Hello everyone. My name is David and I came accross this site while doing internet searches for info on diet patches because my father was wasting plenty of money on that scam......Anywhoo, I am an aspiring Dietician, I am an avid bike rider, runner, walker, hiker, basically anything that requires some physical activity....I lead a very healthy lifestyle and would like to help others do the same. I am 34 years old. 5'9" and 155lbs. I follow no fad diets. (i.e. low carb, atkins, south beach). I believe in a well balanced diet and plenty of outdoor activities....I live in Riverside California, anyone local to me who would like help in losing weight and getting healthy I would very much like to help. I ask for nothing in return....I am going to school to do this for a living, I just want to get a head start.

David,

I don't live in California so actual in person help is of course out of the question but I would love any advise that you could give me. My name is Anna I'm 35, will be 36 in Sept. (29th) and I'm married with three children. I am 5'8 and currently weigh 250 lbs. I am miserable at this weight, I've tried Atkins, WW, pills, etc. and nothing has worked. I am not out to get super skinny, right now I"d be tickled to get down to 199, I just want to be healthier!! My main problem is exercise, I don't get hardly any. How do I get motivated to exercise? What in your opinion would be the best course for me to follow eating wise as well as exercise, how many calories per day, etc. How much exercise should I try since I am pretty much sedetary, etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am currently a stay at home mom, I was a receptionist for many years and was laid off from my job last October, I am currently in the process of opening a mental health alcohol and drug counseilng agency with two other partners, so I'm out working some (for no money at this time!), but am not working full time as of yet.

I have yahoo and msn messenger my user name is jordyn1968 so I'd love to hear any advise you could give me. You can also email me just use the user name above @hotmail.com

Thanks so much.

Anna in Ohio

Heya
I live in the UK but if you get a chance to comment on what I'm doing that would be really really helpful!

I have to paste it in

I'm 156lb and ideally I'd like to be 140 or under. I'm 5ft 5 and at 140lb I was about size 10-12 American 12-14 UK.

I've been counting calories on excel, I look on packets or the internet and for meals I try to guess a little bit higher than I think just incase! I've been doing 1200-1600 calories a day, averaging about 1400, I don't know if that isn't a bit much for a 16lb loss??

The positive things are that I've now managed 4 weeks which is the longest I've ever done. I've only gone over seriously once which was a very special event at my college that I helped organise. I put the day down as over 3000 calories which was a guess but my week was still only just over 1500 average.

For exercise I do dvds, Kate's cardio combat (like boxing) and now tae bo. I'm aiming for about 4 hours a week. I also cycle and walk about a fair amount. I find it hard to get time but hopefully now I have a half hour dvd I can manage it more.

I've lost 6lb in the first 4 weeks.

So I'd like advice on
1. If what I'm doing is OK
2. If you think weight loss is likely to slow down much
3. What kind of a target I should have for meeting my goal
(at the moment I'm aiming to have lost a stone by the end of term on June 28th)

Dill

First of all, how do you feel on a 1400 calorie a day diet? You seem active enough to handle more calories in a day. In fact you may require just a bit more. On average, how many days a week do you cycle and walk? Distance? Cardio combat and tae bo are great work outs. 30 minutes at a time is plenty of cardio, although an hour is better, but I understand the time factor.

Everone is different when it comes to losing weight. Some people lose faster than others. It's really hard to say if your weight loss will slow down. It may, keep at it regardless. In fact, it is safest to lose weight slowly. Being active and eating healthy well balanced meals are key to staying fit and being healthy. Healthy should be goal number 1. What does your 1400 calorie diet consist of? Are you eating plenty of whole grains? Fruits and Vegetables? Low fat, low saturated fat, low sodium? We all know what the bad stuff is. The less added to your food the better. Read labels...the shorter the ingredient label the better. Be aware of the serving size, all of the nutritional info is based on the serving size.

You should not set a weight loss goal for a specific date. June 28th is not that far way. You should give yourself more time.

Stay active, eat smart and you will reach your target weight. It may not be by june 28th but that is ok.

One other question. What happens after you reach your goal?

Heya David
Thanks for the advice! I probably only walk or cycle a couple of miles a day really although it is up hill on the way to college! The cardio combat is an hour and the other half an hour and I've done 2.5 hours since sunday.

I tend to eat hmm lots of oranges, crisp bread, cottage cheese, eggs, bacon, soup, snackajacks, low calorie bread, low calorie fromage frei and for evening meal I have something like curry or spag bol or stir fry or a weight watchers ready meal, if I'm involved in cooking I put lots of veg in. The meat tends to be pork or chicken and I try not to have too much rice/pasta. I normally mess up by just eating too much or by snacking on dry cereal (cereal is evil!). I don't have any problems with hunger I just snack when I'm stressed which is at least twice a week due to essay deadlines. I drink water and green tea but also normal tea and occassionally coffee when I need to be awake.

I'm not too worried about maintaining when I hit my goal since I don't miss eating too much and hopefully I'll be a lot fitter by then. I'm already starting to enjoy exercise !!!!!

Are you going to be a dietician or a personal trainer sort of thing? One of my mates is a personal trainer and he did offer to get me fit once for a bet but I hate the gym and he's ever so slightly pervy!!

Dilis

Hi There....Only a couple of miles a day? That is geat!! You are doing way more than most people, keep it up. The 2.5 hours of cardio is awesome. Pat yourself on the back Dilis, you obviously know how to get and stay fit. It's good that you are starting to enjoy exercise, if you find yourself tiring of the dvd's try something else. Swimming is great cardio with zero impact. I bet there is a pool at your college. Take advantage of it. Your eating habits as you described are good. I would not worry too much about rice or pasta as long as they are the brown varieties. You need those complex carbs to energize your work outs. Cereal is not evil at all. Just dont buy the sugar varieties and watch the serving size. Carbs are getting a bad rap lately and it's wrong!! If you are active, you need them. Mind the serving size. I eat granola with yogurt or milk every day. Granola is best because it is whole, and un messed with. Read the label, find the granola with raw sugar rather than white sugar. You can never go wrong with lots of fruits and veggies.

I am concerned that you said you do not miss eating that much. It sounds to me that you may feel as though you are depriving yourself. Food is an essential part of being fit. You cannot be truly fit and healthy without the proper foods. 3-well balanced meals a day. Food is not the enemy here, a sedentary life style is. Stay active, eat right and you can never go wrong.

Snacking when stressed is very normal. Our bodies are telling us that they need nutrients in order to cope with the stress. Snack on whole fruits, whole wheat crackers, low sodium sunflower seeds in the shell. The key is whole foods. Do not feel guiltyif you are hungry when stressed.

I, like you, do not like the gym either. I have had negative experiences in them. They remind me of singles bars. I invested a few hundred dollars in my own home gym. The key is to find what you like. I bike ride around 20 miles a day. I love to ride. I work out with light weights 3-days a week and walk/jog 4 miles at a time, every other day. I know it is a lot and that kind of activity is not for everyone. But some is better than none.

I'd rather be a dietician than a personal trainer. A lot of family members have died or are ill because of poor diet, I really would like to help people avoid that by promoting healthy life styles.

Peace to you Dilis (sorry I got the name wrong last time).

Hi David,

Dill is just short for Dilis so neither is wrong I don't think carbs are bad in general it's just my fave cereal is crunchy nut cornflakes v sugary and it doesn't make me feel full. I eat white rice and pasta I'm afraid, brown takes far too long to cook. I do eat brown bread though.

I don't think I'm depriving myself, I mean I don't miss scoffing a whole pack of biscuits at a time etc.

You do a LOT of exercise I don't think I cycle 20 miles a week ha ha.

I'm not going to be joining the pool since it's £55 and I don't think I'd use it enough. I've managed 4.25 hours of exercise this week though which is quite pleasing esp since I did some every day. Yay.

Good luck with dieticianing!

Dill/is