predisposed to be diabetic as it runs in my family, but I do wonder if this hasn't been self inflicted in my family given the eating habits...

    If you are interested in learning how I eat, I suggest marksdailyapple.com for starters and I highly recommend FatHead on Netflix under documentaries. From there, lectures by Dr. Robert Lustig on YouTube are fascinating. I'm here for any questions you might have :) Feel free to friend me!

    25734920.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter



    Hi!! thank you also! I will check out the websites you mentioned. I don't know my blood type. (sad huh? lol)
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Don't let it overwhelm you. You'll get lot of advice and have many ideas, and some of them will conflict. Some will be harder than others. Here's one set of steps... don't expect to be able to change everything at once, but everything you can do is better than not doing anything.

    One suggested path... take it a step at a time, and as you're ready add another step.

    Start with tracking. Figure out where you are now.
    Enter your goals into MyFitnessPal (My Home tab, then Goals).
    Pick one goal. Some examples would be
    - eat within 100 calories of the amount recommended for a day
    - exercise for longer today than you did yesterday (work your way up to a target amount)
    - eat at least the recommended amount of fiber grams
    (going over the fiber target is fine, unless you have a medical condition that prohibits it)
    - drink at least 8 cups of water or 0-calorie drinks during the day
    - at least 3 servings of fruits or vegetables (work your way up to at least 5)
    - some other "eat healthier" goal - your choice
    When you're ready, add a goal or pick a more difficult target than the one you started (extra minutes of exercise).

    Not everything will work for you, but I highly recommend reading some of the "sticky" posts at the top of the message boards. Read the discussions, but keep in mind that not everything works for everyone, and that some of the information posted here will just be wrong... or at least wrong for you.

    Good luck!
  • selig0730
    selig0730 Posts: 509 Member
    Don't let it overwhelm you. You'll get lot of advice and have many ideas, and some of them will conflict. Some will be harder than others. Here's one set of steps... don't expect to be able to change everything at once, but everything you can do is better than not doing anything.

    One suggested path... take it a step at a time, and as you're ready add another step.

    Start with tracking. Figure out where you are now.
    Enter your goals into MyFitnessPal (My Home tab, then Goals).
    Pick one goal. Some examples would be
    - eat within 100 calories of the amount recommended for a day
    - exercise for longer today than you did yesterday (work your way up to a target amount)
    - eat at least the recommended amount of fiber grams
    (going over the fiber target is fine, unless you have a medical condition that prohibits it)
    - drink at least 8 cups of water or 0-calorie drinks during the day
    - at least 3 servings of fruits or vegetables (work your way up to at least 5)
    - some other "eat healthier" goal - your choice
    When you're ready, add a goal or pick a more difficult target than the one you started (extra minutes of exercise).

    Not everything will work for you, but I highly recommend reading some of the "sticky" posts at the top of the message boards. Read the discussions, but keep in mind that not everything works for everyone, and that some of the information posted here will just be wrong... or at least wrong for you.

    Good luck!

    i second this :)
  • desireehook
    desireehook Posts: 2 Member
    I totally understand getting tired of eating same thing. Those smart meals have tons of different foods and even desserts. But you really can eat anything as long as your counting your calories but the healthier you eat the more you get to eat. Even if i dont feel like eating healthy ill make the descision to eat my ice cream or pizza and just know that i probably dont get much more for the day except salad and ill have to workout a little bit harder. I know you can do it
  • xsabrinalynn
    xsabrinalynn Posts: 146 Member
    I'm Ashley.I'm 24 years old and I live in a small town in Mississippi. . I've recenlty decided its time to get up and change my lifestyle.. I have gained around 50-60lbs since 2008. I have no idea where to get started.. i know i need to eat right and exercise.. my problem is, i work 6days a week in a office setting. So, junk food has been my best friend. If anyone wants to help me get started on my weight loss journey i would greatly appreciate it, I see so many success stories on here and i'd like to eventually have mine on here too!

    Hi Ashley! I also work in an office and since 2008 have gained 20 lbs! Do you bring your lunch to work? I pack my lunch and snacks the night before that way I have no excuses for "not having any time" in the morning to bring something healthy. I keep healthy snacks, like 100 calorie type things, in a desk drawer that way when I get a little hungry I can munch on them. Low calorie yogurts and fruits are my new best friend! I also hope to eventually have my success story on here too!
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