I just want to feel healthy

thelittlesignal

thelittlesignal

New member
Bein....well.

So to start off I suppose I should say a bit about myself. I am a twenty one year old female. I moved across the country (and I mean completely across) to the east coast at 208lb's. As my height is 5'6" it's fair to say I was not exactly in shape. I got my CNA a few months after moving here and now I work at two facilities in my area. This means I do a lot of shift work. And by a lot I mean tons. I work all the time. And it's active work. A lot of lifting and a lot of trying to be 8 different places at once all while providing the same quality of care.

I now weigh 165. I look a lot better but there is a lot still to be done before I am at the weight I want to be at. I want to be at 140-145 by July. As my weigh loss has slowed down lately I have decided to actually start dieting (not very seriously as I have always preferred healthy foods on a whole) but instead to start working out.

This is interesting as I have to balance working out with my scarce sleep time and work. So with only about an hour a day I can dedicate to it I am having quite an interesting time in discovering this world. I am naturally pretty muscular and have always looked a lot less than I am. But I know my weight and I feel my weight. I would like that to be a good feeling.

I joined this site and started this diary as I feel like I am doing this blind. My roommate is not very communicative about her routine and she is the more experienced of us (though my diet stomps on hers :p). She and I do have quite amazing random dance parties that are work outs by themselves. I don't really have any one to talk to as every one I know back home tells me I am fine as is with what I have lost thus far (biased all of them).

I have decided to start doing a good 45 minutes every other day on the treadmill but going to fast hurts my ankle really bad (old injury that returns to make me sad quite often). Even in my brace it still hurt after too long or if I am doing a too intense pace. I am wondering if a bicycle might be a good choice but as I am moving back home to take care of my mother I will have to wait until then anyways. Will figure that out later. For now I will continue doing what I can.

I suppose she is why I want to get healthier. If I am going to take care of her and nurse her back to health after each surgery I should probably demonstrate healthy living as well? Hypocrisy does not really look good on anyone yeah?

On the other days I am doing work outs based around muscle training. As I said I have always been decently muscular (especially for a girl) but I have very little understanding of what I am doing. So I have been doing Jillian Micheals work outs on the days I am not doing cardio between shifts. I hurt a lot and am getting made fun of at work but I feel amazing after I finish them.

As to diet I do not eat very much dairy or meat. I have never cared for much meat but I love fish and seafood (though roommate does not so...there goes that one). Dairy is my problem child but I generally use the vegan alternatives (my version of starting a diet lol). I am worried about protein intake quite a bit. I eat a bit of nuts but I am not a big fan of the fat you get from them. Eating too much meat though makes me feel sick though. I probably drink too much coffee but could not do my schedule with out it. I love water.

Anyways this could quite possibly of been too much information for one post. I used my day of rest to do this as Sundays are my day "off" from working out which...I use for researching it and cleaning in spurts.

It's funny I feel good about what I am doing and writing what I am doing down makes me feel like I have more of a game plan than I thought. Maybe I will eventually post pictures lol. But looking through them sounds like a lot of work right now.

I am excited to keep up with this. I think this diary will help me keep track. Today I weigh 165. Will weigh again in a week. Hopefully with happy news not sad news. We shall see yeah?
 
So simply because this seemed like the ideal place to store this information I found out I need to eat 1600 calories per day to lose one lb a week without exercise. Since I will be working out still I am excited and nervous. I was reading other peoples and I don't think I am going to easily get to that number.

I am going to start logging it I think. AND the amount of fluids I drink. Here we go I guess yeah? Starts when I wake up for work :p
 
1600 sounds good :)
Welcome to the forum and good luck!

What's CNA, by the way? What is it that you do? Sounds busy!
 
Urgh, that doesn't sound fun! I'm a care-worker so used to being a grunt for the people senior to me!!

How's day two going?
 
Sunflower - I know how that goes. But it makes me more active and busy so I don't mind that much!

So day two. I worked night shift last night so I am starting it at eleven pm last night. I don't know. I am still sore from the intense work out I did on Saturday in addition to running around lifting people and turning bed ridden people. But it's a good sore.

I think today will be a cardio and yoga day. I can feel the need for some good stretching but I don't really count that as a real work out so I feel like cardio is in order.

The thing I am really worried about is my calorie count. I am an intense grazer. I nibble through out the day. But as a person who is practically vegan with no really love of super fatty junk foods I don't think I am getting enough. 1600 is a lot of calories to get every day.

So far since eleven pm last night I have ate this~
*Peanut butter and honey sandwich:
-Peanut Butter; 100 calories
-1 tsp of honey; 20 calories
-2 pieces whole wheat bread; 220 calories
*lowfat strawberry soy yogurt with granola:
-Yogurt (half container); 50 calories
-Vanilla almond granola (1/4 cup); 115
Total thus far (9.5 hours into my day); 505 calories.

I still have 1095 calories to get somewhere. This is going to be my problem area I can tell already. Thinking black bean burgers with broccoli for lunch though. That should add some yeah? I need to up my protein I feel as well to justify my working out. Beeeeein.
 
Nuts? Can you have pasta? I don't know much about being vegan :/ Can you have like..mock cheese? That's fatty! Or tofu? Toasted nuts with cinnamon is nice as well.

You must get all your calories!

Have a good day xx
 
thelittlesignal said:
So far since eleven pm last night I have ate this~
*Peanut butter and honey sandwich:
Click to expand...

mmmm...I haven't had one of those in forever. My grandma used to make them for me all the time when I was a kid. So nummy!

Good luck getting your calories in...and Welcome to the forum! :)
 
Protein

Hi there

I don't think you should get too hung up on eating more calories. I see some people around here eating too much and not losing weight and i am sure its because of this.

I do understand that if you starve yourself you lower your metabolism but frankly i think the problem people have is they eat more than they admit to themselves.

I have been a not strict vegetarian for a few years. I love my dairy so i can't suggest that to you but i can recommend getting into cooking beans and lentils. Indians have some good dal recipes. The basic of cooking beans and lentils is to fry ginger and garlic in some oil with chopped onion. Add in some chopped tomato and saute more. Add in the lentils and water and let it cook till its soft. Though beans often need soaking overnight. For spices the easy way is to buy boxes of spice mix but you have to be careful with them because they can be too much chilli.

You can make all your protein by combining two foods eg rice and lentils, or several beans.

A delicious healthy indian meal consists of some dal, a fairly large portion of basmati rice (which has low GI so its the best rice for dieters) or some chapatis, a vegetable curry and some raw veg - just a few pieces of carrot and a raw small onion but i never eat that. a bit of salad tomato and cucumber is another option. I am not indian but when i was in india and eating this every day at the ashrams, i loved it and it was nutritious and wholesome. When i came home form india i started cooking india. It was fun but then i lost the plot. I couldn't make the bread very successfully. There are so many different sorts of dal and beans to experiment with. This sort of food is nothing like what you find in most western indian restauranst. In an ashram its simple, not too spicy, and just yummy and satisfying.

If you can get some indian cook books and avoid the rich recipes you can make some great food. I love the pea and potato curry. Pumpkin curry. There's many vegetable curries to try.

Don't get into the habit of eating lots of nuts if you are trying to lose weight. They are high fat. Well that's my opinion because i can't stop myself from eating the whole lot.

A wholegrain sandwich with avocardo and salad is good, filling, nutritious and delicious.

I think grazing may be part of the reason why your weight is not quite under control. I believe its better to try to eat good satisfying meals and not get bored between meals. If you job is active that shouldn't be hard to do. For office workers, its hard not to get bored and hungry between meals.

A can of baked beans on wholegrain toast is good for protein too. And how much easier can you get.

I"ve also found this wonderful "detox" salad recipe book. It uses nuts and seeds sprinkled over the salads. This book could be good for you if you could find it. Used like this in a recipe, it might be a way of avoiding eating too many. I don't trust myself to even buy them though.

Mong beans and other bean sprouts are also a source of protein. Most vegetables have protein so if you eat a variety of vegetables and legumes/beans and whole grains you will get all you need.

Rye bread is also good. I think its the highest protein content bread grain. Look for spelt bread. Its got more protein in it as the wheat has been less processed.

I don't like processed soybean foods though i do like tofu. This is a good source of protein.

I also love lentil salad. I made a nice one the other day of green/brown lentils canned. With lemon juice a little olive oil. Cucumber and tomato and parsley. You can add rice or mixed beans instead. You can make a nice lentil salad with red lentils too. I put garlic in the dressing for this one and it goes really well with rocket greens. You have to be careful not to overcook the red lentils though. They shouldn't be mushy.
 
I can have pasta! And I am only close to vegan. Meat just doesn't care for my stomach and dairy either. I actually am a big fan of Veggie Shreds ( a mock cheese) but it is not as fatty as you would think. And tofu...? Nooot a fan.

So this is what lunch looks like. Moderately proud (haven't added the whole thing up yet) but we will see at the end of the day~
*Black Bean Burger ( homemade :-D )
-Burger patty (with about 1/6 a cup of vegan mozzarella cheese); 123.75
-Two pieces whole wheat bread; 220
-Sautéed Vegetables for top; 55.31
-Spinach; 5 calories
*Two large cups of lemon rasberry green tea: 0 calories 1.25 liters
Total for lunch: 404.06 calories!!!!! That's much better than I thought!
Total for day thus far: 909.06

Okie....still might not be able to do it. This is a lot of calories. A lot of food. But a good first day so far maybe? Bein not sure. Will keep at it. Thank you for the words ladies!
 
Thank you so much fortyfour! You have a lot of good information there.

By intense grazing I mean I eat tiny amounts throughout the day. Vegetables and fruit. Toast sometimes. My favorites are celery and apples. And my weight is not out of control any more I am just focusing on the last 23 with the addition of now working out. That's why I am watching my calories. I need to actually get some in because I am worried about the level of activity I have added with the amount of calories I usually intake.

And whole meals are always too much for me. I eat about 6 times a day. Just not stuff that is enough I guess?

If after today I don't think I can do 1600 every day then I am done. I will lower the amount and pay attention to the work outs I do more closely.

Thank you so much for all of your food information! I love Indian food in every form that I can get it. I will have to look for supplies in the store (but there is a good chance I will strike out. I am in meat and potato country).
 
Welcome to the forum and congrats on your weight loss thus far :hurray: I know a lot of unhealthy nurses and assistants to the them because of the weird hours and shift work it entails so good for you for eating so healthy and getting your weight in check.
Looking forward to reading more and following along as you reach your goals! Keep it up!
 
Chubbygirl - I know many as well. The shift work takes us out one by one.

Well yesterday ended with 900 calories about. I didn't feel like eating again and I went to bed early.

Today I worked my butt off at work with some meeean residents but it's alright. Kept me on my toes.

I have been starving all day so I ate more than usual! Here's to hoping it's higher! So far we are at ~
Breakfast;
-A thin everything bagel + margarine: 140 calories
-One Banana; 72 calories
Snack;
 
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