I'm only 16, so maybe I can blame that for part of my ignorance and overall naiveness.
Okay, to begin, during tenth grade I wasn't happy with my weight or how I looked in the mirror. I didn't eat very healthy (e.g. cheese sandwiches loaded with mayo, more than enough servings of lasagna and garlic bread, no breakfast, etc.) I wasn't grotesquely overweight just not as fit as I could be. So, during the summer, I decided to turn my life around. I began eating less (what I thought was healthy) and exercising more. Sounds good, right?
WRONG. Here's the thing: Like many other aspects in my life, I became obsessive. I thought about my weight constantly. I would run 2-4 miles a day (on top of having already completed 3 exercise videos). And, even more, I would only consume a measly 600-800 calories a day
ack2: talk about grotesque!). I thought this was the only way I could lose weight and begin a "healthy" lifestyle. Little did I know about the potentially detrimental and pejorative effects that would lay ahead.
But, here's what's really funny, I knew what I was doing the entire time but I wouldn't admit to myself that what I was doing was wrong. I was an avid lurker on this board and I became quickly aware that I wasn't consuming nearly enough calories as I should, nor exercising as healthy as I could. Even so, I continued to pursue my appalling and horrible habits (not so funny...). I kept telling myself that I was healthy and that I was eating enough, and that everything would be worth it. Well, was it?
Well, at the end of summer I lost a lot of weight (How much? I do not know..I avoided the scales as if they were the bubonic plague because, well, you know what they say: ignorance is bliss) and entered junior year with a whole new wardrobe and a bit of confidence (hence, just a bit). During the first semester, I somehow managed to maintain my weight loss, and still acquire straight A's.
However, the ticking time bomb exploded during the holidays and predictably, I binged. I figured I deserved a break after all my hard work and that I would go back to my regular habits afterwards. Ha ha ... not so much. I continued giving into atrocious temptations and do it in excess. As a result, I gained back much weight and felt horrible but I just couldn't stop. That is, up until a few days ago. I stopped binging and decided to go back to my obsessive habits which I somehow managed to do (note that this was just a few days ago).
Then, as if suddenly struck by lightning, it dawned on me. Just last night, as a matter of fact, I realized that I was WRONG (wrong, wrong wrong, wrong, wrong!) and I would only deter my health if I continued. I awoke with the biggest slap in the face (I was in a mental train wreck!) and now, I finally resolve that if I want to live a healthy lifestyle, I need to get rid of my obsessive rituals altogether and come up with something that I can stick to and maintain facilely (Which, lo and behold, is what you guys have been saying the entire time!)
So, my question to you is: How do I make the transition from my practically anorexic brinkmanship, and my couple of months of sickening binging to a healthy and sustainable diet?
I want to lose some of the weight I gained and become fit. So I'm thinking 1250 -1300 calories would do this along with a healthy amount of cardio and resistance training (but, what do I know?).
Would my body go into shock? Should, I gradually add in calories instead? I'm well aware that my body went through starvation mode but I don't know how to properly transition into a more healthy life style. Advice and comments would be much appreciated.
P.S. My apologies for the long thread (I guess it kind of parallels with my obsessive behavior). I just needed to get everything out into the open once and for all (It's actually very hard for me to open up, even on message boards, so this took a lot of strength to do.)
Okay, to begin, during tenth grade I wasn't happy with my weight or how I looked in the mirror. I didn't eat very healthy (e.g. cheese sandwiches loaded with mayo, more than enough servings of lasagna and garlic bread, no breakfast, etc.) I wasn't grotesquely overweight just not as fit as I could be. So, during the summer, I decided to turn my life around. I began eating less (what I thought was healthy) and exercising more. Sounds good, right?
WRONG. Here's the thing: Like many other aspects in my life, I became obsessive. I thought about my weight constantly. I would run 2-4 miles a day (on top of having already completed 3 exercise videos). And, even more, I would only consume a measly 600-800 calories a day
ack2: talk about grotesque!). I thought this was the only way I could lose weight and begin a "healthy" lifestyle. Little did I know about the potentially detrimental and pejorative effects that would lay ahead. But, here's what's really funny, I knew what I was doing the entire time but I wouldn't admit to myself that what I was doing was wrong. I was an avid lurker on this board and I became quickly aware that I wasn't consuming nearly enough calories as I should, nor exercising as healthy as I could. Even so, I continued to pursue my appalling and horrible habits (not so funny...). I kept telling myself that I was healthy and that I was eating enough, and that everything would be worth it. Well, was it?
Well, at the end of summer I lost a lot of weight (How much? I do not know..I avoided the scales as if they were the bubonic plague because, well, you know what they say: ignorance is bliss) and entered junior year with a whole new wardrobe and a bit of confidence (hence, just a bit). During the first semester, I somehow managed to maintain my weight loss, and still acquire straight A's.
However, the ticking time bomb exploded during the holidays and predictably, I binged. I figured I deserved a break after all my hard work and that I would go back to my regular habits afterwards. Ha ha ... not so much. I continued giving into atrocious temptations and do it in excess. As a result, I gained back much weight and felt horrible but I just couldn't stop. That is, up until a few days ago. I stopped binging and decided to go back to my obsessive habits which I somehow managed to do (note that this was just a few days ago).
Then, as if suddenly struck by lightning, it dawned on me. Just last night, as a matter of fact, I realized that I was WRONG (wrong, wrong wrong, wrong, wrong!) and I would only deter my health if I continued. I awoke with the biggest slap in the face (I was in a mental train wreck!) and now, I finally resolve that if I want to live a healthy lifestyle, I need to get rid of my obsessive rituals altogether and come up with something that I can stick to and maintain facilely (Which, lo and behold, is what you guys have been saying the entire time!)
So, my question to you is: How do I make the transition from my practically anorexic brinkmanship, and my couple of months of sickening binging to a healthy and sustainable diet?
I want to lose some of the weight I gained and become fit. So I'm thinking 1250 -1300 calories would do this along with a healthy amount of cardio and resistance training (but, what do I know?).
Would my body go into shock? Should, I gradually add in calories instead? I'm well aware that my body went through starvation mode but I don't know how to properly transition into a more healthy life style. Advice and comments would be much appreciated.
P.S. My apologies for the long thread (I guess it kind of parallels with my obsessive behavior
). I just needed to get everything out into the open once and for all (It's actually very hard for me to open up, even on message boards, so this took a lot of strength to do.)
