Having another go at diet & exercise...

[desperate2lose]

Hi all.

I was actually a pretty active member of these forums about a year ago. I had started out in the low 180's and lost about 10 lbs before getting off track. Well, a year later, I've gained all 10 back and then some. Right now I'm at about 194, my highest weight ever. It doesn't look cute on my 5'4 frame.

I think my problem before was fad diets and being desperate to lose weight quickly. Right now, I just want to set a goal for myself to be comfortable with my weight a year and a few months from now. So August 2011?

I'm looking for any advice as to how I can accomplish this. I don't want to do anything like Atkins or QWL ever again. I can't stick to those kinds of diets. I need something that I can commit to long-term. Even if the weight comes off slowly, that’s fine with me. I want to be able to eat foods that I don’t have to force down my throat. Also, I don’t have a lot of time to prepare meals. So I get stuck constantly eating fast food or unhealthy instant dinners. I’m starting law school in August so I’ll have even less time to cook then. So ideas for nutritious, but easy meals and snacks is really what I’m looking for here. Also, if anyone can recommend a good exercise routine given that I can only workout about twice a week so I'll need to make the most of it.

 

[KaraCooks]

Welcome back.

Honestly the only thing that has worked for me is to completely eliminate the idea of "dieting" from my mind and vocabulary and focus on eating healthily and working out. For me that meant cutting back on processed foods as much as possible (I will probably never eliminate them completely) and learning about nutrition and healthy, moderate eating.

The first thing I'd suggest is figuring out how many calories you need to be eating by reading this thread: http://weight-loss.fitness.com/nutrition/40273-how-many-calories-should-i-eat.html

Then register for a free account on FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal or Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate and start to log your food. This will let you see how many calories you're eating and how your nutrition levels are breaking down. Once you know that, you'll be able to see more clearly where you can make adjustments, cut back, change your nutrition, etc.

The next thing I'd suggest is checking out the various sticky posts in the exercise area of the forum (Weight Loss Through Exercise - Weight Loss Forum). There are some very good posts on exercise, both cardio/aerobic and on incorporating weight lifting into your exercise plans.

I'd also suggest starting a diary in the weight loss diary area (Weight Loss Diary - Weight Loss Forum) as well as reading and participating in other diaries. This is a good way to make updates to your progress and to get support from others. It helps to find the diaries of people who have successfully lost weight (or are losing weight) and reading through them as well. Following the diaries of those who have been successful is both inspiring and informative.

Finally, I'd say you should read as much as you can of the posts on the board, especially anything that's marked "sticky". There is a ton of good information around here and a lot of times questions that new folks have has already been answered very thoroughly - so do take the time to look around and read.

Hope that helps you to get started.