Hello all!
- Thread starter mylee
- Start date
usedtobefatmatt
New member
I'm brand new here, and could use a little motivation. My highest weight was 234. Now I'm at 220 and would like to weigh about 140. I'm 29 and ready to live healthy. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hey welcome to the forum. You have found a good place for motivation and support. Losing 14 lbs is a great start. You must be very proud of yourself. How did you do it?
Losing the 14 lbs should be very motivating. Also, look around the before and after photos for some motivation. Certainly helps me.
What are you doing to reach your goals?
Stick around and let us know how things are going.
Matt
PS. I see you are in insurance, what exactly do you do?
mylee
New member
hello Matt.
I started over a month ago. I stopped eating a lot of processed foods and started to eat more natural whole foods. I stay away from "white" food such as bread, pasta, flour, and sugar. All of my carbs come from mostly fruit, veggies and whole grains. The first 14 pounds seemed to fly off, but my scale has been stuck at 220 for over 2 weeks now. It's a little discouraging since I've been eating good (try to keep it around 1200 cals) and working out at least 4-5 times a week. I want to be under 200 so badly, but my body is fighting me for every pound. Anywhoo. I work in health insurance. I coordinate benefits for patients and make sure procedures are authorized so they don't get a huge bill....sounds fun, huh? Thanks for chatting with me. I was starting to wonder if anyone was out there.
I started over a month ago. I stopped eating a lot of processed foods and started to eat more natural whole foods. I stay away from "white" food such as bread, pasta, flour, and sugar. All of my carbs come from mostly fruit, veggies and whole grains. The first 14 pounds seemed to fly off, but my scale has been stuck at 220 for over 2 weeks now. It's a little discouraging since I've been eating good (try to keep it around 1200 cals) and working out at least 4-5 times a week. I want to be under 200 so badly, but my body is fighting me for every pound. Anywhoo. I work in health insurance. I coordinate benefits for patients and make sure procedures are authorized so they don't get a huge bill....sounds fun, huh? Thanks for chatting with me. I was starting to wonder if anyone was out there.
usedtobefatmatt
New member
are you tracking your calories? And i mean measuring and weighing your food. Keeping a food journal?
Are you exercising?
Dont let a scale frustrate you. There are so many different factors that can throw it off. Trust that if you are in a calorie deficit the weight will come off.
Matt
Are you exercising?
Dont let a scale frustrate you. There are so many different factors that can throw it off. Trust that if you are in a calorie deficit the weight will come off.
Matt
usedtobefatmatt
New member
Like I said, dont let the scale frustrate you.
The question I have is when you say try to eat 1200 calories a day. First off, do you know what your BMR is? I now you will be buying a food scale but till you know exactly what you are eating for calories it can be frustrating. I know when i started I had an extremely difficult time accepting how small portion sizes were.
Like i said, keep doing what you are with the exercise, start tracking and measuring and you will be fine.
Remember this is a lifestyle that you are learning to keep in place for a long time. It's not a temporary "diet".
Keep up the good work.
Matt
The question I have is when you say try to eat 1200 calories a day. First off, do you know what your BMR is? I now you will be buying a food scale but till you know exactly what you are eating for calories it can be frustrating. I know when i started I had an extremely difficult time accepting how small portion sizes were.
Like i said, keep doing what you are with the exercise, start tracking and measuring and you will be fine.
Remember this is a lifestyle that you are learning to keep in place for a long time. It's not a temporary "diet".
Keep up the good work.
Matt
usedtobefatmatt
New member
How tall are you?
usedtobefatmatt
New member
this could be the reason for your other thread where you feel like eating everything in sight. You need to make sure you are eating enough to avoid being ravenous. How many times a day are you eating?
Althought meal frequency has little to do with metabolism it can help you avoid getting to ravenous state. I try to eat six times a day for no other reason to keep myself full. Three bigger meals just does not help.
as far as the exercise goes, yes, you probably have an easier time to get to the gym than someone that is married, kids, several job. Make it a goal to go monday through friday and accomplish that goal. Then challenge yourself to go the next week each day. The more you go the easier it will get. I promise. After a while it will be second nature.
You have an amazing start, keep it up!!!
I know you are keeping a journal, which is great. Post yesterday's food, let us see what you are eating.
Great pics by the way. You have a great look.
Matt
Althought meal frequency has little to do with metabolism it can help you avoid getting to ravenous state. I try to eat six times a day for no other reason to keep myself full. Three bigger meals just does not help.
as far as the exercise goes, yes, you probably have an easier time to get to the gym than someone that is married, kids, several job. Make it a goal to go monday through friday and accomplish that goal. Then challenge yourself to go the next week each day. The more you go the easier it will get. I promise. After a while it will be second nature.
You have an amazing start, keep it up!!!
I know you are keeping a journal, which is great. Post yesterday's food, let us see what you are eating.
Great pics by the way. You have a great look.
Matt
Last edited:
mylee
New member
I was afraid I wasn't eating enough, but it's hard to re-program my brain from the eat less weigh less mentality. This is what I had to eat yesterday.
Breakfast:
Almonds 80 cal /3 carb/ 7 fat /1.5 fiber
Lunch:
Roast Beef 275 cal /0 carb /7 fat /0 fiber
mixed veggies 45 cal/ 4 carb/ 3 fat/ 1.5 fiber
spinach salad 101 cal/ 5 carb/ 8 fat/ 1 fiber
w/ mushrrooms
olives
onion &
vinnegrette
Dinner:
Ham Sandwich 268 cal/ 26 carb/ 8 fat/ 5 fiber
on diet bread
Watermelon 37 cal/ 9.3 carb/ 0 fat/ .5 fiber
Ice Cream 130 cal/ 14 carb/ 7 fat/ 0 fiber
Snack:
PB & J 340 cal/ 40 carb/ 17 fat/ 7 fiber
on diet bread
TOTALS 1276 cal/ 51 fat/ 16.5 fiber
I usually eat more for breakfast, but I overslept yesterday.
Breakfast:
Almonds 80 cal /3 carb/ 7 fat /1.5 fiber
Lunch:
Roast Beef 275 cal /0 carb /7 fat /0 fiber
mixed veggies 45 cal/ 4 carb/ 3 fat/ 1.5 fiber
spinach salad 101 cal/ 5 carb/ 8 fat/ 1 fiber
w/ mushrrooms
olives
onion &
vinnegrette
Dinner:
Ham Sandwich 268 cal/ 26 carb/ 8 fat/ 5 fiber
on diet bread
Watermelon 37 cal/ 9.3 carb/ 0 fat/ .5 fiber
Ice Cream 130 cal/ 14 carb/ 7 fat/ 0 fiber
Snack:
PB & J 340 cal/ 40 carb/ 17 fat/ 7 fiber
on diet bread
TOTALS 1276 cal/ 51 fat/ 16.5 fiber
I usually eat more for breakfast, but I overslept yesterday.
usedtobefatmatt
New member
Have you ever thought of an account at fitday.com? it's a free online site that helps track calories. Could be a help with tracking calories. Make it a hobby to enter your stuff.
also, seems like a lot of carbs. I'm not saying carbs are bad but just watch the intake.
no afternoon snack?
One more thing, what is your next goal?
Enjoy your day and get to the gym.
also, seems like a lot of carbs. I'm not saying carbs are bad but just watch the intake.
no afternoon snack?
One more thing, what is your next goal?
Enjoy your day and get to the gym.
mylee
New member
Hmmmm. Never heard of that site, but I'll check it out.
Yeah it was a lot of carbs yesterday, but if I count the net carbs it's still under 100. I didn't plan on the ice cream, but whatever. My next goal is to get under 200 and walk at least 30 minutes everyday at lunch. I'm going hiking this weekend so I hope to see the scale back in motion after the weekend, since I've been working out almost everyday. Anyways. Thanks for the support. Have a good one!
Yeah it was a lot of carbs yesterday, but if I count the net carbs it's still under 100. I didn't plan on the ice cream, but whatever. My next goal is to get under 200 and walk at least 30 minutes everyday at lunch. I'm going hiking this weekend so I hope to see the scale back in motion after the weekend, since I've been working out almost everyday. Anyways. Thanks for the support. Have a good one!
usedtobefatmatt
New member
Just stopping by to see how everything is going? Hope you have a good weekend? Any plans?
Matt
Matt
usedtobefatmatt
New member
astrolab_jiggy
New member
Hey
Newbie here...Sounds like you are paying a lot of good attention to the eating part of the equation.
Let me ask you about the gym part. Before I was serious about losing weight/getting in shape, I would go to the gym, workout what I thought was a good workout, and of course...never improve my strength or conditioning.
I am sure there are experts/stickies etc that know more about this than I do...I am only speaking from personal experience.
For me, the only workouts that are worthwhile are the ones where I am drenched in sweat, dying to stop. Never in pain, I stop when I feel pain. But full exertion. I need to shock my body out of its comfort zone...then next workout, the comfort zone has been adjusted to a higher level, and I shock it again.
Example: I used to ride the exercise bike for 45 minutes...stop for a few...then do another 45 minutes. Day after day, and I never felt my conditioning improve.
Then I hired a personal trainer and he makes me *work*. And now my conditioning is so far improved, its not even funny. Now I just use the exercise bike to warm up and maybe close-out a workout....in between I take my body out of its comfort zone...which is, philosophically speaking, what the entire diet/re-condititioning process is. Taking your mind/body out of its comfort (heavy) zone into a new zone. And its amazing!!
My rule of thumb at the gym is, never do an exercise that I know I have mastered. Its like doing a word search puzzle for 5 year olds. Why bother?
Newbie here...Sounds like you are paying a lot of good attention to the eating part of the equation.
Let me ask you about the gym part. Before I was serious about losing weight/getting in shape, I would go to the gym, workout what I thought was a good workout, and of course...never improve my strength or conditioning.
I am sure there are experts/stickies etc that know more about this than I do...I am only speaking from personal experience.
For me, the only workouts that are worthwhile are the ones where I am drenched in sweat, dying to stop. Never in pain, I stop when I feel pain. But full exertion. I need to shock my body out of its comfort zone...then next workout, the comfort zone has been adjusted to a higher level, and I shock it again.
Example: I used to ride the exercise bike for 45 minutes...stop for a few...then do another 45 minutes. Day after day, and I never felt my conditioning improve.
Then I hired a personal trainer and he makes me *work*. And now my conditioning is so far improved, its not even funny. Now I just use the exercise bike to warm up and maybe close-out a workout....in between I take my body out of its comfort zone...which is, philosophically speaking, what the entire diet/re-condititioning process is. Taking your mind/body out of its comfort (heavy) zone into a new zone. And its amazing!!
My rule of thumb at the gym is, never do an exercise that I know I have mastered. Its like doing a word search puzzle for 5 year olds. Why bother?