Diet & Exercise Advice? | Golden Skate

Diet & Exercise Advice?

anya_angie

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 20, 2003
Hey guys!
It's been far too long I know!

I wonder if you guys can help me out with this... Not sure why I feel most comfortable asking these questions here of all places, but where you have friends, you can ask anything, right?

I'm going to be frank. I want to lose 150LBS! I am not sure if it is realistic to set a date for that, but I have grand hopes that by January 1, 2012... or at least by my 30th birthday on August 27th, 2012.

I want a whole new me! I want a whole new wardrobe that actually looks NICE! I need some good fat-burning exercises or workout DVDs that I can pick up, and some great diet advice.

Here's my plan so far, and you guys can tell me what you think:

Diet-wise, I am going to eat less (duh, that's a given...) but I'm not going to deny myself anything... if I want a Cadbury creme egg... I'll have one... but only one, if that helps at all. *sigh* This way, I'm not miserable and craving something I know I can't have. I also plan on including more FIBER, VEGGIES, and PROTEIN in my diet. Let's face it, I honestly tend to neglect those particular things in my "normal" way of eating. I know that's not good. I also plan to go out less to restaurants. I don't eat much fast food, but when I do I have been opting for the "healthier" options (chicken wraps from McDonald's are good and probably healthier than their burgers).

For exercise, I'm thinking 2hrs a day, at least, 7 days a week. I'm going to get myself The Complete Sweatin' To The Oldies Collection (to me, there's nothing more motivating or fun than Richard Simmons, but I'm open for other suggestions), along with Sweatin' 5, and the stuff he does w the 80s music. I read one review for one of the 80s workout DVDs, saying that by doing that workout every day for 3 weeks they'd already lost 7lbs! Another DVD review (for a different 80s workout DVD) said that they lost 7lbs in 2 months! So I definitely want to try my hand at those.

Well guys, I'm open for advice, encouragement, questions etc.
 

Blue Bead

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Congratulations on your committment to weight loss, anya_angie! In addition to the exercises DVDs it would be a good idea to get a copy of a comprehensive carbohydrate and fat gram guide to help you make smarter food choices. Usually these are fairly thick paperbacks and can be found in any major bookstore chain. They are extremely helpful in planning out the foods that you will eat in your daily meals; they even have sections dedicated to fast food restaurants and ethnic foods. I have two, one in my car and one in the house. Along with exercise, primarily walking, I lost 53 pounds three years ago!
 

anya_angie

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 20, 2003
Thank you so much Blue Beard and it's great to see you again!

That is such great advice, I'll be sure to follow it! It's great to have encouragement and a good example to follow.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Welcome back and kudos to you for accepting the challenge to make such big changes, Anya_Angie!!!

For me, lifestyle changes are more effective than diets and grand plans. I dieted for my wedding... and then gained it all back and more the next year. Whereas a relatively small and doable change in my everyday habits, like going to the gym for an hour 3x/week, or substituting using low-fat milk for cream or half-and-half in recipes, produces results that will stay as long as I keep it up. (Note: it takes a while for the changes to show up. Be patient and have faith!) I've read of recent studies that say exercise doesn't help you lose weight, but my experience says it does.

Personally, I'd suggest taking the time and trouble to learn to love fruits and veggies. There are many healthy ways to prepare and enjoy them -- raw and cooked, smoothies, fresh juice (from juice-stands or get a juicer), stir-fries, zillions of different salads, fresh soups, grilled veggies, etc. -- it depends on your own tastes. For restaurants, lots of Asian cuisines are big on veggies and relatively low on fat. There are many vegetarian cookbooks and website that can inspire you - you'll be amazed at the variety in the vegetable kingdom. But be mindful because some recipes are more health- and weight-conscious than others. Cheese is high-fat whether you serve it on burgers or asparagus.

I need to make dietary changes too, not so much because of weight as high blood pressure. Cheese is my biggest problem because it's been a major protein source for me (I'm a vegetarian). Let's encourage each other. Thank you for having the honesty to speak up here.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
My best advice on this topic is to lose the weight slowly. That way you won't starve yourself and the weight won't return. I found weight watchers to be one of the best and easiest diets to follow (also the diabetic diet is very similar). Being married to a diabetic for many years has taught me a lot about diet and weight maintanance, not to mention good habits to follow. You should see your dr. before starting on any diet or exercise program. Also watch the fad diets - they don't work and are not good for you. I found losing two pounds a week really easy to do. I also did a lot of walking. Drink lots of water! Good luck. I hope you reach your goal.
 
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