Jessica's clueless attempt...

[luvtolearn]

Im a new member here, im going to be posting what I eat and what goal I want to achieve. I want to increase my metabolism, but really not sure how. Right now my stats are 175 at 5'9" I want to be my healthy weight of 155. I need help majorly. So here we go....
today I ate
2 slices wheat bread,orange breakfast
turkey sandwhich lunch
chicken and peas dinner

30 mins on tredmill, at 3.3 mph.

[JumpinJill]

Welcome! :)

First of all, it looks like you are eating too little. On the assumption that your turkey sandwhich had 400 calories, and you ate normal portions at dinner, that's only about 1000 calorie which isn't enough to increase your metabolism, it's only going to do the oppossite really.

plus it's more ideal to eat about 5 or 6 meals...

do you lift weights at all?

Did you have any protein for breakfast? (hoping you just ommited it on accident) you should have protein for breakfast, well actually at every meal really...not to mention I don't see much of dairy or many veggies/fruits...

Well I hate to make this so short but i gotta run and scrapbook with my daughter... but I know you'll get a bunch of great advice from the wonderful ladies here :)

[VanillaBean_21]

If you wanna lose weight you need to eat more! You should be eating 6-7 small meals daily. Do you lift at all? If you do could you post your routine? How many times a week do you do cardio? Do you know how many calories you are comsuming(doeasnt seem more then 1000 calories/day which is BAD!!). The ladies can help you on this board. I know from personal experience so take their advice and EAT MORE!

[StlBarbie]

You definitely need to change your eating patterns to boost your metabolism.
As everyone else suggested, eat 6 meals a day and divide your calories and macros between them. Eat small meals frequently and drink lots of water. 1000 calories a day is not going to get you anywhere you want to go. I am also 5'9", at about #138, 14% bf - I consume at least 2200 calories a day and on a week with more cardio I eat closer to 2400. However, I am not trying to lose but this just gives you a ballpark. I do not think you should eat any less than 1800 calories a day and why don't you try a 40/40/20 split with 40% of your calories coming from protein, 40% from carbs, and 20% from fat. Also, I would avoid all carbs that are not complex except post workout and I would ditch all the bread. Eat oatmeal for breakfast, perhaps with protein powder and sweet potatoe or something more complex with your turkey! Best of luck to you!

[mommykuce]

I agree with everyone else- you calorie intake is extremely low! You need protein, carbs, and fats for your body to function at a healthy level. Especially at breakfast- this should be your most dense meal out of 6-7 meals since you have gone so long without eating. How often are you doing cardio, and also do you lift weights? If you do, how many reps do you shoot for?

Another piece of advice is throw out the scale. If you are going to work on your body you need to increase lean muscle mass which weighs more than fat does. So the scale may say one #, but you might have dropped body fat which is the important thing. This is a great place to start working towards your goals.

[luvtolearn]

Wow, today I just saw my return posts....I didnt realize I was eating too little.... I guess I should start planning my meals before the day starts. I really appreciate your help. You ladies dont know how much I need your help. I joined this site to learn about my metabolism. And like the name of my journal, I am clueless. I think tomorrow I will start a different meal plan. I am a recoverying anorexic, after I had my kids, I remained anorexic, but my weight never went back down. I stayed at my post preg. weight. Very sad. I see you are saying since my eating is small im halting my metabolism. Is this right? Scary..... Anyway....today...

i use the GNC protien supplement. I had a shake for breakfast. Orange and 2 slices of bread
Lunch, we went to the mall of america for the underwater world exhibit, so I ended up eating out.. I had one taco with I also had a slimfast on the way home
Dinner pork chop, asparagas, and a baked potato

EXERCISE: did my denise austin workour, tredmill for 30 mins. at 3.3 mph.
I am going to reserch my diet tonight ,will post in tomorrow.
Thanks ladies....im happy to find a healthy site... LOTS OF LUV
Jessica

[taifighter]

hi Luv! so nice to see another new member! I just joined a little while ago too, this forum is GREAT :)

I posted this somewhere else, but I've found it to be working really really well for me, and I think it might help give you an idea of where to start? It can be sooo confusing when you start out, theres so much info to sort through!

Anyway I'm not expert, but I hope this helps, and good luck!! I'll be rooting for you :)

You can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, and I have a feeling given your past that you don't have much muscle. (You were very brave to post that by the way, i hope that you are recovered...lots of girls on this site have dealt with disorders and other food-issues)
So my advice would be to start putting on some lean muscle, which will in turn burn fat!

A training program of 3-4 days of heavy lifting (by heavy I mean 6-10 reps of a weight that is difficult to lift by the 6th rep of the last few sets), moderate cardio (3-4 days, no more than 30 min..even less if you really want to build muscle)
I would say you want to keep things reeaally simple and do 3-4 compound movements per exercise. By compound I mean those big exercises that work lots of muscles, not just ones you are targeting...here's some examples:

Quads: Squats, Front Squats, Leg Presses
Hamstrings: Stiff-Legged Deadlift, Lying Leg Curl
Back: Deadlift, Bent Over Row, One Arm Dumbbell Row
Chest: Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Bench Press, Weighted Wide Grip Dips
Deltoids: Press behind Neck, Dumbbell Press, Military Press, Shrugs
Triceps: Lying Tricep Ext., Close Grip bench Press, Pushdowns, Seated Tricep ext.
Biceps: Standing Barbell Curl, Seated Alternate Dumbbell Curl, Preacher Curl
Calves: Standing Calf Raise, Donkey Calf Raise, Seated Calf Raise

You need only do 3 or 4 of these each workout, because they work SO many muscles, and often exhaust the bigger ones. A day of 3 sets of heavy squats or bench pressing is far more effective than 10 sets of 100 reps on that inner thigh machine! THIS took me awhile to get used to...It will seem weird at first, to only spend 30-40 minutes MAX at the gym, I KNOW. It was hard at first for me to break out of that mindset that I needed at least an hour EVERY day of training to see results. But you need rest! Make sure you're not lifting for more than 2 days in a row. I'd do two days on, one day off. THAT is the way to prevent injury and burnout.

Also, calories are very important! You need to eat more of them :) Nothing ridiculous (don't think of it as bulking, haha!). Go to google and type in metabolism calculator. You should be able to figure out your "maintenance" level of calories for your age/weight. I know the numbers will seem high (probably in the 2000s for you) but keep in mind it is NOT NOT NOT the quantity of calories you eat, but the QUALITY that will keep you from gaining fat.
To build muscle, you'll want to eat at LEAST the number for your maintenance. It is a hard idea to accept, I know...I have gone through so many cycles where I would eat a lot of calories, then get scared of getting fat and drop back to 1500. But I didn't get skinnier...I just go weaker! And now that I'm truly training hard for the first time in my life, I'm finding I cannot function without more calories.

Eating 2000k of brown rice, tuna, chicken, egg whites, fruit etc will not make you fat. It will build you more muscle.

When you've reached a point where you feel you've gained enough lean muscle, then you can change your goals slightly and focus a little more on reducing your bodyfat. (but like I said, the more muscle you have the more fat you'll burn anyway..plus muscle is denser than fat, so you'll already LOOK much tighter and leaner)

oh wow...long post. I meant to write this to make starting out a little easier, hopefully you aren't overwhelmed! hope this helps in even a small way!

[taifighter]

luv, didn't really think about it till after I posted...but I hope that you are not attempting to start a fitness program and still dealing with anorexia...
I don't mean to presume anything but its far more important that you seek help to recover from an ED than worry about training or calories or cardio!!
if you have recovered than I'm SO happy for you, but I speak from experience when I say be careful not to replace one obsession with another. Take care of yourself, first and foremost! you deserve to be well-fed, happy and at peace with yourself :)
again, sorry if i'm jumping to conclusions just want you to be healthy!!!

[StlBarbie]

luv, didn't really think about it till after I posted...but I hope that you are not attempting to start a fitness program and still dealing with anorexia...
I don't mean to presume anything but its far more important that you seek help to recover from an ED than worry about training or calories or cardio!!
if you have recovered than I'm SO happy for you, but I speak from experience when I say be careful not to replace one obsession with another. Take care of yourself, first and foremost! you deserve to be well-fed, happy and at peace with yourself :)
again, sorry if i'm jumping to conclusions just want you to be healthy!!!

I really agree with tailfighter - please make sure you are recovered from the anorexia before starting on this kind of endeavor! It is MOST important to be healthy and happy!!

If you ready to move ahead ... you will love the results of weight training and the muscle you add will really assist you in burning away any fat! That and a clean diet with SUFFICIENT calories will get you where you want to be!

Best of luck! :)

[luvtolearn]

Hmm I understand what you both are saying. I am still recovering and im trying, and if I dont have something to do, I will fall right back into it. I think this would be a healthier obsession. Im trying to learn a healthy way. I tried to eat more today and im absolutly stuffed. Almost to stuffed to exercise.
I had a protien shake for breakfast and a slice of toast and an orange
I had a grilled chicken salad with lett. tomato and cheese. YUM
For dinner I had some ground hamburger, and one more slice of toast. I had a banana for the desert. I snaked a bit on grapes and cauliflower and brocolli.
I havent exercised yet I work 40 hours a week and it was a hard day. I am planning to still walk on my tred, or do a pilates workout. Anyway. Do you all think I dont belong here? Be honest

[luvtolearn]

What you mean by "clean diet"??? I need to learn. Sorry I have so many questions.

[luvtolearn]

I really do appreciate everyones advice, You had some great ideas tailfighter and i think I better start a little slower, I used to only do cardio, I work at a department store that sells workout equipment and supplies, absolutly love it, Im learning more about the equipment too.

[taifighter]

luv, I absolutely didn't mean you don't belong here!! I'm very sorry if I gave you that impression!! :(
First and foremost I want you to be healthy. But I think you know best what you can handle, and if you want to do this then I willl support you 100% !!

Try to add more calories to your diet gradually, don't be discouraged if you feel full OR if you gain weight. Your body will adapt. For the kind of cardio and weights you want to do, you will need the fuel. Take it slow :)
As for "clean" foods, I tend to think of it as foods that are simple and "whole", meaning as close to natural as you can get. Eating FRESH fruits and vegetables, whole grains (such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, old-fashioned oats...these things are unprocessed and full of fiber) and complex carbs like sweet potatoes...also lean protein like plain grilled chicken breast, tuna, salmon steaks. Eating clean means avoiding processed, packaged food as much as possible. It also means avoiding transfat, hydrogenated oils, corn syrup, etc. Just look at the labels of some food and you'll see how much junk can be in it!!

I hope that gives you an idea. Eating clean by no means equals a boring diet of dry chicken and rice. Its just means being mindful of the quality of food you eat. Start out slow, add a litte of these things at a time..and cut out a little of the bad stuff.

Looking at what you ate you're doing great already! Try replacing some of the cheese for another healthy fat, like ground flax, olive oil, avocado or almonds. Instead of ground beef, try lean ground turkey. Litte tweaks like that can improve your diet even more!

Ok, I've written a novel. I think you have the right attitude Luv, and you're doing great!

[StlBarbie]

Oh of course you belong here LUV!! We all have our individual goals and we just try and be supportive to each other and offer advice that is going to help us all get where we want to go!

Absolutely, take it slowly and ENJOY doing it! You will form lifetime habits that will help you to be healthy and happy!! :)

One day at a time..........!

[Sunshineslynn]

Yes you belong here. We will try to be supportive no matter what your goals are and encourage you when you feel down and out. The girls here are so inspiring that when I am down and out I always look for some great encouragement from them. Just know that once you start your journey of fitness you will never be alone on that journey here. Welcome aboard.

smiles
s

[SC1]

The great thing about this board is that EVERYONE is welcome! I am totally clueless when it comes to nutrition and need a lot of help, but I've got good training advice and support to offer in return. We all have something to offer. :-) The neat thing is by asking questions on the stuff we are weak on, we ALL get to learn from each other.

I'll refrain from commenting about your diet. My diet is so bad, the only person I can give nutrition advice to is my dog.

I do agree with taifighter that you should take it slow to start off with. If you decide to start a fitness routine, the most important thing you can do is have a plan and set your goals. This is a great time to do a little self analysis and ask yourself some hard questions like: What do I want to accomplish? Why do I want to accomplish these things? How much time do I have to commit? What types of obstacles do I face and how will I deal with those when they come up?

I know I'm missing some good ones here, ladies...

Anyway, once you have taken some time to think about these things, if you decided you are ready to move forward, then it's time to design your routine! I might be wrong, but I get the idea that you don't have a set routine. Trust me, I know from experience that going about a new workout haphazardly can do more harm than good. You will get lots of ideas from other people's journals and plenty of advice from all of these great members.

Good Luck!

[luvtolearn]

Thank you so much for all the advice and support, im trying really hard, and I do have to say the anorexic thoughts are telling me your eating too much and your going to get fatter...blah, I have been pushing them away. Today I woke up and had a protien shake and a banana. Then I did 30 mins on the tredmill, at 3.4 mph, on a slight incline. Then I had 3 hardboiled egg whites.
For lunch I had a lamb gyro, with just tomatoes on it. And a slim fast
For dinner I had a grilled chicken salad. And a Slice of toast.
Hmm that is a lot..lol. I also did a pilates workout this evening. Hope everyone is doing well :)

[taifighter]

sweetie, that is not alot :) trust me, I'm trying to eat 2500 calories a day lol!! but thats a great start. everytime you feel a "anorexic" thought coming on, think about the healthy, beautiful, muscular body you want to have. You can not achieve that unless you EAT!! :D

Bit by bit try to alter your thoughts from "losing weight" to "gaining and preserving muscle". MUSCLE is what will make you lean! Anyway, didn't mean to get preachy!! What I meant to say was I think you're doing great! Keep adding a little bit more food each day!!

[JumpinJill]

everyones given you great advice, I've dealt with an eating disorder too, so I can kind relate to the negative/scared thoughts about food. What really made it 'click' for me was looking at food in a whole new way. Thinking of it as fuel for my body, & nutrition that will help me look younger and feel better in life... instead of thinking of food as 'the evil thing thats going to make me fat' helped me a lot.

And I started keeping track of my eating according to how much ...calcium, protein, antioxidents, omega 3's, b-12 and b-6 (and so on and so forth) thatI needed in my day.

This might not help or it may, but whatever the case I wish you the best in fighting anerexia :) You can do it

[luvtolearn]

Its really a lot of work to try and think of food as not evil, but I have come a long way, even considering that I have joined this site, is a big step. You said something about b-6, b-12 and anti oxidents. I know where I find antioxidents. What about b-6 and b-12, what foods do I find them in? See this is where im clueless. Is there a site where I can find lists of foods that have all the good stuff in them? I HAD a really bad food bouts today. I had a turkey sandwich, nutrigrain bar, and a slim fast that was for lucnh. I was so full. I still ate dinner. I had spagetti with ground turkey. I had one girl scout cookie for a treat. I didnt exercise too much today. I just have been working so hard, sometimes im just pooped and my little ones are running me crazy when I am home. Anyway, exercise, enought excuses :P I just did 30 mins on the tred. 3.4 speed, slight incline. Hope to do better tomorrow. Does anyone else have kids under 5 work 40 hours at a physically demanding job and still keep an active athletic workout?? I need some home tips, I just cant make it to the gym I do have a membership, just too hectic.

[JumpinJill]

http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins-guide/index.html

that link includes links for info on the B vitamins :)

I had a hard time coming up with a list of everything, most things I was clicking on at first were selling books. But that link should get you started :) Some things you don't need to worry about right now on there, like creatine.

It sounds like you did fine with the amount of food you ate. Are you saying you still ate dinner when you were full though? Do you feel like you have to eat only at the 'norm' breakfast lunch and dinners? I ask only because I used to feel like that was programmed into me, then I realized I can set my own meal times and not feel a darned bit guilty about it ;)


Have you started using weights yet? One thing that helps me when I am eating more, is knowing the muscles I'm building/maintaining with weight traiining are 'eating' those calories pretty quickly...plus I end up with the great result of defined shoulders which look great in a tank top in summer :D

[luvtolearn]

Thanks for that link, its great! I do a lot of phsical activity at work and im so tired lately..... I dont know. I try to eat more...right now I think im going to just read everyone elses journal till I can get a better grip on this.. I really want it...Thank you all for all your advice, im not going to leave this site. But I really have to work through some issues still. I thought I was ready. Wish me luck you all are astonishing women. I know you will all be successsful.

[SC1]

Good Luck, luv! Please feel free to PM me or if you ever have any questions or need any help. We'll be thinking about you!!!