HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[KiwiTollway]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Florida Ora -- This stuff tastes good, really? Or is it something you have to get acclimated to? Never heard of it, thanks so much!! It's not high carb content? gonna go investigate it.

[[Kombucha, the beverage the ancient Chinese called the “Immortal Health Elixir” It’s been around for more than 2,000 years and has a rich anecdotal history of health benefits like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases. Kombucha tea is made by fermenting sweetened black tea with a flat, pancake-like culture of yeasts and bacteria called the ``Kombucha mushroom''.]]

Problem #104... I'm a picky eater. I love fruits and veggies, but broccoli is gross to me, never had the slaw though, is it bitter? Black-eyed peas... um no, can't do it. Wish I could. You sound like you should be writing a health blog or something & it could help lots of people that way. I would subscribe in a new york minute.

Illuminate: You live on only that much food? yea, I'm definitely doing it all wrong. Thanks for the breakdown! I'm finding that eating every 2-3 hours (like you), something small, is the way to go and not the way I've been living for a long time. Kids naturally eat this way until we force them into 3 large meals. I just never really picked up on it before. Right now, it seems like my whole day is planned around eating, you must do a lot of planning it and preparing for the day.

Diegoff: I will definitely keep that quote in mind. I'm trying to be more conscious of my satisfied/full feeling. Thanks!

Thank you everyone for the actual ideas... i love them! Very, very helpful! -Courtney

[floridaorange]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

The goal of starting a workout / healthy eating routine is to practice it until it becomes more painful for your body not to exercise and not to eat healthy. Aka a habit/second nature. It won't happen overnight obviously but will happen if you stick with it. Junk food, large portions, not exercising, and I get cranky. You are probably at the stage where it's the opposite. Your body has been trained to eat a bit too much and it doesn't want consistent exercise --- YET!

[diegoff]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

in between meals: eat fruit. An apple i.e., and if youŽre still hungry, eat aother one.
Of course youŽll feel a bit hungry during the process, but remember that the body gets used to anything you give to it. Anything.

A spiritual guru from India said "give to your body only what it needs, because it can turn into your enemy". Pretty wise imo

good luck! choose wisely your food, youŽll be thankful in the future

[floridaorange]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Find a staple of some kind that fills you up but is very healthy. For me it's black eyed peas (legumes) and broccoli slaw with extra sharp cheddar, cayenne and olive oil. I use really healthy tortilla chips too. So that's like my go-to staple. I don't eat meat, maybe sushi like once a month. This works for me, I like it. And yes, your stomach/appetite will eventually shrink. You are also right about treating yourself well having a coorelation with stress, and anxiety. So in many ways - losing weight and keeping it off is a lifestyle because it takes pretty much a mental and spiritual overhaul for people to really figure out how to feel and look their healthiest consistently. But there is hope and I do believe everyone can find what works for them, they just have to want it. In your case, you are probably using this vacation as a valid excuse to change some habits. I just hope you can stick with it, because life is better when you just feel good (all around). I do believe also that different peoples bodies are best at different weights. So you may be right about losing some weight, but strive for healthy, not skinny, which imo is sustainable and realistic and a big part of accepting ones true self. Best of luck (again)

I snack on - Cliff mojo bars - banana's/apples + crunchy organic peanut butter + water (learn to love it) - but otherwise I'm the wrong person to ask because I get stoked on fresh veggies . I also snack on healthy cereal, grapes, blueberries, maybe mixed nuts, kombucha with chia seeds.

[nelinho]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Not being funny...headphones at the gym...unless you can workout to cher I believe in love after love..without a transition to pink or miley cyrus.

In the end my workouts were sub optimal because I didn't really vary them...3x 45 mins crosstrainer sessions kept my weight stable in the end.

Culmination of everything everyone else has said.

Good luck again.

[Illuminate]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

And following from Flo-Rida's post I do base my eating on a time based base, e,g,:

1. Fruits/Muesli Bar (6:00)
2. Breakfast - Muesli/Soy Milk/Yoghurt with berries (blue and straw) (7:00)
3. Almonds/some nuts + green tea (10:00)
4. Lunch usually a light wrap/salad/very small portion of pasta (wholemeal). (12:30)
5. Fruit + green tea. (13:00)
6. Eat some left overs from lunch (so what I do is split my lunch in half, having two portions of it spread out through the day). (15:30)
7. If I know I'd be hitting the weights I'd have a banana by now (18:00)
8. After weights/cardio I'd like to stack up on a small handful of almonds and some soy milk .(19:00)
9. A small portion of dinner with half a piece of dark chocolate as a treat on odd days. (20:00)

[Illuminate]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

To be honest there is no quick fix solution with weight loss/rehabilitation and the likes. You could only trial and error with the above suggested of eating healthy, a mixed exercise routines including weights and cardio, just cutting out crap which I am very sure you are aware of (processed, sugar, fats, alcohol etc.)

One thing I have tried recently that I believe is personally working on my many levels for me is having a routine prior to breakfast. Basically I have alternate days of cardio activities and a 10-15 minute routine of yoga/meditation followed by a cup of green tea. I usually have breakfast at work so I sneak in a muesli bar or some fruits on the run (banana is the perfect candidate for this).

Again, only advise try something radical as in a serious routine for 1 week, and then measure your weight at the end of the week as soon as you get up, But make sure on the night before you eat the same amount as you did the week before.

[KiwiTollway]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

It's different for everyone - but for me - I find that 30 mins every day with 1-2 days off is easier than 4 times a week or 3 times a week for 1-2 hours.

I don't go to the gym - I eat food that makes me feel healthy, pretty simple for me in that regard. Hummus is great. Quantities are important. It really is a lifestyle, as cliche as it sounds. But eating clean and working out hard 30 mins a day without much rest in between exercises keeps me healthy and strong.

Drink lots of water. Keep it with you. Find a brand or whatever that you enjoy drinking. That works for me at least. I am able to taste waters and I prefer Publix Spring Water's taste. That's just me though. It's not very expensive fortunately.

The world of juicing is huge. I would search forums like "woman's fitness: juicing tips" or something if I were in your shoes.

Snacks - should be a combination of things that fill you up, healthy, somewhat tasty. But learn to find tastiness in healthy foods.

You don't eat any processed foods you say? Sounds like your diet is pretty good already. I usually do 25 reps of abs then 60 jumps almost as high as I can jump per jump.

Thanks FL-O! Water tastes so boring to me. I will try to find some. I think you're right about quantities. When I lost my sister, I began unconsciously eating for comfort and exploded my portions without realizing. I do eat healthy. I'm trying to slim portions down now, but find I feel so hungry when I go to bed. Maybe I'll just get used to it and then less will seem like plenty?

When you want to eat something between meals, what do you usually go for? Veggie sticks? ew, I mean it's so diety. Stress too, makes me eat larger quantities. Lately though, I look at a plate of food and immediately think "I can't eat all of that" which is a big change for me.

I'm only 5 ft 3, which doesn't make this any easier. My sister was always a size 2, same height as me. :sigh:

[Illuminate]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

In process of being implemented at my old workplace.

[feather]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Forgot in my previous post, watch your alcohol intake too.

[KiwiTollway]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Thanks feather! Those tips make sense. Yea that's what I'm learning.. there are carbs hidden in almost everything I thought was only protein. I haven't had soda or sugary drinks in over 4 years and had no weight loss with that. So I need to get some weights to lift and that will help burn fat in doing squats etc. I'm worried a month will go by and I won't have gotten far based on the scale, but I'll give it a try.

I'm having to reread everyone's replies over & over there's so much good info in each one. I really appreciate the support!!

[tiddles]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

[floridaorange]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

It's different for everyone - but for me - I find that 30 mins every day with 1-2 days off is easier than 4 times a week or 3 times a week for 1-2 hours.

I don't go to the gym - I eat food that makes me feel healthy, pretty simple for me in that regard. Hummus is great. Quantities are important. It really is a lifestyle, as cliche as it sounds. But eating clean and working out hard 30 mins a day without much rest in between exercises keeps me healthy and strong.

Drink lots of water. Keep it with you. Find a brand or whatever that you enjoy drinking. That works for me at least. I am able to taste waters and I prefer Publix Spring Water's taste. That's just me though. It's not very expensive fortunately.

The world of juicing is huge. I would search forums like "woman's fitness: juicing tips" or something if I were in your shoes.

Snacks - should be a combination of things that fill you up, healthy, somewhat tasty. But learn to find tastiness in healthy foods.

You don't eat any processed foods you say? Sounds like your diet is pretty good already. I usually do 25 reps of abs then 60 jumps almost as high as I can jump per jump.

[feather]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

You don't need to go on a commercial program.

Stop sugared drinks/sodas COMPLETELY.
Lower the carb intake, if consuming carbs stick to root vege or rice. Carbs blunt fat burning.
Up the protein, healthy fats.

Workout, do compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench, and overhead presses.

You should see a change in a month just doing those, diet and working out is key. They say abs are built in the kitchen.

After a month when your body has adjusted, add cardio. Look up HIIT, high intensity interval training. You can easily squeeze those in at the end of your workouts, they usually don't go for more than 15 mins. Can be done on bicycles, with kettleballs, or just outdoor sprinting. Don't bother doing it on the treadmill.

See how that progresses, diet really is key. Throw in some half-hour steady state cardio like walking on an incline on a treadmill.

Basically you want to progress with this, doing as little as possible to shed the weight until you need to add more tools to the arsenal. There's no need to go all out when you start.

[KiwiTollway]

Re: HELP: Seriously need to shed some lbs

Craving fitness would be such a positive change I'd happily embrace if I could!! Thanks for the tips!