Another fat girl looking for answers =)

[FemmeFatale]

Hi everyone! First, let me preface with this: I'm 20 years old, 245 pounds, 5'5" tall.
I'm a college student, and I have little to no money. I live with my boyfriend and his family - THEY make all the food decisions. Occasionally I am permitted to make one request for a week's worth of groceries, and usually I request either brown rice, lowfat/fat free cottage cheese, whole wheat bread, or chicken breast.

I have problems with my knees (I had lyme disease when I was a kid, and the whole OBESITY thing doesn't help) and so running/jogging isn't really an option (yet). I don't have the money for equipment or a gym membership.

Basically, what I'm looking for is a few suggestions to make the best of what I've got.

I try to supplement my lack of veggie intake (I can't STAND them, they are -SO- bitter! we'll not get into that, usually I get yelled at and told to 'grow up' and 'get over myself') with low-sodium v8 juice.

Lately, because it's cheap, I've been eating lentils & brown rice (because they're cheap), chicken breast (that we've had around), oatmeal, v8 juice and little else. I also try to eat soups with veggies in them - when I do, I generally puree them to mask the textures I hate.

The people that live here fill the house with all sorts of scary food - trans-fat laden tub margarine, refined grains and sugars, commercially prepared cookies and cakes, oversalted canned vegetables...

Do you think that I'm doing the right thing? Is there some inexpensive thing I can try to add to all of this? I do eat fruit when we have it around (I could live on fruit) but generally it's too expensive. Is there a certain number of meals I should be eating? Or a suggestion for a diet centered around what I've got that someone can suggest?

Also, as far as exercise, I'd like to pick up walking again but I don't know how to monitor how fast I'm going - is there a certain amount of time I should be walking? (I have to take OTC pain relievers most of the time I go walking).

Sidenote: I don't have access to a swimming pool. And I haven't owned a swimsuit since I was 9 years old.
I should also mention that I've posted before, awhile back, and after being discouraged by some nasty posts, stayed away from the forums here for several months. I'm trying to be more proactive and less of a victim, but I am still in a crappy situation that I can do little to change right now.

Thanks for your suggestions everyone! All nasty posts will be ignored =)

[sacha2]

Well, your biggest obstacle is probably avoiding the junk in the house. Manage that, and you will be ahead of some of us (lol).

About this:
lentils & brown rice (because they're cheap), chicken breast (that we've had around), oatmeal, v8 juice

These are good choices (low-sodium v8, right?). Make sure your chicken is skinless.

Yes, you will have to get over the vegetable issue. Start out with purees and move up. Remember, put health first and fitness will always come with it. Have you ever heard of Jerry Seinfeld wife's cookbook(don't remember the name). Try it.

You have a lot of "I can'ts". If you want to lose weight, get in shape, and keep it off, you will have to get rid of some of those "can'ts". Go to the pool on the cheap swim night, use some resistance bands (you can get cheap, cheap ones at a pharmacy for rehab purposes). Talk to a doctor about alternative exercises.

It can be done but you can't make excuses. There are a lot of people here with injuries, 5 kids, no money, families eating junk, working 70+hrs per week. It can be done if you want it enough. People here WANT to be supportive, especially to those who are overweight (like me! I lost 50+lbs) but we cant lie and say that you will get fit/healthy if it isn't a fit/healthy plan.

[FemmeFatale]

Well, your biggest obstacle is probably avoiding the junk in the house. Manage that, and you will be ahead of some of us (lol).

About this:
lentils & brown rice (because they're cheap), chicken breast (that we've had around), oatmeal, v8 juice

These are good choices (low-sodium v8, right?). Make sure your chicken is skinless.

Yes, you will have to get over the vegetable issue. Start out with purees and move up. Remember, put health first and fitness will always come with it. Have you ever heard of Jerry Seinfeld wife's cookbook(don't remember the name). Try it.

You have a lot of "I can'ts". If you want to lose weight, get in shape, and keep it off, you will have to get rid of some of those "can'ts". Go to the pool on the cheap swim night, use some resistance bands (you can get cheap, cheap ones at a pharmacy for rehab purposes). Talk to a doctor about alternative exercises.

It can be done but you can't make excuses. There are a lot of people here with injuries, 5 kids, no money, families eating junk, working 70+hrs per week. It can be done if you want it enough. People here WANT to be supportive, especially to those who are overweight (like me! I lost 50+lbs) but we cant lie and say that you will get fit/healthy if it isn't a fit/healthy plan.

Thanks so much for your advice. I'm working on this "I can't" business, if you look back at an old post of mine, you'll see that I was just swimming in them - LOL! I'm really interested in more than just weight loss. I want to FEEL better, you know? I am sick of having no immune system, of feeling tired all the time, of dreading even trips to the mall (to goof around, not shop) because of the huge WALK involved.

As far as the v8 goes, yes, I do drink the low-sodium kind (Now) but I didn't at first. Chicken is most definitely skinless (nevermind the fat content, the skin is gross! haha)

I'm trying really hard to overcome a lot of the problems involved with living here. I happen to empathize with everyone who struggles with crazy home situations - I live in a 3 bedroom house with 10 people, 2 dogs, 14 cats! Getting a moment to myself is almost impossible.

I have a friend who has recently started working out and is getting addicted (go him!) and I'm trying to convince him that I'd be a fantastic person to bring along as his "guest" - lol! So far no luck, but I'll keep pestering.

I do have a (very old) stationary bike in my bedroom that KILLS my knees, I've been avoiding it for that reason. Do you think I should get rid of it? I'm wondering if I shouldn't use it 10 minutes a day until that doesn't hurt? Or something?

Grasping at straws here!

[digitalbath11]

while you can't exactly monitor how fast you are walking, you can monitor time, and you should walk at a pace that it's fast and difficult for you. That is, heavy deep breaths, arms swinging (not like crazy high, but helping you go fast), and do this for at least 15-20 minutes. On a weekend, go for 40 minutes, and little by little, increase your time, and speed.

as far as cheap foods that you can buy, chicken breast and turkey can be very inexpensive. Sweet potatoes, tuna, cottage cheese are good choices too. A good way to introduce vegetables in your meals is to begin having them with the things you DO like, for example, put chopped onions or peppers in your brown rice. Cucumbers are NOT bitter, and the same can be said for SEVERAL vegetables. Tomatoes are sweet imo. You have to be open to taste and textures. I'm pretty sure I hated vegetables as a child, but after you have them enough times, I can't imagine not having them in my daily diet. It's all about how bad you want this. Don't let others discourage you. You should not rely in others for motivation in the first place. When you learn this, you will be able to accomplish so much on your own. It's a cruel world and you are the only looking out for yourself.

I do wish you the best of luck and remember, small steps forward, take you further than you'll think.

[Cynthia_1979]

Hi everyone! First, let me preface with this: I'm 20 years old, 245 pounds, 5'5" tall.
I'm a college student, and I have little to no money. I live with my boyfriend and his family - THEY make all the food decisions. Occasionally I am permitted to make one request for a week's worth of groceries, and usually I request either brown rice, lowfat/fat free cottage cheese, whole wheat bread, or chicken breast.

I have problems with my knees (I had lyme disease when I was a kid, and the whole OBESITY thing doesn't help) and so running/jogging isn't really an option (yet). I don't have the money for equipment or a gym membership.

Basically, what I'm looking for is a few suggestions to make the best of what I've got.

I try to supplement my lack of veggie intake (I can't STAND them, they are -SO- bitter! we'll not get into that, usually I get yelled at and told to 'grow up' and 'get over myself') with low-sodium v8 juice.

Lately, because it's cheap, I've been eating lentils & brown rice (because they're cheap), chicken breast (that we've had around), oatmeal, v8 juice and little else. I also try to eat soups with veggies in them - when I do, I generally puree them to mask the textures I hate.

The people that live here fill the house with all sorts of scary food - trans-fat laden tub margarine, refined grains and sugars, commercially prepared cookies and cakes, oversalted canned vegetables...

Do you think that I'm doing the right thing? Is there some inexpensive thing I can try to add to all of this? I do eat fruit when we have it around (I could live on fruit) but generally it's too expensive. Is there a certain number of meals I should be eating? Or a suggestion for a diet centered around what I've got that someone can suggest?

Also, as far as exercise, I'd like to pick up walking again but I don't know how to monitor how fast I'm going - is there a certain amount of time I should be walking? (I have to take OTC pain relievers most of the time I go walking).

Sidenote: I don't have access to a swimming pool. And I haven't owned a swimsuit since I was 9 years old.
I should also mention that I've posted before, awhile back, and after being discouraged by some nasty posts, stayed away from the forums here for several months. I'm trying to be more proactive and less of a victim, but I am still in a crappy situation that I can do little to change right now.

Thanks for your suggestions everyone! All nasty posts will be ignored =)

First of all, I must commend you for taking the opportunity to post on this board following your personal experiences with posting before. It takes a lot of courage to be able to do so, and I can see that your're keen in getting as much support as you can in reaching your goals.

In response to your post, if money is tight for you and you're quite limited in your meal choices, I would probably work with what you have at your disposal and focus on watching your portions. There may not be much value as far as nutrition goes with what you're eating, but it's better than nothing.

As far as fitness goes, there are so many things you can do to get your exercise in. I don't have a gym membership either, or much by the way of equipment, but I work with what I have and make it work. The wonderful thing about the world wide web is that you can find modified home exercise programs for those who don't have access to a gym. For you, I would probably try circuit style training, made of fun exercises that you can do 3-5x/week for a duration of 30-45 minutes, maybe 60 if you have it within you. Try doing a search on the net for examples.

Veggies, veggies, veggies-my advice to you is to get over your distaste for them. As far as I'm concerned, no one can lose weight the right way without incorporating them as a part of their diet. Sure one can lose weight eating junk and all sorts of crap but the difference is how the loss in weight will look on you and how you generally feel afterwards (Looking tired and worn out vs looking refreshed and rejuvenated). Start by gradually eating the things you don't mind and work your way up...remember it takes 20x of doing something to make something a habit, so if you do the same with veggies, your intake of them will become such a habit that you'll hardly notice that you couldn't stand them before (it worked for me!).

On a final note, like one of the posters stated quite well in response to your post, try not to make excuses for doing what you desire. If you believe in yourself and 100% that you can do something it will happen!

[twinnett]

I never ate a real veggie other than corn or potatoes until I was 20! I detested salad and broccoli, etc. I just had to start forcing myself to eat them. I find that I like veggies better if they're steamed and soft. I sometimes put some mustard on them and seasonings for a better taste. Pureeing them is a great idea. There are some great ways to sneak in veggies without noticing! http://www.oprah.com/subpackage/food...icious_recipes

Some other tips: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-a...hes/index.html

Some breakfast ideas: I'm sure they buy eggs. That's a great start! Top them with some salsa to get in more veggies. How about oatmeal? Whole grain cereal with skim milk? Whole wheat toast? Yogurt? Cottage cheese? Berries or bananas?

Lunches: big salads with grilled chicken and topped with lemon juice and olive oil or salsa or I like mine with mustard and splenda. Sweet potatoes or brown rice or beans are great options. A sandwich with whole grain bread...an apple

Do you have to eat what they do for dinner? I would stick with the meat and try to make another salad if you can..more rice or beans or a sweet potato here would be good.

For snacks, do they buy fruit? You could do an apple with cottage cheese and peanut butter or try some celery with peanut butter

Just do the best you can with what you have available. For exercise, just start small. Honestly, as funny as they sound, what about some simple videos like the Richard Simmons stuff. My mom is 300# and that's how she started. He even has options for people that can't even stand up. Just get to moving..doesn't matter how far or fast for now...take little 10 minute walks as often as you can..park further from the door. Take the stairs if you can. Can you get any resistance bands? Those are great to start with!