My get up and go has got up and gone...

A

Aimee82

New member
Hi all

Newbie here and have no idea where to start. I have many reasons to lose weight...apart from the obvious that I am carrying far too much weight and have no confidence or self esteem....
Im after some advice about the very first steps... does keeping food and exercise diary's really work? Is it true to keep clear of weight training until ive lost some fat? So many questions and i have no one to answer them.
I have a very busy lifestyle but no children so I do struggle with eating the right foods during the day... at night with my other half I have no trouble...
Anyway, would be lovely to hear from some ppl who are in a similiar situation as me...
Please help
Aimee :-(
 
There's a sticky thread called "Where to start, what to do." That probably has some relevant information.

But yes, I would say keeping a diary of your food and nutrition is an excellent first step. Just by tracking what you eat, not even trying to cut back, you may even start losing some weight just by the fact that you will be more aware of what you are eating. I use an Excel spreadsheet for this myself but there are a number of online journals that can be used. Here's a site that might help.

As far as the weight training is concerned, I've read that too, that it's hard to build muscle when you have a calorie deficit. I have no experience with that because I didn't try it. I just walked when I started my diet. You don't need to do weight training to lose weight, though. I know that.
 
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Hi Aimee. I have found that keeping track of the food I eat using an online diet tracker, (I use fitday.com) really works wonders for helping me control calories. When I first started keeping track of calories I was amazed how quickly it all added up. I thought I was eating low-cal, but as it turns out there were foods that were really busting my diet. Anyway, I highly recommend keeping a weight loss journal and tracking calories if you are just starting out.

As for building muscle, if it's been a while since you've had much exercise you should start out building up your cardio. This could be done by going for brisk walks every night, biking (outdoors or stationary), swimming, an aerobics class at the local fitness center - whatever tickles your fancy. Just start out at a reasonable level and build on it every week.

You will naturally begin to tone muscle and lose weight when doing any of these activities. Maintaining muscle when dieting is important because it helps keep your metabolism high. Other activities that are excellent for toning muscle are pilates and yoga.

Good luck!
 
does keeping food and exercise diary's really work?
Click to expand...

It has helped my lose 55 lbs in the last year. I havent been perfect but when I stopped doing it I stopped losing and started gaining...thats why I am back on this site.

I say get a plan
Something reasonable that combines diet and exercise.
Pick activity you like. If you hate running dont run do something else. Set a small attainable goal and get goin!
Welcome to the site
 
It may seem really difficult to start living a healthier lifestyle, but you will be amazed at how much more energy you have once you start exercising and dieting right!

Here's a good tip I use-

next time you drive to the store or to work, park in the furthest spot in the parking lot. It will force you to walk further to your car on both trips.
 
Thought of another tip-

Drink green tea. Walmart sells packs of 40 tea bags for $2. You can make a big batch and leave it in the fridge or drink it hot. Doesn't matter.

Green tea will promote fat oxidization and energy expenditure.

This is in part due to it's caffeine content, but also due to Epigallocatechin gallate, which among other properties stimulates nitric oxide production from endothelial cells.

Basically it can help boost metabolism and healthy muscle function.

It's also delicious and contains many anti-oxidants.

Sources-



Note- This research is from credited organizations, the first is the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the second is research from the national institute of health.
 
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