So im new to this and dont know squat about nutrition
i know this all is pretty basic to you, but i have no idea where to even begin.
growing up i was never educated about portions, or fat content.
and looking it up makes me more confused then ever. everything seems to contradict itself.
so i was hoping some of you tried and true herions of weight loss could give me starting out help.
like what diets to stick to, and exercising. how much should i eat, and how much should i run?
Hello and welcome to 3FC. We're so glad to have you on board!
I'm not exactly sure about your question though. Looking at your stats you are well within a "healthy" weight. Even on the low side, some may say. Gettting down to 105 lbs at your height would leave you waaaay underweight and probably not as healthy as you think.
You asked about nutrition, so my question to you is, are you looking just to improve the quality of the food that you are eating, in another words, higher nutritional value? And are you looking to exercise for the weight loss benefits or the health benefits? Are you specifically wanting to take up running?
Since you are at a healthy weight, I think you are obviously doing MANY things right already and therefore we could probably learn a thing or two from YOU. Maybe if you let us know just what your eating/exercise habits are currently and what kind of health goals you have, we can help you out a bit further.
I agree with rockinrobin--you have no need to lose weight. But, that doesn't mean you can't improve your health with exercise.
Do you have other issues with food? Is it a love/hate relationship?
About your nutrition question--the body needs proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Those are the main groups. You probably already knew that! Also, you need vitamins and minerals.
Fats are high in calories, but also necessary in moderate amounts to be healthy. Carbs give you quick energy, but it's really easy to overeat them in our culture. Proteins are needed for proper muscle and other tissues, and sometimes people don't eat enough. Which group do you tend to eat the most? You can find this out by looking at the labels of foods you eat. Every packaged food has a Nutrition Facts label that lists what's in it.
A healthy food intake includes lots of vegetables and fruits, and whole foods. You want to avoid highly processed foods and simple sugars. For example, a storebought sweet roll or cinnamon roll is probably one of the worst things you could eat as a regular food item. Too high in sugar and fat, and the flour is highly processed. Whole grain bread would be a better choice.
I think this gives you some places to start. A good first step is just to pay attention to what's in the food you eat--maybe start a food journal and just write down what you eat in a day, so you'll be able to think about it.
Enjoy!
Jay
P.S. You'll want to also note the Serving Size on the Nutrition panel. That's the amount on which the nutrient breakdown is based. It's good always to pay attention to serving sizes. The serving may be half of a muffin, for example, or two candies, or 16 chocolate chips, or a cup of cooked pasta, etc. That's how you can figure how much you're getting--by measuring or counting.
Last edited by JayEll; 09-23-2007 at 08:34 AM.
Reason: To add info
wow thank you guys so much for being so friendly and supportive.
ha like you asked, my relationship is very love/hate. minus the hate part. i try and eat very healthy, mostly vegies and fruits, but sometimes
its like i really cant control myself with my eating, i will literally eat until i am so full that im sick. say if theres a box of little debbie cakes or something i cant stop until i finish the box. same with chips, i will be full but wont stop eating until the bag is empty. see i love it.
but over time from doing that and being home more often then im used to(which means horrible food every were you turn, which means my favorite) iv gained weight.
so i started running, with no results. i would run a mile twice a day. and nothing. nothing changed.
so what i meant to ask earlier (sorry that i was too vague) was what is a diet that has helped you specifically lose weight?
like atkins or south beach or one you made up.
do you even stick to a strict diet, or just count calories.
and your exercise routine, how many miles do you run, how many laps do you swim?
things like that. things you have done that work to lose weight.
i just want to take the guessing out of it.
Robin and I, as it turns out, are both calorie counters. Of course, we follow good nutrition principles, for the most part, in planning our meals and such. Well, we try!
I go for a 30 minute walk just about every day, and I use exercise machines and weight at a fitness center 5 days a week for about an hour. Other people use exercise videos at home, or have their own machines, or go for bike rides, or even play Dance Dance Revolution.
You'll see a band across the top and in the titles are Diets and Exercise. You can find more information there. If you want personal recommendations, be sure to look through all our other forums! For example, you could post a question in Weight Watchers about why those folks like their program. Likewise with South Beach, etc. And you could post in the Exercise forum about running.
As for your love/hate relationships--sounds to me like you've got a carbohydrate addiction! You will want to stay far away from Li'l Debbies. Don't even open the first one. A program that's low carb would probably be the best for you to start with, to get you off the carbo merry go round. In any case, it's not forever--just until you can get over those out-of-control cravings.
So im new to this and dont know squat about nutrition
