HI AtlGirl
I think the thing you've got to do first and foremost is change how you look at what you're doing. It's NOT a punishment. This is something you have to want to do. And you can change the way you feel about the things you have to do to get there. Remember, this is for you, and you are the only one who can do it. Be a superhero!
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I don't know how to make the life choices that a skinny, healthier person would make.
You're in the right place then. There is nothing but instruction on this site, just browse through, you're bound to find something that suits you (:
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I do, however, know every fast food place in a 10 mile radius
My biggest issues are not liking "healthy" foods such as whole grains and vegetables, obsessing constantly over over, and hating exercise. I absolutely hate the hamster feeling I get on a treadmill and end up counting down every minute as if I were in high school calculus all over again.
These are not issues, they are excuses.
You can beat the wheat. You can learn to like vegetables.
Be a superhero! Forget the fast food. Cooking at home is much more healthy and inexpensive and if you plan it right, less work than getting into a car and driving 10 miles to get a burger. Buy in bulk, cook with things that can be thrown together 20 different ways.
As for the 'healthy' foods, that's really something that you're going to have to and can get over. Being averted to 'healthy' is really more psychological than anything. Grease, butter, and gravy are not the only things that can give food an appealing flavor. Experiment! Substitute!
Get out of your comfort zone, one meal at a time. I have never figured out how whole wheat tastes that much different from white bread. Especially when it's wrapped around a really great sandwich. The slight nuttiness in brown rice is really good. But there are also some amazing white rices that are just as nutritious. And vegetables are even more versatile. If you're eating them from a can, try frozen. If you're eating frozen, try fresh. Use light salad dressings for marinades instead of trying to make it work with just butter or oil. Toss it bread it, cover it with spices.
There's so much you can do. Consult some vegetarian cook books and websites, if you don't want to exist on vegetables alone, throw in some diced chicken breast, or beef slices. The natural juices from the meat will add a lot of flavor.
You can do this, you can train your tongue to love this stuff. Before I started I thought I hated tomatoes, carrots, hominy, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, and anything spicy at all. (I still hate steamed broccolli and hot sauce). But just try the foods you think you hate cooked differently.
You may realize you love something you never liked before.
As for exercise,
just find something you think is fun, even if it's just a little fun. Then force yourself to do it, like sports practice, every day or every other day. Practice as often as little kids when you can. That's 3 times a week for 30 minutes, and as that gets easier, up the ante to middle schoolers, which is 4-5 times a week for an hour. At the top you should try for highschool or college, which is 5-6 times a week for an hour or hour and a half. (Remember at least 15-30 minutes of this is spent stretching or hydrating) And for those days when you are just SO busy,
implement those little things, like taking the stairs, parking far away, stretching in your seat, carrying your groceries in a hand basket instead of a cart, doing water bottle lifts.
YOU CAN DO IT!
I believe in you