Hey everyone! I am just starting my weight loss journey and have introduced myself on the introduction forum.
My game plan is portion control and watching what I eat. Not depriving myself of something if I want it, but instead making better choices 99.9% of the time. I'd like to attempt weight loss attributed primarily to physical activity (working out 5 days a week).
Has anyone had success with this tactic? Please share! I'm feeling very unmotivated.
For some real inspiration, check out the Mini-Goals and Goals forums, especially the photo sections.
Tell us more about your plan--what kind of exercise will you be doing? Five days a week is just about right!
Portion control--how will you judge that? What's your strategy?
I can certainly understand not depriving yourself--but what I found is that there are some foods I just had to cross off my list for a time, until I got my eating habits squared away. That took awhile--but now I can't say that I deprive myself of anything. So, don't be discouraged if you need to avoid certain foods.
Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!
I would like to start out with WATP (Walk Away the Pounds) Mon., Tues., Thurs. mornings. I'd like to do a fat burning cardio Tae Bo Wed. and Fri. mornings.
As far as diet, I just want to make food choices that are healthier and maybe loosely watch calories. For example, having a bowl of fruit for dessert when I go to a restaurant, instead of that pie or cake. Having whole grain cereal for breakfast instead of those pop-tarts. Choosing a stick of string cheese when I get the munchies instead of a bag of cheetos and so on.
My boyfriend and I have also made a "no eating after 8 PM" rule. We don't always follow it, but we're usually pretty good.
The portion control simply comes down to this... (and I've pretty much perfected this tactic) it's as simple as: I eat slowly and I stop when I feel statisfied (most times, not even full). This one took a while considering how much I LOVE food and the fact my boyfriend used to think that everyone should eat the same size portions as him, lol. (Love you, honey!) He's gotten to know how much I can handle eating and knows I love the veggies more than anything, so the biggest portion he plops on my plate is always the veggies. =) But, sometimes he still gives me too much, just so HE can clean my plate, lol.
Why, that sounds like a fine way to start! I like Tae Bo too, although I haven't done it much lately (busy at the YMCA). Your food plan sounds good also. So, it's really just the sticking with it that you need to do.
Needless to add, be sure to drink enough water! Good luck!
(I grew up in Salt Lake, btw. I live in Fla. now.)
Your plan sounds pretty much like mine! Yes you can lose weight on this type of plan, it's exactly how I did it! I don't like the idea of a structured restrictive diet so I simply cut down my portions and make healthier choices. I keep a general calorie count in my head of what I'm eating but I don't log every single calorie I eat and I don't have a calorie limit (although I like to keep it below 1500, which most days is no problem at all).
As someone said above portion control came down to knowing when to stop for me. I used to eat until I was completely full, often stuffed. I learned that I can be satisfied without feeling full or stuffed! It does mean eating more often for me though, I usually eat ever 3 hours or so, but all of my choices, whether a "meal" or a "snack" are pretty much the same size.
As far as making healthier choices I focus on eating "good fats" like nuts, peanut butter, cooking with olive oil, etc. I choose 2% cheese and fat free feta (I'm a total cheesaholic!) Feta is the only cheese I think the fatfree tastes just as good as the regular, most others it's pretty yucky. I also focus on whole grains in bread, pasta, tortilla wraps, etc. and I snack on fruits (and I'm trying to get in more veggies!) instead of chips. I'm trying to eat more whole foods than processed foods however I often have lean cuisine meals in the freezer and Healthy Choice canned soup.
I no longer struggle with the food part, this way of eating has pretty much become second nature. The exercise is the tough part for me! But I've found that the exercise is also the most important part to my success. When I'm not exercising regularly (sometimes I slack off and don't get it in more than once a week) I hit a plateau or I'll lose veeery slowly (like 1 pound over a couple of weeks). When I'm on the ball and exercising 3-5 times a week I can lose 1-3 lbs. a week (my average is about 2 lbs. a week when I'm really on track).
Sorry for the long winded answer, I guess what it boils down to is that the plan you want to follow is very doable and you can be successful as I have been.
You're a more disciplined woman than I am! I have a terrible time with portion control if I don't have a calorie limit to go by. I hope it works out for you! If you don't see much weight loss, though, you might want to get a little stricter. I know that would be my failure point on this plan!
Also, if you are relying on exercise for a fair amount of the weight loss, you're going to have to work up to a fairly substantial amount of it. I'm thinking for me working up to 1 hr to 1 1/2 hrs of aerobic activity 6 days a week would be right for substantial calorie burn, but you may be different.
Good luck! And report back and let us know how it goes!! I'm rooting for you!
I'm on the same boat as you are!!! I decided to stop making excuses and really get down with my food choices.
I also have the same regimin as you. I eat SMALLER portions of ANY food I want, and I actually log my calories in a notebook I made myself. Also, I eat EVERY 3 hours on the dot--I read that if you go over 3 hours without eating, your body will go into starvation mode--and you will end up binging later on. I've found this extremely true for me, so I don't want to risk binging.
I KNOW that you can do it, because I've been doing it! I also add exercise every day (IF i can) and motivate myself with photos of my favorite stars with healthy bodies in gorgeous dresses.
I'm 23 and 5'3", so far 140 pounds but working at it every day and I have full faith that we can do it!!
as a friend of mine said to me...."Take it one minute, one hour, one meal at a time" :P
Eating every 3 hours is a very good idea. I, too, try to stay under 1,500 calories a day, though I've set the limit to 1,800 so there's a little room for slipping up. I slip up all the time diet wise, and I admit it. And I write it down and publish it on FitDay, knowing the entire world could see everything I'm eating in one day! haha.
You can definitely lose weight by portion control and exercise. How long do you want to work out for each of those 5 days? I personally do some kind of exercise for at least an hour (total - usually broken into 30-45 minutes twice a day), TRY to limit my portions (my caloric average according to FitDay is around 1,500), and I've lost ten pounds in the last month. You have hope!
Need some inspiration...
