[lovelyivy84]

THis is going to be a long post, so bear with!

Originally posted by Sugar_N_Spice
Okay Gals...

Diet:
I eat pretty healthy most of the time. However, b/c I'm currently living at home, I'm not eating as healthy as I would like (I'm at school ALL DAY, and I leave so early in the a.m. that I rarely eat breakfast or pack a lunch, which often leads to eating fast food. So, I need tips here. Normally when I'm living on my own (which will be soon), I eat breakfast, pack a lunch, and eat much healthier. That's also due to the fact that I'm not the one who always purchases the food. I don't eat red meat or pork (at all). This also poses a problem though b/c I'm not always good with supplementing my lack or iron from meat with iron from other foods (I'm currently taking supplements though, bit I know it's not the same). Also, I drink and eat lots of low or non fat foods, soy foods, etc. However, I know I should be eating more fruit, and less sugars (not necessarilly sweets, but sugar in say, juice that's not all-natural) and salty food (my weakness). I don't know how to (or should I say,I 've never tried to) count calories or follow daily percentages for carbs/proteins/fats. I also suspect should drink more water, (I drink a couple of bottles a day, 20 FL OZ. How much (in FL OZ) are you supposed to drink anyway?). I could also get more veggies, I guess. I snack throughout the day (when I have time to eat). Sometimes (not all the time but fairly often) I may just forfeight the meal (usually lunch) and eat later. I also have a tendency to have late-night snacks, as I'm often up late.

All too often the diet is our downfall. 80% of changing the way your body looks can be about diet (IMO). Even with a great exercise program, you wont make the best progress if you dont supplement your work in the gym with the same amount of effort in the kitchen! If you want to lose weight and keep it off you have to make changes to the way you eat that will last. You need to find a way of eating that you can live with in your crazy life. I have been in your situation, so this is the best advice I can give!

Diet tips:
1. Preparation, ESPECIALLY in a situation like yours can be key! If you dont have time in the mornings to pack a lunch or mini-breakfast, do it before you go to bed. Make sure you have a lot of ready-to-eat foods around the house.

A good protein drink would probably be great for you, first thing in the morning it takes 5 seconds to mix up and it is a low-fat high protein breakfast that gets 20-40g out of the way, lol. If you start exercising regularly (if you can fit it into your schedule- you have a more than full plate so dont beat yourself up about it TOO much) this will be key!

2. I have been in the situation of living at home/not controlling the grocery list before, and it's rough. Talk to your Mom, or whoever does the grocery shopping, before they go to the store. Make a list of healthy foods that other people in the house will also eat that you would like her to pick up for you. Lean chicken breasts, microwavable veggies, fruit, baby carrots, those bags of salad are all foods that are easy to prepare and can be really tasty. If she can't/won't then you should go grocery shopping separately for your own grocery items. Make your list at the beginning of the week and pick up the items on a Sunday or whenever you have a moment.

3. Be CAREFUL with low fat/no fat items! A lot of them have added sugar or calories to make them taste the same, but let people feel better about "no fat". They are no better for you than the actual item.

And not all fat is bad! Saturated fat is bad and transfats (listed as partially hydrogenated oils) are bad, but other kinds of fat are NECESSARY for your body to run properly. Foods like salmon or peanut butter are fatty, but when you look at the nutritional content, the omega 3 and 6 fatty acids make this fish one of the best things you can eat (it is suggested that you eat fish two-three times a week to get an adequate supply or supplement with flax seed oil for your Essential Fatty Acids) and natural peanut butter is a great addition to your diet as well.

Look at the ingredient lists on your foods. If it says "high fructose corn syrup" as one of the first items then CHUCK IT! Items high in saturated and trans fat should get the boot too. Look for food items that are high in fiber, low in SUGAR and SATURATED FAT. Whole wheat and oats, vegetables and LEAN meats/fish should make up the bulk of your diet.

4. Fast food - a necessary evil! If you are living a busy life (like so many of us nowadays) then you end up eating it one way or another. Two things can minimize the damage you do here (can even make a meal at McDonald's healthy):

a. make good choices - you don't eat red meat, so a lot of the really terrible things are probably items you don't eat thankfully. But fast food can be useful to a dieter too. Two great items are chicken salads and grilled chicken sandwiches. Every fast food place has these one if not both of these items, and if you stick to them it's really not bad eating at all. You're never going to find grilled asparagus at Burger King, but you can make the best of what they offer, and fast food salads can be a good deal if you don't drown them in salad dressing and mayonnaise (pick ketchup and italian dressings instead, or have them plain)

b. portion control - if you HAVE to have fries, have a small. If you MUST have a soda (which should really be one of the first things you eliminate from your diet - permanently) have a kid size. If you have to have a burger, get a cheeseburger (no mayo, lol) from the dollar menu and skip the fries.

5. Replace the things you crave. You know what your food weaknesses are. If it's sweets, find things like sugar free syrups to make creme sodas, or sugar free chocolate. If it's salty things, find snacks that are salty but won't kill your diet- peanuts and cashews are good for this, the baked chips Lay's are coming out with aren't so tasty, but they'll do in a pinch. One item that I REALLY enjoy is Soy Crisps with cheese. Those are yuuuummy, taste like real chips and are actually fairly low in sodium (also high in fiber and protein). Do your research, look around and find things that are healthy and salty.

Exercise:
Umm...Okay, this is obvious: I need to exercise. The problem is I don't have the time (or I don't know how/where to make the time to fit it in my daily routine). I go to a large school, so I get a semi-decent amount every day (minus weekends) walking across campus). But other than that, I don't lay a foot in the gym (even though I have access to one at school). Should I try to use the gym? Or try videos (any reccomendations)? I also don't what types of exercises I should do, as I've never really used a real gym before. My exercise in the past (like, high school) has involved sports--basketball, volleyball, dance, etc. but nothing more formal. So, I need direction here.

Exercise:

1. Increase your overall activity level. Your idea about using the elevator less and walking more is key. It seems like you already know most of what you need to do, you just have to do it!

2. Work out. You know you need to work out already. You have access to a gym, you know you should take advantage of it! Does your gym offer any classes? Some gyms offer beginner's classes in weight training that can be really good for folks who've never lifted using machines before. If they have personal trainers, then you might think about having a session with one where they show you how to use the weights. Ask for that specifically! Dont let them sell you anything else! You want someone to show you proper form with the weights first and foremost. If you like it and it seems like a good investment, then take it from there.

The core of your workouts should be whatever exercise you like to do and will do consistently! Any is really better than none on this one BUT in terms of efficiency, weights are the the absolute hands-down best way for anyone to change the way their body looks. If you want to make permanent changes, weights are the way to do it!

If you're a bit intimidated, then workout videos are a good place to START. Look into videos by The Firm. They have a new Basic Body Building set that I've heard good things about. But if you go the video route, you have to buy a good set of weights. For a beginner using the Firm, I would suggest 3,5 and 10 lb. weights. Watcht he video alll the way through before you do it, so you have a good idea what's involved, and the first time you actually use the tape, take breaks, drink water, and don't use your weights! Work on your form first! If you can exercise in front of a mirror at home, this is a great way to get an idea of how you are doing form-wise. As you progress you will need to buy more weights to supplement- these weights just won't be heavy enough for you. For The Firm you will also need a stool for step-ups and MAYBE a dowel (you can use a broom for that though). Dont buy these from The Firm because they'll charge you an arm and a leg. The weights and step can all be purchased at K-Mart and Wal-Mart for less.

I hope this helps! I'd write more but I'm going to bed now!