okay, so I need to get in shape for my big day. Of course, I was thinking about joining a gym or getting a trainer but they are expensive and we have to save for a honeymoon, house, etc... has anyone tried juice fast? I was thinking of going gluten free, dairy free, possibly meat free to lose the pounds. I found a few organic juice companies that will deliver. But again, they are expensive but much less expensive than the gym/trainer. Thank you for any thoughts.
Re: Getting in Shape
Try being sensible about it. You don’t need a gym to walk or run. You don’t need a fancy trainer to know you should plan to eat a variety of healthy foods in moderation. Giving up alcohol will get you better results than wasting your money on juice.
Agree 10x with the other PPs.
Lots of exercise options, without the need for a gym or a trainer. There are great work-out DVDs you can do at home. As well as websites/You Tube.
A juice fast is only going to be a very temporary weight loss. And, while I haven't done much research about them, it just sounds really unhealthy. Juices might have a lot of nutrients, but they also have a lot of natural sugar...which your body doesn't treat any differently than cane sugar or corn syrup. They also have no protein. Just eat more of the actual fruits.
Speaking of sugar, if you drink beverages with sugar on a daily basis, you will be really surprised at how easily you can drop some pounds just by switching to water. I had a former coworker who cut out the 2-3 Cokes a day she was drinking and lost 20 lbs. in two weeks. Doing nothing else. Though, I do want to give a caveat that she was significantly overweight. But I've known other people who had less weight that lost a few pounds over about a month, just by cutting out sugary drinks.
I also wouldn't recommend cutting out dairy. And, if you do, keep it to a very short period of time. It's especially important for women to build up their bone strength with calcium, because it decreases after menopause. Which might be a long time away for you, but building that strong foundation starts when we are young.
Nothing wrong with giving up meat, as long as you do some research and keep yourself healthy with other proteins. However, keep in mind, that your body will become used to not having meat. If/when you switch back, eating meat will probably make you sick for awhile.
Keep in mind, you didn't gain whatever weight you are trying to lose overnight. And you aren't going to lose it overnight either. It's frustrating! Believe you me, I know. But it is what it is.
Your FI loves you, for you. I promise, you will be a beautiful and radiant bride. Whether you drop a size or two or not.
I had luck cutting out sugars and dairy (my body does not handle milk/cheese well), and most carbs. I eat 5-6 small meals each day. Breakfast consists of hard boiled eggs and a fruit. Snacks are veggies, sometimes with peanut butter. Lunch and dinner are lean proteins and veggies. Once in a while, I'll add in sweet potatoes to my lunch or dinner. If I feel like a snack at night, I'll have fruit or a frozen fruit bar. Really, just try to stay away from processed foods. Try to meal prep for the week (this helped me a lot to stick to a healthy diet). Don't keep unhealthy snacks in the house (chips, cookies, etc). Limit your alcohol intake (I cut down to just one glass of wine per week, if that). Let yourself have one cheat meal per week.
Drink A LOT of water!
You don't need to belong to a gym to get in a good workout. Look into running/waking around your neighborhood or a local park. There are many strength and toning exercises you can do at home as well.
Cleanses and diets that are hard to keep up usually end up being really, really short term fixes, and aren't always super healthy. If you want to change, I would really encourage you to start making small, easily attainable changes that build healthy habits instead of "too good to be true" miracle fixes.
I started by walking. Eventually adding distance and time. My Samsung phone comes with a health app so it was easy to track. 2 miles is my minimum daily activity (which takes me 30 minutes). Although most days it's 4 miles or a big hike. I admit I live in CO and have easy access to great hikes.
Diet wise I started adding by adding more vegetables and less fried foods and sweets. The more I ate vegetables, the better I felt. Which in turn made me eat more of them. Meal planning was key for me. Don't get me wrong, I still eat burgers and fries. Just not nearly the frequency I did before.
Cleansing are a short term fix and cost a lot of money. Better off making a sustainable meal plan for long term success.
Juice cleanses don't sound good. You can add healthy smoothies/juices to what you're doing, but maybe also talk to your dr. You might be able to see a nutritionist.
But, I will say I've always been a "calorie in, calorie out" person. When I'm working out a lot (distance running and at a local, low-cost gym), I can eat more of the things I like that aren't really good for you (like donuts and cafe mochas). Right now I'm in a phase where I barely work out because of other circumstances and I've changed my diet to reduce the unhealthy splurges. I do eat carbs, dairy and meat- just far fewer treats. I'm able to keep my weight in check just by not over eating. Reduce alcohol intake, if any; reduce all soda intake- even diet soda. Drink water, and coffee black.
Think less diet, more about small meaningful and sustainable changes. Perhaps exchange one night of alcohol for water, parking as far from things as possible, always taking the stairs and adding in a vegetable with lunch and dinner.
You are already beautiful and loved. Remember that.
Actually the fried cauliflower I make is part of the keto diet plan! Lol
Ive done a juice cleanse before (Cooler Cleanse)...it was okay but the last juice of the day (almond and date water) is purposely the heaviest so you’re not famished trying to go to bed. It’s like 550ish calories. While drinking it I was thinking “I could be chewing on celery and broccoli florets dipped in hummus for less than 500 calories”. Eating (good) food is just more satisfying than drinking all of your calories.
An active lifestyle helps too. I don’t have as much time as I’d like to get in formal workouts (not even the 30-min 21-day-fix one’s, unfortunately) but I wear a pedometer and do have daily step and flights climbed goals. But the times I’ve been at my best weights, I have to say it was 90% eating right and 10% exercise.
https://www.fitnessblender.com/
https://www.doyogawithme.com/
I would personally recommend taking a few yoga classes with an actual instructor initially to make sure you have the correct postures for poses, but once you accomplish that as well as pair the pose with the name, online tutorials work really well. It's just hard to watch and do yoga at the same time.
As far as exercising goes, I've been really into Tabata lately. It's challenging but doesn't require much aside from some weights and a mat. Lots of strength training / cardio workouts there. Give it a shot!
a. Set a goal. Probably starts from 1 pond/w.
b. Veg only for dinner.
c. exercise 0.5 hr/d. My suggestion would be aerobics (youtube, I start with TRAIN LIKE AN ANGLE) for 20 minutes. After your body gets warm, see how much you can take. If more, add 10 mins pilates, as this keeps your heart beat at a certain rate, which is good to dissolve fat; if not, go for yoga(I'd take 2mins plank as a transfer).
d. Drink less and no snacks.
After you lost 1p, trust me, it'll be easier than you thought. Your confidence would be boosted and you will be ready for the next level. BUT DON'T PUSH YOURSELF.
a. Upgrade the goal to 2p/w.(the first goal will take less than a week, but continue from there, don't take a rest)
b. Exercise 1hr/d. As always, aerobics first, pilates or anything that would increase your heart rate(go to youtube), and yoga the last. This is because yoga can help you to lower down the heart beat and make you easy to fit it morning work or night sleep.
c. More veg in lunch, an apple for dinner with a little milk, lots of water and no chips.
After you reach this goal, you can prepare yourself for the next level. You get my idea, step by step. All you need to do is to never push yourself and make it hard to continue. Body shaping is a long process, but you can really see the change afterwards, it totally worth it.
Ah, some tips:
a. After a month or so of random exercise, go for particular parts of your body. Mix and match. Thigh for Monday, arms Tuesday, waist Wednesday and running or jogging for Thursday. This is to avoid straining your muscles.
b. Never, never give up after you start. There might be some plateau periods and it's really frustrating. While, my secret is to fantasize myself in a red, hot, bloody sexy dress, *****u know
c. No chips! Absolutely not! My dad's half British, so you know my hard times. Fish is OK, but definitely no chips. Not a single bite! Don't even think about it! JUST NO!
d. A nice, balanced, tempting breakfast is essential. This keeps your daily metabolic rate at a high level. You'll be amazed how important it is.
I changed my body shape, and I know how that've changed my life. I mean, don't take body shaping as a one-time-only thing. You're not a beautiful bride for just one day, you are an gorgeous lady everyday.
Also, saying “no chips/fries ever” is just setting yourself up for failure. Allow yourself one cheat meal per week. Eat some fries. Have a glass of wine. Eat a dessert. Its about moderation.
There are a lot of good tips in the majority of this!
But I agree with the other PP's on making sure to have balanced meals and occasional treats.
Though it is a good idea to make dinner the lightest meal of the day. I read an article where a woman lost over 100lbs by "switching" breakfast and dinner, ie her heaviest meal in the morning and lightest one in the evening. Initially, she didn't even change what she was eating. Would have her normal typical dinner stuff...like meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy...except at breakfast. But, as she started losing weight, she also found she needed fewer calories and did slowly start to cut back on her portion sizes and choosing healthier foods. I actually thought it was pretty brilliant. She didn't try changing too many things all at one time.
Don't starve your body of the calories it needs. There are all kinds of tools online that can help you gauge how many calories you need to eat, but while still losing weight.
Last year, I decided to make a change regarding my health. I joined a gym that costs $120 a month. That sounds like a lot of money, but most of us spend around that each month for our phones. If I can pay that bill without thinking twice, I made the decision that my health was as important as having access to the internet while on the go.
I go to a gym that offers classes so I have to schedule my day around the gym. It has become part of my routine and I have already done over 250 classes there in the last year.
I also don't think that a juice company that delivers enough meals to replace what you eat would be cheaper than a gym.
Fasts and fad diets don’t do anything but offer a quick fix, start slowly and change small things. Look at your portion sizes, look at what you’re drinking, look at the calories you’re consuming, then tweak your daily life for your lifestyle.
If you're thinking about the week ahead, for example, think of the days you'll be able to exercise. Whether it's taking a long walk during your lunch break, hiking on the weekend, or making sure you park in the spot furthest from the entrance to your grocery store, be in the mindset of moving as much as possible. Take stairs instead of escalators, walk instead of drive, do stretches or jumping jacks when you're filling up your car, etc.
If there's a party or dinner you're going to attend, think about potential pitfalls in advance. Can you politely resist dessert? Skip the bread? Eat a healthy snack beforehand so you don't show up starving?
I was thinking about joining a gym or getting a trainer but they are expensive and we have to save for a honeymoon, house, etc
A healthy lifestyle doesn't mean dieting and depriving yourself. It doesn't necessarily mean getting a trainer or joining the gym. It means making time and planning in advance when you're going to get exercise, regardless of the weather. It means loving your body and being mindful of what you consume. It's about discipline and not making excuses for yourself.
If you want to hold yourself accountable, tell your friends about your plans or post your progress on social media, alternatively keep a food and exercise journal. Making a significant lifestyle change is challenging to sustain, which is why people turn to professionals for help: personal trainers, workout or weight loss programs or nutritionists. You don't necessarily need to do this, but if it's going to be tough on your own, you may consider cutting back on other expenses and putting some money aside for your health and well-being.
My 3 tips for losing weight:
+drink lots of water all day
+walk a lot --- at least one hour/day if you have time
+don't eat after 7pm
My nutritionist friend preaches:
+eat breakfast like a queen
+lunch like a princess
+dinner like a pauper
(your meals get a lot smaller as the day progresses)
Good luck and congratulations on your engagement!
etf typo
I am taking "me time" and going to classes at a local gym, plus eating healthier choices. I do check-in with my health coach every month to track results but it's been a long time in the making and i'm glad I found this site, you guys helped.