Is this the place for me?

[helper1105]

Hi everyone!

Ok - my goals here - to be healthy!

I have always been overweight - I have struggled with it my whole life. It's "in my genes". My parents are both work out fiends - both very fit and healthy - but on both sides of their families there are fatties. So I guess that's where I come from.

Anyway, my whole life my parents had me on diet after diet.

Finally, when I was 16 (2002), I stumbled up on Extreme Power Plus (ephedra). I was about 180 and 5'5. Within a year I had lost 60 pounds (didn't exercise at all, just took the pills), met my now husband, and I felt on top of the world. My Dad told me I wasn't a fat-ass anymore (which, of course, makes me feel great now!)

Well, for some reason or another I stopped taking the pills - I felt great and didn't need them anymore. (and now ephedra is banned) I lost a little more weight and kept it off for about 8 months, then slowly started to gain it back. In October 2004 I started taking birth control (to prepare for marriage - we were both virgins - that's another story, though!) By the time my wedding rolled around in January 2005 I weighed about 140.

In May of 2005, only 5 months after I got married, I weighed in at 180 pounds. I don't know what happened. I don't know if my metabolism crashed from Extreme Power Plus, and since I stopped taking it I just exploded. I don't know if it was the birth control pills. I don't know what it was. But it happened.

Slowly over the next 2 years I gained about 20 more pounds. November 2007 we got pregnant and I gained 40 pounds with our baby.

Now our little one is 14 months old. In the first week of post-pregnancy I lost 25 pounds, the next week I gained it all back, and I have not lost a bit of it.

I'm 23, I weigh 240 and am 5'5"

The upside? I have an incredible husband who thinks I'm the sexiest thing in the world, even when I feel I'm at my worst. So, my self esteem is, by no means, in the pits.

When I lost the weight at 16, my goal was to look good. Now, with my husband and son who rely on me every day, I want to be healthy!

I don't want to be a body builder - I just want to be healthy and be in God's good earth a long time.

So, in short, I want to transform myself.

Here's where I need the help!

I have absolutely no clue where to start. I have never really exercised - ever. So I don't know how to balance cardio and weights. I don't know what to eat or drink. I don't know what machines to use.

We live in a small town, but we have a nice sized gym. It has all the weights, circuits, treadmills, bicycles, aerobics, and pools. Best of all - it has child care!

So, if I can get some advice? I don't even know if this is where I belong, since I'm a fatty and have no idea what to do. But, if someone (or multiple people) can take me under their wing, that would be beyond amazing for me.

I'm a stay at home Mom to our 14 month old so I have the time - now I want to do it. I want to have a plan. I know at my weight I can be back to post pregnancy (200 pounds) very quickly and I'm looking to do that!

I'm very much looking forward to the positive responses!

I want to be the next success story!

[Plainandtall]

Helper- I hink you are in a great place! I think lifting with weights is one of the best ways to burn calories to lose weight and build a healthy metabolism and beautiful body inside so when you get there- you are stunning. You will get support for that here. It's great your gym has child care- lucky you!

I read a book by Jillian Micheals called "Master Your Metabolism" that does not give a workout plan- but explains your hormonal systems and how they are interconnected. I'm concerned what happened taking those drugs and it's important to get that understood before you get pissed or discouraged if things don't respond as you'd expect- you may need to get stuff in balance before they respond in a normal way again.

I love your attitude- I'm glad you are here!

[helper1105]

Helper- I hink you are in a great place! I think lifting with weights is one of the best ways to burn calories to lose weight and build a healthy metabolism and beautiful body inside so when you get there- you are stunning. You will get support for that here. It's great your gym has child care- lucky you!

I read a book by Jillian Micheals called "Master Your Metabolism" that does not give a workout plan- but explains your hormonal systems and how they are interconnected. I'm concerned what happened taking those drugs and it's important to get that understood before you get pissed or discouraged if things don't respond as you'd expect- you may need to get stuff in balance before they respond in a normal way again.

I love your attitude- I'm glad you are here!

Thank you for your response and such a positive, caring attitude, Plainandtall! I was really nervous posting (even if it's "anonymously" online) and you have really helped :-)

Hormones - I am wondering about that as well. I have my yearly gyno appointment this month and I think I will ask about that.

[Josh1234567890]

Hello Helper.

Anyways your 23? You weigh 240 pounds?

I can understand that you just had a child about a year ago etc etc and probably gained some weight from that. That's understandable.

So what you have to do is:




Bust your ass in the gym

and

Eat right (very important if you want to lose fat).

First thing that comes up for women for training on this site is this....

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/woma...sexy_bible.htm

It is very simple to read and explains all the exercises, nutritional information, etc.

Everything is simple to do just be motivated when you come in and do your hardest and come out and if you feel you didn't do well in the gym that day, well than just use that as motivation for the next day.

[helper1105]

I just ordered the book - looking forward to learning more!

[helper1105]

First thing that comes up for women for training on this site is this....

It is very simple to read and explains all the exercises, nutritional information, etc.

Awesome website - Thanks Josh!

[Josh1234567890]

Awesome website - Thanks Josh!

you know its this same web....................never mind no problem...

[Amanda76]

Ephedra will make you a fidgeter (damn, I loved cleaning my house on that stuff...LOL) and is an appetite suppressant...you probably moved around more and your eating habits likely changed without you realizing it. Years later, you've simply fallen back into old habits and stuck with them long enough that you've gained additional weight.

The first step I would take is to go through your house and get rid of all overly processed foods...the stuff normally referred to as junk. Make it take work to have access to that kind of thing.

After you've done that, go to the store on a mission to purchase only whole foods...things that are as close to how they are found growing in nature as is safe/possible to eat. You can allow for a little processing of course. I'm pretty sure nobody is making their own cottage cheese, for example. But do compare ingredient lists to make sure that ingredients are things you could gather on your own. Your grocery list will look something like (but is not limited to) this:

Protein: Egg whites, lean poultry/red meat/fish, low fat cottage cheese (check label), 0% greek yogurt (check label)

Complex Carbs: Oats, brown rice (any kind of rice that still has the hull, really), potato, beans

Fats: Nuts (or nut products like almond butter...check label), olive oil, avocado, fatty fish

Additional micronutrients: Variety of fruits and veggies

Hydration: WATER!

Flavor: Spices (don't forget cinnamon as a spice), vinegar, honey, chicken/beef/veggie broth, hot sauce...fruits, veggies and fresh herbs can be used to flavor your food as well.

I also keep a nice variety of teas and some coffee around

If you are lightly active, it will take about 2,500 calories per day to maintain your current weight. As you learn how to exercise and shape up to the point you are able to regularly perform more intense workouts, you'd need even more to maintain your current weight. Keep that in mind before being tempted to restrict your total calories too much (you don't want to undereat any more than you want to overeat). Weigh and track (check out nutridiary or fitday.com) your portions so you can figure out what 2,000 calories looks like to begin losing weight. Eat a serving of something that is primarily protein and a fruit or vegetable at all of your meals. Have a complex carb AT LEAST in the morning and pre and post workout (you are not limited to those 3 times) for energy and recovery. Fats are extremely helpful in the evening hours when it comes to satiety but for health purpsoses (cellular, nervous system, immune system, hormonal support, etc...), you will need to eat them throughout the day as well.

Be more active. Go on daily walks to the park with your son. Take the family hiking and have a picnic. Go play in a pool (don't lounge...PLAY!). Whatever it is you enjoy doing that gets you off the couch. If you don't enjoy anything active, you're just gonna have to suck it up and do a little something every day. This is where a treadmill can come in handy for those walks when you're a beginner. Once you are light/fit enough to do more intense cardio, you will need to plan full rest days to let your body recover. For now, though, the cardio should be very light and is about getting moving.

Progressive weight training is a great way to increase the amount of calories you'll need every day as extra energy will be required to recover from your workouts. Weight training will also encourage your body to hold on to lean mass as you lose weight, which will keep your metabolism boosted as you lean up. Long term health benefits do include prevention of osteoperosis, heart disease and diabetes. Hiring a trainer would be the easiest way to learn exercises, but there are lots of resources online that will be useful for learning form as well. There is an exercise guide here at bbing.com. I really like the one at exrx.net as well.

Hopefully that's not an overwhelming amount of information. Good luck!

[helper1105]

Yes, I know it's the same site - but thanks for pointing me there.

So, I'm reading through the diet stuff on that page. Now, obviously I need to reduce my caloric intake. According to the Harris Benedict Equation (BMR x 1.2) I need something like 2275 calories a day to maintain my current weight.

But according to the site Josh provided, I need 3600 to maintain my current weight? That's a big difference! Does that take into account the amount of exercise the program recommends?

Now, how many calories do you recommend I drop? One website I was reading said between 500 - 1000. Would this be a good goal?

The Macronutrients calculator says I need to eat 3600 calories per day, 360 grams of protein per day, 315 grams of carbs per day, and 100 grams of fat per day.

What would I cut out if I wanted to lose the weight? Do I cut out only calories but not protein, carbs or fat?

Also, the scheduled recommend suggest suplements (and, it seems, a lot of them). Do I really have to take these? Or is this just a marketing ploy by BodyBuilding?

I should add that I only drink water. I have never liked sodas, juices, (anything carbonated), alcohol, coffee, etc etc. It's water 100% for me.

And! What do you guys think of this soup recipe? I can make it and keep it in the fridge, and it would be an easy and quick meal. (eating 5 times a day is daunting to me! - that's going to take some getting used to!)

1 or 2 cans of stewed tomatoes
3 plus large green onions
1 large can of beef broth (no fat)
1 pkg. Lipton Soup mix (chicken noodle)
1 bunch of celery
2 cans green beans
2 lbs. Carrots
2 Green Peppers
3 cooked and cubed chicken breasts
2 zucchini's, sliced


Thank you so much!!!

[helper1105]

Sorry Amanda - it looks like we were writing posts at the same time!

Thank you for your detailed post - it's a lot of GOOD information :-)

Back to my question about food consumption - you mentioned my grocery list. My question - How much do *I* need to eat?

I do have a treadmill (bought it off Craigslist) and we do have a wonderful little park about 1/4 mile down the road.

Do you recommend I start out with just treadmill/walking and diet to lose the first 30-40 pounds, then get to the gym for weight training? Or should I do it all from the beginning? (I know more muscle = more calorie burned)

[Plainandtall]

Helper- When I did my weight loss (#55) the rule of thumb I followed was to take the weight you want to be (the one you should be) and multiply that by 10... so at 5'5" I would think 150 is a good goal for starters... and 1500 calories would be what I'd go with for that.

I actually thought of my daily food like 10 160calories snacks... and I could eat those "snacks" any way I wanted- so if I wanted a 160 calorie glass of OJ, I just had to remember to count that as one of my ten snacks. Eat less food, more often- don't wallow in hunger- stoke that fire- keep adding little bits of tinder to it all day long- not one big log...

As for the soup recepie- Skip the soup mix and possibly the beef broth- read the packaging and look for the perservatives and MSG... MSG is an ingredient that will totally mess you up- it makes you crave more instead of feeling full. You will find MSG in almost all prepared seasonings... it's powdered "yummy" that's why they put it in there- but you need to avoid that stuff! Making your own soup is defeated if you add premade mixes and don't stick to the raw ingredients.

and by the way- I didn't consider cottage cheese a processed food- till Amanda mentioned it... I just looked at the ingredients of what should be a very simple food and OMG!!! I think I might start making my own!! No kidding. I have an Amish girlfriend who did make her own (she was milking her own cow too- so I need to check if you have to have raw milk) but damn!

[helper1105]

I joined the website FitDay.

This morning I ate two whole eggs (cooked with Pam) and two pieces of turkey bacon (microwaved). That added up to 187 calories, 15.9 grams of fat, 0.8 grams of carbs, and 16.6 grams of protein.

Is turkey bacon and okay thing to eat, or should I stay away from it? (I know turkey is a good source of protein...)

[helper1105]

I'm not a picky eater (obviously) but cottage cheese is... hmm... not my on my list of have to eat foods, haha!

My Mom eats it with strawberries or grapes or whatnot... I'll have to give it a try. (I don't have my own cow :-( )

[MrsStfns]

Hi Helper! I think you have a fantastic mindset about why you want to lose the weight and how to go about it! Here are some things that well help you right away (sorry about the huge post, I can't put links in my posts yet):

How and what to eat (originally posted by BuffedWildCat):
NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES 101 FOR A LEANER PHYSIQUE:

1. Eat every 2-4 hours, balanced meals of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Exception: you don't necessarily have to eat carbohydrates with your last meal or two of the day, you CAN just eat protein and fat. Unless it's post workout (post strength training), then you NEED to eat some carbohydrates.

2. Try to keep the protein intake in each of your meals consistent. If you are resistance/strength training, eat a minimum of your bodyweight in grams of protein, divided up equally into each of your meals.

3. Don't be afraid of fat, your body NEEDS fat. There is nothing wrong with fat as long as it’s the right type. Just make sure you choose HEALTHY fats, not trans-fats (i.e. anything hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated is BAD news). Eating healthy fats whilst decreasing the amount of carbohydrates you eat will help turn your body into a fat burning machine! Do NOT decrease carbs without increasing the fat.

4. Refrain from eating an excessive amount of carbohydrates, especially sugary carbs, processed and overrprocessed carbohydrates. Limiting carbohydrate intake to around 40 grams per meal is a good start.

5. Eat foods that are as close to how they occur in nature as possible!

6. READ YOUR LABELS. Avoid sugar like the plague! The lower the sugar content the better. Avoid processed foods, like those in boxes/packages and also anything made with white flour. White flour is over-processed. Also anything that says, "enriched" avoid it as well, it basically means over-processed (over-processing strips the food of all its nutrients, so basically empty calories).

7. Avoid eating a lot of starchy carbs like corn, bread (esp white bread), pasta (esp white), white potatoes, etc. ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.

8. Last but not least, do NOT cut your calories too low. If you already know your maintenance calories and you’ve been eating at maintenance for a while, I’d start by dropping only about 250 calories. BUT, for BEGINNERS, those who have never dieted before, I wouldn't drop ANY calories. Just work on improving your diet by following these guidelines. Stop drinking sodas, eating candy bars, pizza, processed foods, etc. and work on getting consistent with eating NUTRITIONALLY DENSE, BALANCED meals every 2-4 hours.

9. If you want to start keeping track of your calories, (it’ll help with finding your true maintenance calories and getting a starting point), a good website (free) to help you keep track of your calories, protein, carbs, and fat is: fitday.com. I use it religiously, heh.

Lastly, here are some good examples of nutritionally dense, close to nature foods to eat, conducive to burning fat and/or staying lean.

PROTEINS

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Tuna (water packed)
Fish (salmon, seabass, halibut)
Shrimp
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
Venison
Buffalo
Ostrich
Protein Powder
Egg Whites or Whole Eggs
Ribeye Steaks or Roast
Top Round Steaks or Roast (aka Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry)
Top Sirloin (aka Sirloin Top Butt)
Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon)
Top Loin (NY Strip Steak)
Flank Steak (Sir Fry, Fajita)
Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% LeandGround Round)
Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)
Soy Burgers
Low-fat cottage cheese

SLOW BURNING/COMPLEX CARBS

Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
Oat Bran Cereal
Rye Cereal
Grape Nuts
Brown Rice
Farina (Cream of Wheat)
Multigrain Hot Cereal
Whole wheat or Spinach Pasta
100% Stoneground Whole Wheat Bread
Lentils
Whole wheat bagels

FIBEROUS CARBS

Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)
Broccoli
Asparagus
String Beans
Okra
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green or Red Pepper
Onions
Pumpkin
Garlic
Tomatoes
Zucchini

FRUIT

Apples
Grapefruit
Peaches
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Lemons or Limes

HEALTHY FATS

Natural Peanut Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nuts (peanuts, almonds)
Flaxseed Oil
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Avacodo

CONDIMENTS

Mayonnaise
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Salsa
Hot Peppers and Hot Sauce
Chili powder
Mrs. Dash
Steak Sauce
Sugar Free Maple Syrup
Chili Paste
Mustard
Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc )
Low Sodium beef or chicken broth
Plain or reduced sodium tomatoes sauce, puree, paste)
Stevia (natural sweetener)

Written by:
BuffedWildCat
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
__________________

There are a TON of recipe threads on here that can help you with great tasting meals that fit into your daily calories. Just pay attention to ingredients and cal/carb/protein/fat content.

In terms of supplements I would suggest taking a multivitamin everyday (if you don't already). And possibly getting some whey protein powder to supplement your protein intake. I use Optimum Nutrition 100% whey protein, but there are a TON of different kinds out there. You could also look into taking fish oil supplements as well. I take fish oil capsules everyday, partly because they're good for you but also because I really can't stand fish but I know it has great health benefits. These are just a few to get you started.

I also have Master Your Metabolism and it will do a great job of explaining to you why we should/shouldn't eat certain things, why we should pair foods a certain way (carb/protein/fat balance), etc.

I know this can all be really intimidating, so I'll leave you with this stuff for now. But keep searching the sight for info and asking questions! People are more than happy to help! As far as your cardio/lifting goes, I'm going to let someone else field that question because a lot of people on here are more knowledgeable than me in that area.

[Amanda76]

Sorry Amanda - it looks like we were writing posts at the same time!

Thank you for your detailed post - it's a lot of GOOD information :-)

Back to my question about food consumption - you mentioned my grocery list. My question - How much do *I* need to eat?

I do have a treadmill (bought it off Craigslist) and we do have a wonderful little park about 1/4 mile down the road.

Do you recommend I start out with just treadmill/walking and diet to lose the first 30-40 pounds, then get to the gym for weight training? Or should I do it all from the beginning? (I know more muscle = more calorie burned)

With the 3,600 is it possible you used a calculator for an active male? So far as the 2,275 goes for maintenace using Harris Benedict, you are NOT sedentary (and if you have been, you aren't gonna be anymore ). 1.2 is the wrong amount to multiply your BMR by. 1.375 is what you need to use for your new lightly active lifestyle. You need to do something active (like that walk) every day. You can wander around the mall (so long as you don't visit the food court) if you want to. Just MOVE.

2,000 calories is approximately what you need to eat to lose an average of a pound a week (500 calorie daily deficit). I personally think 1,500 will lead to you being more hungry than you need to be, which may lead to poor decisions that will hurt your progress. Keeping your cals as high as possible for as long as possible will also keep you from stalling out at an impossible to sustain calorie level when you are in the final stretch. Keep in mind that as you lose fat and "stall out" you will need to recalculate your caloric need based on your new weight (you won't simply subtract another 500 calories from what you are already eating...as little as an additional 200 calories added to your original deficit will often get the scale moving again).

You will also be depending on increased fitness and ability to push yourself to keep you from stalling out (increasing your calorie need through additional activity and intensity). That being the case, go ahead and start learning to weight train 2-3 times a week. Waiting until you lose weight will just limit your success until then.

and by the way- I didn't consider cottage cheese a processed food- till Amanda mentioned it... I just looked at the ingredients of what should be a very simple food and OMG!!! I think I might start making my own!! No kidding. I have an Amish girlfriend who did make her own (she was milking her own cow too- so I need to check if you have to have raw milk) but damn!

Check out Daisy Brand cottage cheese. You'll recognize all the ingredients (skim milk, cream, salt) in the 4% and may have to look up the Vitamin A palmitate in the 2%: "Palmitate is an antioxidant and a vitamin A compound added to low fat milk and other dairy products to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of milk fat." I use multi-vitamins, so I'm down with that.

I joined the website FitDay.

This morning I ate two whole eggs (cooked with Pam) and two pieces of turkey bacon (microwaved). That added up to 187 calories, 15.9 grams of fat, 0.8 grams of carbs, and 16.6 grams of protein.

Is turkey bacon and okay thing to eat, or should I stay away from it? (I know turkey is a good source of protein...)

Add a complex carb (like oats) to your breakfast and scramble some veggies into your eggs. If you eat a lot of egg yolk, look for eggs like Eggland's Best...their hens are given a feed that impacts the the nutrient content so that there is a greater percentage of unsaturated fats, more vitamin E and lutien than the typical egg. If you don't typically eat the yolk, just get what's the most economical.

If this was just about weight loss, I'd say the turkey bacon is fine. But with it being about health in addition, you need to read the label to see if you feel there are too many ingredients you are unfamiliar with used in the turkey bacon. You are more than likely going to look at the ingredient list and go, "WTF-this isn't turkey!" LOL But if not, let me know what brand you're getting.

[helper1105]

If this was just about weight loss, I'd say the turkey bacon is fine. But with it being about health in addition, you need to read the label to see if you feel there are too many ingredients you are unfamiliar with used in the turkey bacon. You are more than likely going to look at the ingredient list and go, "WTF-this isn't turkey!" LOL But if not, let me know what brand you're getting.

Ok - still getting the hang of "bad ingredients". What do you think about this brand of turkey bacon: (I can't help it - scrambled eggs with turkey bacon is very good and I feel like I'm not sacrificing) -- ETA: Sorry for the copy and paste, I can't post links yet.

Serving Size 1 slice (28g)
Servings Per Container About 8
Calories 35
Calories From Fat 15
% Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Amount/serving DV%
Total Fat 1.5g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g ---
Cholesterol 25mg 9%
Sodium 200mg 8%
Total Carbs 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0g ---
Protein 6g ---
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%
Turkey, Water, Sea Salt, Maple Sugar, Celery Juice, Onion Powder, Spices, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (Not From Milk).

[helper1105]

How do you guys eat your canned tuna? (water packed) I could make tuna salad - tuna, mayo, dill or relish, celery, maybe a few pecans thrown in. Would this be ok?

Also, could I eat it on whole wheat crackers?

(sorry for all of the idiot questions - Hopefully I will get the hang of this mindset soon!)

[helper1105]

And can someone give me an idea of the macronutrients I need to be consuming? We already spoke of calories - but what about fat, protein and carbs? (for my weight, height, and goals)

I did the calculator at the website Josh suggested but since it miscalculated my caloric intake, I didn't want to take a chance on the rest of it!

I'd like to come up with a sample daily meal plan (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner) and see if I'm heading in the right direction.

[Amanda76]

Ok - still getting the hang of "bad ingredients". What do you think about this brand of turkey bacon: (I can't help it - scrambled eggs with turkey bacon is very good and I feel like I'm not sacrificing) -- ETA: Sorry for the copy and paste, I can't post links yet.

Serving Size 1 slice (28g)
Servings Per Container About 8
Calories 35
Calories From Fat 15
% Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Amount/serving DV%
Total Fat 1.5g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g ---
Cholesterol 25mg 9%
Sodium 200mg 8%
Total Carbs 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0g ---
Protein 6g ---
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%
Turkey, Water, Sea Salt, Maple Sugar, Celery Juice, Onion Powder, Spices, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (Not From Milk).

That is actually some good stuff.

1. The greatest percentage of what it's comprised of is straight up turkey (we know this because it's the first ingredient).

2. You know what turkey, water, sea salt, maple sugar, celery juice, onion powder and spices are (you just don't know the specific flavor formula).

3. The one thing you may not be familiar with is the Lactic Acid Starter Culture. It's a (good) bacteria being used as a preservative along with the celery juice and onion powder, so that natural nitrates can be used to cure the meat instead of synthetic ones.

[Amanda76]

How do you guys eat your canned tuna? (water packed) I could make tuna salad - tuna, mayo, dill or relish, celery, maybe a few pecans thrown in. Would this be ok?

Also, could I eat it on whole wheat crackers?

(sorry for all of the idiot questions - Hopefully I will get the hang of this mindset soon!)

I normally just eat it out of the can. Sometimes I'll make a tuna patty by squishing an egg and oats into it and then mixing in some veggies and seasoning. Or I'll do egg whites instead of a whole egg and spread avocado on top with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. Hmmm...think I'm gonna do that for lunch now. That sounds good. LOL

Whole wheat crackers...refer to the ingredient list. Hopefully my post about the bacon gave you an idea about how to decipher it. If you recognize the ingredient as something you could purchase and use in a recipe, cool. If you don't recognize it, look it up. If there are tons of things you don't recognize, find something else to eat. Keep in mind it's what's acceptable to YOU, not me. Also if you go so batty looking at this stuff that you lose interest, the label comparisons aren't gonna do you any good. Most of the things I've filtered out of my diet that are THAT nit-picky (brands of cottage cheese, bread, peanut butter, etc) have been done over time.

Keep in mind that you don't have to research every food you ever eat for the rest of your life. Just have a clue about the things you eat on a regular basis.

And can someone give me an idea of the macronutrients I need to be consuming? We already spoke of calories - but what about fat, protein and carbs? (for my weight, height, and goals)

I did the calculator at the website Josh suggested but since it miscalculated my caloric intake, I didn't want to take a chance on the rest of it!

I'd like to come up with a sample daily meal plan (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner) and see if I'm heading in the right direction.

So far as macros go, I'd start with 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fats. I don't guess you have anything to compare it to, but in my experience it's satiating and great for energy. Because you can't go hog-wild on carbs, you have to be a bit choosy about sugars which can help keep your cravings down.

[MrsStfns]

A little extra info to what Amanda said (this girl really knows her stuff, as I'm sure you can tell!)

Kashi is a really good brand for cereals, crackers, etc. I also buy their frozen meals every once and awhile to keep in the freezer in case something comes up and I need a really, really quick meal.

For bread: Ezekiel is also a really great brand. Check out foodforlife.com to see their products. FYI my grocery store has many of this brand's products (bread, english muffins, tortillas) in the freezer, so if you look for it and have trouble finding it you may want to check there.

But like she said, pay attention to ingredient labels. It's amazing all the added junk they put into "food".

One other thing that may be helpful to you- something you might already know:

Grams of carbs x 4 = calories of carbs (same formula for protein)
Grams of fat x 9 = calories of fat

[helper1105]

So far as macros go, I'd start with 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fats. I don't guess you have anything to compare it to, but in my experience it's satiating and great for energy. Because you can't go hog-wild on carbs, you have to be a bit choosy about sugars which can help keep your cravings down.

40%/30%/30% -- Thanks! But... (I hope this doesn't sound too stupid) - what numbers are that? I mean, I could have 400g protein, 300 g carbs, and 300 g fat... But that seems like too little. (does my question make sense?)

[Amanda76]

40%/30%/30% -- Thanks! But... (I hope this doesn't sound too stupid) - what numbers are that? I mean, I could have 400g protein, 300 g carbs, and 300 g fat... But that seems like too little. (does my question make sense?)

Those are the percentages of your total calories that should be made up of those macros.

I think you are confusing a gram for a calorie. To clarify what KCO posted:
1 gram protein = 4 calories
1 gram carbs = 4 calories
1 gram fat = 9 calories

Example of how to figure out your macronutrient needs with that information:

2,000 total calories x 40% (.4) protein = 800 calories worth of protein.

800 calories of protein / 4 calories per gram = 200 grams of protein.

So 2,000 calories at 40/30/30 (p/c/f) =
200 grams of protein
150 grams of carbs
67 grams of fat (rounded up from 66.6)

[helper1105]

Those are the percentages of your total calories that should be made up of those macros.

I think you are confusing a gram for a calorie. To clarify what KCO posted:
1 gram protein = 4 calories
1 gram carbs = 4 calories
1 gram fat = 9 calories

Example of how to figure out your macronutrient needs with that information:

2,000 total calories x 40% (.4) protein = 800 calories worth of protein.

800 calories of protein / 4 calories per gram = 200 grams of protein.

So 2,000 calories at 40/30/30 (p/c/f) =
200 grams of protein
150 grams of carbs
67 grams of fat (rounded up from 66.6)

Gotcha -- ok -- thanks so much!

[helper1105]

Ok - now since this was my first day on my new diet, and I didn't go grocery shopping, I had to improvise.

But, let me give you what I ate, and I have some questions.

Breakfast: 2 whole eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon. 187 cals, 16 g fat, 0.8 carbs, 52.6 g protein

Lunch: 2 whole eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon. 187 cals, 16 g fat, 0.8 carbs, 52.6 g protein

"Snack": 2 whole eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon. 187 cals, 16 g fat, 0.8 carbs, 52.6 g protein (I know - it's getting redundant!)

Dinner - hold on to your seats!: 2 oz tuna (made it in a patty - thanks for the tip Amanda!) 50 cals, 1 g fat, 0 carbs, 11g protein

So, obviously I need to eat more, but like I said, today was improvising.



I'm going to start on 1200 calories a day, just to see how I do. 2000 just seems like a lot to me (but maybe I just have to get into the mindset).

But, 1200 calories, 120 g protein, 90 g carbs, 40 g fat.

Now, I only ate 615 calories, so I obviously need to get more in. But of those 615 I had 49 grams of fat. What are good foods that have minimal fat and more calories? Could I mix fat free cream cheese in with something (like chicken)?

I guess I just want to get in more calories, carbs, and protein, but don't really know how to avoid the fat.





Now on to an unrelated matter.

I plan to head into the gym on Monday. Amanda, you recommended weights 2-3 times a week. For how long, and do I do a whole body workout those 3 days? Should I just walk in and ask a member of the staff to show me how to do a whole body workout and what machines to use?

Thanks so much, you guys, for helping out my poor newbie soul! I'm so excited -- and even though I only had 615 calories today, I feel GREAT!

[aznprincess]

if you choose your foods from the list below, bad fats won't be a problem. Focus on eating healthier and exercising consistently and you will see a weight loss. remember this is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. you're not going to mess up if you're eating healthy on a consistent basis and watching your portion sizes.

obviously, for you....you're going to have to drop the turkey bacon.

ultimately, you're not trying to avoid fat. you're trying to eat in a balanced manner for the rest of your life. that means that you're going to have to give some things up and one of those things is loving to eat foods that aren't the best for your goals most of the time. can you have turkey bacon?? yes. can you have it as often as you may want...perhaps not.

i'm not trying to be mean here. it's more of a reality check. if you really are over being 180 lbs then you can't eat the same way period. if you want to weigh 120lbs then you have to eat the way someone that weight does <--- consistently.

consistency is something like, healthy 6 days a week and one day a week you get to eat whatever...with in reason.

are you ready to do that? remember, you can do whatever you want in life and eat and look however you want. that is your business. but if you want to look different, then different behaviors and thinking are in order. this is a huge step and has un-fun consequences. count the cost. it is perfectly OK in my mind for you to decide that for you, eating for pleasure is more important than losing weight.

the reason i'm saying this is.. (and i know you had to wing it today) to encourage you to fight the urge to add to this list of foods below just b/c heck, your preferred food isn't there. you need at this point to eat from the list below. there is plenty of variety there. if you find you're not able to do it b/c your favorite foods are calling to you...know that you can have them on day 7 in normal amounts and be done with it.

good luck! i know you can do anything you put your mind to doing! :-)

Hi Helper! I think you have a fantastic mindset about why you want to lose the weight and how to go about it! Here are some things that well help you right away (sorry about the huge post, I can't put links in my posts yet):

How and what to eat (originally posted by BuffedWildCat):
NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES 101 FOR A LEANER PHYSIQUE:

1. Eat every 2-4 hours, balanced meals of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Exception: you don't necessarily have to eat carbohydrates with your last meal or two of the day, you CAN just eat protein and fat. Unless it's post workout (post strength training), then you NEED to eat some carbohydrates.

2. Try to keep the protein intake in each of your meals consistent. If you are resistance/strength training, eat a minimum of your bodyweight in grams of protein, divided up equally into each of your meals.

3. Don't be afraid of fat, your body NEEDS fat. There is nothing wrong with fat as long as it?s the right type. Just make sure you choose HEALTHY fats, not trans-fats (i.e. anything hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated is BAD news). Eating healthy fats whilst decreasing the amount of carbohydrates you eat will help turn your body into a fat burning machine! Do NOT decrease carbs without increasing the fat.

4. Refrain from eating an excessive amount of carbohydrates, especially sugary carbs, processed and overrprocessed carbohydrates. Limiting carbohydrate intake to around 40 grams per meal is a good start.

5. Eat foods that are as close to how they occur in nature as possible!

6. READ YOUR LABELS. Avoid sugar like the plague! The lower the sugar content the better. Avoid processed foods, like those in boxes/packages and also anything made with white flour. White flour is over-processed. Also anything that says, "enriched" avoid it as well, it basically means over-processed (over-processing strips the food of all its nutrients, so basically empty calories).

7. Avoid eating a lot of starchy carbs like corn, bread (esp white bread), pasta (esp white), white potatoes, etc. ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.

8. Last but not least, do NOT cut your calories too low. If you already know your maintenance calories and you?ve been eating at maintenance for a while, I?d start by dropping only about 250 calories. BUT, for BEGINNERS, those who have never dieted before, I wouldn't drop ANY calories. Just work on improving your diet by following these guidelines. Stop drinking sodas, eating candy bars, pizza, processed foods, etc. and work on getting consistent with eating NUTRITIONALLY DENSE, BALANCED meals every 2-4 hours.

9. If you want to start keeping track of your calories, (it?ll help with finding your true maintenance calories and getting a starting point), a good website (free) to help you keep track of your calories, protein, carbs, and fat is: fitday.com. I use it religiously, heh.

Lastly, here are some good examples of nutritionally dense, close to nature foods to eat, conducive to burning fat and/or staying lean.

PROTEINS

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Tuna (water packed)
Fish (salmon, seabass, halibut)
Shrimp
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
Venison
Buffalo
Ostrich
Protein Powder
Egg Whites or Whole Eggs
Ribeye Steaks or Roast
Top Round Steaks or Roast (aka Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry)
Top Sirloin (aka Sirloin Top Butt)
Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon)
Top Loin (NY Strip Steak)
Flank Steak (Sir Fry, Fajita)
Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% LeandGround Round)
Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)
Soy Burgers
Low-fat cottage cheese

SLOW BURNING/COMPLEX CARBS

Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
Oat Bran Cereal
Rye Cereal
Grape Nuts
Brown Rice
Farina (Cream of Wheat)
Multigrain Hot Cereal
Whole wheat or Spinach Pasta
100% Stoneground Whole Wheat Bread
Lentils
Whole wheat bagels

FIBEROUS CARBS

Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)
Broccoli
Asparagus
String Beans
Okra
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green or Red Pepper
Onions
Pumpkin
Garlic
Tomatoes
Zucchini

FRUIT

Apples
Grapefruit
Peaches
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Lemons or Limes

HEALTHY FATS

Natural Peanut Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nuts (peanuts, almonds)
Flaxseed Oil
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Avacodo

CONDIMENTS

Mayonnaise
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Salsa
Hot Peppers and Hot Sauce
Chili powder
Mrs. Dash
Steak Sauce
Sugar Free Maple Syrup
Chili Paste
Mustard
Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc )
Low Sodium beef or chicken broth
Plain or reduced sodium tomatoes sauce, puree, paste)
Stevia (natural sweetener)

Written by:
BuffedWildCat
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
__________________

There are a TON of recipe threads on here that can help you with great tasting meals that fit into your daily calories. Just pay attention to ingredients and cal/carb/protein/fat content.

In terms of supplements I would suggest taking a multivitamin everyday (if you don't already). And possibly getting some whey protein powder to supplement your protein intake. I use Optimum Nutrition 100% whey protein, but there are a TON of different kinds out there. You could also look into taking fish oil supplements as well. I take fish oil capsules everyday, partly because they're good for you but also because I really can't stand fish but I know it has great health benefits. These are just a few to get you started.

I also have Master Your Metabolism and it will do a great job of explaining to you why we should/shouldn't eat certain things, why we should pair foods a certain way (carb/protein/fat balance), etc.

I know this can all be really intimidating, so I'll leave you with this stuff for now. But keep searching the sight for info and asking questions! People are more than happy to help! As far as your cardio/lifting goes, I'm going to let someone else field that question because a lot of people on here are more knowledgeable than me in that area.

[KlaarBody]

Welcome to this forums. This place is a wonderful place to find support in losing weight.
With the tips and support from everyone on this site, I have managed to lose over 50 lb and drop about 19% of my body fat!

The biggest 2 things I have learned from the very smart and helpful women on this site that have helped me to have the success I mentioned above are:

1. Don't go under 1500 calories a day, no matter what. Anything under that is just a ticking time bomb to a huge binge. I generally stick to 1800 calories a day + or - about 250. If you go to low on your calories, your body will start feasting on your muscle. As you lose muscle your metabolism slows down. So as your muscle is eaten away, your ability to metabolise fat lessens too.

2. Hit those weights like you want to pack on as much muscle as humanly possible, and protect them as though they were your most precious treasure by eating enough protien and calories. More muscle = higher metabolism, and it will pull you in tighter and tighter. Most people guess me at about 165 lb, but in reality I hover around 206 lb.

[elainedeluca]

Ok - now since this was my first day on my new diet, and I didn't go grocery shopping, I had to improvise.

But, let me give you what I ate, and I have some questions.

Breakfast: 2 whole eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon. 187 cals, 16 g fat, 0.8 carbs, 52.6 g protein

Lunch: 2 whole eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon. 187 cals, 16 g fat, 0.8 carbs, 52.6 g protein

"Snack": 2 whole eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon. 187 cals, 16 g fat, 0.8 carbs, 52.6 g protein (I know - it's getting redundant!)

Dinner - hold on to your seats!: 2 oz tuna (made it in a patty - thanks for the tip Amanda!) 50 cals, 1 g fat, 0 carbs, 11g protein

So, obviously I need to eat more, but like I said, today was improvising.



I'm going to start on 1200 calories a day, just to see how I do. 2000 just seems like a lot to me (but maybe I just have to get into the mindset).

But, 1200 calories, 120 g protein, 90 g carbs, 40 g fat.

Now, I only ate 615 calories, so I obviously need to get more in. But of those 615 I had 49 grams of fat. What are good foods that have minimal fat and more calories? Could I mix fat free cream cheese in with something (like chicken)?

I guess I just want to get in more calories, carbs, and protein, but don't really know how to avoid the fat.





Now on to an unrelated matter.

I plan to head into the gym on Monday. Amanda, you recommended weights 2-3 times a week. For how long, and do I do a whole body workout those 3 days? Should I just walk in and ask a member of the staff to show me how to do a whole body workout and what machines to use?

Thanks so much, you guys, for helping out my poor newbie soul! I'm so excited -- and even though I only had 615 calories today, I feel GREAT!

I may be chiming in here a little late, but I only just saw the thread now. Congrats on the commitment!

As others have mentioned, DO NOT drop to 1200 calories. Such a drastic change is unsustainable and you will reach that point where you will want to eat everything.

Regarding the diet, I don't think the turkey bacon is all that bad, although I would limit to 1x/day. I do suggest taking out some of the whole eggs and replacing with egg whites (each large egg has about 7g fat and 250mg cholesteral), as opposed to egg whites which have almost no fat, no cholesteral and a good amount of protein. You can eat WAY more egg whites that you can whole eggs.

Avoiding fat, really comes down to reading labels and educating yourself about food choices, which will come in time. Clean sources of protein, such as chicken/turkey breast, most WHITE fish (Chilean Sea Bass not included--I'm talking about fish such as sole, flounder) are usually low in fat.

One of the tricks I suggest when food shopping is try to get most of your groceries from the OUTER perimeter of the store and only venture into the aisles for things like some whole grain items like brown rice, spices and food prep. Think about it...the outside aisles have your fresh produce and meat sections...food in its closest to natural state.

When it comes to exercising, start off slow if you don't have much experience in a gym environment. Try not to spend more than 90 minutes for your entire workout. Start off with walking on the treadmill at a brisk pace for 5 minutes or so for a warm-up, then move onto weights. Keep it SIMPLE. If you have never used a free weight (e.g., barbell, dumbell) start off with weight machines. Most weight machines are self-explanatory and should have a diagram as to how to position your body. Don't think about specific body parts just yet. Think about exercises that focus on pushing, pulling, squatting/lunging, twisting and deadlifting (picking weight up from the floor--there are many instructional videos on this site that demonstrate proper deadlifting--VERY IMPT).

Most gyms have:
-A seated chest press (pushing)
-A seated row (pulling)
-A cable pulldown (pulling)
-A leg press (could be set at 90 degrees, 45 degress or vertical)--to simulate the squat

Some gyms have:
-A "cable cross" machines that allow things like woodchoppers (high to low twists) or torso twists
-A plate loaded deadlift machine (you put the plates on yourself)--BUT I REALLY RECOMMEND GOING THE BARBELL WAY for these

For lunging, start off with your own body weight and then add dumbbells as you get stronger.

Most importantly--DO NOT OVER DO IT!!! Spend no more than 60 minutes lifting weight. No need to get fancy with sets & reps. 3 sets of 10 reps at a challenging weight (meaning that it may take a little extra 'umph') to get the last 2 reps out will do you fine for now.

Once done with the weights, then spend 20-30 minutes on a cardio machine of your choice. Go at a pace faster than your warm up but not so fast that you are going to throw up. Add on 5 minutes to slow your pace down and bring your heart rate closer to normal before getting off the machine.

Once you get comfortable with lifting, then start playing around with your workout and try new things.

There really is so much information on exercises and different ways to workout, eventually it comes down to personal preference. I will say again, don't get too confused about reading EVERYTHING that is in the article database.

Now go do your thing!

[helper1105]

I may be chiming in here a little late, but I only just saw the thread now. Congrats on the commitment!

As others have mentioned, DO NOT drop to 1200 calories. Such a drastic change is unsustainable and you will reach that point where you will want to eat everything.

Regarding the diet, I don't think the turkey bacon is all that bad, although I would limit to 1x/day. I do suggest taking out some of the whole eggs and replacing with egg whites (each large egg has about 7g fat and 250mg cholesteral), as opposed to egg whites which have almost no fat, no cholesteral and a good amount of protein. You can eat WAY more egg whites that you can whole eggs.

Avoiding fat, really comes down to reading labels and educating yourself about food choices, which will come in time. Clean sources of protein, such as chicken/turkey breast, most WHITE fish (Chilean Sea Bass not included--I'm talking about fish such as sole, flounder) are usually low in fat.

One of the tricks I suggest when food shopping is try to get most of your groceries from the OUTER perimeter of the store and only venture into the aisles for things like some whole grain items like brown rice, spices and food prep. Think about it...the outside aisles have your fresh produce and meat sections...food in its closest to natural state.

When it comes to exercising, start off slow if you don't have much experience in a gym environment. Try not to spend more than 90 minutes for your entire workout. Start off with walking on the treadmill at a brisk pace for 5 minutes or so for a warm-up, then move onto weights. Keep it SIMPLE. If you have never used a free weight (e.g., barbell, dumbell) start off with weight machines. Most weight machines are self-explanatory and should have a diagram as to how to position your body. Don't think about specific body parts just yet. Think about exercises that focus on pushing, pulling, squatting/lunging, twisting and deadlifting (picking weight up from the floor--there are many instructional videos on this site that demonstrate proper deadlifting--VERY IMPT).

Most gyms have:
-A seated chest press (pushing)
-A seated row (pulling)
-A cable pulldown (pulling)
-A leg press (could be set at 90 degrees, 45 degress or vertical)--to simulate the squat

Some gyms have:
-A "cable cross" machines that allow things like woodchoppers (high to low twists) or torso twists
-A plate loaded deadlift machine (you put the plates on yourself)--BUT I REALLY RECOMMEND GOING THE BARBELL WAY for these

For lunging, start off with your own body weight and then add dumbbells as you get stronger.

Most importantly--DO NOT OVER DO IT!!! Spend no more than 60 minutes lifting weight. No need to get fancy with sets & reps. 3 sets of 10 reps at a challenging weight (meaning that it may take a little extra 'umph') to get the last 2 reps out will do you fine for now.

Once done with the weights, then spend 20-30 minutes on a cardio machine of your choice. Go at a pace faster than your warm up but not so fast that you are going to throw up. Add on 5 minutes to slow your pace down and bring your heart rate closer to normal before getting off the machine.

Once you get comfortable with lifting, then start playing around with your workout and try new things.

There really is so much information on exercises and different ways to workout, eventually it comes down to personal preference. I will say again, don't get too confused about reading EVERYTHING that is in the article database.

Now go do your thing!

Thank you!!! That was a very helpful and informative post!

[helper1105]

Oh - wanted to let everyone know that from the time I weighed myself on Thursday morning (just woke up, peed, and wasn't wearing anything) and then this morning, I have lost 3.5 pounds!