Featherweights For those with just a few pounds, or trying to lose those last few pounds.

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Old 04-06-2013, 03:23 PM   #1  
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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S/C/G: 163/ticker/145

Height: 5'8"

Default newbie...10 lbs to go & advice!

Hello all… I’m happy to be here! I’ll share a bit of my story – I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life, ever since I was a kid I have been overweight, but these last 2 years I’ve been able to get into a normal BMI and keep it there, but the weight is slowly creeping back on - of course, no fault but my own!

My highest weight was in college, I think I reached 203 at one point (let's just say I lived off of fast food, yuck!) and 14's were getting tight on me. My lowest weight has been this past summer, when I was around 150-153, and I was a 6/8. I always had “145” as my goal weight, but I’ve never been able to reach that and I don’t think it’s realistic. Right now I am a steady 163, right around 8/10, and I’ve put on 10 lbs since this summer – mainly because I began working (food days like every other day, ahhh!) and I also had a problem with sciatica where I couldn't exercise for 2 months. I don’t have as much time to work out and cook every meal, like I did before, either. I can definitely tell in my clothes, and my measurements, and I really want to get back to the 150-153 zone and stabilize there. My main reason is that hubby and I are planning on trying to have a baby in the near future (after summer hopefully) and I want to be at a healthy pre-pregnancy weight.

I’ve tried basically every “diet” out there, but really I can’t hold on that long, especially when it’s really restrictive, so I want to keep around 1200-1400 kcals a day, and also I limit my starches, but I don't necessarily count carbs. I also try to do “clean” eating, meaning I don’t buy any processed foods and/or limit them. I try to limit sugar and the only substitute I use is a bit of honey or agave. Here’s a sample of what I’m thinking for meal planning:

breakfast
coffee w/ milk (1%)
oatmeal w/ 1 tbsp honey & cinnamon
8 oz OJ (no sugar added) OR a fruit

snack
fruit OR nuts w/ string cheese

lunch
lean meat (chicken/turkey)
veggie (often a mixed salad)
starch serving (bread, pasta, etc)
OR soup (I’m really into soup lately)

dinner
protein serving
veggies
starch (only if I have a workout that day)

snack/dessert (if needed)
plain greek yogurt w/ honey & sometimes flax seeds

As far as my workout regime – I do zumba 2x a week, and I also recently purchased Jillian Michael’s Ripped in 30, which I started doing but I got sick and haven’t been able to work out for a week. When I was at my lowest weight I jogged 5k (3 miles) 4-5x a week, which I might take up again when the weather gets warmer. I also do abs and arms rotating throughout the week. I do have some weights I know I need to incorporate.

One of my main concerns is my arms - everyone in my family is basically "top heavy" and I've never had small arms, and I know you can't work out one area of the body to lose weight, but if you have any suggestions as to what to do to get rid of the arm flab, that would be appreciated!

What do you ladies think overall about my eating/exercise plan? I am open to constructive criticism!

Last edited by chahma; 04-06-2013 at 03:31 PM.
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Old 04-08-2013, 02:09 PM   #2  
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S/C/G: 184.6/132.8/140

Height: 5'8''

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I think that your program totally makes sense

Your food seems balance and you are working out, which is good.

You said you are not calorie counting. My suggestion would be to count calories, but for like only a week. Last fall, I had stopped counting cal too, relying on healthy and clean eating, but truth was that my weight loss stopped. When I got back to counting, I realizing that I was eating healthy, but just a bit too much to lose weight. It helped me to get my portion control back on track

Good luck!
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Old 04-08-2013, 06:06 PM   #3  
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S/C/G: 163/ticker/145

Height: 5'8"

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Thanks for the advice. For now I am using myfitnesspal just to have an idea about my caloric intake but sometimes I think that they may be slightly off, especially with calories burned in exercise. I have made it my goal this week to keep a journal of everything I put in my mouth to get a more accurate result!
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Old 04-14-2013, 12:42 PM   #4  
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S/C/G: 200/167/150

Height: 5'10

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We have very similar stories/goals/eating styles! I also grew up a little overweight, became definitely overweight in college (topping out at 200), loosing 40 lbs overall but having 5 keep creeping back on, and want to be around 150-140. I LOVE zumba, and am doing a very similar eating plan to what you are! I love clean eating, it makes me feel amazing.

I think your eating plan sounds like a great start, but I have a few small suggestions. For breakfast, you sound a little high in sugar (even no sugar added OJ has a lot of sugar!). You should add in a protein. I personally do egg whites with some veggies (broccoli, spinach, tomatoes for me!). If you are time limited, hard boil eggs earlier in the week and eat the egg white in the morning. Instead of honey in your oatmeal, try vanilla extract, it's delicious! I also put 1/2 a chopped up apple in my oatmeal, its yum. And are you getting the old fashioned oats, where you only add water? Be cautious of the prepacked ones, they can have lots of added sugar.
Other than that, I think your eating plan sounds great! Try counting the calories a few times, just so you know you are in your goal.

For your arms, I'm glad you're already doing zumba, because I lost an inch in each of my arms doing zumba! Keep in mind that your body looses fat overall. The way women loose fat is from the outer limbs in. So our feet, ankles, wrists, forearms, calves, and faces all lose weight before our thighs, stomach, and upper arms. KEEP GOING and you WILL loose the fat on your arms! Strength train, too, so your arms will be gorgeously toned once the fat melts off. I love the workouts I find on the websites for shape or self magazine.
Do cardio 3-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Get your heart rate up. Strength train each body part 2 times a week. I personally LOVE doing combo body weight/weights training. For example, side planks while abducting/adducting my arm with a weight, or bicep curls with a weight while doing squats. Even if you are not concerned with how your legs look, I would incorporate leg exercises (lunges, squats, etc).

Overall, I think you have a GREAT start to your diet and exercise program!
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