Getting Started

Getting Started		mrs_klay
		Jul 04 2008 04:24
My hubby and I have both gotten sick of putting on clothing only to find that it's "shrunk" :P He decided to go on a cleanse and I didn't like that idea but decided instead to start focusing on eating healthy and exercising more. He went off the cleanse about a week later (it was making him sick) and decided to join me on the healthier eating plan. I've slid back into old habits a bit since I've been off work for this past week, but I'm determined to get back on track. Here's my basic stats - I'd appreciate any tips or pointers you guys have on making this work :) I'm 25 yrs old, female, 5'7" and 195 lbs at my last doctor visit (a month ago). I work at a preschool in the baby room so I'm busy all day (6 kids under the age of 18 months in the room with me and 1 other adult) but also spend a lot of it sitting on the floor with the kids instead of moving around. I think a good weight for myself would be in the 145-155 range although I'm more concerned with overall health and feeling better than the number on the scale. During the work week my routine goes like this: Breakfast is 1 cup silhouette 0+ yogurt with 1/2 cup granola as well as fresh fruit mixed in. Then I walk my dogs once around the mile track near my house (takes us about 40 minutes for the whole walk). At work I bring 1 type of fruit and 1 type of veggie to snack on (usually kiwi, apples, or cantaloupe, and then carrots or broccoli) and I eat a salad for lunch (mixed greens, carrots, peppers, celery, mushrooms, 1 tbsp vinegrette dressing, sometimes 1/2 grilled chicken breast or 1 hard boiled egg over top). I've been drinking bottles of water (usually 3) at work with a kool aid single mixed in each (35 cal. each) - I have a hard time drinking plain water, and want to avoid any drinks flavoured with aspartame or things like that. I plan to gradually water down the kool aid until I get myself drinking plain water, but for now if the water isn't flavoured I don't drink nearly what I should in a day. Our dinners are varied but we try to stick to natural foods i.e. home made chicken vegetable stir fry over rice. In the evening we generally have a snack of either fruit or a creamsicle (70 cal, but it does wonders for my sweet tooth). I walk the dogs again before bed. If I have the time I'll actually bike around the track once with my pup (he's 1 1/2 yrs old and exploding with energy), then go home, pick up the older dog, and walk around the track with both of them once. That longer exercise session happens about once a week right now, although I'd like to do it more. On a positive note, the dogs are doing much better already after two weeks of increased exercise. Previously we were only getting out once every couple of days and the vet said they could both stand to lose a bit of weight, but now that we're out twice a day my 11 yr old lab is showing much more energy (he was previously a complete couch potato). They're great motivation for me to get out on those days I don't feel like it. Thanks for listening as I've rambled on, and thanks in advance for any tips or advice you have to share :) I've tried to get in shape in the past but I don't think my heart was really in it, plus I didn't have the "get fit" partners that I do now who help keep me motivated (my husband and the dogs).

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#1	mkculs	Jul 04 2008 05:30
It's hard to say from the info you have given, but I wonder if you are eating enough? I'd be starving if I didn't have more protein earlier in the day, I know that. I'm 5'8 and 205 so not that different from you. Are you reading the info on the "pinned" posts about the basic rules to follow--eat at least 1200 for women/1500 men; keep the calorie deficit under 1000, etc. If not be sure to do that. Counting calories is only useful if you are doing it right--and there is a huge tendency for people to undereat when they start out, I think, which sabotages their efforts. Also, you can try Lipton's White Tea to go--no artificial additives. I mix one pack (intended for 16 oz) into a quart of water and it is very flavorful. Like you, I'm not good about drinking unflavored water. Your exercise regime sounds great--really doable and fun! Dogs are great motivators when it comes to fitness. if you switch to tennis shoes or some other thing every time just before you walk them, they'll learn the cue and then drive you crazy if you do that "thing" (like put on the shoes) at a time when you weren't intending to walk them. It's cool how they pick up on signals we don't even know we are sending! Good luck.
#2	mrs_klay	Jul 04 2008 13:06
mkculs- It doesn't look like much food, but I'm eating whenever I'm hungry and I stop when I'm full - i.e. I'm not making myself go hungry at any point during the day. I find the yogurt and granola keeps me full for the morning, I've never been much of a breakfast eater anyway, and I snack throughout the whole day. When I'm at work I set the fruit or veggies out in our class kitchen and pick at it whenever I'm hungry. The salad is also pretty large (for what I'm used to eating) and fills me up as well. I tend to make up most of my calories in the evening when I'm at home I think, and I'd say it's rare that I'm much below 1600 cal a day - although I'll find out for sure once I get more consistent with tracking what I eat on here. Thanks for the tip on the tea flavouring, I'll have to check it out. 3skinnycows- I think I'll stick with this plan for now and try it on my own before I check out any other programs, but thanks for the suggestion anyway. As I mentioned, I'm not really looking to be skinny, just to drop some of this extra weight and feel healthier overall.
#3	slicey	Jul 05 2008 23:44
I'm about at the same place you are. I've been 190-200 for the past year, though my "normal" adult weight has been 180 and I'm looking to get down to around 150. I bought a pedometer and try to make sure that I walk 5 miles a day and I'm going to try jump-starting my weight loss with a low carb meal plan and a new exercise plan this week. I just found this website a couple of days ago and I hope it will give me the motivation I need to stick with it. I tend to get into "vacation mode" too often. I've been in a long-distance relationship for 5 years and whenever my partner and I visit each other for extended periods of time it always feels like a vacation and - for me - vacation equals eating out and allowing myself treats that I normally wouldn't. As a result, I've gained a lot of weight - in the last year, especially - because being with my partner encourages me to eat more, eat less healthy, and generally enjoy myself! I'm trying to encourage myself to get into more of a "dating" mindset of wanting to look fabulous for the dating world vs being comfortable with your partner and "letting yourself go" (I hate that term, but you know what I mean). Drink Suggestions: Arizona Diet Green Tea - it's flavored with Splenda so it tastes sweet and refreshing and has the healthy EGCG antioxidant of green tea. Snapple makes a healthy Diet Green Tea version too. Both of these are made with 100% brewed green tea, so they're natural tea, not tea-flavored like some other drinks. I also drink Light Cranberry Juice Cocktail which tastes just like regular cranberry juice but at only 40 calories and 9g of sugar is a much better juice choice. Both of these are mostly water, so (though not at beneficial as tap water) they will help with your daily water intake.
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