I'm not really sure where to start in terms of my weight loss. I know the fast food and soda have to go, and that I have to start exercising, but I'm not really sure where to go from there. Does anyone have any tips?
I started small and worked my way up. The thought of exercising for an hour a day didn't appeal to me at first. So I started with 10-15 minutes a day. I printed one of those 30 day challenges and started with that. I kept thinking "it's just a month." Once that month was completed I started a new challenge with the same thought process but the next month was 20 minutes a day. I kept increasing every month and even now I still only take my workouts a month at a time.
As for food I started slow with that as well. I cut fast food out (I was never a soda drinker). I cut a little bit from my portions every month. First month I wasn't allowed seconds anymore. Second month I tried to make my plate more colorful (read more veggies). Third month I tried to start following the 60/20/20 rule for my plate (60% of the plate should be veggies, 20% lean protein, 20% complex carb). By the fourth month I switched to counting calories but it was easier after taking the small steps.
I think the main thing is not to overwhelm yourself. Every time I would start, within a month I'd be overwhelmed with the final goal thinking "I am never going to get there", but when I started taking it a month at a time it became much more doable. Hope this helps.
I started slow as well. I actually didn't give up soda until a year in (and even now, I drink diet). I started by incorporating exercise (walking) and watching my portions. After I got into it, I would increase and expand my exercises and also started being more of a strict calorie counter. good luck!
I am different than most I think. I hit the gate running full steam! I got myself a gym membership and stopped eating fast food, drinking sodas and changed my eating habits over night! Call it quitting my old lifestyle "cold turkey".
I figured if I was going to do it, I WAS GONNA DO IT! I wasn't going to diddle daddle around anymore and I needed throw myself into the cold water of exercise and eating right instead of just walking in slowly. This worked for me. At first I was working out 4-6 times a week but now I work out everyday and only take off one day a week every two weeks. With eating I eat more frequently ( up to 5 or 6 times a day) with small meals and with lots of protein. This helps raise your metabolism and increase weight loss. This might not be the way for you but it's worked very well for me. I've dropped 48 pounds in 4 months.
I think I just made up in my mind I was ready and didn't want to waste anymore time. I still am a bit impatient even though I have had such wonderful results. The key is to stay positive even if you get off track and to keep going!
Whats best for you is really up to you but if you're ready, go for it! You can do it!
Last edited by JenDestiny; 05-07-2015 at 04:48 PM.
Thanks for the replies, everyone! I think I'm going to have to start small-I get overwhelmed easily. But soda and fast food and junk are now officially out!!
I started slow too. First I cut out soft drinks (it was easier for me because I was taking a medication that made soda taste like metal). Then I cut sweet tea and sweets. Next I added walking daily. Finally I moved to a low carb lifestyle and added some strength training at the gym.
I started slow also. I started by slowly eliminating bad foods and drinking more water. A good app on my phone helped me get into drinking water (Plant Nanny).
When it came to counting calories, it seemed like a daunting task at first. I used an app (started with Lose It, now using My Fitness Pal) and I would generalize and simplify my meals in order to get into the habit of counting calories. I did that for about two weeks, and now I easily input almost every ingredient of a meal.
I tried a bunch of different workout plans until I found out what I liked most. I got a gym membership at first but I rarely went for a number of reasons (excuses). I ended up cancelling the membership and bought a yoga mat and a weight set (Cap Barbell 40lbs, $50 on Amazon). I found that I liked slow and steady exercise that didn't really feel like working out - so I walk, hike, do pilates (Blogilates.com) and lift weights.
I was discouraged by my lack of weight loss at first, but since finding out what worked best for me individually, the weight has been coming off daily You just have to be patient and try everything!
Thanks guys!! I'm hoping to get a gym membership in the next month, so add that to new eating habits, and I should be all set Thanks again to everyone for all of the tips!
I have lost the weight once before, and gained it again over four years. So, I had some idea of how I needed to get started. I decided to take it slower this time and not over think it. I really just had the urge a few weeks ago to use an exercise bike that's been sitting in my living room. I did about 15 minutes that first day. I felt so proud of myself. The next day I got on the bike again and every day after. I can use it for an hour now. I have already noticed some flexibility increases. (I can touch my toes. I could not at the beginning of April.) So, after that I stopped drinking soda. No diet, no regular soda. I have just been drinking water. And then I decided to start taking my lunch to work. I remembered how much I used to love honey wheat bread. So, every day for lunch I have a sandwich, fruit, and Greek yogurt. Instead of the fast food I was always eating. I have been improving other eating habits and have started to count calories.
I started or restarted by deciding to go low carb because that has worked for me in the past. I also read about nutrition and try to eat more whole foods. I was able to give up soda and a few types of snacks cold turkey, but for the most part I slowly introduced healthier options whilst easing off the bad ones. For example I liked broccoli and cheese soup but not broccoli so I started making broc with cheese sauce, then I started eating broc with shredded or cream cheese, and now I can eat it plain. For exercise I started doing old workout tapes that were just sitting around the house and I've even found some decent workouts on youtube for free.
Good luck to you hun. Get that gym membership asap and before then start walking if you can. Some civic centers or ymca's have walking paths that you can walk in the air conditioning if it's too hot outside. Also, research "clean foods" to help you get off the junk and that will help get you started eating in the right direction.
Last edited by JenDestiny; 05-12-2015 at 03:13 AM.
Great topic & post Bluebell25! My best advice is never think you have to do everything at once, there is a quote that I really like "I can't do everything at once but I can do something at once!" so if it is ditching fast food, awesome! Getting rid of the soda, fantastic! You don't roll out of the box assembled you learn as you go along, which is awesome because some of those tricks help move your weight loss along when it stalls (like going from processed to clean eating even though you've lost XX amount of pounds eating processed foods, but find yourself plateaued along the way).
For me, I had already given up soda by the time I began my weight loss journey (which tomorrow will mark 15-months on my weight loss journey! <3) and my weight loss was so slow the first 3 months (less than 10 lbs. and that was with me mostly being consistent and tracking my food). I rarely exercised (I mostly enjoyed walking, just as I do now, but the first 3 months I probably didn't go for 12 walks put together), about the gym issue, if you know you'll do it, go for it, but it is ok to NOT join the gym yet. A lot of people join, for whatever reason either don't go, or go rarely and just stop, and give up (not to dampen anyone's spirit, only you know what you'll do and won't do). I personally am not a gym person, years ago my mom bought me a membership to the YMCA in my neighborhood (walking distance) and I went once *wompwompwomp* . Now I am doing the Leslie Sansone dvd's (if I keep mentioning them people will think I have stock in the company ) and they have helped me so much. If you join MFP please feel free to add me, I wish you the absolute best on your journey!! <3
I started with nutrition changes, really! Your basic "no sodas, no sweets, no fried things". My goal has always been to enjoy healthy food to the point of not feeling the need for anything else, so I started trying out new foods, too. Ate pumpkin for the first time, cauliflower, this Chinese vegetable meal with broccoli I always made a face at, really enjoyed all of them! (Zucchini is the only thing that still can't look all that good to me, but it's really the only exception!)
I also never ate fruit or vegetables much, so I started eating fruit.
I wasn't 100% radical at first (though the goal kind of was that?). I just avoided the bad foods most of the time and tried new things. Eventually, I substituted my rice for whole wheat, stopped eating spring rolls at the Chinese restaurant (though I still do very very rarely), ate one cake slice instead of two or more at parties. But, since I don't go out much and started buying groceries to cook well at home, it made it much easier to keep it up.
Eventually, I found little ways to substitute things I craved for. Nice cream, protein bars with a little chocolate to kill the sweet tooth, two ingredient cookies. Cooking really helped me enjoy healthier food.
I started off really small with exercise. Like 20-30 min LISS once or twice a week. Then I tried to go for a constant 3 times a week. Then four, five. Then strength training, 3 times a week. At one point, I managed 5-6 times a week with strength training and 20 minutes of HIIT. (College craze and busted headphones have my exercise levels at zero right now, unfortunately )
My BIGGEST tip is to want to enjoy it! To want to really not crave unhealthy food. Not just "oh I gotta avoid it while I lose" (which is the attitude that always had me starting again) but "I don't even want to WANT it". And try new things! Cooking is super fun, and there's tons of easy recipes (I know because I'm a disaster in the kitchen haha). Eventually, I started liking exercise, too, and I just felt healthier, loved what I was doing every step of the way! Not everyday haha but it was a feeling I never expected! So just try to enjoy it, to really like living healthy, and I can guarantee it's possible to (:
How did you get started?
. Now I am doing the Leslie Sansone dvd's (if I keep mentioning them people will think I have stock in the company 
) and they have helped me so much. If you join MFP please feel free to add me, I wish you the absolute best on your journey!! <3
