Aa
Need help with the basics!!!
This is my last option. I am 23 years old and weight around 220lbs. i have not had any children but looking to start trying next April. Everyday is a struggle for me as i cannot go one day without sweets, chocolate or any kind of junk, even if i don't want it i need to have it. I have a dog who i have to be honest i only walk once a day at most my partner does it more than me. My work is behind a desk so i sit for 9 hours of the day and the rest in front of the tv at home. I know exercise has a lot to do with it but i just cannot get myself motivated.
I'm trying again this week with the fruit and yoghurts as i have been completely off them and can't seem to get into eating them again. I grudge giving my money to a slimming class as once you start you can't end them or you end up putting all the weight you lost back on. Could anyone give me any tips on whats the first and easiest way to start losing weight as with christmas just round the corner the struggle is going to be even harder.
Please help!!!!!!!
I'm trying again this week with the fruit and yoghurts as i have been completely off them and can't seem to get into eating them again. I grudge giving my money to a slimming class as once you start you can't end them or you end up putting all the weight you lost back on. Could anyone give me any tips on whats the first and easiest way to start losing weight as with christmas just round the corner the struggle is going to be even harder.
Please help!!!!!!!
Thanks very much everyone for your support. I'm going to watch what i'm doing from now until after xmas as i know there will be a big xmas meal and loads of chocs though i'm going to watch what goes into the mouth over the fesitive season. Lets hope the new year brings me success in a weight loss and maybe even a pregnancy!!!
This is a great starting point for you. This website is a great support system. Everyone has given some great advice. I found the most helpful for myself is the calorie counter. I am 25 and weighed 197 and should only consume 1400-1700 calories a day. I was way over. I have lost about 4 pounds in 2 weeks. Going to the YMCA which doesn't make you sign a contract. YOu just pay monthly. Hope you stick with us and we will help you through this major change in your life.
I am 21 and started off at 219.....I just dropped below the 200 mark! What I did was cut out as much fast food as possible (sometimes it is my only option at work if I am in court a lot that day). I also bought a gym membership and work out on the elliptical for 20 minutes, then do weights for 20 minutes. I have been working out for 2 weeks now, and dropped 6 pounds just from that! Good Luck! I think everyone pretty much covered what might help :-)
Hi and welcome aboard!! Everyone has seemed to cover everything just want to add the calorie counter is a great idea if you see how much you eating and taking in and the amount it will give you much better knowledge and you will want to cut bk on things!! If you must have chocolate then get the 100 calorie packs. you dont have to deprive yourself just cut bk on things!! as far as your desk yes getting up and taking a small walk is great also i know of a thing called chair exercises which you could do sitting at your desk. and again like every1 said anytime you need help or encouragement you can come here the forum is wonderful!!!
COMMUNITY LEADER
I forgot to mention that as you begin exercising, you will gain muscle, which weighs more than fat, so it would be helpful to get out your tape measure and measure your waist, hips, bust, upper arms, thighs, etc. That way you will know your measurements when you start, so if it appears that you aren't having any success, you can measure yourself and see if you might be losing inches, even though the scale doesn't budge right away. That happened to me a while back - the scale didn't budge, but when I measured myself, I found that I'd lost an inch off each thigh and about 1/2 inch off each of my upper arms, so my work wasn't in vain.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Welcome to the community!
I think my friend Barb has coverd most of the things here.
If you are willing to lose the weight, then nothing shud stand in your way, not even you!
We have a great motivational group here..who can help you throgh hard times. Just stop by everyday and read the posts here. If you have to ask questions or share your thoughts you are more than welcome to do so!
Start slowly as Barb said. Taking baby steps is the wa to go. Get your dog out and go for the walks! It's a greart way to start exercising!
As for cravings, try drinking a galss of water if you ever get them. Count 1 -10 slowly closing your eyes and asking yourself is that you really you want! By the time you have are down to 10 the craving shud go away.
focus on portion size and healthy alternatives. There is plenty of information out here. Again if you need any help just ask us!
I think my friend Barb has coverd most of the things here.
If you are willing to lose the weight, then nothing shud stand in your way, not even you!
We have a great motivational group here..who can help you throgh hard times. Just stop by everyday and read the posts here. If you have to ask questions or share your thoughts you are more than welcome to do so!
Start slowly as Barb said. Taking baby steps is the wa to go. Get your dog out and go for the walks! It's a greart way to start exercising!
As for cravings, try drinking a galss of water if you ever get them. Count 1 -10 slowly closing your eyes and asking yourself is that you really you want! By the time you have are down to 10 the craving shud go away.
focus on portion size and healthy alternatives. There is plenty of information out here. Again if you need any help just ask us!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi there - welcome aboard. I can hear the frustration in your writing and you came to the right place for help.
First off - I'd recommend that you talk to your doctor to make sure that you don't have any underlying medical problems that would make you gain/retain weight and make sure you have his/her blessing for whatever weight loss program you undertake.
You don't say how tall you are or how much weight you need to lose. It will be helpful to go to one of the many websites that help you calculate the number of calories you need per day, etc. You can do a google search for "calorie counters" and come up with a whole list.
You are right about exercise being very important. You don't have to join a slimming class to get started. Your dog is a great place to start!! Dogs need daily exercise in order to be balanced members of your household. Start out by YOU walking the dog every day, rather than your partner (or try going together). Don't try to get too gung ho right away. Just start slowly (rather than the recommended 10,000 steps/day, aim for 2000-3000 and add 500 steps/day). I recommend purchasing an inexpensive pedometer (you can get them at most department stores for $5.00 and up) to tell you exactly how much you are walking each day. You say your work is behind a desk, but there are still things you can do. Try to get up from your desk for a few minutes each hour or so and take a brisk walk down the hall or something. Park a little further from the door than normal; take stairs rather than an elevator, etc. Take whatever chances come up to get in a few extra steps. There are also websites where you can find exercises that you can actually do while sitting at a desk that will be beneficial.
In addition, you can get some exercise DVDs to use - most department stores have a pretty good variety or you can even look at rummage sales, flea markets, etc. There are a lot of excellent ones available that don't require a lot of expensive equipment. If you can get your partner to join you in the exercise it would be beneficial to you both as well as help motivate you. Try this: each time you crave sweets or junk food, wait 10 minutes before you give in to the craving and during that 10 minutes try going for a walk, do a few crunches, lunges, or some other form of exercise. There's a good chance that often, by the time the 10 minutes is up, the craving will have gone away. And if you feel that you absolutely can't live without that piece of chocolate, try having just a couple of bites rather than a whole bar. I also enjoy yoga a lot as the poses are done very deliberately with a focus on form and breathing, so you have to really concentrate on what you are doing, not what you want to eat. As with any exercise, don't try to do as well as the trainer does right off the bat as you will have work up to more reps, etc. or you will get discouraged very quickly.
Don't forget that housework (vacuum, sweep, etc) also counts as exercise, so try just listening to TV rather than sitting down watching it and if you are one of those people who find it impossible to have TV on and not sit down to watch, then turn it off and turn on a CD player or radio instead & dance to the tunes while you do your housework. It doesn't really matter what you are doing so long as you make sure you MOVE. As you get into exercising and eating well on a regular basis, you will begin finding yourself with more energy and it will gradually get easier to get going and your cravings will be less and less.
As for food - try to stick with fresh fruits, over juices since juices have all the calories but don't have the fiber to fill you up. Make sure you get lots of veggies as they, too, are generally quite bulky and filling without a lot of calories. Try to leave out the white bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar, etc; instead, eat whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. Stick with lean meats and low fat dairy. And of course, make sure you drink plenty of water.
It is strongly recommended that you keep a food journal in which you write down everything you put into your mouth - that will help keep you more accountable. There are several good websites from which you can download information regarding the number of calories you should eat per day, number of calories in many different foods as well as how much of an item makes a portion (such as 1 cup of a cereal, etc). Be ever mindful of the portion sizes you eat - often it's not necessarily "what you eat" so much as "how much" you eat (for instance, back to the chocolate - eat a couple of bites or squares rather than the whole bar).
In addition to keeping a food journal, check out the exercise and weight trackers here on MedHelp. They are great for letting you keep up with your progress and like your food journal, will help keep you accountable for what you do (or don't do). I've also heard that MedHelp is going to come up with a food journal, but don't know how long before that happens or if I understood correctly. Also, when you note the things you eat, write down your feelings at the same time; that way you will be able to learn which feelings trigger which cravings and after a while you might be able to head of the craving.
Last but not least, come back to MedHelp often for information and encouragement. They have a lot of fun challenges, etc (check out postings from the Thanksgiving challenge in which there were links to daily exercises posted). Participate as much as you can. Take baby steps and rejoice with every success and accept the down falls as part of life without being hard on yourself. Remember, you didn't gain all the weight over night, and you won't be able to lose it overnight.
There will be a lot of other members here on MedHelp that will be able to add a lot more to this. Again, welcome aboard and hope to see you often.
First off - I'd recommend that you talk to your doctor to make sure that you don't have any underlying medical problems that would make you gain/retain weight and make sure you have his/her blessing for whatever weight loss program you undertake.
You don't say how tall you are or how much weight you need to lose. It will be helpful to go to one of the many websites that help you calculate the number of calories you need per day, etc. You can do a google search for "calorie counters" and come up with a whole list.
You are right about exercise being very important. You don't have to join a slimming class to get started. Your dog is a great place to start!! Dogs need daily exercise in order to be balanced members of your household. Start out by YOU walking the dog every day, rather than your partner (or try going together). Don't try to get too gung ho right away. Just start slowly (rather than the recommended 10,000 steps/day, aim for 2000-3000 and add 500 steps/day). I recommend purchasing an inexpensive pedometer (you can get them at most department stores for $5.00 and up) to tell you exactly how much you are walking each day. You say your work is behind a desk, but there are still things you can do. Try to get up from your desk for a few minutes each hour or so and take a brisk walk down the hall or something. Park a little further from the door than normal; take stairs rather than an elevator, etc. Take whatever chances come up to get in a few extra steps. There are also websites where you can find exercises that you can actually do while sitting at a desk that will be beneficial.
In addition, you can get some exercise DVDs to use - most department stores have a pretty good variety or you can even look at rummage sales, flea markets, etc. There are a lot of excellent ones available that don't require a lot of expensive equipment. If you can get your partner to join you in the exercise it would be beneficial to you both as well as help motivate you. Try this: each time you crave sweets or junk food, wait 10 minutes before you give in to the craving and during that 10 minutes try going for a walk, do a few crunches, lunges, or some other form of exercise. There's a good chance that often, by the time the 10 minutes is up, the craving will have gone away. And if you feel that you absolutely can't live without that piece of chocolate, try having just a couple of bites rather than a whole bar. I also enjoy yoga a lot as the poses are done very deliberately with a focus on form and breathing, so you have to really concentrate on what you are doing, not what you want to eat. As with any exercise, don't try to do as well as the trainer does right off the bat as you will have work up to more reps, etc. or you will get discouraged very quickly.
Don't forget that housework (vacuum, sweep, etc) also counts as exercise, so try just listening to TV rather than sitting down watching it and if you are one of those people who find it impossible to have TV on and not sit down to watch, then turn it off and turn on a CD player or radio instead & dance to the tunes while you do your housework. It doesn't really matter what you are doing so long as you make sure you MOVE. As you get into exercising and eating well on a regular basis, you will begin finding yourself with more energy and it will gradually get easier to get going and your cravings will be less and less.
As for food - try to stick with fresh fruits, over juices since juices have all the calories but don't have the fiber to fill you up. Make sure you get lots of veggies as they, too, are generally quite bulky and filling without a lot of calories. Try to leave out the white bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar, etc; instead, eat whole grains, nuts, seeds, etc. Stick with lean meats and low fat dairy. And of course, make sure you drink plenty of water.
It is strongly recommended that you keep a food journal in which you write down everything you put into your mouth - that will help keep you more accountable. There are several good websites from which you can download information regarding the number of calories you should eat per day, number of calories in many different foods as well as how much of an item makes a portion (such as 1 cup of a cereal, etc). Be ever mindful of the portion sizes you eat - often it's not necessarily "what you eat" so much as "how much" you eat (for instance, back to the chocolate - eat a couple of bites or squares rather than the whole bar).
In addition to keeping a food journal, check out the exercise and weight trackers here on MedHelp. They are great for letting you keep up with your progress and like your food journal, will help keep you accountable for what you do (or don't do). I've also heard that MedHelp is going to come up with a food journal, but don't know how long before that happens or if I understood correctly. Also, when you note the things you eat, write down your feelings at the same time; that way you will be able to learn which feelings trigger which cravings and after a while you might be able to head of the craving.
Last but not least, come back to MedHelp often for information and encouragement. They have a lot of fun challenges, etc (check out postings from the Thanksgiving challenge in which there were links to daily exercises posted). Participate as much as you can. Take baby steps and rejoice with every success and accept the down falls as part of life without being hard on yourself. Remember, you didn't gain all the weight over night, and you won't be able to lose it overnight.
There will be a lot of other members here on MedHelp that will be able to add a lot more to this. Again, welcome aboard and hope to see you often.
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