I've been gearing up for a long year in 2013...I really want to lose around 100lbs by 2014 (which is very possible but not easy since I've never done anything like this)
I heard you should burn more calories than you take in (I don't really understand how that's possible??) But I have a hard time figuring WHAT exercises to do, so I have been really slacking on that... I was thinking about running but then I heard running won't burn much cals and I'll just be wasting my time. How can I be sure what exercises will work for me? I have an hour a day for exercising (5 days a week) I want to join a gym because I think it would be much easier... Would that be a good idea? And what exercises should I do daily?
Also I feel REALLY guilty about some of the things I eat, I've been keeping away from high calorie foods, but as an example I'll eat a couple pieces of whole wheat bread (I know it's probably not the healthiest thing I could be eating but I can't eat all vegetables) but anyway I feel so bad about eating almost anything besides fruits and vegetables!
I feel like I'm pushing myself back (almost like I'm not going to lose any weight) BUT I do keep to around 1500 - 2000 calories a day...
Did/do you feel guilty when you eat things like that???
Thanks for reading and I hope you're all doing good.
It's true, weight loss is acheived by creating a calorie deficit (burning more calories than you consume). This is very possible, and it doesn't mean that you have to "exercise off" all of the calories you've eaten, remember that your body burns a certain amount of calories to simply run it's normal, daily functions (like breathing, moving, talking, etc). A sedentary woman burns approximately 1600-2000 calories per day.
Running burns a fair amount of calories and many people find it to be an excellent way to get cardiovascular exercise. One of the bigger downsides to it is that it can be tough on your joints. If you do decide to join a gym (which I think is a great idea) try out some of the different machines (I myself prefer the eliptical). Sometimes you can get an orientation when you join, and the staff can show you how to safely use the equiptment.
In general terms, weight loss is all about what you eat, fitness is about exercise.
This is a very simple subject but made confusing my the little details that people like to twist and turn for various reasons.
Fat loss or gain is an equation of energy. Energy is measured in calories.
You're burning calories all the time. You can google a BMR calculator to estimate yours.
Exercise only increases the number of calories you're burning while you exercise. You don't need to exercise to lose fat.
In my opinion one should use their diet to lose fat and use exercise to increase their health because dietary habits are the foundation to losing weight and keeping it off. Exercise is not something you'll always be able to do for an hour a day and you need to do less than half of that to get most of the health benefits exercise offers.
If you're like most people you're not just losing weight for your health but also because of vanity reason. If this is true than the best exercise you can do is to lift weights. Weight lifting has the added benefit of being extremely good for your health.
When I first started trying to get healthier, I just did whatever excercise I enjoy. For me that was running, and les mills body attack, body combat and body balance classes. The most important thing is that it's something you can stick with. It might be an idea for you to try out some sports and excercises. Running is certainly a good excercise for losing weight as it burns a lot of calories. However, not everyone enjoys it. Weight training is also something to think about. Plenty of people here have used to to help them lose weight. It'll also protect your bones when you get older and stop you from losing muscle when you lose fat.
As for diet, different things work for different people. Plenty of people here have found success in a low carb diet, however I've done better with a higher carb diet. While fruit and veggies are certainly good for you, your body needs other foods as well. I eat bread nearly everyday, and it hasn't slowed down my progress. I also allow myself treats such as chocolate, cookies and cakes occasionally. The only thing that prevents weight loss is eating too much. 1500 - 2000 sounds like a good goal to me, but how much you should be eating depends on your height and other factors. What might be an idea is sticking to that range and weighing yourself every week. If you don't see a weightloss of .5 pounds to 2 pounds a week, then lower it a little bit.
Well the first thing I tried to do is learn about calories and hunger. My calories target is 1300, but I don't beat myself up as long as I keep it under 1800. Lately I've also focused on increasing my protein intake. When I fail at that (and I do occasionally) I just say to myself... ok, today wasn't the best, do better tomorrow... just don't give up!
As for exercise.. I don't do a whole lot of of that just for the sake of exercise I just try to keep myself busy. You will probably hear others repeat this during the course of your journey... but I'll still say it here. Dieting is for weight loss and exercise is for toning... both have their place... but in my experience exercise can't be relied upon to cause weight loss without controlling your diet at the same time.
I think joining a gym would prob be great. You can prob get a trainer & they could help you decide what exercises to do.
I read that losing weight is like 80% diet & 20% exercise. When you workout and it shows you only burn x amount of calories and it looks like so few, don't get discouraged! The exercise is still great!
You can't only eat fruits & veggies ofcourse. You need balance. I think many of us started off confused about what food and how much is ok to eat, I know I was. I decided to learn about portions and count calories and it helped me learn alot about what I eat.
I use sparkpeople.com (there are also tons of other sites to track food too), but sparkpeople you can put in all your info -height, weight, how much you want to lose, etc... and it will have a meal plan for you.
I don't use the meal plan, I input my own food. But seeing the meal plan is so helpful to seeing balance of meals and giving me ideas on what to eat.
You will probably find it easier to use some kind of program to lose weight and retrain yourself to cook etc., especially if this is all new to you. I had many diet fails because I didn't really know what I was doing, so I'd restrict my calories like crazy for about 3 weeks and eat food I didn't really like, then binge in a moment of weakness, then decide the whole thing was crazy and give up. Most people find it is a much better plan to start slower, making a few small to medium changes each week and build up to big changes. That way you have time to adapt and get used to how to adjust.
There are lots of different plans out there that work well. I use the full plate diet (http://www.fullplatediet.org/) which is basically add fiber to virtually everything you eat & drink water, and count calories, but there's lots of plans out there. Poke around the other forum sections here and you will get a feel for most of the better choices. Keeping a food log is essential for me, even without a plan I find that I cut my eating down a lot when I have to look at what I ate.
Oh, one more thing - a big trap for people when they start is all or nothing thinking. It sounds like you may have a bit of this It might take you a little while to figure out something that works for you but stick with it. It's not a failure until you give up. If you take on this journey like you would any other problem, and solve issues objectively rather than berate yourself for screwing up, you will find that you have a lot more success. Every day you make healthier choices is a day you've given your body a gift, and nothing can take that day away. Finding out how to make those choices more often until they become just how it is is the challenge. If you can't see yourself eating like you are for 6 months, 2 years, or a lifetime, you are pushing too hard. (except of course for temporary food challenges or cleanses or whatever)
I just want to go back and highlight the importance of JohnP's seemingly simple post;
You need to do some basic 'homework' and figure out your BMR and then decide what sort of diet/workout regimine you can adhere to. You do not need to exercise to lose weight, but again, as JohnP said, it's massively helpful for your overall health.
I heard you should burn more calories than you take in (I don't really understand how that's possible??)
Not just possible, but necessary to lose weight. Your body draws its energy from the food you eat and, if that's not enough, from your fat stores. In other words, Energy burned by the body = energy from food + energy from fat stores.
Guilty about eating (and confused about exercise)
