I've been looking into ways to start having a healthier lifestyle. I know I need a more balanced diet and more physical activity. Since I've been home I've seen so many commercials for Jenny and Weight Watchers and such, and I've even looked at their websites. In your opinion, would one of these be worth it since they would help me balance what I eat, making more wholesome foods, and motivate me to be more active? If you think so, what have you heard about them?

12/27/2005 2:45:46 PM

In my opionion, it would be best not to join some of the clubs. I think you'll end up wasting your money unless you really need help with the motivation to get fit.

You can probably get better advice from some of the people here and by reading a few sensible diet/fitness books.

A few good starter tips:

It will take about a month for you to really notice results, and it will be a tough month. Your stomach will not be used to not having as much food at first, so you will feel hungry and tired (or not very alert) for about a month. After this, your stomach adjusts its size and your body will adjust to having less food.

Build time into your schedule to exercise. Plan your day out (get a calendar or a PDA) and physically place your workouts into your free time--especially on weekends.

Get into a routine of healthy (and cheap) foods to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Watch what you drink--drink a lot of water and less soda drinks, juices (in small amounts) and of course, alcohol. You would be surprised at how many empty calories you can take in on a night of partying. Be the DD or have fun without alcohol.

There is also no way you can target fat in your body and burn it. That is to say, there is no way to reduce the fat in your legs, stomach, etc. The only way to burn fat is to do aerobic exercise (run, swim, do aerobics) for an extended period of time. This will burn the fat all over your body--not just in your trouble area.


[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 2:54 PM. Reason : .]

12/27/2005 2:48:08 PM

self-control.

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 2:52 PM. Reason : .]

12/27/2005 2:52:06 PM

I gotta do the same thing...I lost a lot of weight this past year, but I've really kinda slacked off and put some back on between September and now.

The biggest thing is improvement in diet. In my opinion, everything centers around what I eat. My motivation to do other things actually depends a LOT on what and how much I eat...but then I have a real addiction to food...much like smoking or drinking for me. I can cook really healthy stuff (and do it well) but when you cook for one, it's often a real pain in the ass.

As far as physical activity goes...I prefer to do mine outdoors, usually hiking or mountain bike riding, though I also like to swim. Sure, working out in a gym gets a lot done, but I do a lot better with outside stimuli...

I could lecture on this stuff for HOURS (maybe not that bad).

12/27/2005 2:54:48 PM

Thanks for te advice... I just need motivation to do those things. I can put working out in my schedule with no problem. I like the good kind of sore after a good workout and the amazing night of sleep. My problem is eating healthy food- since I moved into my apartment in July I've been eating the most unhealthy foods- from frozen, microwavable pizzas to spam. I need recipes I can actually follow through with.

Quote :

"but when you cook for one, it's often a real pain in the ass."

EXACTLY!

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 2:57 PM. Reason : .]

12/27/2005 2:56:18 PM

I eat lots of sauteed chicken breasts, broiled salmon with lemon and dill, broccoli, spinach, etc.

Leafy green is where it's at, and there are a few good lower-calorie dressings out on the market that aren't loaded with sugar...

12/27/2005 2:58:23 PM

swimming is a poor way to burn fat. most people don't swim laps or take short rest intervals.

they usually go anaerobic (burning a higher percentage of carbs, instead of fat).

if you want to burn fat, stay aerobic, and train your body to use fat as an energy source.

12/27/2005 2:58:47 PM

A typical day for me looks like this (Although keep in mind, on a typical day I burn A LOT of calories).

Breakfast: Two Slim-Fasts

Snack: Two yogurts

Lunch: Foot long turkey sandwich from Subway on wheat bread

Afternoon snack: Some licorace

Dinner: Usually some combination of baked chicken (marinated sometimes), and brown rice and/or snap beans. I also do the salmon thing sometimes.

Late night snack: Another cup of yogurt

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 3:00 PM. Reason : .]

12/27/2005 2:59:57 PM

If motivation is your issue, try partnering up with a friend who is also desiring to have a healthier lifestyle - workouts go by a lot quicker when you have someone to talk to.

No matter which route you choose, don't make the mistake of burning yourself out with too many workouts - as much as you believe you can be at the gym/park/whatnot 5-6 times/week, it gets to be a bit much to start with.

12/27/2005 2:59:59 PM

Anybody wanna be my motivation buddy? These are great ideas- keep them coming. Also, please let me know if you have any websites or ideas of good, healthy recipes I can start with.

12/27/2005 3:02:38 PM

I'll be your efriend for life.

12/27/2005 3:06:38 PM

12/27/2005 3:07:45 PM

my opinion: don't waste your money on jc or ww. MOST people who go on those programs, lose but end up gaining back.

a few tips on weight loss:

- from my doctor: if you eat 2000 calories per day and are maintaining a steady weight, to drop 1 lb/week, you need to cut 500 calories per day out of the 2000 by either eating less or exercising. 1lb = roughly 3500 calories in other words.
- counting calories is a great way to force yourself to learn portion sizes as well as just how bad some foods are. it isn't something you can keep up forever but, if you can keep a journal for a month, you will teach yourself how to count without really thinking about it. you also can basically eat what you like - if you want 2 cokes... ok there goes 300 calories out of your daily allotment. forces you to make decisions... do i want a bunch of fruit that will fill me up or do i want a candy bar... that kind of thing. it is amazing to see how much people really eat... scary.
- walk. my husband and i walk probably 4-5 nights out of 7 for 45 minutes to 1 hour. sure it is dark but we just carry a flashlight. walking isn't rough on your joints and it is something you can do throughout your life. you have to walk at a decent pace however... the only way to shed some pounds and look leaner is to get your heartrate up for a good amount of time.
- try classes like yoga, kickboxing, spin, etc. good way to meet people and get a good workout in. join a gym. some gyms offer womens only rooms - i love these.... who cares what you wear or if you have a roll or 3... all the girls there are there for one reason... get rid of the rolls.

as far as a balanced diet - portions are really important. meat shouldn't be bigger than your hand. veggies and sides, your fist. most people eat 2x what they should. if you have to eat fast food, try kids meals.
here are some really helpful websites:
calories for common food:
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_food.html
calories burned during exercise:
http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist4.htm
balanced diet (from usda):
http://www.mypyramid.gov/

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 3:26 PM. Reason : er]

12/27/2005 3:10:11 PM

whoa thank you so much!

12/27/2005 3:13:38 PM

Queti and Maverick pretty much nailed it.

12/27/2005 3:13:53 PM

Yeah well we're both friggin' old so we're like wise

12/27/2005 3:18:07 PM

HEY, i'm not old. i'm mature.... or not...

12/27/2005 3:25:36 PM

My caloric intake yesterday was 2,519.7. I did nearly nothing as far as physical activity is concerned. I'm starting my journal now.

so... tell me again in laymen's terms how many calories I need a day... I'm guessing a lot less considering I haven't been working out.

12/27/2005 3:31:46 PM

Oh no. The New Year's Resolution threads are already starting. Hey, I think what TWW needs is 20 more threads about the damn gym.

12/27/2005 3:34:02 PM

Quote :

"A typical day for me looks like this (Although keep in mind, on a typical day I burn A LOT of calories). Breakfast: Two Slim-Fasts Snack: Two yogurts Lunch: Foot long turkey sandwich from Subway on wheat bread Afternoon snack: Some licorace Dinner: Usually some combination of baked chicken (marinated sometimes), and brown rice and/or snap beans. I also do the salmon thing sometimes. Late night snack: Another cup of yogurt"

Sounds like an excessive amount of protein. I'd have to trade the yogurts for some fresh fruits and veggies.

12/27/2005 3:34:06 PM

You may want to try using a site like Fitday (http://www.fitday.com/) to monitor your exercise/food.

12/27/2005 3:34:27 PM

you need to find your basal metabolic rate. you can go to meredith HPL, or find an online guesstimator.

you can increase your metabolic rate by eating smaller portions, and more often. this doesn't mean consuming more calories. just means breaking up the same amount of calories over more meals.

you can also build alittle muscle to increase your BMR, 1 pound of muscle increases your BMR by 50 calories.

working out in general increases your metabolism, even after you're done with the workout.

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 3:35 PM. Reason : oh, and i eat about 6500 to 7000 calories a day. i stay at a solid 140, with 4.5% body fat]

12/27/2005 3:35:15 PM

Quote :

"so... tell me again in laymen's terms how many calories I need a day... I'm guessing a lot less considering I haven't been working out."

the average female who is moderately active requires less than 2000. a site:
http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/calsburned.htm
http://inch-aweigh.com/dcn.php

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 3:41 PM. Reason : by the second website, i am around 2000.]

12/27/2005 3:39:44 PM

Quote :

"Anybody wanna be my motivation buddy?"

i will!

12/27/2005 3:39:46 PM

discovery health estimates my BMR to be 1379.4. so that's how many calories I can eat a day??? eeek!


and this is NOT a new years resolution thread. it's just something I know I need to do- not because of a holiday or a new number at the end of the date.


^ yay!

[Edited on December 27, 2005 at 3:40 PM. Reason : .]

12/27/2005 3:40:14 PM

i'm sure that is an underestimate. if you work out, or move alittle more, it will definately be much higher.

12/27/2005 3:42:51 PM

Well, it's time to decide what I can cook and eat with as few calories as possible- why oh why did I eat those fries with lunch???

12/27/2005 3:48:48 PM

What are you talking about Leann? you don't need any of this nonsense

12/27/2005 3:50:44 PM

everyone can use a balanced diet

12/27/2005 3:52:56 PM

brookeruff is a total fatty.

disgusting.

12/27/2005 3:53:25 PM

Use my diet. it's the most balanced.

Eat whatever you want.

12/27/2005 3:53:40 PM

here are some decent recipe sites:
http://www.mealsforyou.com/cgi-bin/recipeCategory?category.calories+orderBy.calories
http://www.whatscookingamerica.net/RecipeIndex.htm

12/27/2005 3:54:43 PM

run

eat fajitas



those are the ways of the world

12/27/2005 4:03:58 PM

dont worry about what you eat, Ill get you into a healthier lifestyle

12/28/2005 12:58:22 AM

id assume not smoking anymore would be the first logical choice

[Edited on December 28, 2005 at 1:14 AM. Reason : .]

12/28/2005 1:02:12 AM

Quote :

"2,519.7"

Im guesssing your TDEE is not 3k calories.

If your BMR is 1300, you can probably get your daily TDEE up to 2000 with daily excersize.

This means you have to stop eating at 1500 calories to lose weight. Buy some rice cakes.

But id guess you dont need to lose weight, and this is all just a manifestion of your neurosis.



[Edited on December 28, 2005 at 1:15 AM. Reason : -]

12/28/2005 1:08:08 AM

Nah, she doesn't need to lose weight ~ She is a very petite girl

12/28/2005 1:13:26 AM

Quote :

"id assume not smoking anymore would be the first logical choice"

[Edited on December 28, 2005 at 1:14 AM. Reason : .]

12/28/2005 1:13:59 AM

best of luck.


remember eating nothing is just as unhealthy as eating everything.


and yea at least switch to ultralights or somethin

12/28/2005 1:20:48 AM

http://www.bodyforlife.com

12/28/2005 1:51:31 AM

If you're as small as you are in your pictures, I see no reason to start counting your calories or to get on a diet that restricts what you eat.

Just find some physical activities that you really enjoy and do them 3 or 4 days a week (or more if you like them that much and have the time). Raquetball, tennis, running, aerobics, biking, kickboxing, etc. As far as eating goes, just try to eat more healthy. I always go through spurts where I don't eat healthy and I start my turn-around when I go grocery shopping. You can't eat a lot of sweets if you don't buy them. So I just want purchase any sweets and softdrinks for a couple months and buy more fruits and vegetables and healthier snacks.

If you need the discipline of keeping a journal and counting your calories, then do it that way. But you look pretty fit to begin with, so I think all you need is consistent physical activity and to eat a little more healthy. I wouldn't think a strict diet is needed.

12/28/2005 9:51:40 AM

Quote :

"but when you cook for one, it's often a real pain in the ass"

so don't cook for one...make enough so that you can use it for 2 or 3 (or more) meals and then freeze it or throw it in the fridge. It will def. save you time the next time you go to eat.

12/28/2005 10:37:00 AM

^that is def my problem and why I eat such horrible foods. I am one of the worst eaters you'll EVER meet. I live off of fastfood and restaurants. Right now my metabolism is great, thank god, but in a few years its reallly goin to be a problem.

if you EVER want someone to go run with, let me know, that works best for me. and if you do it alone, get a headset/mp3 player... that is the ONLY way i can run. I'm thinking about joining a gym too, now that i graduated and cant use ncsu's for free. anyone wanna join a gym, or know of any good deals??

12/28/2005 11:10:26 AM

try to cut out as many carbs as possible....dont substitute fat and protein like in an atkins diet tho, just try to eat more veggies and fruit.
Carbs aren't all bad, but if you do eat them, go for high fiber stuff. A serving of bread is one slice of regular bread, and in most diets you want maybe 2-3 servings a day, which isnt much at all.

I have problems getting my veggies in

I've been eating like crap lately....like nothing but sweets, but my new years resolution will be to lose my last few lbs and keep them off the rest of the year Since last year I lost about 20lbs, so I did pretty well. I didnt like weight watchers because starting off, I would lose a couple lbs then gain it back, and the people there didnt really try and help u out, it was more like group therapy where I got to listen to how other people lost alot more than me, but I think it was one of the better programs I tried. I tried LA weight loss too, and its a rip off. You'll lose weight if you can stick to it, and they're pretty good at motivating you since they require you come in 3x a week But they also make you buy a buttload of these snackbars that are essentially $2 apeice (and you have to eat 2 a day) and they also dont motivate you to work out, just to lose weight.

if anyone lives in morrisville or works around rtp, I could use an exercise or eating buddy too

[Edited on December 28, 2005 at 11:22 AM. Reason : sdf]

12/28/2005 11:21:26 AM

Noen and i will workout with you ladies.

12/28/2005 11:32:58 AM

Quote :

"If you're as small as you are in your pictures, I see no reason to start counting your calories or to get on a diet that restricts what you eat. Just find some physical activities that you really enjoy and do them 3 or 4 days a week (or more if you like them that much and have the time). Raquetball, tennis, running, aerobics, biking, kickboxing, etc. As far as eating goes, just try to eat more healthy. I always go through spurts where I don't eat healthy and I start my turn-around when I go grocery shopping. You can't eat a lot of sweets if you don't buy them. So I just wont purchase any sweets and softdrinks for a couple months and buy more fruits and vegetables and healthier snacks. If you need the discipline of keeping a journal and counting your calories, then do it that way. But you look pretty fit to begin with, so I think all you need is consistent physical activity and to eat a little more healthy. I wouldn't think a strict diet is needed. "

Quote :

"don't cook for one...make enough so that you can use it for 2 or 3 (or more) meals and then freeze it or throw it in the fridge. It will def. save you time the next time you go to eat."

Those sum it up for you since you seem to be a healthy weight judging by your pics. If it's more energy and such that you need, it's probably more of a case of cutting greasy fast food and adding exercise that will help you most. My adjustment to the first quote is don't drink soft drinks except very occasionally. They have a lot of sodium that may cause you to feel bloated. You could also take a daily multivitamin. If you make sure you're getting enough vitamins/minerals, exercie, sleep, your body will do the rest. Don't do a diet, whatever you decide. The diets you mentioned in your first post are geared toward people that need to lose weight, not toward people that just want to eat healthily and exercise more regularly.

12/28/2005 11:50:17 AM

I am only drinking light beer after the first of the year.

12/28/2005 12:09:03 PM

Quote :

"http://www.bodyforlife.com "

Agreed, that book changed my life.

[Edited on December 28, 2005 at 12:22 PM. Reason : s]

12/28/2005 12:22:18 PM

Weight Watchers is really a good one. It teaches you portions, healthy choices, and isn't as hard to do as some. You should also exercise but thats something you have to mentally make yourself enjoy.

12/28/2005 12:58:00 PM

i've been doing this too

i'm taking it slow right now, trying to cut out little debbie snacks and eat more fruit, i dont smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a day, and i do 8 minute abs and other little activity kinda shit

i wish i could get as healthy as i was when i started tww

12/28/2005 1:01:17 PM