Quote:
Originally Posted by cute sarah
The only thing I'd add - well, not add, really, but clarify - is that I think what jendiet said was right - strength training works wonders. And Jacquie668 is right, too - if you strength train hard enough, you'll actually put on weight (muscle weights more than fat) while getting skinnier. The gym can be intimidating, and a lot of people here recommend home systems like bodylastics or bully extreme, but the truth is that anything that gets you working is helpful. Don't get discoureged - that more you work at it, the faster you'll see results.
I just wanted to mention that it takes women months and months and months of really hard cord muscle training for woman to see any weight gain from it. And muscle weighs the same as fat, pound for pound. But it is a wonderful component to overall health and weight loss. The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn just sitting still.
You've gotten some good advice. I just wanted to add that in order to see steady results, you've got to be consistent. Remember that any "off" days can and will set you back. That's not a reason to throw in the towel, if you should have a slip up, you get RIGHT back on track. Don't let one little slip turn into a blow out.
I also would like to mention, don't ever feel deprived when turning down certain foods - like ice cream, cake, cookies, etc... Each and every time you say no to one of "those type" foods, you're saying YES to you! The REAL deprivation is STAYING overweight. Decide and remember what it is you want the very most. The high calorie/high quantity food - or the slim, trim you. Keep in mind your long term satisfaction instead of your short term gratification. Always.
Try out new recipes. FIND healthy, yet delicious foods to eat. Enjoying the foods that I is very important to me. Don't settle for bland "diet" foods. If you're eating delicious, yet lower calorie foods, it'll be MUCH easier to stay on plan.
And I'll ditto the calorie counting. It's built in accountability and sets portion limits. Once you get into it, it's quite simple. It keeps you on the straight and narrow and forces you to educate yourself on nutrition.
Lastly, I would say, don't "dread" this, get EXCITED about it. You can transform your life. Your life. Eating healthy is a wonderful thing which brings about immeasurable wonderful things. It's nothing to dread, but something to embrace, relish and celebrate! So, get excited, get a plan, get moving......