[twiztid]

I'm been battling the thought (yes, the mere motivation) of weight loss for about 6 months now. I'm at 195lbs (5'7). I realize that if 6 months ago I started working out, I would be where I would love to be at. But this all came to me, after I ordered Pizza for myself and ate 3 slices of pizza and 3 bread sticks. EEK!!

So that's it, I am no longer putting it off, I'm starting NOW! But the internet has so much information on this, that it's scary. One site says to do/eat this and the other says something completly different. I'm just so overwhelmed with information, I don't know what to do.

I'm in my early 20s, so I'm young and I am just ready to go, head first. I just need some help, guidance, advice... from people that understand.
At this present moment, I have a gym pass but I feel.... "ashamed" (for lack of a better word) when I go in and don't know what to do nor do I stay there long for how out of shape I am. (With my full time job and going to school full time, I go to the gym after all of the trainers leave.. So I can't ask them)

I'm a very picky eater, I eat the same foods as a 5 year old. (My mom raised me on McDonalds due to how hectic our lives were at that time). I understand I have to change what I eat, so I'M DOING IT! But, once again, I'm not sure what to get.



So, to basically break this all down and stop rambling lol..
I want to lose weight. I'm 5'7 and weight 195lbs, I want to get to 155lbs.
I don't know what foods to get, and what kind of exercise to do.

I'm looking for more of a "do this, then this, now this" instead of something very vague. I lack motivation and I need a schedule or something of sorts to get me motivated. Come on people, help me out

[1bighog]

Congrats on your decision!

The only type of "dieting" I have ever done is Weight Watchers. I love this program because of the flexibility. I, too, had a horrible diet, but WW has helped me choose better foods (better foods is generally less points which means I get to eat more!)

Sounds like you want a program that tells you exactly what to do at every meal of the day. I've never tried it, but something like NutriSystem comes to mind where you have specific meals.

There are times when I do this on WW, though. I frequently eat the same foods every day (usually for breakfast and lunch, then change up my dinner.) This helps when I have a super busy week. I know the point value of lots of my favorites now so I just have the same breakfast and lunch every day on most days.

Can't really help you on the exercise. What do you like to do? I say don't be embarrassed to use your gym, but if you still are, then are you open to doing a video at home? I personally like Beach Body workouts.

[Shmead]

Start clicking on the fitday links in people's profiles. This will give you a good idea of all the types of things out there you can eat.

Next, it's going to take some serious thought and research to find the diet that fits you best: you need to create a plan. Canned diets are, IMHO, less effective because there is less ownership, and because they don't suit us, so we start "adjusting" them without any real understanding of what we are doing.

As far as food goes, it's a good idea to rethink all your food likes/dislikes. They can't always be changed, but they can be modified--if you think you "hate vegetables" (a common complaint), you might want to consider thinking of it like 'I hate the specific vegetables prepared a specific way that I have had". That doesn't mean you're doomed to hate them all.

Anyway, there isn't a magic recipe for weight loss. There really isn't. You've got to put at least as much work into coming up with a food/exercise plan as you would into, say, writing a 12 page research paper--and it's really much the same process.

[seagirl]

Does your school have a nutritionist? You could start with a visit to them and get a plan in place.

Signing up for something like Sparkpeople or Fitday will help you keep track of what you are eating to make sure you are getting the right amounts of fat, protein, carbs, etc.

What works for me is to do a lot of cooking of plain things on Sunday, and then mix and match throughout the week. So, today I made 4 cups of brown rice (with veggie stock), lentils (with veggie stock), steamed broccoli, steamed cauliflower, steamed collards, roasted butternut squash and cut up carrot sticks.

Then, every day for lunch I can easily pack: 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup lentils, veggies of choice for the day. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Ready to go!

But, I think some structure will help you since you don't have a background in healthy eating - so something like a a visit to a nutritionist can help.

Good luck!

[twiztid]

Thanks so much for all of the feedback. I will set up a appointment with a nutrionist in my area and let them give me more understand of what I need. It cost $100 in my area, according to google. That's a great price for a lifetime of health. Thanks everyone!

[Shmead]

Seeing a nutritionist is a great idea, but again, in the end, you are going to have to learn about this stuff: understanding is more important than desire or determination. Think about the nutritionist as a teacher to help you learn, not a doctor who tells you what to do.

[sweetnlow28]

That's great that you are taking the first step toward better health. My suggestion, once you get a handle on what foods to eat, would be to look into counting calories. It allows you to track your foods and gives you more freedom regarding food choices. If you want to have a treat or a specific food, you simply fit it into your daily totals. It teaches you a way of eating that can last a lifetime rather than a temporary "diet". A lot of us have had success with counting calories. Come take a look at the calorie counting forum and feel free to ask questions anytime
Good luck with the dietitian.
Amanda

[DeJNow]

I have heard multiple people experience great success with weight watchers.

If you don't feel comfortable going to the gym there are many at home workouts you can do in combination with a diet plan.