how or what kind of exercise can i do in order to lose weight? i am still utterly lost here and need serious guidance, can anyone help? i also still have no idea how to diet, i see so many different things, too many carbs, not enough carbs, startch? what is that? i am lost please help me before i give up

a friend of mine gave me some old stuff like a exercise bike and a weight bench with a couple bars and weights. is this what i need to start? how long do i need to use these? any and all advice is welcome cause i am confused on what to do, start to do, etc...

i can tell you what i've done...i try to keep sugar and wheat low...not carbs in general for ME, because it's sugar and wheat that kick off mad cravings and hunger...but that's my body and everyone is different...i also watch calories and try to keep between 1500-1600...

for exercise i like to run...it's one of the most efficient in terms of calories burned vs. time it takes to burn them...so i decided to run because i dont have a huge amount of time per day to exercise...i also am on my feet all day at work but i dont count that as anything...i run on the treadmill and just started where i could...how long could i run to start with? how fast could i start at? and then go from there...increasing difficulty etc as i went along...i'm still not a long distance runner by any means, mostly due to asthma, but every day i will get on the treadmill at the gym and push my body as hard as i can

so far it's been working...slowly, but working :)

One of the things I would suggest is to just focus on healthier habits now. I know you probably want the weight off RIGHT NOW, but taking your time to ease yourself into a healthier lifestyle will probably be beneficial in the long run.

It doesn't have to take you seven years before you get to the big weight loss point like I did, but taking your time can really help make these changes permanent! I don't regret taking seven years to get to my big weight loss, because it really wasn't that difficult to change the one thing I needed to start losing weight (and now to maintain! I've been here for a year :))

Try focusing on making healthier food choices OR exercising. Which one do you like? Do you have an exercise you enjoy that you can do regularly? Do you have healthier foods you want to incorporate?

For food, just focus on eating healthier. I wouldn't worry too much about macros and calories JUST YET. Calories are important, but if you're choosing healthier foods you'll cut calories without even trying. Once you get used to eating healthy, it's MUCH easier to start watching your portions and calories because then you start to choose even healthier foods to get more bang for your buck!

When it comes to exercise, find something you like! If you enjoy it then you're more likely to do it even if you feel like sleeping. Find an exercise you enjoy and do it regularly! You'll eventually build up strength AND it'll become a habit.

If you focus on ONE thing first, make it a habit and then add another it becomes much easier (especially if you feel so lost!) to have a healthy lifestyle overall. Just making little changes will get you the results. Sure, you might not drop all the weight in a few months, but that's not really healthy anyway :)

I guess we are all different... because "starting slowly" and just choosing one or the other... eating well or exercising... would never work for me. When I go for it, I go for it. And that does NOT mean I go on extreme diets... I don't and, in fact for me personally, I don't believe in diets at all but just eating healthfully and watching the calories. I'm not a "calorie counter" but that is because I am fairly well educated on calorie counts of foods so know which I can eat more of and which I have to be careful about. Since it does not sound from your post that this is the case with you, you might need to count your calories.

Whatever plan you choose, just find one that works for you and stick with it. You can do this.

Start with walking. And I don't mean just go for walks, I mean inject more walking into your lifestyle. Drive less. Walk to the convenience store instead of driving. When you do drive park a little further away than you usually do. When you go to the grocery store don't go down each aisle one by one. Go to aisle one, then to aisle 12, then back to aisle 2, it keeps you walking.

I wear a pedometer all day long and try to log 10,000 steps each day.

Of course you have to make better choices in your diet too. It's very simple to say "eat more good foods and less bad foods" but we all know how difficult that is to implement. For me, I try to avoid eating carbs if I can. I try to satisfy my sweet tooth with fruit and a small piece of dark chocolate at the end of the day. I fill my plate with veggies, protein, and a very small amount of carbs. That's what works for me.

Lastly, watch out for fad eating. Don't eat processed foods, avoid sodas both regular and artificially sweetened. Avoid sugar. Make it a point to eat something raw every day. And don't worry if you can't implement these things all at once, it takes time to build healthy lifestyle skills. It took me a long time to quit artificial sweetners and sodas but I can tell you that I'm free of their power over me and now I can focus on building a new health skill. Good luck.

It just depends on what you're willing to give up and put effort into. Like everyone before me has said, everyone's different.
Walking with music has become something I HAVE to do most everyday. Not because I want to lose weight, but because it's a habit. After having that habit for around a year, I started running, and now I'm a runner, even though I'm still working on the habit part... But I think music goes a long way when working out, especially if you choose music you really like or is really upbeat and encouraging.Also try to mix it up a bit every now and then. The same path gets boring after a while... so go a different way!
You don't have to walk though, you can do anything that sounds the least bit interesting. You can swim, you can dance, you can bike, you can play various sports with friends, or you can even work in your yard or garden for a while every day. You can do a little bit of everything, as long as you can keep it a habit.
If you're able to keep on it, you'll find weight loss is more of a lifestyle change than anything.
As for diets, what is something you're eating that you don't really need? Again, that depends on the person. For me, it's grains, for some, it's meat, as well as the general cutting down of going out to eat/eating sweets, and even taking up a bit of cooking yourself.
It seems like a lot, but just take your time! The best weight-loss is the slow kind. It's the kind that lasts. You'll just need to be persistent!

well a friend of mine gave me a old exercise bike and a weight bench and some weights, how can i intergrate that into a daily lifestyle? i have been searching the internet for healthy recipies so i can make some decent food. my issue is now that with a fixed income will i be bale to make the changes i need. it is extrremely expensive for anything here in my city, how can 150 bucks last a whole month? i just need to find a way before i say forget it and continue on my path of destruction..

I would start with getting on the bike.

The longer you ride, the more calories you'll burn. I'd recommend starting with 30 min a day at first, more if you are still comfortable, less if it's too difficult.

There are some great weightlifting resources on the web. For example:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercis.../weight101.htm

First of all, your friend sounds like a nice one to give you exercise equipment! I agree that the bike is a good place to start, and I have learned a lot about weight lifting and good form on YouTube.

Any additional movement/activity you can add on each day is great- just make sure you are safe and go at a time/frequency/pace that pushes you but doesn't burn you out too fast :)

What kind of weights did you get? Free weights or an actual machine?

Getting on the bike is a good place to start as it's pretty hard to do that wrong. Weight lifting is a little trickier because you could injure yourself. I would find a book on strength training/weight lifting for beginners that gives you basic exercises...or you could just check out youtube. There are lots of fitness channels out there now that give you step-by-step video instruction on how to perform moves and even have a routine already laid out for you. Practice with body weight until your form is good (use a mirror if possible). After that, you can start adding some weight to make the exercises harder.

Honestly though, you'll get a great workout from bodyweight alone. Start with things like squats, pushups, lunges, will give you a great burn if you haven't done them before. After a couple of weeks using those moves you should be comfortable enough to add weight.

One of our common recommendations for women are the New Rules of Lifting for Women but I've heard from men and women that the New Rules of Lifting is a great guide as well. The New Rules of Lifting for Women is specifically designed to focus on areas that are often underdeveloped for women but the New Rules of Lifting is supposedly an all around great book. You might want to see if your local library has a copy.

Carbie - I've read all your posts [yes, really], and the frustration in your voice is reaching me several hundred miles away! Many folks around here are in simliar situations - shocked, angry, scared, at their weight. Frustrated with too many plans and ideas, and yet, nothing is clicking. Limited incomes [some even more limited than yours, believe it or not]. and no cooking skills.

As others have pointed out, change won't happen in a day, unfortunately. And I agree with those who say to just pick SOMETHING and do it. A very wise friend reminds me [regularly, thank goodness!] that it takes 21 days to break a habit, and 21 days to build a new one. So, no matter what you do, this is a journey, not a race.

It looks like you've gotten great advice on the exercise thing - start with the bike, and research the weight training to the point where you're reasonably sure you can do it without hurting yourself.

Let's talk about food. You asked in one post about what a whole foods diet is. First of all, let's think of a 'diet' as what it really is - the way a person eats, not a plan that someone imposes on you. Someone who eats a whole food diet chooses things that are minimally processed - like fresh or frozen fruit and veggies, fresh/frozen meat, fish, eggs, lentils, black beans, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, and so on. Is everyone perfect with this? absolutely not.

So, with only one or two cruises down the aisles in your grocery store [for canned or dried beans, whole grain pasta, brown rice, olive oil, ketchup, mustard, maybe some broth], all these things are found on the perimeter of the store. EVERY store. They set the stores up this way.

My starting suggestion to you - think about what you LIKE TO EAT. was there something special your mom made that you'd like to have again? something you ate a friend's house or a restaurant? make a post - someone around here will help you figure out how to make it.

Try something new each time you do your grocery shopping. For right now, today, I'd suggest something incredibly easy - roasted zucchini. They're not expensive, and they're easy to cook. And once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to cook almost any veggie this way, plus meat alongside of it.

turn your oven on - set it at about 375. line a flat pan with sides with some foil or spray it with cooking spray or spread a little oil on it [this is to help with cleanup - any of these will help keep the food from sticking].

wash the zucchini [two small ones or one medium one - i like the small ones]. cut the ends off. cut them in half longways, then cut each half into chunks about half the size of your thumb. pile them onto the pan.

sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper [pepper to taste - you won't need more salt than a pinch], and drizzle with a teaspoon or two of oil [i prefer olive oil, but any vegetable oil is fine]. toss everything together.

Spread the zucchini out so that it's a single layer. Put it in the oven, and set the timer for 15 minutes. When it goes off, open the door, and check them. If they're not soft with a little bit of brown on the edges, back they go for another 5 minutes. no matter what, they should need no more than 30 minutes to cook.

you can eat them as is, or sprinkle with a little cheese. you can also eat them as a salad - just cool them to room temp and sprinkle with some vinegar. if you want to add some chopped onion, pepper, chopped tomato and chick peas, you'll have yourself a nice little meal.

hey, it's a start! and you can do it

And I don't know your personal situation but do you have health insurance? If so, it might cover nutritionist visits. If you know nothing about eating right, nutrition, etc, a nutritionist can be a great start.

If not, your library can be a great resource but where to start? I think a lot of people start with calorie counting because it is so simple. Myfitnesspal.com is a great site for calorie counting. Although it isn't a calorie counting diet, I thought the principles from the South Beach Diet were pretty solid, especially as an introductory to healthy eating.

I would recommend tracking your food for a week. Everything that goes in your mouth is written down or use an app on your phone. Then go back and see what you can change. Get on the exercise bike and ride not all out but a good pace where you feel like your working and you couldn't sing a song after 20mins. Set yourself some short term goals. Get up and move, if your doing dishes march or squat every thirty seconds.

calorie counting and intuitive eating work best for me
for exercise I like Zumba and just plain walking the most

but we all are different, which means we all lose weight differently
I can not stress this enough
it's trial and error, and accepting the fact that it's not a diet you'll just quit when you get to your goal weight (and inevitably gain everything back and then some)
it's a lifestyle that you'll maintain forever

Originally Posted by nelie:
And I don't know your personal situation but do you have health insurance? If so, it might cover nutritionist visits. If you know nothing about eating right, nutrition, etc, a nutritionist can be a great start.

If not, your library can be a great resource but where to start? I think a lot of people start with calorie counting because it is so simple. Myfitnesspal.com is a great site for calorie counting. Although it isn't a calorie counting diet, I thought the principles from the South Beach Diet were pretty solid, especially as an introductory to healthy eating.

no idea how to calorie count, do i really have to do that? the thought of it stresses me out to no end.

Originally Posted by Carbie:
no idea how to calorie count, do i really have to do that? the thought of it stresses me out to no end.

No you don't have to do it. There is no one right way to go about being healthier. It's about making choices, keeping focused and not beating yourself up about mistakes. Move a little more, eat a little less.... come on now, you know which foods you need to eat a little less of. It's the ones you love the MOST unfortunately.

Counting calories CAN be stressful. However, for many of us it can be a life saver. It keeps things real and emotion-less. Lots of people choose to measure their food in cups, like a cup of rice or a cup of broccoli etc. But you'd be shocked at how many calories you can overeat if you fill your cup up a wee bit more on the top. Counting calories even for just a week can really open your eyes to how much you're eating. I counted calories for a while and now I simply don't have to. Because I know how many calories are in a serving, I know that bread and pasta are loaded with calories and so I just avoid those. I have an arsenal of knowledge about what each food is worth and it's better to know than to not know imo.

The easy way to go about it is to get a food scale, read labels on food, use a calorie counter such as http://www.calorieking.com/ count calories and keep a journal of everything you eat. It's a lot of work but it does help even if you don't do it forever.

Oh and also I always try to remember this quote:

"Dieting is hard. Being fat is hard. Maintaining your weight is hard. Pick your hard."

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny:
Oh and also I always try to remember this quote:

"Dieting is hard. Being fat is hard. Maintaining your weight is hard. Pick your hard."

Awesome!! Well said!! :)


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You could start with just keeping a journal of what your eating and portion size, don't figure calories in at all at first. It isn't fun but it does make you face reality about what you are eating and how much. I don't look at it like a diet because that has negative connotations with me, it's a lifestyle change in all ways, active and food.

isnt there a way i can eat healthy and NOT measure everything? right now i eat a ton at a time. lets say for instance i goto burger king, i can put down 2 of their chicken sandwiches and 2 small fries. to me that is a ton of food, how can i macth that by eating better? what stresses me out is i have no idea what i am burning when i do exercise. well i should say, when i do, i have not started yet because i cant afford to buy anything at this time. i am broke until my disability comes in. so until then, its ramen noodles 3 times a day, isnt that great? i am so poor that is all i can afford to eat, makes me angry and depressed at the same time. maybe its not in the cards for me to ever be thin, maybe i am doomed to be nothing.

Originally Posted by :
isnt there a way i can eat healthy and NOT measure everything? right now i eat a ton at a time. lets say for instance i goto burger king, i can put down 2 of their chicken sandwiches and 2 small fries. to me that is a ton of food, how can i macth that by eating better?

Yes, there is a way. It involves eating a lot of vegetables.

Take a look at this link: http://www.caloriegallery.com/

It shows you what 200 calories of a particular food looks like. You'll see that 200 calories of peanut butter is practically nothing, while 200 calories of lettuce is a huge amount...5 heads or so!

If you eat more vegetables, you can eat more volume without eating more calories.

As for knowing how many calories you burn, honestly, that information doesn't really mean anything. If you're moving, you're burning more calories than you did sitting down, and that's really all the matters. There's no need to track the amount, just move more than you are now.

Do What You Enjoy
 

Getting started is definitely the hard part! Followed by sticking to it. I'm starting over again, so I completely understand. I have found that when I'm successful, it's because I'm "exercising" by doing something I enjoy as opposed to a programmed exercise course. I do go to the gym, but it's as much a social event in my little town so I enjoy going. But I have definitely found that once I figured out what I enjoyed doing, then it didn't seem like exercise any more. One friend enjoys dancing, and has lost 30 pounds since taking up competitive ballroom dancing. Another enjoys hiking. Another enjoys cleaning (something I simply don't understand :)) and has actually started cleaning people's houses.

In terms of foods, my experience has been that it's a very personal matter of what can you live with. For me, I eat whatever I want, but limit it to 1200 calories and between 50-70 grams of carbs to be in weight loss. I have to watch both carbs and calories. For me, I lost weight on low carb, but my cholesterol shot through the roof. I try to track everything on an app on my phone as it has calories, carbs, fat and protein. There are lots of them available.

Good luck! My advice after years of trying to lose weight is to find what works for you -- which may be strict adherence to a diet plan or developing your own. Just make it something you can actually enjoy. Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by betsy2013:
Getting started is definitely the hard part! Followed by sticking to it. I'm starting over again, so I completely understand. I have found that when I'm successful, it's because I'm "exercising" by doing something I enjoy as opposed to a programmed exercise course. I do go to the gym, but it's as much a social event in my little town so I enjoy going. But I have definitely found that once I figured out what I enjoyed doing, then it didn't seem like exercise any more. One friend enjoys dancing, and has lost 30 pounds since taking up competitive ballroom dancing. Another enjoys hiking. Another enjoys cleaning (something I simply don't understand :)) and has actually started cleaning people's houses.

In terms of foods, my experience has been that it's a very personal matter of what can you live with. For me, I eat whatever I want, but limit it to 1200 calories and between 50-70 grams of carbs to be in weight loss. I have to watch both carbs and calories. For me, I lost weight on low carb, but my cholesterol shot through the roof. I try to track everything on an app on my phone as it has calories, carbs, fat and protein. There are lots of them available.

Good luck! My advice after years of trying to lose weight is to find what works for you -- which may be strict adherence to a diet plan or developing your own. Just make it something you can actually enjoy. Hope that helps.

i dont have a cell phone, i think i might be the only person in the world without one, so i cant use whatever your talking about. i dont know what carbs are, i dont know how to find a list of things that they are associated with. i am really stupid when it comes to dieting, and my own doctor wouldnt find me a nutritionist either so what does that say? so i appreciate what you all have said, but i am still at square one. dont know anything right now except eat the right stuff and exercise.

Originally Posted by misspixie:

1. Food. To start with to get good food downrange try the plate method. For every meal divide your plate into half. Measure your plate make it a small plate not a serving platter. EVERY MEAL: Right half fill with veggies. Frozen veggies are totally cheap and last forever nothing wrong with frozen veggies. Left half, divide in two. Top half protein. As in eggs, canned tuna, chicken, fish. I lived on canned tuna and eggs for a long time totally cheap. Bottom half, grains or legumes or potatoes. As in rice, beans, lentils, potatoes. All cheap especially if bought at the bulk store and potatos are totally cheap too. A 1 lb bag of red lentils makes enough food for a full week meals and costs less than 2 bucks. Right now don't worry about anything else dont calorie count dont worry about carbs or figuring anything out. Just do the above.

This so much. Starting off calorie counting and weighing food can be overwhelming. Focus on swapping out what you currently eat for some healthy choices to ease yourself into this.

FWIW, I still don't weigh or measure 90% of the time. The only time I really measure my food is if I'm eating peanut butter (because it's so calorie-dense). It's possible to lose and maintain weight without weighing or measuring food.

Originally Posted by Carbie:
isnt there a way i can eat healthy and NOT measure everything? right now i eat a ton at a time. lets say for instance i goto burger king, i can put down 2 of their chicken sandwiches and 2 small fries. to me that is a ton of food, how can i macth that by eating better? what stresses me out is i have no idea what i am burning when i do exercise. well i should say, when i do, i have not started yet because i cant afford to buy anything at this time. i am broke until my disability comes in. so until then, its ramen noodles 3 times a day, isnt that great? i am so poor that is all i can afford to eat, makes me angry and depressed at the same time. maybe its not in the cards for me to ever be thin, maybe i am doomed to be nothing.

I think you're receiving lots of advice and encouragement and even different methods of how to go about this. However, you are being combative and defensive. It sounds like you're wallowing in self pity and can only think of the things you can't do or don't want to do. The procedure for losing weight and becoming healthier, however varied the philosophy or method is, is identical for everyone: Eat less crap, eat more veggies, and move more.

Burger King = crap
Lettuce = veggies
Walking = exercise
Ramen noodles = carbs + processed food

A little negativity goes a long way in holding you back. Try focusing on what you CAN do rather than what you don't want to do. Nobody on this site or anyone who has managed to lose weight, or anyone that has more money is any better, smarter, prettier, or more capable than you are. Success is built on the will to try, not the will to cry.

I agree, in order to lose weight, you have to focus on what you can do vs what you can't. If you are dead set on not calorie counting, I'd look at something like South Beach Diet with focus on eating more vegetables. You can pick up a book at your local library.

Honestly, I lost over 100 lbs without counting calories but I had a general idea of the calories of what I was eating if that makes sense.

Originally Posted by misspixie:
Carbie I totally feel your frustration levels and theyre sky high. This is getting waaaay more complicated than it needs to be. So lets break it down into 3 areas and make it easy. I did this when I started. 3 areas -- food, exercise, stress management.

1. Food. To start with to get good food downrange try the plate method. For every meal divide your plate into half. Measure your plate make it a small plate not a serving platter. EVERY MEAL: Right half fill with veggies. Frozen veggies are totally cheap and last forever nothing wrong with frozen veggies. Left half, divide in two. Top half protein. As in eggs, canned tuna, chicken, fish. I lived on canned tuna and eggs for a long time totally cheap. Bottom half, grains or legumes or potatoes. As in rice, beans, lentils, potatoes. All cheap especially if bought at the bulk store and potatos are totally cheap too. A 1 lb bag of red lentils makes enough food for a full week meals and costs less than 2 bucks. Right now don't worry about anything else dont calorie count dont worry about carbs or figuring anything out. Just do the above.

2. Exercise. Get on the bike, adjust tension a bit so that you have to make a bit of effort. Bike for 15 minutes. Do this first thing in the morning. Do this before dinner. Worry about the weights later.

3. Stress. Google breathing exercises. 15 minutes breathing exercises before bed.

Do this for a month. Weigh yourself once at the start. Then once in a month.
No soda, no chips, no chocolate, no crap we all know what that is. No cheating. Then in a month, we can talk about more details. You can do it.
:)

ok just a question here, what can i use instead of butter for my vegetables? im not trying to complain i just cant eat them cooked without something, thats all i ask please.

thank you all for your support and advice i really do appreciate it, even tho i am extremely self loathing..

Originally Posted by Carbie:
ok just a question here, what can i use instead of butter for my vegetables? im not trying to complain i just cant eat them cooked without something, thats all i ask please.

thank you all for your support and advice i really do appreciate it, even tho i am extremely self loathing..

You have to be careful about the words you use with yourself. There is a big difference between "can't" and "won't." When someone says "can't" when it's perfectly possible they just sound like whiners. At least be honest and say "won't" and own it. While I can totally sympathize with self-loathing from time to time, it's never a good idea to live in denial. You don't WANT to eat them without butter. You don't WANT to count calories. Be clear about your language. From the sound of it, you have a lot to learn about nutrition and good health, all of it can be learned with a little effort and and a willingness to try. There are a number of things you can eat with your veggies including: a little butter, a little olive oil, a little grating of parmesan cheese. And believe me, you CAN eat them lightly steamed with nothing on them. You just don't want to. I quite enjoy raw veggies dipped in hummus, I didn't always but I've learned to because I care about my health and I'm not willing to accept that I'm not capable of something when I know I am.

Originally Posted by misspixie:
2. Exercise. Get on the bike, adjust tension a bit so that you have to make a bit of effort. Bike for 15 minutes. Do this first thing in the morning. Do this before dinner. Worry about the weights later.
:)

do i have to do 15 in the morning and 15 before dinner? can i just do 30 minutes and be done with it?

Carbie, Look around the site.. Your here & that's a big step right there! Lot's of information has been posted about many of the topics & concerns you have...

I for one at this stage in my life would quit by the end of the week if I pushed myself 30 minutes everyday to start out... I'm carrying a lot of extra weight... & want to stick with something... I am at the stage of doing 5 minutes on my eleptical, picking up my dumbells for 5 minutes, walking dogs 10 minutes, another 5 on elleptical & some stretches.. It all adds up & is something I can live with,& feels less like setting myself up for failure...

It's all about not being afraid to try different things out.. What works for me, may not work for you & vice versa.. See what works for you & stick with it.. If you feel burned out after day 2of 30 minutes... try lesser time, till you find what works for you..

Read up in various diet forums too.. You can learn a lot from those who are fighting the same battle.

Best of luck!

Carbie, you've been given great advice. The internet is a wonderful thing full of information, and this is a great board.

Don't make excuses. If you're not ready to lose weight, then don't do it. But if you want this, REALLY want this, then get on that bike and start moving. You are very lucky to get all that equipment for free.

As for eating, if you can't control what you eat then eat smaller portions.

You have the worst attitude I've ever seen on this site, and I hope you can turn it around and become a positive person. You have the power to do this. Eat less, move more. Easy to understand right?

yes, Carbie - you CAN get do 30 minutes at a shot if you'd like. Some of us can't do 30 minutes. some can't do 15 minutes. But if we can do 5 minutes several times a day, it adds up.

I'm one of those who can only tolerate a few minutes of exercise at a time [a heart condition]. But i do it. several times a day. Not perfectly, but my exercise tolerance has gone from 30 seconds to several minutes - and i'll take it very happily.

oh. and one more wonderful thing to put on plain veggies - some garlic and lemon juice. I'd use fresh garlic, but you can certainly sprinkle a pinch of garlic powder on them [cheap] and a squeeze from one of those plastic lemons [i think they're about a dollar - it'll last awhile].