Thanks a lot! Hopefully a second mind will help me get my numbers straight, :P. Age: 21 height: 5'4'' weight: 230 and I am assistant manager at a Subway so i'm pretty much on my feet for 8 hours at a time. Once again, I appreciate the help! (I need all I can get )

Eve,

Based on your age, height and weight I have your BMR at 1,846. Adding your daily activity level (sans exercise), you can take in approximately 2,215 calories per day and maintain your current weight.

First and foremost, make certain that you discuss any exercise program with your doctor!!

Assuming he/she gives you clearance, if you were to burn 2000 calories per week via exercise, and bring your weekly calorie intake down to 11,000 calories, you would lose approx. 9 lbs per month.

Make certain to consume more calories on the days you’re exercising to ensure you’re providing the proper fuel your body needs to get thru the workout.

For example, if you were to exercise 4x/week (burning 500 calories per session), your nutrition intake would look like this:

- On the days you’re exercising consume 1700 calories (1700 x 4 days = 6800 calories)
- On the days you’re resting consume 1499 calories (1400 x 3 days = 4200 calories)


Make certain to work towards eliminating processed foods from your diet. For carbs, focus on whole grains (Ezekiel bread, quinoa, and 100% whole wheat couscous), vegetables and low-GI fruits.

Proteins should be quality lean protein such as skinless white meat chicken and turkey breast, lean cuts of pork and beef, low-fat (ideally organic) dairy, egg whites (whole eggs are fine if cholesterol is not an issue), whey and soy.

Quality fats include raw nuts and seeds, avocado, olive and canola oil. Just make certain you work these numbers into your daily calorie intake!

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions!

Stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Hi gals

It's great to see a few new faces around here!

I'm home alone this weekend - I'm taking a break from "camp" to regroup and get my act together - lately life has been just willy-nilly and my house and weight show it. Clutter everywhere - home, body, mind,.... I've been feeling pretty out-of-control, so this is my weekend to turn that around.

Now unfortunately it's supposed to be 85F and humid, and I don't have a/c, so my timing couldn't be worse, but I'm sure I'll survive. I just need to not think about the fact that up at camp I could be in the lake cooling off.

So I got out the camera and tripod and took the dreaded "before" photos this morning. Not a pretty site, let me assure you! But, I really need to have them, as it is helpful for my motivation to be able to see the changes in my back and general size - more than I can see just by looking in a mirror.

I think my workout plan will be a combo of body for life and Jillian's first book - I like a lot of her exercises, so I will incorporate them into my BFL workout. I'm choosing BFL for now because it's worked for me in the past. I was able to steadily lose weight and firm up.

So, this weekend is all about purging, cleaning and planning. Dusted off my EFL cookbook, my Jillians books and other resources I've not looked at in a while.

My Mom and sister are coming for a visit over Labor Day vacation, and frankly I don't want them to see me looking like this. That, and there's a good chance that I'm going to Shanghai again in late September, and I don't want those colleagues to see me looking like this either. That and the whole travel/jet lag thing will be so much easier if I'm healthier and in better shape.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Cindy

Hello all - Things here going pretty good. I am really enjoying my workouts. I have been playing around a little w/ exercise, but still doing only cardio. I have upped my bike/elliptical time to 15 min. each and decreased swimming to 30 minutes on some days. I have gotten to the point where I pretty much crave getting to the gym daily. I have been kayaking quite a bit and think I see my arms and shoulders especially responding to those recent activities. Workouts are the only thing saving me. I love food. I love cooking. I love serving. I admire those who cook a lot and still maintain a reasonable weight.

Diet is, as always, a struggle - I am trying though. DD and DD's SO have been staying, hanging out at my house a lot as their house is currently undergoing renovation, they had to move out and DD is here while SO is camped out in the Florida room. Much cooking and eating going on that is not dietetic. But like I said, I am trying.

Cindy - hope you're weekend cleanse and purge goes well. Will be looking for inspiring words from you.

Hi ledom!!

This thread has been too quiet lately.

So glad you are enjoying workouts! I still think it's funny how addicted to exercise we have gotten. Pretty danged

Cindy - I dug up Making the Cut again. I can't seem to make the effort to do the before pics or the committing to 30 days thing.

But the elbow is healed, pretty much. I've added upper body back in slowly and with less weight but there ya go.

I'm still struggling with diet as well...my saving grace this week is that DH has gone to visit MIL in Mexico. The house is trigger food free and my excuse for buying said items has made a run for the border. We'll see if it makes a difference. Today is sweat therapy...104 degrees today. And the freaking smoke is back...thank goodness for the air conditioned gym.

Gina- I am so happy to hear your elbow is better. Slowly and with less weight sounds like the way to go. I hear you on having more control of food when you are alone. That is my standard way of life. I am enjoying my kids a lot though.

On posting here - it seems I am searching for a home thread to post on. As a "former Jillian's girl" this isn't really where I fit anymore but it's where you and Cindy have been posting and I like chatting with you girls. Cindy recently invited me to join a point challenge over on YOU on a diet thread. That thread isn't really descriptive of me either, but I guess it doesn't matter. Head over there and see if you'd like to do the July challenge. I bet you can join in even if you're late this month. There is also a July chatter. I'll keep checking in here too.

Gina your weather sounds miserable. It is hot and sticky here but in the low/mid 90s and thankfully no smoke.

Anyone still around! Summer has been a whirlwind these last couple weeks. Company still here, wearing thin for all of us. We're a good family though and we have all been troopers. But still....
So yesterday I drove my friend to an oncology treatment. The hospital has a support program that offers the patient and her caregiver, friend, whoever she chooses a 30 minute message. It was revelation. They are medical massages I showed the masseur my leg and knee. I am having some kind of lymph drainage problems on my leg that is giving me lots of problems and she worked on draining that. I had no idea that could be done. I am driving my friend again next week and will get the same treatment.

I have been shutdown and in denial over my diet and even the last couple weeks have let exercise slip. I took a mini weekend vacation that was much needed was about half as long as I could have used, but it was nice nevertheless.

Hope everyone here is well.