need help to get started

[Koogabell]

Hi, I'm 46 and 35kg overweight, I have just invested in a cardiotech treadmill and the t-zone vibration machine. how can I get the best results, should I cut out all carbs in my diet, and would those replacement shakes b an option. Any help would b appreciated

[Miniar]

"Dieting" doesn't work.
What does is to look at what you're eating, overall, and making changes, permanent ones, to a slightly healthier diet. (And repeat as necessary.)

It's not about "cutting out" or denying yourself anything either, but about choosing a better alternative where possible.

[ducky406]

Honestly I don't believe cutting out carbs is the way to go. Yes too many carbs aren't a good thing, but cutting out all (considering nearly everything has some amount of carbs) isn't good either. Your body needs a balanced diet. This diet needs to be a complete revamp of what you would eat, not just a 6 week crash course. And in my limited experience, many of those cut out the (food item) kind of diets are only temporary. So this is why I'm hesitant about replacement shakes as well- they might help you loose weight. But they don't teach you how to feed yourself and are what I would consider a "quick fix."

Personally I went from the stereotypical American diet of soda and coffee, boxed dinners (Mac and Cheese and Hamburger helper), lots of beef and cheese, little fresh veggies (mainly canned peas or beans), and only the occasional juice or berries. Now I drink almost nothing but water (2 Liters a day), no red meats (White fish, shellfish, poultry, egg whites, and kangaroo only), whole grains only, and nothing processed or packaged. I have lots of fruits throughout the day as my snacks, homemade frozen yogurt for desserts, and tons of steamed veggies during lunch and dinner. I'm not perfect and I do slip up, but my diet is about 1400-1450 calories and the dietician I saw said while she would like me to have less carbs in relation to the fat and protein, the 60% of caloric intake from carbs I'm currently getting isn't hurting my weight loss and can't be helped considering I get sick from fat (gallstones). So a lower carb diet or diabetic friendly diet might be good for you, but don't cut it out all together.  

I've lost 16 kilos by trying to keep a balanced diet. Your body needs variety and cutting out any specific food group won't necessarily help in the long run. A real healthy diet needs to be life changing. I will never ever go back to how I used to eat. And I can tell you my body already thanks me for it.

Learn how to eat- correct your portion sizes. I know that if you go to any restaurant they'll give you a plate about 2-3x the size you need. Try to have half your dinner plate be good veggies -fresh, steamed or frozen and not smothered in fat. (Canned veggies adds a lot of sodium and can kill a lot of nutrients so try to avoid them.) The other half of the dinner plate should be meat/ grain. For now I suggest you weigh things- that has really helped me figure out how much is correct. Make sure your protein is lean and any grains you have a whole grained and not overly processed and high starch. Have a couple fruits a day, but if you get a fruit intake from juice be careful- those calories add up quickly.

As far as exercise goes, if you're just starting out try to work out about 30 minutes a day for 5-6 days a week. Over time try to build up to 1 hour a day to a max of 2 hours. Make sure you mix it up between cardio and muscle training.

Remember the weight didn't come on over night, so it will take time to loose. Good luck!