Just another noobie looking for some help!

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pootieTang

0
How’s everyone doing. I’ve been looking for some help with my dieting/weight training and hopefully I found the right place.

Let me just start by saying I’ve been overweight almost my entire life. When I was 15 I started, what I believe, to crash diet. I would eat one meal a day (around 2 – 3 pm) and that’s it. I quickly lost a lot of weight and within a year I was around 165. My freshman and sophomore year were great! But soon after that (I’m not really sure how, it just kinda snuck up on me) I started gaining it back to the point where now I have stench marks on my back, stomach and arms… Well I feel it’s time for a change and I’m finally going to do something about it.

Currently, I’m 20 years old, 5 foot 8 and weight 219 pounds. Over the last five days I’ve been counting calories and exercising. Using a calculator at caloriecount.com I’ve been trying to stay below a cretin calorie level. Here’s my diet as of the last five days.

7-17 – Weight 223 pounds,
Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast Crunch (500 calories) with whole milk (200 calories),
Lunch: Subway 12 inch club with jalapenos cheese and mustard (650 calories) with jalapeno chips (190 calories),
Dinner: Spaghetti with meatballs (600 calories),
Throughout the day I had three peaces of gum (15 calories) and a red Gatorade (200 calories) after my workout.
Total: 2,355 Calories of a possible 3204.

7-18 – Weight 221 pounds,
Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast Crunch (500 calories) with whole milk (200 calories),
Lunch: Wendy’s plane Spicy chicken sandwich (510 calories) and fries (490 calories),
Dinner: Spaghetti with meatballs (600 calories) and 4 slices of bred (360 calories),
Throughout the day I had three peaces of gum (15 calories),
Total: 2,675 Calories of a possible 3183.

7-19 – Weight 220 pounds,
Breakfast: Holiday Sausage Biscuit (485 calories) and 100% Tropicana grape juice (270 calories),
Lunch: white bumblebee tuna fish mixed with miracle whip and two slices of bred (735 calories) and 12 tortia chips (160 calories),
Dinner: Carls Jr. six dollar western (1006) and fries (609 calories),
Throughout the day I had four peaces of gum (20 calories),
Total: 3,485 calories of a possible 3173. (over limit!)

7-20 – Weight 218.5, Breakfast:
Holiday Sausage Biscuit (485 calories) and 100% Tropicana grape juice (270 calories),
Lunch: Taco bell quisedia, soft taco and fiesta potatoes (1030 calories),
Dinner: four slices of bred, four slices of ham, four slices of Kraft cheese and mustard (680 calories) and Cables chicken noodle soup (150 calories),
Throughout the day I had three peaces of gum (15 calories),
Total: 2,630 calories of a possible 3151.

7-21 – Weight 219 (.5 pound over yesterday),
Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast Crunch (500 calories) with whole milk (200 calories),
Lunch: Subway 12 inch club with jalapenos cheese and mustard (650 calories) with jalapeno chips (190 calories),
Dinner: Subway 12 inch club with jalapenos cheese and mustard (650 calories) with (different brand) jalapeno chips (130 calories),
Throughout the day I had three peaces of gum (15 calories),
Total: 2,335 calories of a possible 3162.

Keep in mind that other than the grape juice and Gatorade I’ve been drinking nothing but water.

Now, for my workout schedule I started the same day. Thinking back to high school I knew/was lead to believe that you need to let your body rest at lest a day in-between workouts, so this is what I did.


7-17 – Weight 223 pounds,
Jog/fast walk 1.5 miles in 43 minutes.
Three sets of 10 pushups.
Three sets of 30 elbow to knee crunches.
90 alternate heel touches (to work love handles from what I’ve heard.)
25 squats.
Three sets of 10 butterflies.
A wall sit lasting 44.8 seconds.
Three sets of 15 bench presses.
Three sets of 10-peck presses.
Tree sets of 10 pull downs.
And four sets of curls.
An hour later I drank a 200-calorie Gatorade for “fuel”

7-18 – Weight 221 pounds,
Jog/fast walk 1.56 miles in 50 minutes.

7 – 19 – Weight 220 pounds,
Jog/fast walk 1.67 miles in 50 minutes.
Three sets of 10 pushups.
Three sets of 30 elbow to knee crunches.
90 alternate heel touches (to work love handles from what I’ve heard.)
25 squats.
Three sets of 10 butterflies.
A wall sit lasting 44.8 seconds.
Three sets of 15 bench presses.
Three sets of 10-peck presses.
Tree sets of 10 pull downs.
And four sets of curls.
An hour later I drank a 200-calorie Gatorade for “fuel”

7–20 – Weight 218.5 pounds,
Jog/fast walk 1.77 miles in 55.47 minutes.


One other thing to note about my current lifestyle. I’m currently 54 days sober from marijuana. I was a heavy smoker for about 4 years. Not sure if that means anything, but I’m trying to pass a drug test now so I’m taking 1000 mg of Niacin a day.

Now, with all this finally typed up for the world to see. Here’s where I need your help. Any information would be graciously appreciated.



* Why would I loose weight when going over my calorie limit and gain half a pound when I’m under it the next day?

* With the current exorcising I’m doing is there anything I should add and/or remove? I know for every weight lift you do you’re supposed to do one to work the opposite muscle, but I’m not sure of any for the ones I’m doing.

* With my previous “crash dieting” will that affect my current dieting?

* What affect (if any) does Niacin have on the body?

* Will my smoking habits hurt/help my weight loss?

* If I stay under my calorie limit can I continue to eat the way I’m eating?

* How many calories are in a green apple?

* Is Gatorade a good thing to consume after working out to replenish the body? On The Today Show a few days ago, during a “myths of weight loss” segment they said a lot of people consume an average 200 calories at night just to get through to the next day. I only picked Gatorade for after my workouts because it was exactly 200 calories.

* Is there anything I can do about starch marks?

* What can I do to help tighten my skin?


Thank you all very very much, I’ll be checking in daily!
 
your diet needs SERIOUS help. Wendys chicken sandwhich??? ARe you trying to lose weight? Not sure how exactly you are managing to loose all that weight with what you are eating, but it did look like you were loosing it awfully fast. That is NOT healthy. a healthy weight loss is around 1 to 2 pounds per week. Anything faster than that will creep right back up on ya for the most part. for food you need to start eating more whole foods, and im not too sure about the protein/carb/fat ratio, but Im sure someone here can elaborate. Regardless of how much weight you are trying to loose, you need to take care of your body and that starts by eating right, not eating fast food like french fries and jalepeno subs everyday
 
Hi there -

Congrats on being 54 days sober!! That in itself is probably a HUGE thing to get through! CONGRATS on making it this far!

As for ur diet, well, u need to cut out the fast food. Fast food will NOT help u lose weight. It just won't. Trainer Lynn has posted the 5 steps to losing weight several times on this forum. You should find them and commit them to memory. Eating 5-6 small meals per day with protein and carb combo will help u immensley. The easiest way to do this is fine out what ur caloric needs are to lose weight then divide that number by 5 or 6 (how ever many meals u will have during the day) and that will give u ur meal caloric goal.

For workouts, you will have to check with someone more experienced than myself.

I wish you all the best and loads of success. Stay with us - the people here are a great help!! (it might be helpful to keep a diary of your progress - there is a section here in this forum)

Good luck!! :)
 
Congrats on your decision to be healthier!

I know it is not easy at all to switch from eating a lot of processed foods and fast foods to eating more whole foods. It's a major change that takes time to incorporate into your life. My advice is to gradually make small adjustments that won't overwhelm you all at once. Here are a few you could try...

1. switch from whole milk to 2%, then to 1%, then skim, maybe go through a couple of gallons of each before moving to the next one to allow for the change in taste

2. pick 2 fruits and 2 veggies to add into your regular diet (and I don't mean canned veggies), after a few weeks, add in more, and so on

3. accounting for the "reality factor", yes, you will end up at a fast food joint or restaurant sometimes, when you do, choose wisely. Wendy's allows you to sub in a side salad instead of fries, use fat free dressing, get a water instead of a soda, get a grilled chicken instead of a fried chicken, etc

Just don't give up and don't buy into any of the crap that this product or that will do it for you. The only way to be healthier is to BE healthier, and that all comes from within you and the choices you make. Online support like this place can be a great place to gain some inspiration and ideas. Good luck on your journey!
 
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deschain said:
Congrats on your decision to be healthier!


3. accounting for the "reality factor", yes, you will end up at a fast food joint or restaurant sometimes, when you do, choose wisely. Wendy's allows you to sub in a side salad instead of fries, use fat free dressing, get a water instead of a soda, get a grilled chicken instead of a fried chicken, etc
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Yeah, I think with our busy schedules that it's almost impossible to completey keep away from fast food chains. Not to mention that we ahve to splurge once in a while, right? ;) My hubby and I have designated Friday nights as take out nights. It's once a week and it's not always fast food. It could be a family sit down restaraunt or something of that nature.
 
SteppN2itGal said:
your diet needs SERIOUS help. Wendys chicken sandwhich??? ARe you trying to lose weight? Not sure how exactly you are managing to loose all that weight with what you are eating, but it did look like you were loosing it awfully fast. That is NOT healthy. a healthy weight loss is around 1 to 2 pounds per week.
Click to expand...

Ummm, what kinda oxymoron is that? Of course I’m trying to loose weight, why ****ing else would I post this here? Obviously I'm doing something right because I have lost what I've lost....

Thanks for everyone else’s help guys. I'm not exactly sure if I can do what everyone else is saying to do, I am on a bit of a budget and aside from lunch, eat what's put infront of me or don’t eat at all.

I think I can handle the 5/6 small meals a day and the 2 fruits a day but the 2 vegetables is going to be tough. Especially if they can’t be from a can.

To add another question to my large list. Is Subway a bad choice? Isn’t it supposed to be the healthiest of everything out there?

Am I exercising wrong or too much or is this weight I’m loosing just water weight?

What should I be eating for lunch? Usually I have an hour and come home but aside from tuna I’m not sure what would be good for me.

And to anyone who can answer any of my other questions in the future, thank you in advance. I really need the help!
 
Hey, sorry if I came accross as rude. I didnt mean too, and I apologize. I have been through some real s**t this past week, and have probably gotten around 6 or so hours sleep total this past 5 days. Im really sorry for coming across like that, I have been kinda blunt and snappy with pretty much everyone lately, not just with that message, but with people at work and around the house too. Please forgive me, I did not mean it like I said it!!!

Anyhow, I feel your pain, Im on a budget too, as I will be working part time as a waitress, part time as a fitness instructor, and part time at the vet clinic trying to juggle school too. This semester my school will be paid out of my pocket money, so that REALLY will cut into what I can buy. As far as protein goes, I have found that you can buy big bags of chicken breasts at walmart, and put them in the freezer, and they will last you over a week, or longer if you cut them in half. Canned tuna or chicken is pretty inexpensive too, and those big containers of plain oatmeal really last me a while. Fruit is pretty inexpensive, and good to snack on. Veggies such as baby carrots arent too expensive, and sometimes you can buy BIG bags of veggies such as broccoli or peas in the frozen food section.

Subway can be healthy, depending on what sandwhich you get. There sauces are pretty fattening and calorific though, so be careful. The wheat bread, although not great, is better for you than white bread, or the cheese bread. ALOT of cheese is put on the cheese bread, you just cant really see it, as its cooked into it. The chicken breast subs and turkey subs are pretty good, try putting spinach on it instead of plain lettuce, its better for you and taste better too;)

I hope this helps a bit, and again Im really, really sorry for being ugly, I really didnt mean too
 
SMax said:
I just wanted to say that you shouldn't be weighing yourself everyday. It's really bad for you. even if you're making fast progress now you might not as you start to lower your weight and it can be bad for your self-esteem, your motivation, and your over-all plan.
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That is very true. Even though you are trying to lose weight, don't let the scale rule your day. Even if you don't think so, weighing everyday allows the scale to have wayyy too much power. A good compromise is once a week, that will allow you to have a good idea of actual weight loss, without the scale playing too big a part. Also, focus on how your clothes fit, and how you feel. Do those jeans feel less tight around your waist? Do you feel more energetic throughout the day? These are good ways to measure your progress.

Also...

*Subway can be a much better choice than most other places, but again, you must choose wisely. Wheat bread, no cheese or mayo, lots of veggies, leave out the salt and oil, drink water or tea instead of soda.


*I have found that I started spending less at the grocery store when I started buying more whole foods, and less processed stuff. Box mix style dinners, and processed snacks are quite pricey. A big bag of brown rice and some frozen veggies go a long way and are pretty cheap. I like the bags of frozen raw chicken breasts b/c they are frozen individually which is very convenient. They are generally quite large, so it's easy to cut them in half to make them go further.

*Frozen veggies are a good compromise between canned and fresh, and aren't too expensive.
 
I definetly agree about how often you weigh yourself, i went from weighing day to day and now i only weight once a month or every 3 weeks, its way better.

About eating out, you definetly want to try to limit yourself to eating out only on ocassion (IMO). That being said, many people eat out every day multiple meals a day, and it may not be realistic to quit cold turkey. Try eating out less every week or couple of weeks. You will find the more you eat food you've prepared yourself the easier it is to continue to do so and its waaay more satisfying.

Have you seen your doctor? They can definetly help you out on balanced meal planning if you're unsure about that.

Also subway (and many other dining locations) provide nutrition info if you ask for it so you can see what you're really eating.

Good luck and happy dieting!
 
That's a good point about the nutritional info. Take a look at Wendy's, McDonalds and several other fast food places websites. It will really open your eyes to just how much garbage is in that food. It's one thing to know it's bad and fattening, it's another to see the actual numbers. The Wendy's site allows you to put together a meal, customizing the toppings etc. Check out the difference between a big bacon classic combo, and a grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad w/ lowfat dressing, and iced tea. It'll blow your mind.

Slickzchick is right about cold turkey on the fast food thing. If you eat out twice a day, cut down to once a day (choosing well when you go). After a week or so, cut down to once every other day, and so on. You will also save a ton of money of real food, fast food adds up quick.
 
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