diet advice, please help!!!!!!

[funkylady]

I have been eating far too much fatty foods and I am embarrest by how bad my fitness is.  I am not a fat person, I am very slim but fat has accumulated throughout my body (cellulite yuck).  I have decided that I have had enough of not being able to do the activities that I want to do like swimming and I need to do something to get rid of the fat.  I am keen to take up skiing which is a good reason and motivation to improve my fitness.  As for what to eat, I don't really know much about dieting which is why I am posting this question.  I am thinking about cutting carbohydrates out of my diet and have a high protein diet, eating lots of fruit and vegetables which is what a lot of athletes do.  Does it work?  I hope it is possable to get rid of fat and build up muscle  :(

Any advice welcome !!!

[Barb135]

Rather than buying diet books how about checking out a couple of web sites that will give you ideas of what kinds of food to eat?  Spark People and Live strong are 2 good ones.  They both have all kinds of diet tips, journals to track your food intake, etc.  Save your $.  

I agree with StarryNight - it's not really good to cut out any one of the food groups as your body needs all of the groups in order to be healthy.  

Re: your injuries - maybe you've hit the exercise routine too hard and fast??  If you aren't used to exercising regularly, you need to start out slowly and work your way up.  Maybe you need to try cutting back on the length/intensity of your workouts until you get accustomed to it?  

[funkylady]

Thanks so much for your comments and advice.  I am struggling a little with all the increased exercise.  I keep getting injuries, first my back followed by my right knee and hip.  I have not yet fully decided on a diet, I am currently looking on Amazon for suitable healthy diet books.  any suggestions for good cook books welcome :)

[StarryNight23]

I'm not a fan of any kind of diet that restricts an entire food group. Carbs are not the enemy! lol. They give you energy and are high in fiber and protein. If you eat higher quality carbs like breads, cereals and pastas made with whole wheat or whole grains and brown rice instead of white rice, there's no reason to cut that type of food from your diet. Fruits are also "high" in carbs, and are a very important staple in anyones diet. Just so you know, I lost 150 lbs and I eat some kind of starchy or bready carb AT LEAST 2 out of 3 meals a day every day. As long as you're eating a healthy balanced diet and have your food in moderation, cutting out an entire food group is unnecessary and unhealthy in my opinion.

Same thing goes with fat. Fat is an important part of your diet, but it depends on the quality of your fat. Trans fats should be eliminated completely and saturated fats should be cut down whenever possible (although it can't always be avoided and that's fine) Fat from olive or canola oils, avocado, nuts,fish, flax etc are all healthy sources of fat. Switch your dairy to low-fat or fat-free, eat lean meats whenever possible and reduce your processed/fast food intake and you'll reduce a lot of the unhealthy fat from your diet.

Even though you're thin, cardio is still important for overall health so you can do any kind of cardio you like 4-5 days a week. Some kind of strength training 2-3 days a week will help you build muscle and help tone up the areas you want to.

[Lonelymom]

The best way to find a diet that you will stick with is by googling diet plans. Read up on each one and find which one you will like the best.

Personally, I couldn't go without some carbohydrates in my diet. Maybe you are stronger than me though. I have seen it work but usually the person breaks and goes back to carbohydrates and gains all the weight back. Some carbohydrates can be good for you.