[Belkis2191]

Hey everyone So I'm relatively new to the forums, and I felt that this might be the best place to ask a couple of questions I have. I've always been fat, and I despise using that word against myself, but it's better than hearing the word obese. I'm 5'3, weigh 205 lbs, and I'm 19 years old. I've always wanted to be thinner, but I've never had the motivation. I have social anxiety due to my weight, and no friends or family willing to workout with me. But I want to make a change. I want to lose weight, because I also have HBP and my feet are starting to give in . It's no good!!

So, I'd like to know how you ladies and gentlemen started out your diets. I'm really tight on money, and I live in NYC, so I'm curious if anyone has been able to lose weight while having a shortage of money. I've thought of buying cereal like special k for the morning, fruits for lunch, and a small portion of meat with rice or corn for dinner? I'm a complete newbie at diets, so my apologies if that is the complete opposite of healthy

Thanks in advance!! I look forward to reading some replies for motivation and guidance

[Lovely]

Losing weight sounds like one big change, but honestly? It's a series of daily healthy choices. We don't always have to start out and do everything strictly or 100% "right".

However, we do have to accept that regardless of what happens, there is no "end". There's no failure date. There's no giving up! We make changes, and those changes become the new normal. We may slip up from time to time, but it doesn't matter as we can return to that new, healthier normal.

You want to make changes. Then you need a plan and commitment. You don't need a lot of money. You can make healthier choices regardless of your means.

For your situation, I'd suggest Calorie Counting. It's free. There are plenty of sites out there that will help you find your correct calories for the day, and to give you the calorie information for almost any food imaginable. It's also as simple or complex as YOU choose. You can get a pen and a notepad and keep track of your calories that way. Or you can use a program, and make graphs if you want it to be detailed. It's VERY customizable. And as long as you stay around your daily calories... you're on plan! That simple.

As for activity, it doesn't have to be a formal exercise if you don't like thinking of it that way. It can be adding in anything that you might normally not do. Parking further from a store if you have the chance, taking stairs, putting on music and moving around. Anything active is good.

A bowl of cereal, a couple pieces of fruit, and some rice and meat for dinner actually sounds A) like too few calories, B) like it'd get boring fast C) like it's lacking all the nutrients and vitamins your body needs to survive.

Use 3FC to its fullest. Join a challenge, a chat group, find cheap recipes and new ways to prepare foods. Ask, participate and reach out.

You can do this You can make permanent changes and eat healthier.

[indiblue]

Hey there! and welcome!

It's easy to get lost in the world of diets, nutrition, exercise... but weight loss in principle is very easy. Eat fewer calories than your body uses each day. That's it.

That's why so many people count their calories. It's the simplest way (to many) to calculate how many calories they eat and ensure that number is smaller than the number their body uses each day.

I would first figure out roughly how many calories your body uses each day. Then use an online calculator to suggest how many calories you SHOULD eat each day in order to create a caloric deficit (calories burned- calories consumed).

Remember that calories burned does NOT mean calories burned at the gym as indicated by one of the treadmills' display. It means all the calories it takes to move your body around, walk, breathe, organs functioning, etc.. plus of course whatever energy it takes to exercise.

It's easy to focus specifically on the exercise portion of losing weight, but I strongly recommend you focus heavily on the DIET. Creating a caloric deficit is done by eating "right"- eating within your calorie range and not more. Going to the gym, getting that heart rate up is really important for fitness, but it's not going to create the kind of deficit you need to lose weight.

(Keep this in mind: a 30 minute brisk walk will probably only burn around 150 calories. That's two eggs, or a large banana, or a few bites of cake. Barely a dent in overall food consumption for the day. It's really difficult- virtually impossible- to burn enough calories to counteract eating tons of calorie-heavy food.)

So all that said- I return to the suggestion to watch your calories. There are TONS of free websites out there to find out what your BMR is (calories your body needs a day to survive- roughly estimated) and how many calories you are consuming. Freedietingtools is one, Livestrong, My Fitness Pal, Daily Plate are a few others.

Good luck!!! With the right information and the commitment to do this the healthy way you will have great success ^_^

EDIT: PS: Like Lovely mentioned, cereal, fruit for lunch and a small piece of meat + corn/rice for dinner is very low in calories, but it doesn't sound like enough nutrients! Where are the veggies?? I'd do a bit of online research to learn how many servings of fruits, vegetables, protein, and dairy we all need throughout the day to get the wide range of nutrients and energy we all need. ChooseMyPlate.gov is very helpful. It's really important when you're cutting calories (e.g. reducing the amount of food you eat) to ensure that the food you DO consume has all the vitamins and nutrients, proteins, and healthy fats your body needs to survive. So a quick, self-taught crash-course in basic, basic, basic nutrition will be important and helpful

[luckymommy]

Belkis! Congrats on taking the first step towards a healthier lifestyle!

I agree with the above posts. I just wanted to add by saying that if I started out my morning with cereal, I could never make it (but that's just how I am). I really recommend stocking your fridge with eggs. I use hardboiled eggs to start the day because if I start with something that has so much sugar, it will cause too much of a spike in my blood sugar, and lead me to have increased hunger throughout the day. I sometimes have some string cheese for breakfast too. I agree with the veggies idea. They help you feel full while providing lots of nutrients. I'd stock my home with raw almonds too. Beans are an inexpensive addition to your pantry. They provide plenty of nutrition but can get high in calories if you don't watch it. Another thing you can do in leu of the cereal is to buy some steel cut oats and make them from scratch. Those tend to be less expensive and instead of sugar, you could throw in some frozen blueberries (once it's hot and cooked), some cinnamon and maybe some sweetener. I use Splenda, but that's not that healthy....Stevia is much better for you, but I don't love the taste. Some people will put some peanut butter into their oatmeal to add some protein to their breakfast. Just keep counting those calories. It can be intimidating at first, but once you get familiarized with it, it'll become second nature.

Finally, you don't have to do everything in one day. You could start by just replacing all sodas with water and removing all white stuff (white pasta, white bread) from your kitchen.

If you need any additional support, don't hesitate to send me a private message. Best of luck....you can do this!!!!

[Belkis2191]

Lovely, you're absolutely right. For the past two days I've been changing the way I eat, and have been going out for hourly walks. Baby steps, right?

indiblue, thanks for the websites! I've checked them out and were a huuuge help. I really appreciate it.

And luckymommy, I've taken your advice on the 2 boiled eggs in the morning. I have to agree, by eating those two eggs and a little something on the side, my appetite is not as often! BIG help

Ladies, thank you so much for your responses. All your information has already helped make changes

[K1234]

Hi Belkis, congrats for deciding to make healthy changes to your lifestyle, you wont regret it!

I agree with Lovely that you should track your progress and what you eat with a food journal! For me, Ive done both pen and paper AND online and for me little note pads have been the best route.....I have a WHOLE BOX of old food journals that tracked what i ate everyday and my weight and its kind of fun to look back in them over the years and see what worked, what didnt, and how far I have come. About 5 years ago I hit 200lbs and before that point I was just out of control with my eating and sitting around not doing anything. I decided to make that change right then and there, started tracking with food journals and lost 40lbs. I got to 160lbs and over the past few years I have gone down to 140's up to 150's and kind of have maintained in that general area, but now when I hit the 160's thats my "danger zone" that lets me know I need to get back on the ball and stop being so relaxed with my habits.

So, I know I kind of went off topic there but I was just explaining what my "trigger" was that helped me realize it was time for a change and that food journals have been the biggest help to me. You can absolutely do this, and once you start seeing the changes and how great you feel and look, you will want more

Goodluck!!

[amyleigh]

firstly, congrats. making the decision to lose weight is the first big step!

secondly, looking at you're stats, your stature seems very close to where i started off...and i KNOW how hard it is. super huge props for deciding NOW to make a change (you're 5 years ahead of where i was!!!)

as far as diet, it may be a struggle to find what is right for YOU. everyone will give you advice from those on this forum to media to family and friends. people may even judge you by the decisions you make ("why are you eating THAT" or on a splurge day "aren't you on a diet"). my best advice: IGNORE THEM AND DO WHAT YOU FIND IS BEST FOR YOU!! you're on this journey for you, not anyone else. when you start to lose motivation, think of yourself. that's what i do

as far as myself, i started by drinking slimfast shakes in the morning because i knew i needed breakfast and i couldn't handle real food. i also didn't have the money for protein powder and fresh fruit everyday to make my own smoothies (and found TONS of slimfast coupons online). i also found that calorie counting was best for me because i didn't change WHAT i ate, just how much. i also did a lot of recipe searching for low calorie versions of what i still ate. i know this doesn't work for most people, but it worked for me...and i still got to eat my chocolate everyday and ice cream twice a week hehe.

whatever you decide, don't give up. weight loss is trial and error and can get discouraging at times, and may take a bit of creativity to stay in budget, but it's totally possible!!

plus, we're all here to support you!

[xxkaleidoscopic]

I, too, am on a VERY limited diet. I count calories, and try to get creative with what's already in my cupboard. The other day, I found a jar of mushrooms and a jar of French-cut green beans. Canned veggies are never the best, but I'm broke, and it's better than a lot of whatever else I could be eating. So I mixed them together, and bam - 65 cals for a good-sized portion!

My best advice is to get into light cooking and be creative!