Finally joined!! Now in DESPERATE need of advice!!
After lurking for awhile now I finally decided to make myself known! For starters I have never been at my height-apporiate weight. I am 20 years old and my freshman year in high school I wore a size 11/12, well now I'm a junior in college and now wear a (very tight) 15/16. I HAVE to do something about this, I can no longer be overweight and unhappy, and on top of that my family has plenty of weight related health problems that I hope not to run into. I weigh around 205 which stresses my 5'3" small build. I would like to get down to 120-130. I have tried browsing through post to give me an idea where to start but I'm stuck, for one, typical healthy eating habits do not work for me because I despise the taste of most vegetables (only ones I like are corn and potatoes, the unhealthy ones it figures) and I'm kind of a hamburger and french fries type of girl. Because of those limitations I always get stumped on how to start eating right. Second, I fear exercising in front of my peers, I don't want to be seen by anyone I know running or working out and I only like to walk/run at night, but with no one to do this with I'm scared to go by myself. This puts another limitation on me. A typical day for me is a bowl of (unhealthy) cereal in the morning, fast-food for lunch and dinner, and snacking alot during the day. I know to eliminate the fast-food, but I do not know what to subsitute for it. I would love to eat grilled chicken, but I do not know how to make it. What could I eat in the place of cereal in the morning? Also are bananas and apples good for me? Sorry this VERY long & drawn out introduction, but I'm desperate for advice, so is there ANYONE with any ideas on where to get started?
Also, my stomach seems to hold the much weight. But now it is creeping everywhere.
Hi there! I'm not big on veggies, either, although I'm trying to get a little better. Have you found the forum for veggie challenged girls? There really is one! Also, to compensate for my lack of veggie love, I tend to eat fresh fruit. I'm also a (slightly reformed) burgers and fries girl; for instance, I'm hooked on turkey burgers with pepperjack cheese and instead of regular fries, I'll have a few baked lays chips.
I'm not big on planning and prepping a bunch of fancy lunch stuff, so here is how I substitute for the fast food: When I get the George Forman grill out at suppertime, I throw on several extra lunch-sized servings of chicken. Cool it, wrap it, and throw it in the freezer. As I am heading out the door, I throw a little packet of frozen chicken into a lunch sack with a yogurt or string cheese, a piece of fruit, a serving of almonds, stuff like that. I'm not likely to take the time to make a salad or sandwich, but I can certainly throw a few things into a bag. Also, consider a Lean Cuisine or SmartOnes frozen entree for your meals. Quick, calorie controlled portions! They can be high in sodium, but maybe you could use those to help you transition into your healthy lifestyle.
I gotta tell you, fast food was the kiss of death for me. I've gone from eating it nearly every day to having it once a week and it's made a HUGE difference.
Oh, for the grilled chicken--try a George Foreman grill. I get a bag of frozen, raw chicken breast strips from Costco and throw those on the grill. They take literally a matter of a couple of minutes to cook. I'll either have them plain with just salt and pepper, or with a little BBQ sauce, or with a light lemon-pepper marinade that you can buy in your grocery store.
For cereal--cheerios. I love plain cheerios with a banana sliced on top and a little 1% milk. Sometimes I change it up with cornflakes or raisin bran, but I always go back to my first love, plain cheerios. During the winter, I like oatmeal because it's warm and filling.
Thanks for the ideas! I will really try that, raisin bran is one of my forgotten favorites! What do you do for your workout? Any tips?
Well, I'm mostly a walker but I'm thinking lately that I need to start shaking things up a little bit. When I first started out, I just watched what I ate. Then I bit the bullet in February and bought an elliptical machine, which now sits in my dining room. I haven't really used it since April because at that point the weather was nice enough to walk outside. I currently have a route of about 3.5 miles and I try to walk that 5-6 nights a week. (This week was bad because my son was home from university, then last night it was still in the 90's into the evenings). So I think I will probably start using the elliptical again till this heat wave is over. I also had started the Couch to 5k running program, but was sidelined by asthma. Once that's under control, I'll start the running program again.
If you decide to walk, don't feel bad if you need to start small. If walking to the end of the block is all you can do, then start there. Add a little each day. Some people like doing exercise videos in their home, but I've not really gotten into that. Others like to lift weights or do resistance bands, still others like to dance or ride bikes. Just kind of experiment till you find something you like. It's good for your body, yes, but it's also REALLY good for your state of mind!
you can do it - I just started as well and am a little bit older than you but I can tell you soemthing I know for a fact - EXERCISE - noone is looking at you - if anything people that see you may say good for her - she is walking - just go to marshalls - buy some cute workout attire - this make you feel better than a big t and old sweats and just walk - take your i pod - you are so young! if you like burgers try ground turkey and if you like potatoes buy a sweet potatoe - slice it and put it in the oven with a little olive oil and bake at 350 till they look crispy - fake fries -!!! good luck
The magic of your post is that all of those limitations are self-imposed limitations! You can break through your fear of exercising in front of people, or you can start doing Walk Away the Pounds in the comfort of your own home until you can conquer that fear! You can experiment with foods. Make omelettes for breakfast and sneak a few veggies in. Make your turkey burgers and put in just a small bit of chopped peppers. It'll add flavor without you feeling like you're eating veggies. Have you tried spaghetti squash? How about fresh asparagus? Sometimes if you branch out, you can find some stuff you like.
Remember that this is all about mind over matter. You may never be the type of person who could eat just a salad for lunch, but you may be the person who gets her veggie servings in by hiding them in other foods! It doesn't matter how you do these things...just that you strive towards something better than where you're at now.
I highly encourage you to stay on the wagon. I will root for you the whole way. As an old fart, I really envy the position you're in now because I wish I'd had the courage and stamina to do it at your age when I was your weight.
As many people say on this forum it is good to start small! Try and find a vegetable you like )i'm sure the veggie=challenged forum has some tips on this...or a cereal that is healthier. You could even try mixing it half and half with your normal cereal till you get used to it. If you get 2% milk switch to 1%. Good luck!!! You can do it!
[QUOTE=mrc0772;2830505] Second, I fear exercising in front of my peers, I don't want to be seen by anyone I know running or working out and I only like to walk/run at night, but with no one to do this with I'm scared to go by myself. QUOTE]
Hi, there. I know how you feel about exercising in front of people. I have a library of workout videos that I do at home. The ones I always start out with are Richard Simmons... Sweatin' to the Oldies and Sweat and Shout are 2 that are great starter videos. They're easy to follow, but really give you a good workout. And they're fun. Maybe you could start with something like that?
Thanks so much to everyone for your helpful replies! You all really make a person get motivated! How long is a healthy expected time frame for me to lose between 70-80 pounds? Also, grilled chicken is the only heathly lunch/dinner I can come up with, I'm clueless on other possibilities. Any suggestions?
Finally joined!! Now in DESPERATE need of advice!!
For starters I have never been at my height-apporiate weight. I am 20 years old and my freshman year in high school I wore a size 11/12, well now I'm a junior in college and now wear a (very tight) 15/16. I HAVE to do something about this, I can no longer be overweight and unhappy, and on top of that my family has plenty of weight related health problems that I hope not to run into. I weigh around 205 which stresses my 5'3" small build. I would like to get down to 120-130. I have tried browsing through post to give me an idea where to start but I'm stuck, for one, typical healthy eating habits do not work for me because I despise the taste of most vegetables (only ones I like are corn and potatoes, the unhealthy ones it figures) and I'm kind of a hamburger and french fries type of girl. Because of those limitations I always get stumped on how to start eating right. Second, I fear exercising in front of my peers, I don't want to be seen by anyone I know running or working out and I only like to walk/run at night, but with no one to do this with I'm scared to go by myself. This puts another limitation on me. A typical day for me is a bowl of (unhealthy) cereal in the morning, fast-food for lunch and dinner, and snacking alot during the day. I know to eliminate the fast-food, but I do not know what to subsitute for it. I would love to eat grilled chicken, but I do not know how to make it. What could I eat in the place of cereal in the morning? Also are bananas and apples good for me? Sorry this VERY long & drawn out introduction, but I'm desperate for advice, so is there ANYONE with any ideas on where to get started?
Eumie has some great suggestions - you can break through your self imposed limitations and your health is worth it! 
all the best.
