Starry and other healthy, exercise-y people

[gozf]

I need help.

I'm in a play this August. Just learned that I have to be in a bathing suit for a good portion of it. This is not cool.

I would like to lose 15-20 lbs, pronto. I've decided that I'm quitting the booze, limiting to 1200 calories a day, and I bought the Jillian Michaels Extreme Shed and Shred DVD.

I'm hopelessly unathletic with lousy will power. I have bad knees. I cannot afford a trainer. I do, however, have access to an elliptical. I also have 5 lb hand weights.

Am I doomed? Any tips?

[Deleted]

I'll jump in and say that eating clean is going to do wonders for you versus 1200 calories. That's probably very low (depending on your height). I would cut out any processed foods, decrease the amount of carbs you're eating, although some whole grains I think are good and drink a lot of water.

I love the shred DVDs I might also try throwing in some yoga and running/power walking to get some variety.

ETA: Carbs as far as grains, not fruits and veg. Eat lots of those.

[starryfish]

-I heard Jillians 30 day shred is good
-Also try running, that really helped me lose some weight
-Calculate your BMR, basically this is the lowest amount of calories you can eat a day to survive (Noones is lower than 1200, so I would guess yours is higher). Also, you can follow the link to the Harris-benedict equation to calculate how much you should eat to lose weight (but NEVER eat less than your BMR calories)
www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
-Eat healthy, no fast food, limit sugar, etc

Congrats on the role! :Y:

[udscoobychick]

Ditto PPs...think lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein, and whole grains without a lot of sugar and saturated or trans fats. The cutting out alcohol will help a lot, too--a friend of mine lost 20 lbs just by cutting out alcohol! It's full of calories and doesn't help your willpower to avoid tempting foods!

In terms of exercise, every little bit helps. If you would normally read or watch TV in the evening, do so while on the elliptical instead of on the couch. 5 lb weights are plenty heavy enough for most women, if you do lots of reps. Low weight/high reps will tone more, while high weight/low reps builds muscle bulk.

[bullygirl979]

You are not doomed but you will need to have willpower.

Honestly, I would get some "inspiration" pics and tape them up in your apartment and put them on your phone. For example: I have a pic of a runner on my fridge and when I don't feel like running, I look at it and it reminds of how I feel when running and therefore gives me a push to go do it. So a pic of yourself in the bathing suit, picture of just the bathing suit, of someone who you would like to look like (but not a model, FFS, because who CAN look like that).

Ditto on focusing on eating healthy, not just calories. Whole grains, veggies, low fat milk and cheese, drink lots of water. And watch your portion sizes. If you completely deprive yourself, you are more likely to quit. But if you allow yourself to eat some of the foods you want, you are likely to stick with it. For example: If you want pizza, try making it at home and loading it with veggies. Stick to 1-2 pieces with a side salad instead of 4 pieces. Make sense?

[udscoobychick]

Oh, on the subject of not depriving yourself...buy some really nice dark chocolate and treat yourself to a small piece (like 0.5 oz) every day. Or some other portion-controlled dessert. I do much better with sticking to a healthy eating lifestyle when I build in some treats--if you don't deprive yourself, you won't be so tempted to binge!

[dakotadangerdog]

In my opinion, 5lb weights are not heavy enough for anyone. Now don't dismiss this just because I hurt my back lifting, it has been decided it was largely due to a snowboarding injury from earlier this year, I swear! Lifting heavy is the best thing for fat loss.

The more you cut out grains, the easier it should be to lose weight. Eat a TON of vegetables, start with at least 1 cup per meal/snack. Protein protein protein!

[gozf]

This all makes sense. thanks!

ML is telling me that the Lean Cuisines I bought for lunch are bad. Clearly, I know this isn't eating "well," but in terms of portion control and ease, I'm on board. I have 9. I won't repurchase after I'm through with them, but I'm not planning on tossing them.

I really hope the lack of beer helps. I figured out how much I drink in a typical week, and it's astounding.

In other news -- news that will not help my diet, but is still health-related -- I haven't had a cigarette since June 1.

[dakotadangerdog]

The lack of beer will DEFINITELY help!! Congrats on kicking the cigs! How are you feeling?

[bullygirl979]

Jun 11, 2012 13:37:39 GMT -5 gozf said:

This all makes sense. thanks!

ML is telling me that the Lean Cuisines I bought for lunch are bad. Clearly, I know this isn't eating "well," but in terms of portion control and ease, I'm on board. I have 9. I won't repurchase after I'm through with them, but I'm not planning on tossing them.

I really hope the lack of beer helps. I figured out how much I drink in a typical week, and it's astounding.

In other news -- news that will not help my diet, but is still health-related -- I haven't had a cigarette since June 1.

Woot! That is AWESOME! Good for you!

And yes, Lean Cuisines aren't that great. They are FULL of sodium and preservatives. And DDD is right, protein is your friend! Lean protein, of course --turkey, chicken, fish. Try to limit the red meat and of course, anything fried.

Have you ever used sparkpeople.com?

[starryfish]

Jun 11, 2012 13:37:39 GMT -5 gozf said:

This all makes sense. thanks!

ML is telling me that the Lean Cuisines I bought for lunch are bad. Clearly, I know this isn't eating "well," but in terms of portion control and ease, I'm on board. I have 9. I won't repurchase after I'm through with them, but I'm not planning on tossing them.

I really hope the lack of beer helps. I figured out how much I drink in a typical week, and it's astounding.

In other news -- news that will not help my diet, but is still health-related -- I haven't had a cigarette since June 1.

:Y: :Y: Awesome! my ex-bf quit (after 17+ years of smoking) while we were together and he said the hardest with the first 72 hours! Congrats on making it thru!

[dakotadangerdog]

Oh it definitely depends on exercises, there are certainly some that a 5lb weight is plenty, especially if you are doing a lot of reps, but things like that are good for muscle endurance, not building muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at any given time, and the more calories you burn the more fat you lose.

For exercises like on Jillian Michael's Dvds a 5lb weight is a good starting point. I have 5's and 8's that I use, a friend of mine uses 20's with her DVD. You want to keep it challenging though, if the 5lb dumbbells are easy enough for you that you can do every exercise with them just fine, I'd move up to something bigger. I get my dumbbells at target, they are pretty decently priced.

[gozf]

I also just ordered 6 Week 6 Pack. I figure I'll alternate those two.

The lack of smoking is going well, actually! Friday night was a little hard. I had just returned from the beach and was out with Thor and his friends, and I was the only person not smoking. That sucked, but it was the only really rough part so far.

And as far as weights and exercises and all that jazz goes.... I am not in shape. I'm fat-skinny. I'm not a big girl, but I have a fluffy tummy and no muscle tone. I used to have an incredible metabolism and never had to think twice about what I ate or if I should exercise. I'm basically re-learning how to take care of myself.

I'm also a short stack, so any extra weight is immediately evident. Which sucks.

[gozf]

oh, and I'm using My Fitness Pal to count calories. I like it a little better than sparkpeople.

[gozf]

Jun 11, 2012 14:09:00 GMT -5 mintchocochip said:

Jun 11, 2012 14:01:05 GMT -5 gozf said:

I'm also a short stack, so any extra weight is immediately evident. Which sucks.

The good news is this means that you'll start to notice your weight loss sooner too! I'm only 5'4" and with the small amount of weight I lost, I can already see it in my face and tummy.

Also, since you have a SO and the weather is warmer, maybe you two can start going on hikes or something together to get some exercise in. I can appreciate how tempting it is to drink beer on a nice day, so getting out and doing something active might be a good idea.

Yes, I like this idea a lot!

[missbetty1]

HIIT on the treadmill works wonders for me, but since your knees are bad you can also do it on the elliptical. Drink lots of water. I try to get most of my carbs in earlier in the day..like I'll eat oatmeal with fresh fruit in the morning, 2 tacos for lunch (grilled chicken with veggies), fruit ( an orange and nectarine) and then for dinner I try to do just protein and veggies (no carbs). I'll be honest I will eat a lean cuisine if I don't feel like making my lunch, and I will eat chocolate if I crave it, just not the whole bar. Strength training twice a week also helped...the weight gain in the beginning was a discouraging but I just kept trying to remind myself that my muscles were holding on to more water for the healing aspect needed(...once I took a break from it for a little over a week the lbs just feel off because my muscles didn't need to hold on to the water anymore...)

Good for you for quitting smoking Yaaaay! I wish we had "cheerleader" emoticons ;D

[blackkitty]

Try to be realistic about the amount of weight you want to lose... August is only 6-7 weeks away so 15-20 pounds is really really aggressive. I just hit the 20 lb lost mark and it's taken me about 3 months.

The keys for me have been to eat smaller meals more often, I eat like 6 times a day and I am never hungry! And on the exercise side two things - I work out 6 days a week. I find it actually easier to workout 6 days than fewer because there is never a question, it's like brushing your teeth. You do it every day. (I was told you need to take one day off to rest though) Also, do something you really like and do it with people if you can. I have a friend that we take classes together and knowing someone is expecting me to be there makes it easier to show up. I enjoy classes way better than working out alone. I just don't know how people can do DVDs at home. I get 5 minutes in and if it gets too hard, I just quit! I'll always stick it out through a class though!
Good luck!

[Deleted]

A good tip for the lean cuisines is to dump them over a bunch of spinach after they have cooked. It makes them WAY more filling. I know it sounds a little weird, but it's pretty good with most of them and really stretches the flavor of the meal rather than tasting a lot of spinach.

[achase123]

I think 1,200 calories a day is REALLY not enough. I like JM and her DVDs so I think that's a good idea, but I also echo the clean eating.

Sparkpeople.com allows you to track your calories and can tell you what range you should be in, given your goal, weight, activity level, etc.

[liubotflittyfud]

These are great tips

I will be following these as well. Good luck Gozf! You can do it

[blackkitty]

Wanted to add - get a spray tan, that will literally take 5 lbs off your appearance in a bathing suit!

[riverpestie]

Jun 11, 2012 13:18:36 GMT -5 @pdx18 said:

I'll jump in and say that eating clean is going to do wonders for you versus 1200 calories. That's probably very low (depending on your height). I would cut out any processed foods, decrease the amount of carbs you're eating, although some whole grains I think are good and drink a lot of water.

I love the shred DVDs I might also try throwing in some yoga and running/power walking to get some variety.

ETA: Carbs as far as grains, not fruits and veg. Eat lots of those.

ITA

Also, try and fit in an hour of exercise every day. Change it up so you're not bored.