This may sound a touch pathetic, but I guess I sort of already know what I should be doing. Eating healthier foods and exercising. But what I really want is for someone to tell me, step-by-step, day-by-day "Start here. Get up at this time, eat this, work out this way for this amount of time".
Is there a place like that on 3FC? Somewhere that someone tells you exactly what to do and doesn't allow any excuses?
But YOU can easily do it. Don't just say "I'm going to eat healthier"--sit down and plan your week out, meal by meal once a week. There are lots of websites that can tell you how many calories you should be eating a day. Plan a day that stays within that calorie budget. Its often easier to just eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch, with a rotation of 6-10 dinner options. Make a menu and stick to it. Check off meals as you eat them, pre-pack and bring meals with you--even to places where food is served.
But really, even if 3FC offered such a strict service, no one is going to be able to tell you to put the cookie away or force you to stop eating after your first serving. You have to make that (challenging) choice yourself.
There are plenty of members that can give you suggestions for those sort of things. Ultimately the decision would have to be yours with what you're able to commit.
There's no one, ultimate, right way to lose weight. And while that is a blessing in terms of making adjustments individually, it can be a nightmare when starting out due to just how many different ways there are. It can be overwhelming, I know!
You might actually be interested in a more strict/structured program. (You can check out Diet Central to see if any more popular plans fit that list.) There are also certain exercise routines that come with eating plans. You might be able to find those under the Exercise section.
There are No Excuse Challenges that are in the Challenges area. Some members appreciate those for the mindset.
Personally, I think the best thing you can do for yourself is to open up Excel or Word at this very moment and start writing down your own realistic schedule of what you do in a day. Then start planting in your weight-loss plan information.
For example, you might see that you can wake up half an hour earlier and fit in an exercise video or a walk before you get dressed and ready for the day. Or that there's a gym not a block from your work place that you can walk to a couple times a week.
Due to the fact that there's no official weight loss program for 3FC, there's no one person that's going to be able to tell you exactly what to do. We're all just groups of people who've found what's working for us, and are helping to support other individual members in their efforts.
Not sure about on here, but a personal trainer will give you a eating plan and exercise regimen. I don't think they tell you when to wake up, and they can be costly. Maybe if you get a white board and plan your days out it will make this process easier. Good luck...
There are plenty of members that can give you suggestions for those sort of things. Ultimately the decision would have to be yours with what you're able to commit.
There's no one, ultimate, right way to lose weight. And while that is a blessing in terms of making adjustments individually, it can be a nightmare when starting out due to just how many different ways there are. It can be overwhelming, I know!
You might actually be interested in a more strict/structured program. (You can check out Diet Central to see if any more popular plans fit that list.) There are also certain exercise routines that come with eating plans. You might be able to find those under the Exercise section.
There are No Excuse Challenges that are in the Challenges area. Some members appreciate those for the mindset.
Personally, I think the best thing you can do for yourself is to open up Excel or Word at this very moment and start writing down your own realistic schedule of what you do in a day. Then start planting in your weight-loss plan information.
For example, you might see that you can wake up half an hour earlier and fit in an exercise video or a walk before you get dressed and ready for the day. Or that there's a gym not a block from your work place that you can walk to a couple times a week.
Due to the fact that there's no official weight loss program for 3FC, there's no one person that's going to be able to tell you exactly what to do. We're all just groups of people who've found what's working for us, and are helping to support other individual members in their efforts.
What you said about it being a nightmare figuring out where to start is absolutely right. There are so many ways to go about it. I know there is no one perfect way, I just need a place to start. I think keeping a record in an excel spreadsheet is a good idea. I had kept a calorie log for three weeks and it was definitely an eye opener. I just need to pick a starting point and stick with it.
But YOU can easily do it. Don't just say "I'm going to eat healthier"--sit down and plan your week out, meal by meal once a week. There are lots of websites that can tell you how many calories you should be eating a day. Plan a day that stays within that calorie budget. Its often easier to just eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch, with a rotation of 6-10 dinner options. Make a menu and stick to it. Check off meals as you eat them, pre-pack and bring meals with you--even to places where food is served.
But really, even if 3FC offered such a strict service, no one is going to be able to tell you to put the cookie away or force you to stop eating after your first serving. You have to make that (challenging) choice yourself.
Thank you for the advice. The quote in your signature is also just what I need to keep in mind. Thank you.
I don't think there's really anyone but yourself that can tell you those things because people are so different.
All you can do is trial & error and see what works for you and gets YOU the best results
If you need someone to keep you in line so to speak, then we're ALL HERE FOR YOU! That's exactly what I need too
Thank you! One of the hardest aspects of these is realizing how incredibly out of shape I am and how much work I have to do. It almost seems impossible. But I know it isn't, because I've seen all of the success stories posted! I just need to stay motivated!
Not sure about on here, but a personal trainer will give you a eating plan and exercise regimen. I don't think they tell you when to wake up, and they can be costly. Maybe if you get a white board and plan your days out it will make this process easier. Good luck...
Oh, the white board is a good idea! Keep it in a place I can always see it to keep goals in mind. Thanks!!
You just start. Wherever you are is your starting point. You just have to decide to do it. There are a lot of sites that will help you track your calories, which is the first thing you should do. Since you said you did it for 3 weeks, then you are already an old hand at it.
These are a few of the things you need to be successful:
Commitment -- you have to decide that you are going to do it. This is not the same things as deciding that you need to do it. I decided I needed to do it a couple of years ago. I've gained 15 lbs since then. It's the shift in your own mind from the wanting/needing to the doing. It's mostly mental.
Planning -- you have to plan. If you don't plan for your success you will most likely fail because of the lack of preparation based on a good plan. There a number of resources out there that will help you with that.
Accountability -- most people need to have some form of accountability to ensure their success and stay motivated. There are many levels of accountability, self, another person, a group, public. Posting your before pictures on the web is the ultimate.
Goals -- short-term, long-term, specific. These have to be specific and you have to write them down. Put them somewhere you see them every day.
There is a lot of good advice here. You just have to take it.
I tracked calories, fat, carbs, and protein in an excel spreadsheet for 4 weeks in December until I saw a thread here on 3FC about the My Fitness Pal (MFP) app. I started using it just under a week ago and it has been amazing!
You enter your height, current weight, goal weight, activity level and it calculates a target for ideal calorie intake. It has a database of foods to choose from, including different brands and you can add your own foods which creates your own food library. You can also enter your cardio and strength exercises and it calculates calories burned. At the end of the day, when you complete your entry, it tells you "If you keep going like this, in 5 weeks you would weigh XXX lbs" This really motivates me.
You just start. Wherever you are is your starting point. You just have to decide to do it. There are a lot of sites that will help you track your calories, which is the first thing you should do. Since you said you did it for 3 weeks, then you are already an old hand at it.
These are a few of the things you need to be successful:
Commitment -- you have to decide that you are going to do it. This is not the same things as deciding that you need to do it. I decided I needed to do it a couple of years ago. I've gained 15 lbs since then. It's the shift in your own mind from the wanting/needing to the doing. It's mostly mental.
Planning -- you have to plan. If you don't plan for your success you will most likely fail because of the lack of preparation based on a good plan. There a number of resources out there that will help you with that.
Accountability -- most people need to have some form of accountability to ensure their success and stay motivated. There are many levels of accountability, self, another person, a group, public. Posting your before pictures on the web is the ultimate.
Goals -- short-term, long-term, specific. These have to be specific and you have to write them down. Put them somewhere you see them every day.
There is a lot of good advice here. You just have to take it.
Thank you, I look forward to taking all of the advice I can.
Need help. Just tell me what to do.
