[JMav]

Hey guys,

A little bit about me right now, I'm 18 years old, about 5'11 and weigh around 250 lbs. I'm trying to lose approximately 80 pounds and with school, a job, and other things going on I'm going to try my best. And despite it being the worst season (winter) I'm not going to procrastinate anymore and I need help with two things.

1) In terms of working out, I pretty much know what I'm going to do. I'm going to do a lot of cardio (meaning a lot of running) and I'm going to push myself everyday, even if it's running in the snow. The question I have may sound sort of weird but through my accumulated weight I've managed to get a very round face, I guess it's typical of overweight people, but my question is how much fat on my face would be gone...will ANY of it stay?

I was born with a somewhat lean face, I could see it in my pictures as a kid, is it possible to get that back? Are there any exercises that could help burn that fat of the body off as it burns the fat everywhere else...is running the answer?


and my second question


2) I'm sort of sick of the diet fads and the confusing things regarding carbs, calories, fats. I'm also not the kind of person that's able to prepare my own meals, cooking them in certain oils, etc...I feel it's too much of a hassel.

And maybe someone here could help me, but I'm sort of looking for the 101 on what to eat and how much? I'm going to make a trip to the grocery store, help me out...what should I buy? What could I eat without gaining all the weight?

I mean, I know healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are good...but I can't just eat them all day, wouldn't that be unhealthy too? What kind of stuff should I look for when I buy? Should it be oatmeal for breakfast everyday or am I taking it too far?


Thanks a lot, I really appreciate all the replies

[BillBlueEyes]

to 3FC Jmav,

Congratulations for starting your journey. It's really great that you're taking charge of your exercise and eating. It's possible to begin to see results pretty rapidly when consistently following a food plan and an exercise plan.

About your face: You are quite likely to see results in your face. You can look at the before and after pictures of people on this site and see the difference in theirs. That's the good news. The bad news is that your body decides on its own in what order to burn off its fat. There are no thigh reducing exercises, belly reducing exercises, or face reducing exercises - just a zillion books promising such.

About food: It is entirely possible to follow a healthy food plan while eating at home. Some suggestions might be offered here, but also look around at the different threads about different diet plans. The trick is to find a plan that you'll stick with.

My belief is that you should NEVER eat a single food that you don't like. As you bring healthy food into your life, you will find it easier to limit the unhealthy foods. The easy start: 1) replace the soda and junk food snacks with water and healthy snacks, and 2) learn the size of a reasonable serving and NEVER go back for seconds.

Posting here on 3FC is a great start. I suspect that you're going to do well. Good luck.

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Completed Beck Program-day 37. 5 to go. Keep going!

[Sakai]

I agree with BillBlueEyes.

As you lose weight, you will see it in your face. I have a round face too, and at first I saw little change when I started, but as i kept going, I could slowly see a change. For some people it takes very little weight loss for the face to change, for others...they need to lose a large amount.

About food...
eat what you know you will keep eating.
The bad thing about diet fads is that you only eat certain foods. And you know that 5,10,20 years from now, your not going to still be eating just those foods. Your diet should be something that you will be able to eat for the rest of your life. Lots of different, whole foods.
It's important to have different foods in your diet, or you'll get tired of it and fall off the wagon just for a different taste. Fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains. Food straight from nature. Spices are a life saver, they add amazing flavor with no added fat or salt.

Small steps are best like BillBlueEyes said, stop sodas and candy. Then watch your salt (sodium) intake. You will be surprised how much salt is in those boxed/caned foods. Learn all about the nutrition lables and read them.

Plan, plan, plan....I know you said you are not the kind of person to plan out your meals. But it is very important that you do so. You don't have to cook your food and get it ready a week in advance or anything like that. Something as simple as making yourself a menu for that week or for the next three or four days will do wonders. Because then you can keep track of how many calories you are eating. And you will never have a moment when you don't know what to make and stop off at Burger King for a easy lunch or dinner.

If you are not in control of your food. (As in, your mother or father is the household cook and won't take time to make something for you)... learn serving sizes, they will save you.

Remember this very simple thing. "Calories in...calories out." unless you have a health issue, all you have to do is burn more calories than you eat. So watch those calories and work out at least every other day. Cardio is wonderful. Use weights at least twice a week if you can. Women can't bulk up like men unless they take a supplement. So don't worry about having man muscles. Building muscle strength with help burn more calories even when you are not working out. Plus they will help give you a more toned look. ('cause no one wants to look thin, yet flabby)

It's really all about trial and error. It will take weeks, maybe even months before you find out what works for you. Some people need to eat more calories to lose weight, some much less. But never ever go below 1,000 calories. Look around the site and read many threads, I've learned so much just reading.

It's a lot of hard work and it will take sweat pain and tears, but never ever give up. It is worth it in the end, and you are worth it.. get healthy, and get educated about your health.

[JayEll]

Hey!

First, yes, you can expect to lose weight in your face as you lose weight all over, but no one can tell you how fast. Some folks lose there first, others later on.

Second, I've found that calorie counting is the easiest way to go, using a computer tracker like FitDay or TheDailyPlate. You'll see that 3FC has a whole section of forums on calorie counting with some sticky posts that tell the basics.

Lean Cuisine meals were a big component of my own weight loss because I'm not someone who's into cooking, finding special ingredients, etc. Whatever I do has to work with my current life. I don't consider Lean Cuisines to be The Answer to nutrition, though, so I was careful to get extra servings of vegetables (I like frozen) with them.

Good luck!

Jay

[Heather]

You've received some great advice so far!! With regard to nutrition, you might want to start by looking at some of the recommendations made by the government with regard to the food pyramid for healthy food. Then you can adapt as you go. Unless you have a real need to restrict a type of food, the basic idea is that you NEED: carbs, protein AND fat.

Try to get in some lean protein (e.g., chicken, fish, some pork... perhaps cottage cheese...), carbs (including fruits, veggies and whole grains) and "good" fats (olive oil, nuts...) and do get some calcium too!

Of course, after that, it starts to get complex, and if you want to do this for life you will have a lot to learn, but the good news is you don't have to start out very complicated!

Take a look at some of the forums to learn more about nutrition and exercise! WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[QuilterInVA]

And vegetables all day is great - I eat at least 10-12 servings a day. Fruit has a lot more calories so I have 3 servings. The food pyramid is a great starting point. Not all calories are created equal so what you eat is important.

[mandalinn82]

Yes, your face definitely will thin out. I second the suggestion to look at before/after photos...tons of visible face thinning there. Heck, just look at Heather's signature...

Most of the folks here on 3FC are not "fad" dieters...we eat healthy foods, following a variety of proven plans or even just going it on our own, and most of us try to exercise. We focus on trying to eat better foods nutritionally, rather than filling in our daily allowances of calories/points/exchanges/etc. with junk.

Are you living in a place where you control the groceries? You can do a lot even without being willing to cook, with Lean Cuisines and other healthy frozen meals. You can also look for simple recipes you can cook up in very little time. At my house, in summer, we had "salad bar" night - Pre-cooked chicken breast from the deli, a bag of lettuce, a can of black or kidney beans, and a few different chopped veggies. You can even prep a week's worth of those ingredients at once, probably in less than 15 minutes, and just keep them in the fridge to grab for easy meals. There are LOTS of ways to get healthy, nutritious food without spending a lot of time or effort cooking it.

What is harder to do, though, is to stay on a plan of eating healthy, nutritious food without planning it. Sure, you can try to make good choices, but if you don't have a solid plan for your day (ie, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks), it is way too easy to grab something when you are hungry, tired, or bored that doesn't fall within your dietary goals for the day. The plan doesn't have to be exact - even "for dinner I'll have a lean cuisine between 250-350 calories" is fine - but no planning at all leaves you open to a whole world of temptations.

Stick around here - there is LOTS of knowledge to be found.

[LisaMarie71]

Everyone has given you great advice about eating...I just wanted to jump in on the exercise thing. Running is wonderful for cardio, and I honestly love running more than I ever thought I would, but I worry when you say you're going to push yourself every day. With running, you really need to take it somewhat easy, especially at first, because there's a greater chance of injury that doesn't exist with lots of other forms of exercise. Most people suggest only doing one or two "intense" workouts per week if you're a runner, and that's after getting quite a few easy miles under your belt. Make sure you don't burn out or injure yourself, and stop in on the Cool Runners thread in the Exercise forum. There's some great motivation and support there for runners.

My face was always somewhat thin when I was young, so I never really recognized myself when I was obese, even though I was obese for YEARS. As others said, it varies as to when your face will slim down. Mine was one of the first things to change when I lost weight. I'll attach a before picture and a recent picture from last weekend to show the change. It's pretty noticeable, I think!

[gailr42]

First of all, I agree with everyone who said you have to eat food you like. The simplest menu would be instant, unsweetened, oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, lean cuisine for lunch and dinner with a couple more servings of fruit and lots of veggies thrown in at meals and for snacks. For instance, you can buy ready prepared carrots and celery sticks and other raw veggies at the grocery. Just be sure you don't get the kind that supplies a "full fat" dipping sauce. I have done just this and it works fine, and not much planning involved. Ultimately, you will probably get tired of the lean cuisine and want something else. By then, maybe you will be inspired to cook a few simple things.

Your weight will come off really fast at first - a huge inspiration - and you will find yourself getting more interested in cooking and eating well.

[jordan]

Welcome! I just wanted to echo what Lisamarie said about running. As far as weight loss and wanting to just thin down, it is a GREAT form of exercise. Since that is your goal, it really isn't necessary to "push yourself everyday" as far as intensity goes. Maybe push for increased distance, or less walking (if you walk jog), but at least initially it would be smart to just work on building a mileage base of slow easy miles. That would be easiest on your joints and it really is the smartest way to start running. Maybe increase about 10% per week but no more than that. Then in 6 months or whatever, you can start adding intense workouts or speed or whatever. Just my opinion.

[lottie63]

hmmm.

It's hard to tell someone to 'eat what they like' and then turn around and say, "eat oatmeal and fruits and veggies" I mean, I hate oatmeal myself. Not a huge fan of fruit either.

Me? I'm eating what I would normally eat I guess, just less of it. I'll eat one hot dog instead of two, I'll eat half a bowl of spaghetti instead of a full bowl, or a salad when I wan't something salty, instead of chips, or baked chips instead of fried and light dressings instead of full fat. When I go to a restaurant bf or gf and I order a meal and split it, and it's usually from the healthier side of the menu. No appetizers, etc. We eat ff whipped cream and frozen raspberries for dessert. This is something I can do forever, unlike atkins or ww, stuff I know I won't have the dedication or energy to stick to.

I know that strict rules about what to eat and not eat are better for some people. Some people don't, "trust their intuition" but eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full is probably the easiest diet thing I"ve ever done. But like I said, some people don't trust themselves and need strict rules. I guess it depends on the person.

I've found that if I go into "Strict diet mode" and "Strict excersize mode" straight off the bat, I'm less likely to stick to it because it's SO overwhelming and honestly, in regards to excersize, I'm SO out of shape, so I started off small and so far I've stuck with it so far so good. I guess we'll see.

Just remember, eat less, excersize more. You'll do just fine.

[lottie63]

p.s my face is a place I notice weight loss before anywhere else. My fingers too.

[gailr42]

I should have specified that I happen to like oatmeal. I was just trying to suggest something relatively simple to start with. Cheerios - shredded wheat??? What ever sounds good to you.

[lottie63]

wasn't picking on you just soes ya know :P Just makin' a point

[gailr42]

I'm an oatmeal and water ****!