I am writing to get some help from you. My boyfriend said he would not shave his face until I lost 50lbs. I hate when he doesn't shave, it is so gross on my skin and he looks really homeless when he is not clean cut. He loves me and I complain to him all the time about losing weight, so he has now challenged me for motivational reasons only. My 10 yr reunion is next year. I want to blog about my journey through this lifestyle change and weight loss challenge.
I have been trying to lose weight for a while now and my success has bombed every time due to excuses that I make up for not exercising or eating right. During my high school years and and college years I was in great shape and athletic. Now that I am out I have gained so much weight and it really gets me down.
My Mom passed away 3 yrs ago from Lung Cancer and I have been under so much stress taking care of my family. I have let myself go and produced so many excuses why I cant lose weight. I use junk food for comfort. I have never had any nutritional or exercise guidance. Growing up my home was full of Honey Buns and and easy bake dinners. It didn't matter then because I would work it off the next day playing sports.
My whole demeanor has changed since I cant fit in my pants anymore. I never want to go anywhere and be seen. I want to see old friends,but I'm so embarrassed of myself that I keep giving them rain delays. My dad asked me the other day if "my treadmill ran away", then he patted my belly. I don't want to be in a swim suit at the pool around anyone.
My Point to this blog is I need some insight on what exercises I can do at home before, during or after work to help me lose weight. What are some basic foods I can eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? This is going to be a whole new life style change for me and I want to do it the right way out of my home with out spending money on pricey Hollywood fad diets or personal trainers. My Goal is to help myself and others use resources to be thin and healthy for a lifetime with out lifetime memberships to the gym.
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Okay hun:
I used to see a nutritionist and i would like to pass on a bit of info. 1) You're making a lifestyle change, so please be realistic with what foods you can and CANNOT do without. Even though fried chicken isn't good for you, you shouldn't take it out of your diet COMPLETELY if you know you're gonna want some next month. 2)DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!I cannot stress this enough. It is so important that you don't drink your calories.3)Weight training does amazing things for your body. Find someone who can just give pointers on HOW to lift weights the right way. After that, you can use them at home, at your convenience. I hope something said here will help you on your journey. Best of luck to you!!
I think its fantastic what you are doing. I had the same goal for my wedding, and was doing great with losing the weight until I started getting more and more stressed as the wedding got closer. Now, I'm less stressed but eatting again unhealthy again and gaining weight back slowly. I have major regret. Just keep focused and once you start seeing the results, you will feel like a rock star! Good luck!!!
just start moving. get outside and walk. do a 30 minute walk before and after work. invest in exercise DVDs and some free weights. you were athletic before? think about what you did then. it's hard to believe that you are starting with no knowledge. find things that you like to do and get moving and have some fun! and don't forget to eat right and eat less. i'll let someone else describe the nutrition part. self.com and magazine or fitness magazine have great exercise plans and menus. good luck!
A fantastic website for tracking your calories and exercise is called Fitday (www.fitday.com). It's free, and is a great motivator. On the site, you can set goals and it graphs your progress. I am a very visual person, so I find it is a great motivator for me.
I totally agree with what the other 3 have said, but I think there is one more component to it that you'll need to deal with on this journey and that's the real reason behind your weight gain. I believe that the weight is usually more of a symptom of something else that we're trying to deal with and instead of dealing with it, we comfort ourselves with food. And it's not easy to figure out what this is because we can bury it so deep. So we end up gaining weight and that in turn can create a negative self image, and it sounds like that's where you're at. I can relate to you because I too lost my mother to cancer and it's a lot to deal with but it will get a little easier. And I also comforted myself with food, put others first, and made execuses not to exercise or eat right.
So congratulations on taking the first step to living a healthy lifestyle!! I feel like I have finally turned that corner to living a healthy life and my advice would be to just take baby steps. You don't have to make all these changes all at once so don't get overwhelmed and don't beat yourself up for having a cookie. It's about the journey, the long haul. Whatever is done can be undone. As the other posters have said, drink more water, get out and move more or just go for a walk. Walking is great! At first, you might only be able to go once around the block and that's ok. You'll notice that you'll be able to walk further and longer as time goes on or maybe you don't get out of breath when you walk up the stairs. And I know it's not easy to get up before work and exercise, but that can be the best time to do it. Right now the weather is cooler in the AM plus, you get it out of the way for the day. No matter what happens the rest of the day, you'll feel better that you got your exercise in.
Also, if you have dish network or comcast, some of those channels have great exercise shows. I know dish has a channel called Veria that I love. It's all about healthy and natural living and has a great yoga program that I record. So look at those options as well.
Good luck to you, you're on the right track!
I'm starting this with you! I'm using www.sparkpeople.com to track calories, cardio workouts, give me menu ideas and even a grocery list!! It's free. I used it's partner, www.babyfit.com, when I was pregnant to watch my intake. Good luck with everything. I know you can do it!!!!
crystal i think your great!
GOOD LUCK AND YOU WILL DO IT, CAUSE I KNOW YOU DONT WANT THAT PIC UP!!
LOVE YOU!
I started 2 weeks ago and already feeling better. I never lost the baby weight from having 2 babies back to back and 4 years later I'm doing something about it! I have been useing this site as a helpful guide to eating http://www.hungry-girl.com it is wonderful and you can sign up to get an email daily. Also slimfast's site is great. Lots of tips there too! Best wishes..just know you are NOT alone!! :)
I'm also trying to lose some weight - 30 pounds. I agree with the others that this has to be a lifestyle change, so take it little by little. Start by walking or getting exercise DVDs that you enjoy - no sense in doing Pilates if all you really want to do is dance! Start by eating more fruits and veggies and always, always, always, eat breakfast. It will boost your metabolism for the day. I've been eating whole wheat english muffins with a little bit of peanut butter, some low fat yogurt and blueberries for breakfast everyday. I'm only in my 3rd week and I feel better already. Also be sure to drink lots of water and no night-time snacking.
Congratulations on taking this big step and for sharing with us! I wish you the best!!
Hey girl! I know exactly what you are going through....I too was super athletic both in high school and college. Once I got out on my own it totally went down hill...I knew exactly what to do but it was just a matter of doing it. I gained 20 pounds my first semester of grad school and when I had to got up a size in pants I knew I had to do something about it. I joined Weightwatchers and I am so thankful I did. I was intimated the first time I went because at the time here I was 23 years old and surrounded by older women/men looking at me like "What is she doing in here?" But, I just kept going and Weightwatchers taught me that I can eat "regular food" its just all in the portion sizes...I completely agree with some previous posts...plenty of water and move much as possible. Even if it is just a trip around the block, a start is a start. Stay strong girl and if you slip along the wait don't beat yourself up over it. I have kept the weight off for two years now and I have slipped, but the next day I just start fresh. Allow yourself One "cheat meal" a week to control the cravings...Find someone who will push you and possibly workout with you...having a "cheerleader" is always a plus....have fun and stay up! I know you can do it and the results are so rewarding :)
www.firstfitness.com/lovinghealth
HI! I used this detox program for the first ten days and it kick started a weight loss frenzy! It's healthy and I am continuing the food program now and still seeing great results! Good luck with you efforts!
Hi. I heard your story on The Bert Show and believe it or not, your story inspired me to get back to the weight loss journey. I heard Melissa say "If you want it bad enough you will do what it takes to get it" (or something along those lines) and I keep hearing her voice saying the same thing!! I have twice as much weight to lose as you do, but about 5 years ago I lost 50 lbs and I was within about 20 lbs of my goal weight. I gained that 50, plus another 30 because I lost focus. I have gone back & forth and I am sick of it. I have been just like you making excuses, and hearing your story made me say enough. I too have started blogging about my journey and I am determined to take all of this weight off forever and I hope that you will too. Just keep your eye on the ball and don't lose focus and you'll do it. It is very, very hard but remember 1 pound is equal to a tub of butter off your butt!! LOL Every day is a new start and you must make a conscious effort to make the right choices. If you really would like to be around other folks that are in your position, I recommend Weight Watchers. Good luck.
If you have Comcast cable - on the OnDemand menu, they have sports and fitness with lot of good 12 to 20 minute exercise ones that are perfect for working out in your home. And they're different levels, so you can move up to the next level whenever YOU feel ready for it.
I have used www.myfooddiary.com and www.fitday.com. My Food Diary is great because it tells you how many calories to eat in order to lose x amount of weight.
I have used both WW and a nutritionist to lose 80 lbs. I am still working towards my goals, but I can tell you that working out gives me great motivation!
Maybe set a goal? Like a 5K and start using the Couch to 5K running program (google it, you'll find it).
You can do this if you really want it.
I think it's great that you have someone to motivate you!! I would suggest weight watchers. It's a great program. Also, get a friend and start walking.
GOOD LUCK!! You can definitely do it.
I have just started walking and trying to eat better as well. I could write a novel about why I weigh what I do and how hard weight loss has been for me in the past. But I know that both of us can lose the weight this time and keep it off! Good luck! Please keep us updated so that you can keep inspiring me!!!
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me!"
Philippians 4:13
Hey Crystal,
I'm Jess, the one that recommonded www.collagevideo.com to you. I hope you checked it out. I see that someone else made the same suggestion of DVDs and free weights. That's because the DVDs just work. Just pick instructors that you can tolerate over and over. Switch it up when your body becomes comfortable with the DVD and get a new one that's somewhat different. Challenging your muscles with different types of work outs is a very effective tactic. Do you have FIT TV channel? Drink LOTS of water. Allow yourself your favorites in appropriate portions so you don't go crave crazy. Do you live near a park with HILLS you can walk (like Stone Mountain)? The inclines will kick your butt, it helps with the cardio factor and you get a lower body toning aspect at the same time. YOU CAN DO THIS.
One program that will work 100% and you will feel like a million bucks is P90X. It's really hard and it will kick your butt, but it will show you how to do the workouts and it will keep you motivated every day. I started doing it on April 28th and so far I've lost 16 pounds.
You can Google search it by typing P90X
Hey Crystal! Congrats on deciding to do it. Its not easy. Been there done that. I tried to call into the Bert Show when you were on to offer a workout partner for the next couple of months, but never got through. I started off about a year ago wanting to lose about 30 pounds, and I did it in less than a year. I still have about 10 that I want to get rid of, but having a workout partner does wonders for you. Please feel free to email me if you are interested in talking about it. you can reach me at robinshirley83@gmail.com.
I just lost 42 pounds over 8 months doing Weight Watchers and just walking. Granted I walk 60-75 mins a day I still allow myself some junk food because I know I can't live without it. Sometimes it's not the food your eating, sometimes it can be just the brand of food that your eating. There's alot of good alternative foods out there for people who want to lose weight. One good example is Western Bagels that have only 110 cals.(you can pickem up at Publix in the bakery department). Also, check out hungrygirl.com for some alternative foods and recipes. I'll post more foods that at low in calories as I think of them.
Good luck on your journey. You can do it! It's all a mind set!
Crystal,
You can do this! I think you need to educate yourself on basic nutritional information (what are: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc) then focus on balanced meals (example: 1 protein, 1 complex carbohdrate, a green leafy vegetable, and water). You can also count calories (easy to do at www.calorieking.com or get the book). I agree with everyone else-get moving-even 15 minutes of walking is exercise-so maybe do 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there. When you're able to exercise easier, do 30-45 minutes for cardiovascular benefits. After you've shed some pounds, add some stength training a few times per week (doing squats while making copies at work counts too!). It all adds up!
I know you can do this! Believe in yourself and anything is possible!
Crystal!
You are not alone in this... obvisously from all the posts! One thing that I think about all the time when I go to pick up something unhealthy is... Is it REALLY worth it? It helps to double think about what you are about to eat! I agree with some others though, if you are craving chocolate or a cheeseburger, go get it and get it off your mind, just try not to eat the whole thing! I know for me that if I tell myself that I am not going to eat a certain food, then I am craving it and it drives me crazy so try not to take away things, just add better and more nutritional things in! YOU CAN DO IT!
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