Alright, so I need to do this now

F

fit2Btied

New member
I have gone back and forth with excuses NOT to start my journey, but it's time to own up. I need to loose a lot of weight and not just for looks. I am very unhealthy in every way and I am so unhappy.

My question is, where do I begin? Should I just do 30 mins of cardio daily and change my eating habits or should I also do weight training?

I am a 32 year old mother of 4.
 
The stickies have a lot of information about where to start. I suggest you go through them.

I am glad that you're finally making a commitment! Losing weight really isn't as hard as it sounds. I have only been doing it for 3 months and already learned to control my appetite. I cannot even eat as much as I used to if I tried.

I personally think calorie counting works best. Make sure you do not eat too little. Keep it between 1200-1800 calories a day. But different approaches work better for different people.

As for exercise, I think you should start slowly doing cardio. Do not overdo it or you'll burn out or worse, hurt yourself. I would personally leave the weight lifting till later.

What's great about weight loss is that you'll notice a huge difference in the first month if you're doing it right. This should give you some encouragement to keep at it and not give up.

Good luck.
 
:d

Good to see you wanting to get healthy! I know how it is to be unhappy and to one day say "wow, i really need to a grip on my life" Its not going to be easy and no pill or drink is going to miraculously make you lose pounds. You can start by cutting your calories, stop drinking pop and sugary drinks take vitamins and start slow with your workout routine. Everyone on here has been in the same "boat" so to speak as you are in right now. Were all here for you! Good luck and keep us posted!!

Kate;)
 
Yeah I realized that I needed to get healthy when my friend passed away from cancer at 22. I got scared and for the passed 5 months to lose weight. I lost 7 pounds but gain it all back so right now I am trying a new method of using this site for motivation and excerising daily.

So 30 mins of cardio should do it? 5 times a week?
 
Hi there fit2btied,

welcome to the WLF. First off, congrats to you for wanting to make a change in your lifestyle. I agree completely with siromar inregards to reading the stickied threads. They have tons of information and unfortunately it seems a lot of people don't bother to read them. (A lot of the questions I first had were easily found in those threads.) For the most part you want to create a deficit... more calories out then in. Personally speaking, I use to log in my food daily. There's also Just remember, being that you're just starting out, there's no need to kill yourself from the get go. Make small changes. (ie: like kate said... saying no to sodas and drinking more water, instead of eating a WHOLE bag of cookies eat just a couple, start off with a 30 min walk around your neighborhood, then increase the speed/ time when you're ready.) This is all about you, so don't feel like you have to do everything all at once. Slowly modify what you eat and you'll definitely see a difference.

Oh and before I forget, do figure out how many calories you need to eat in a day. (BMR calculations and whatnot) You don't want to eat too little, because you'll hit starvation mode which will then turn into a plateau. Good luck and much success! :D

-Sheryl
 
fit2Btied said:
I have gone back and forth with excuses NOT to start my journey, but it's time to own up. I need to loose a lot of weight and not just for looks. I am very unhealthy in every way and I am so unhappy.

My question is, where do I begin? Should I just do 30 mins of cardio daily and change my eating habits or should I also do weight training?

I am a 32 year old mother of 4.
Click to expand...

Wow! 4 kids! Congratulations on making the VERY positive step of joining us here. WLF can be a great outlet for you and a space of your very own to share your ups and downs and to get encouragement in your journey to become a happier healthier you. It looks like my fellow WLFers have answered your questions so let me just say Welcome!
 
Sweetie, you need to cut your calories big time and after you lose enough weight start to do some weight training/cardio. My honest opinion is people who start running 5 miles a day and cutting calories burn out. Cut calories first - see the weight loss and then go to the gym. Walking is a good substitute for not going to the gym - try walking home from work.
 
ZoneGuy said:
Sweetie, you need to cut your calories big time and after you lose enough weight start to do some weight training/cardio. My honest opinion is people who start running 5 miles a day and cutting calories burn out. Cut calories first - see the weight loss and then go to the gym. Walking is a good substitute for not going to the gym - try walking home from work.
Click to expand...

Ummm "cutting calories big time" really shouldn't be the first piece of advice. She needs to figure out her BMR and such... how many calories she should be eating a day. By just cutting back "big time" you'll throw your body into shock and guess what will happen.... the metabolism will slow down and weight loss will become difficult. It's all about moderations... so you eat jumbo sized fries....? Make it a small next time if you really need that for the time being.... Ummm you drink regular soda? If you feel you really need something carbonated, drink a diet coke... then eventually get to water.. blah blah blah.

If anything, a combination of physical activity(any type of cardio for 30mins or more depending on how you feel, getting some light resistance training in since you're just starting out) and a healthy diet will help you to lose. Just cutting calories without the following can lead to muscle loss... and heaven knows muscle burns more calories, so don't do that to yourself.

-MGB
 
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