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Old 07-01-2004, 02:17 PM   #1  
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Default overwhelmed and need help

I am a 33 yr old female who moved recently to start my first job. I was in grad school for a long time. I need to lose about 30 pounds and am very frustrated because I started running 2 months ago and I have lost nothing. I am having a hard time adjusting to a lot of things, including how to schedule my time for cooking and exercise and take care of myself. Being in a new place means I don't have many friends so I am hoping someone here will want to correspond with me. I've looked through some of the other threads but just get overwhelmed at the idea of just jumping into a discussion. I just don't even know where to begin. I want to give support also - just looking for a friend.
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Old 07-01-2004, 02:57 PM   #2  
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Hi! I know how you feel about being overwhelmed at the idea of jumping into the discussions already in progress here! I feel the same way. I'm still in college (summer school right now) and work 32-40 hours a week, so I can relate to not feeling like you have time to take care of yourself. I've been having trouble finding time to walk lately, so I'm thinking I might just have to start getting out of bed extra early in the morning and do it then. And I don't really know how much I need to walk and how often in order to get to my goal weight. Quite frustrating... How much do you run? And are you sure that the reason you haven't lost any weight isn't because you've gained muscle? My main problem right now is that I'm big on convenience as far as food goes.. I'm not much of a cook, nor do I really have extra money to burn on buying lots of different kinds of things required for most recipes. So.. I'd be happy to be a buddy )
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Old 07-01-2004, 03:38 PM   #3  
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I tried to run in the morning but it just didn't work for me as I am not a morning person and could not get myself out of bed, regardless of how much I knew I would enjoy it after being up. I run 3 to 4 times a week about 3-4 miles each time at a snails pace, literally. How much are you walking Kelbelle? Based on some advice I got, I am trying to get to 45 minutes minimum each time I go out - you may be able to use that as a guide with walking too. For now I am hoping that the lack of weight loss is due to muscle gain but eventually the scale has to move, right? I know what you mean about convenience. I don't cook for the most part - I prepare foods at best. I buy a lot of bagged salads and cooked chicken and frozen dinners. Do you go the fast food route or do you have places where you can by prepared food, like at a grocery store? btw - what are you studying in school and does your job entail any activity? I sit in front of a computer most of the day and hate it. It does nothing for weight loss either.

Thanks Sheila for the welcome. I will go check out the exercise thread too. You have miles in your signature - walking? running? biking?
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Old 07-01-2004, 03:40 PM   #4  
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Hi, and welcome! Glad you've found the best bunch of people for supporting your weight loss efforts. You don't say what you are eating - you'll have to include a weight loss food plan with the exercise to lose weight. The recommendation for weight loss is 1 hour a day 7 days a week...30 minutes will improve health. Unfortunately, exercise doesn't burn nearly as many calories as we think.

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Old 07-01-2004, 04:26 PM   #5  
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1 hour a day every day! I don't think my body or my schedule could handle that kind of frequency - definitely not running only. Is this recommendation exercise dependent or will any activity due?

I am not on a specific eating plan. I eat a lot of fruits and veggies and chicken. I don't do fast food. Right now I have a slim fast shake for breakfast and a frozen dinner with fruit for lunch. Dinner is usually a salad or chicken with veggies. I eat very little rice, pasta and bread to try and keep my carbs under control. Since I don't cook I really need easy to prepare or buy. I think that my basic diet is good. I do realize that I need to limit my 'indulgences' though but I am not sure how to do that since they are connected to emotions or being bored at work sitting in front of a computer. Any suggestions for good things to munch on at work or to do as a distraction?
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Old 07-02-2004, 07:02 AM   #6  
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Hi shyangel, KelBelle, Sheila, Susan - and anyone else!

shyangel - I just wanted to say hi. It sounds like it's an exciting time in your life - with the new job, new place to live, and new people. And probably a little stressful too. Is it a good job, and do you like it there?

I'm 'newish' here at the forum, but wanted to write and say hi. I've just turned 36, and I'm still in grad school actually - on my way to becoming a psychologist. I went back to university at 31 to study psychology, after working in the oil industry with accounting/cost/document control for several years.

Running 3-4 times a week sounds very good - but like Susan and Sheila say: it's also about the food plan - even when your basic diet is good. Have you ever tried to calculate how many calories you're eating?
That was my big aha-moment: I was completely stunned when I found out how many calories I ate on a daily basis. It's an ongoing process for me to learn how I best can eat while loosing weight.

Susan: exercise 1 hour a day 7 days a week for weight loss, you say? See, I didn't know that. I have been doing 30-35 minutes a day. Better to increase - huh?

As for sitting at the computer all day and being bored: I'm very interested in hearing if anybody has suggestions for good things to munch at work too! I'm mostly doing sugar free gum. And coffee. And water. And more coffee.
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Old 07-02-2004, 10:23 AM   #7  
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Good morning everyone.

mette - Exciting is one way to describe my life but I would say stressful is much better. The job is good but has turned out to not be a very good fit for me so I am not happy with it. I am already trying to figure out what I would do if I left here. I have learned that I need more activity at my job. I don't have the proper attention span for sitting at a desk by myself 8 hours a day. Congratulations on taking control of your life and going back to school. Psychology, a very noble profession.

I guess I should start a food diary and calculate the calories for a few days. I'll let you know how it goes. I had a dietician analyze my diet once and I was under 1200 calories and she said I was actually not eating enough food. Of course, if I binge on sweets all bets are off. What should I be aiming for as a calorie maximum? I know a little about WW and it seems to be flexible. i might give that a try.

Tip - I've read that nuts as a snack during the day is good.
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Old 07-02-2004, 10:41 AM   #8  
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I have a friend going through a similar life change right now. She has been in school most of her adult life and is now out of graduate school. She hardly knows how to operate without having tests and papers to write! I know how it feels to be in a job you don't like, too. It can feel very stressful, especially when you don't have alternatives lined up.

I posted about this site elswhere, but I'll mention it to you because it sounds like it may be a big help with your nutrition and exercise. The Discovery Health Channel has a really good support website for people trying to lose weight. They have a food log, journal, meal plans, exercise plans and lots of tips on weight loss, all customized for you based on weight, body fat %, weight loss goals, activity level, etc. The food log calculates calories and other nutritional information for you and compares it to your ideal caloric intake per day and per meal. I guess after a month you have to pay for it, but it might help you get started on your "journey". The address is: http://in2nutrition.com/discovery2/ Let me know if it's helpful!

I wouldn't mind having a buddy through this either. I am following the Sugar Busters program, which worked for me a few years ago. I just got complacent and slowly the weight crept back on, and then some. I've lost 8 lbs since 6/20/04 and I'm pretty please with that. I used to be a gym rat, jogging, yoga, weight-training, even did Aikido. I'd love to get back into exercising, so that's my next lifestyle goal. Please contact me any time you need support or just want to chat!

Cheers!
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Old 07-02-2004, 11:36 AM   #9  
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Hi guys! The Discovery Health Channel website sounds very helpful. Another one is Fitday.com at http://www.fitday.com/. Registering your food intake there makes counting calories much easier than the manual way!
I don’t’ think eating under 1200 calories is enough food, normally. I eat about 1500 calories a day (10.500 for the full week). I’m tall (5’11”) and weigh a lot (195) so my daily calorie requirement is about 2350.
Fitday.com / Discovery Health Channel can help you calculate how many calories you need everyday (depends on height, age, weight, activity level) – and then you can plan your eating and calorie intake from that.

I’ve never tried WW, so I can’t help you there. But there are a lot of people here that have – I’m sure they will help.

It’s the flexibility that I’m drawn to too – I allow myself to eat everything; I have no food I don’t eat (well, that’s not true – I don’t eat meat, but that has nothing to do with counting calories or loosing weight!).
What I have learnt is that when I eat cookies or chocolate during the day - dinner will be sparse! Today I had café au lait and cookies during my break – so dinner will be tuna salad or something equally low in calories…
And it’s quite OK. At least I got the nice coffee and cookies! And I really like tuna salad – as long as I don’t have to eat it every day!
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Old 07-02-2004, 11:37 AM   #10  
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goofgirl - thanks for writing. I set up a profile in the Discovery Health program but will need to take some time later to really see what they have to offer. I should at least try to get some work done today.

I don't know much about Sugar Busters. Why did you choose it last time?

Congratulations on losing 8 pounds! Just think what you could do if you started to exercise again. Do you have any idea of what type of exercise you want to start with?

I ran last night (3 miles) with my running club. I felt awful but did the run anyways. My legs were like lead but I am happy to say that I finished the entire run. I have been very frustrated with my weight. I am hoping that there is something wrong with my scale. It seems to give odd readings since I moved, maybe I should try a new battery. The scale keeps saying I am gaining weight but my pants still fit so... I find that unless I lose a considerable amount of weight I don't notice the changes in my clothes. I need something to give me encouragement and positive reinforcement, hence the scale usually. I guess that should be my goal for this weekend is to figure out what is going on with the scale or get a new one.

Do you have any plans for this weekend? I am running in a 3 mile race Saturday in my town. My boyfriend is also coming home from 10 weeks out of state. I am just a tad nervous about seeing him again, which doesn't help me stay on a good diet. Of course, the holiday party on Sunday isn't going to help me lose weight but I need the day to have fun so I am not going to worry about it too much.

mette - are you on a specific 'diet' or do you just monitor your own eating?

Last edited by shyangel; 07-02-2004 at 11:51 AM.
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Old 07-02-2004, 12:36 PM   #11  
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It sounds great to have a running club – I would love to have a group of other people to run with. And even if you felt awful at first shyangel, how good that you finished!
And it probably wouldn’t hurt to try new batteries on your scale – it sounds a bit strange that the scale shows weight gain – when your pants still fit.

Hope you have a nice weekend – good luck on your race! (and the boyfriend )

I’m not on a specific diet. I have a history of yo-yo dieting, so this time I’m doing everything very slowly. I lost 35 pounds a year and a half ago, and have been maintaining the lower weight since. I started up again with a new “loosing-weight-period” this spring – and will do that until November (a 6 month period is usually enough for me – I get sick and tired and bored with limits after a while). Then I will maintain the new weight for a while.
I’m slowly learning how to eat – how to eat enough fruits and vegetables, how to eat enough protein, fiber, etc.

As for exercising - I work out a little every day: jogging 2 or 3 days a week, lifting weights 3 days a week, and some hiking, Pilates, or yoga during the weekends.
I do want to join a gym eventually – and I want to learn how to lift weights properly – have instructors telling me how, etc. I’m sort of planning to make that a goal for next semester: to join a gym.
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Old 07-02-2004, 03:28 PM   #12  
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Thanks mette - I think I need more luck with the boyfriend than the race (my only hope is to finish the race). If you can find someone to run with a highly recommend it. There are more clubs around than you might think. Running with a group helps motivate me on the days I am not so sure I feel like running, like yesterday.

Congratulations on the 35 pounds already lost. I admire your will power and patience in the weight loss battle. I like your idea of being more 'restrictive' for periods of time and then maintaining. Maybe if I looked at it that way I would not feel so overwhelmed. It's not even dinner yet and I have already consumed about 800 calories. Yikes! Worse yet, I am going out to dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday. I guess I am starting to learn why I have not lost any weight.

On that note - everyone have a great weekend.
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Old 07-02-2004, 10:28 PM   #13  
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Hello Shyangel and welcome. I am no expert but it seems like you are trying to do too many things at once. Concentrate on one behavior at a time. It's hard to juggle, work, exercise, cooking, and being lonely. Take things one day at a time. You may want to get settled into your job and get that going before you try organizing the rest of your life. Running is good, great stress relief. Stress in itself is enough to stop weight loss, take long hot baths or showers, massage your feet, journal, listen to relaxing music, do what helps you de-stress. God Bless and good luck.
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Old 07-03-2004, 06:08 AM   #14  
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Default Saturday! Yey!

Just checking in at the start of the weekend to wish everybody wonderful weekends!

Quote:
Originally Posted by shyangel
It's not even dinner yet and I have already consumed about 800 calories. Yikes!
See! That’s exactly what I found too!
But at least – when you find out why you’re not loosing weight, you can modify what you’re doing!

And thanks for the tip about finding some organized form of running. I’ll look around for that. I’m always looking for things that will make exercising easier for me since I find it difficult to keep up the motivation. The eating is easier – probably because I still eat enough at 1500 calories and because I do it for a limited period; I know that when November comes I will eat more again.
I have a really simple exercise plan now – as a starting point – it includes a little cardio (jogging 2 mornings a week for 30 minutes) and lifting weights (an easy program, all dumbbells). But I want to expand this program as I get in better shape, and to go for longer runs – in the evening, with other people – would be a great expansion!

So: great weekends everybody!
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Old 07-03-2004, 12:12 PM   #15  
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Good morning ladies! Hope everyone is having a nice holiday weekend so far.

Shyangel, did you have a chance to explore the Discovery Health Channel site? Sounds like you were able to log some of your food in. It can be a real eye-opener when you realize what you're really consuming, huh? FYI, I got a recommendation from another gal here for a site, www.fitday.com which also allows you to log food and activities, and creates charts and graphs to illustrate your progress. I would say it's not quite as sophisticated and in-depth as the other site, but it's free and would also be a good tool.

Some day I would like to start running again. Right now I think I'm too heavy for it to be comfortable. I am "well endowed" and even when I was thin, had to wear 2-3 bras and sports bras to keep it all under control! ha ha ha... I also was in a motorcycle accident several years ago and have developed arthritis in my left knee because of my injuries, and plantarfaschitis in my left foot, which is just always in pain. I'll probably try to get some physical therapy for it and maybe I can run again. I used to a couple of years ago and really loved it.

My success for this week was that I finally went back to the gym yesterday afternoon! It felt wonderful. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine and then some stretching. I have a heartrate monitor, so I wore that to make sure I wasn't exercising too hard, which they say is important for weight loss. Have you heard any of those theories? Maybe that's what's going on, the jogging is too intense and not helping you lose weight? Just an idea. I plan on lifting weights today, and maybe more cardio. I'll take Sunday off and go back on Monday. I will start planning out my exercise routine like I plan out my food, so I'm prepared when I get there and know exactly what I'm there to do.

Went out to dinner with the boyfriend last night. I substituted broccoli for the baked potato, and he did too because he didn't want to torture me. What a guy, huh? :-)

What are everyones plans for the Fourth?
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