HELP!!! I wanna lose weight!

[lovelyivy84]

Originally posted by 1sd
...and to look better than Ashanti!

Yes. Absolutely. I forgot about that, lol.

[rho4life]

looking better than Ashanti won't be that hard. All you need to do is stand between Irv adn Ja', while showing your cleavage!

Don't you want to set a more challenging goal?



I want Tina Turner's legs!

[Sistermadly]

Originally posted by lovelyivy84
A lot of you *looking at sistermadly* have accomplished more than I ever did!

People need to look at you as an example girl!

*sheepish grin* Thanks.

[Prissfit1908]

Originally posted by toocute
How is everybody doing? Where is Prissfit1908?

I'm right here!

See, Sorors, we are here! *pointing from your eyes to mine* I haven't been on here since the end of December/early January and I signed up for the Discovery Health Challenge, too. I'm still waiting on my Get-Fit Kit... I hope they don't think I'm going to forget about it.

So, let's get down to the nitty-gritty, right? Well, I have been working out regularly. Even on the days when I simply cannot make myself go to the gym, I do a Tae Bo tape or Winsor Pilates DVD. I have also lowered my fat intake, cut out the majority of fried/fast foods except for special occasions, like when my mommy fries something (hee-hee)... okay, so maybe that's not a special occasion! Stop judging me! You're not the boss of me!!!! Seriously, I am really limiting the saturated, unhealthy fats. I am eating more salads and steamed veggies. I am down to a 9/10, some 8's. I was in 11/12 and 13/14. Plus, my boo-tay is much, much higher... My arms are tightening up. I'll be able to wave comfortably by April... I have my four pack back! Hey!!!!!!!!! I'm still working on getting the bottom two of my six-pack. Those are the hardest.... My legs are starting to look like *splickety-splick-splack-spladow*!!!!!!!!!! Martin lovers can feel me... :wink:

Ending things with the guy I was dating at the end of last year definitely helped. It was that much more incentive to take care of my health and of course look the very best that I can when I see his azz out somewhere... Do I need to grow up?

[lovelyivy84]

Originally posted by Prissfit1908
I'm right here!


Ending things with the guy I was dating at the end of last year definitely helped. It was that much more incentive to take care of my health and of course look the very best that I can when I see his azz out somewhere... Do I need to grow up?

That sounds perfectly natural to me!

My distraction is definitely a motivation. He is in SUCH good shape, I can't let my stuff go! He loooves the way I look, so the goal is to make sure that it only gets better and better!

[RedefinedDiva]

*handing my head in shame*

My name is RedefinedDiva and I am a slacker.... I haven't been to the gym in over a month. I need to change my location because I don't think that I will win the Discovery Health Fitness Challenge at the rate that I am going. I NEED MOTIVATION!!!

Y'all, it is so hard to eat right. Every time I try, a shrimp and oyster po-boy calls my name! I can admit, though, that fast food doesn't taste good to me anymore. I don't love Popeyes as much as I used to. I am just trying to get fixed on an eating plan that I can stick to. I think that I have it narrowed down.

Breakfast:
Fruit and toast

Lunch:
Sandwich (Turkey, tuna, or chicken salad)
Fruit

Dinner:
Grilled Chicken or Baked Fish
Steamed veggies

Snacks:
Fruit
Graham crackers

I want to start drinking more water. I plan to walk for about 45-60 minutes everyday on the treadmill. I also plan yo incorporate some cruches into my day. I also want to incorporate some weights for the upper body to tone my arms and stuff. I frequent iVillage a lot and took a little quiz to determine my body shape. I am an Hourglass (which certainly described me completely), which means that I can lose weight easily with the right exercise, like walking. Adding resistance to my exercises will actually work against me because i will bulk up too easily. There's more, but too much to go into now. You can read up on it. Here's a direct link to the quiz: Body Type Quiz

I am an 18 now. I just want to get down to a 10 or 12. Then, I will be on point! I was 'bout it when I was a 14..... oh so long ago.... *le sigh* Anyway, I'm back. I will reach my goal!! My problem is that I work out with my skinny azz best friend. That heifer doesn't need to lose any weight. She just wants to tone up. However, exercise isn't a priorty. So, when she brushes off exercise, so do I. But I am the one who NEEDS it! Silly me! I sometimes feel self-conscience when we are at the gym together because I know that I am bigger.... OK, I have to snap out of it! I have to get in the zone and just do it. I know y'all have my back.

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by toocute
How is everybody doing?

I owe you a PM... stay tuned.

I'm ok. Clothes fitting a little looser and I've dropped about 5-7lbs. I have been slacking on writing down what I eat and drinking enough water. I still haven't got it together in regards to eating 5-6 times a day.

I got my pass for Bally's so I'm starting on Tuesday with two people from my job. Question: If I have a Bally's membership, albeit free, can I use it anywhere? Like while I'm in Ohio this weekend?

[lovelyivy84]

Redefined-

You should be eating more- and certainly trying to get more protein and fiber.

Part of the reason that you are breaking down and eating junk is because you're not feeding your body enough good food! 3 *small* meals and only crackers and fruit as a snack is not going to cut it. Here is my idea for a diet upgrade:

breakfast:
toast and a boiled egg OR turkey sausage (fried in Pam- watch your labels on the sausage because a LOT of sausages are high in salt)
fruit
OR a protein shake w/added benefiber- quick and easy

lunch:
sandwich- nothing with mayo, stay with low salt cold cuts, supplement with a good flavorful cheese instead
small salad with fat free dressing
no fruit

dinner:
baked chicken/grilled fish
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup steamed veggies

snacks:
Soy Crisp chips (with cheese is YUMMY plus only 140 calories per bag- 9g protein, 3g fiber)
Mickey D's yogurt parfait SMALL
string cheese snacks
pistachio nuts/peanuts

All of these snacks are suprisingly filling. When I was first losing weight I also ate a lot of Luna bars, which are tasty and approx. 180 calories each. I don't eat them now because they are too high in sugar and low in protein for my goals, but if you eat well for the rest of the day they can be a great way to satisfy a sugar craving (as long as you're not doing Atkins/South Beach). A box of 12 (I think?) is about 18-22 dollars at The Vitamin Shoppe or GNC.

Eat something with protein or good fats in it every 2-3 hours so that you never go crazy and binge. Make sure that you make good low sugar low salt choices, and don't be afraid to be a little bad! Just watch your portions and make up for it in the gym!

On the topic of the gym, what are you doing when you work out? Are you picking things you like, or can you barely make yourself stay on the machine you pick for 15 minutes?

[Eclipse]

I'm still on my SouthBeach bandwagon.... although I am not exercising like I should. My excuse is my life is too hectic right now (with my mom still in the hospital) but I need to find time to do something. Several coworkers and I have started doing "exercise breaks" where we power walk for about 10-15 minutes. That works well when I can do it, but as a trainer I am frequently in training classes so I miss out.

What was a challenge for me last week was eating enough! My weight lost slowed down a lot so I know I need to eat 3 meals every day!

What has worked for me with water is just playing a game with myself. I have a 45 minute commute each way and I drink at least 16 oz of water each way. Then, I must drink a 16 oz bottle before lunch, one with lunch (I usually don't finish the entire thing) and one after lunch. With what I drink with dinner I try to get in 100 oz a day!!

I was a 18 like RD and am now comfortably in 16. My intermediate goal is a size 14, but I hope to get back into a 12.

My sample daily meal is: (mind you, this is Phase 1 of the SouthBeach)

BREAKFAST
2 scrambled eggs w. green peppers and mushrooms (scrambled in PAM)
2 pcs of Canadian Bacon
water


LUNCH
large salad with grilled chicken (I buy the Louis Rich stuff that's already cut up), cheese, and tomato or "turkey rollups": turkey, dab of mayo, tomato, green pepper rolled up in 2 leaves of boston lettuce
sugar free jello
Crystal Lite

DINNER
some type of meat (usually grilled salmon, chicken, steak or pork chop--I've also had pulled barbecue pork with no sauce from a local resturant )
veggies

SNACKS
handful of almonds
string cheese
sugar free jello
fat free turkey cold-cut with cheese

When I do this right I am rarely hungry. I've just started to incorporate fruit back in my diet. I had a granny smith apple (small) as a snack earlier today.

RD, a question for you...What kind of bread do you use for your toast and sandwich? SouthBeach advocates whole grain breads, not the "fake" wheat bread or white bread that most of us buy. I don't have the book in front of me, but the author says that a piece of white bread is just like eating plain on sugar because of the refined flour. If you eat a denser bread (I like Pepridge Farms multi grain) the added fiber will help with your weight lost goals.

Also, what kind of fruit are you eating? Some fruits are much higher in sugar that others--for instance watermelon and pineapple are the worst, while berries (like blue berries and strawberrys) and apples are much better for you. Again, this is all according to Southbeach, so take it with a grain of salt!

Good luck!!

[lovelyivy84]

Originally posted by Eclipse



RD, a question for you...What kind of bread do you use for your toast and sandwich? SouthBeach advocates whole grain breads, not the "fake" wheat bread or white bread that most of us buy. I don't have the book in front of me, but the author says that a piece of white bread is just like eating plain on sugar because of the refined flour. If you eat a denser bread (I like Pepridge Farms multi grain) the added fiber will help with your weight lost goals.

Also, what kind of fruit are you eating? Some fruits are much higher in sugar that others--for instance watermelon and pineapple are the worst, while berries (like blue berries and strawberrys) and apples are much better for you. Again, this is all according to Southbeach, so take it with a grain of salt!

Good luck!!

great points!! I forgot to add that the toast should be whole wheat. I have said it so much that I just take it for granted now.

And you're right about the fruit. IF anyone wants to look up nutritional info on different fruits they should check out www.fitday.com

[RedefinedDiva]

I really want to prepare more meals, but it seems like I don't have the time. I am always rushing in the morning, so I never eat breakfast. NEVER. If I do, it's donuts that I pick up if I have extra time and I KNOW that they are not healthy.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, I go to school directly from work. I don't get out in time to come home and start cooking. Therefore, I decided that I would maybe eat a Subway sandwich, a bowl of soup, or have a smoothie. The other days, I can come home and prepare dinner.

For breakfast, I think that I can throw in the boiled egg. I can put it on while I brush my teeth and stuff and it should be ready in about 15 or so minutes. I need things that I can eat in the car. About the toast, I have been buying Nature's Own Honey 'n Wheat bread. I will have to check into the other brands of wheat bread. Right now, I have some white bread. I'll have to pick up some wheat during the week.

For lunch, I can throw in a salad. Is it cool to buy the pre-cut lettece that comes in the bags at the grocery? Instead of the salad, what if I throw in a soup?

Dinner sounds good. I usually steam broccoli and potatoes and sprinkle it with some Mrs. Dash and a little bit of shredded cheese.

I went to fitday.com like suggested and made a sample entry of the foods that I would eat in a day and it gave me a little over 2,000 calories for the day. Isn't that enough? I know that I am supposed to stay in the that range and workout in order to lose, right?

As for exercise, I LOVE walking! I can walk for miles. As long as I have some music going, I am ready for it. Once I'm there, I'm OK. It's just getting there. I have tried other htings in the gym, like the stair climber and the bike, but the treadmill is my machine. I am going to walk for a while and try to build my endurance to start running.

[lovelyivy84]

I use the pre-cut lettuce in the bags too. They make my life just a little bit easier and are just as good as taking half an hour to chop everything up! Just make sure you add in all the little extras like baby carrots or tomatoes, because those make the salad tastier and healthier.

Salad is better than most soups (depending on what kind of salad dressing you're using- I dont use any so I always pick salads) simply because they are so much lower in salt. Not all soups are created equal of course, but in general I would go for the salad. If you drown your salad in ranch dressing or French, you might in fact be better off with a vegetable based soup.

I know a lot of people don't like potatoes, but as long as you're not on Atkins and it's not fried or covered in sour cream I don't really see a problem. Just watch your portion sizes!

2,000 calories is definitely enough, I guess I wasn't getting an accurate idea of your portion sizes from what you posted. Make sure that your serving sizes of rice/bread are kept lower and your servings of lean meats/veggies are higher. Make sure most of your food is NOT PROCESSED!

Believe me, I understand trying to be healthy when you don't have much time is difficult, but it's up to you to make it a priority. If you want to lose the weight, then you'll find ways. Subway is a big help for me, as are those pre-prepared salads and protein shakes (no smoothies- I just don't like them personally) but you have to make sure that you're prepared. Get your menu for the week set out at the start and stick to it! Allow yourself the occasional treat (like the McDonald's yogurt parfait) within reason.


In terms of your workout you sound like you could be doing a bit more. If you have a gym membership, try hitting a weight class. I know it can be intimidating as a beginner, but it is actually beneficial to be in the class setting initially, where the instructor can correct you. Don't be self-conscious, EVERYONE in that class had to start somewhere, and once they were inexperienced too. Just go slow and try doing the exercises with low or no weight the first time out. Get the rhythm and form correct first.

With your cardio workouts, make sure you're pushing yourself. It's good that you love to walk, but how about pushing yourself on it? How about upping the incline, or using interval training to alternate between a walk and a light jog? Your body grows accustomed to your workouts eventually and you have to increase the intensity or you won't see progress.

[Sistermadly]

RD, I'm a big fan of bagged salads. I know they cost a lot initially, but when you consider that full heads of lettuce usually go to waste in my fridge and I end up throwing them out only half eaten, the extra charge is worth it. Plus, you can get a lot of variety with the bagged salads, and it keeps you from having to buy four or five different kinds of lettuce.

You might want to stay away from the salad blends that have the dressing, croutons, cheese and fruit in them. That's a sure way to add calories (and fat) very quickly.

I'm in the same situation you're in re: leaving from school to go to work, so on those days I either have a subway sandwich (on wheat bread ) and some soup, or I'll make a quick wrap at home from ingredients that don't have to be refrigerated and keep it in my bag to eat later. If you have soup, try to steer clear of anything that's cream based. It's okay in moderation, but cream based soups are always full of fat (unless it's low-fat stuff that comes from a can). Soups with barley, lentils, and beans give you a lot of protein, nutrients, and help you stay full for a long time.

If you want quick and somewhat healthy "on the go" foods, think about eating a PowerBar Harvest or my personal favorite, Luna bars, instead of doughnuts. They're high in fiber, the Luna bars have lots of soy protein, and they won't make your blood sugar spike like doughnuts will. Plus, they taste REALLY GOOD! The longer your blood sugar stays at a level range, the longer you can go between meals. I think you can get Luna bars on sale in grocery stores or at Wal-Mart for about 99 cents - but I've seen them on sale for as little as 79 cents each.

You might also consider getting some yogurt (if you like it), some sliced or slivered almonds, and some whole grain cereal. Combined, these things make a fantastically filling breakfast, and you get dairy, protein, and carbohydrates all in one meal. Pour 3 tablespoons of cereal and 1 teaspoon of almonds in your yogurt container and eat from the container at red lights.

Re: your caloric intake - what you should be eating to promote weight loss largely depends on your weight and your level of activity, but on average, you need to have a deficit of 500 calories per day (or 3500 calories in a week) to lose one pound per week. You can either lose that 500 calories from limiting your food intake or through exercise, or through a combination of the two.

Okay, this is long enough.. I'm shutting up now

ETA: I thought of something after reading lovelyivy's post... with respect to walking, you might consider interval training. It sounds complicated, but it basically just means alternating between low, moderate, and high activity over the course of your workout. For example, you can try starting out at a leisurely pace for about 5 minutes, then try alternating between a brisk walk and a slow jog. You'd walk briskly for 3 minutes, and try running for 30 seconds (or a full minute if you can handle it). Alternate between the brisk walk and jog for 20 minutes, and finish up with a 5 minute cooldown.

I've been doing interval training on the elliptical trainer and on the treadmill for almost a month now, and I think that it helped me get over my plateau. I've lost 8 pounds over the last 3 weeks.

[Eclipse]

Originally posted by RedefinedDiva


For breakfast, I think that I can throw in the boiled egg. I can put it on while I brush my teeth and stuff and it should be ready in about 15 or so minutes. I need things that I can eat in the car. About the toast, I have been buying Nature's Own Honey 'n Wheat bread. I will have to check into the other brands of wheat bread. Right now, I have some white bread. I'll have to pick up some wheat during the week.

For lunch, I can throw in a salad. Is it cool to buy the pre-cut lettece that comes in the bags at the grocery? Instead of the salad, what if I throw in a soup?

Dinner sounds good. I usually steam broccoli and potatoes and sprinkle it with some Mrs. Dash and a little bit of shredded cheese.

Not that I am an expert or anything....but the Nature's Own brands (which I love!) are the "fake" wheat breads that I was talking about. Even though they are called wheat, they are made out of refined flour, which is not as good for you. As a rule of thumb, look for something darker. If you like rye or pumpernickel (did I spell that right?) I hear those are good choices. Otherwise, look for whole grains or 9 grain or something like that on the package, not just whole wheat. This can be very misleading! When I made the switch from white to wheat many years ago I thought I was doing something, but there is really little nutritional value in most of the popular wheat breads and white bread.

I have a hard time with breakfast too. One of the things I have tried is to boil several eggs at night and just keep them in the fridge. That way all I have to do is peel one as I am walking out of the door. Quick and easy!

I definately use the precut lettuce. I used to have a problem with it because it is more expensive, but I finally realized if I let a head of lettuce go bad because I am too lazy to chop it up I am not saving money. That being said, the old salad mainstay, iceberg lettuce, has little to no nutritional value. Try some of the "European Salad blends" or romaine or something like that instead if you typically do iceberg. It takes me literally 2 minutes to put together a salad for lunch: Couple of handfuls of the bagged lettuce, a handful of shredded cheese, some grape tomatoes, precut cooked chicken. No muss, no fuss! LOL

I love soup also and when I was at the grocery store yesterday I had a hard time finding something that would really work for me. Most soups have added sugar--even those that are low in fat. What I have found out is that most low fat foods compensate by adding sugar, because sugar has no fat!

One thing that I have found is that one you train your body, your cravings almost go away! I didn't believe that when people said it, but it is true! Even if the craving does not disappear, the same level of satisfaction is not there. For instance, the other day I had a pretty bad day and decided to get some Chick-fil-a chicken strips and a lemonade, which are amoung my favorites. I was so disappointed in the strips! They were not even that good!! I was remembering what they used to taste like and my body was saying you don't need that stuff anymore! I was definately happy!!

I have decided that the 15th of the month is going to be my splurg day, and I am trying to decide that I really want. I am afraid that nothing will taste right--kinda like the chick-fil-a.

[toocute]

Originally posted by Ideal08
I owe you a PM... stay tuned.

I'm still waiting




RD I'm hanging my head in shame also. I have the best intentions but I'm so stressed at work. I'm definately a stress eater. I get stressed...I want fried food. I was really good having soup or a grilled chicken salad for lunch then this place started working. my. last. good. nerve. I have good and bad days.
I think I'm pretty good for the most part. I have to get my job situation under control so I can concentrate on my diet/life style changes.

I was thinking about joining Curves but I don't really fit the demographic. Most women that join Curves are

1. Over 30 (that's me)
2. have 30+ plus to lose (not me)
3. are novices to weight training (really not me)

I don't think those little hydraulic (sp) machines will challenge me too much and I would definately need to supplement with a cardio work out twice a week. Being a VERY full time working mommy a 30 minute workout looked appealing to me. 30 minutes is better than nothing right. I'm still thinking about it.

*le sigh* I'm not giving up though. I'm going to look good by summer time fo sure!