Need help with a workout and eating plan.

Sgreen19

Hi so I have 11 months till my wedding i want to work out to mostly tone up but lose a little weight my fiance doesn't think i need to but i don't feel confident in my body. i have alot of restrictions when it comes ot losing weight i don't have alot of money so i can't go to the gym i need workoouts to do at home i have weights and other things at the house. I can't miss meals i love food to much nor do i like to do replacement shakes tride them like body bi vi and i didn't like it. Also food restrictions because we live with my fiances dad and he cooks while we are in school and i don't want to hurt his feelings by cooking something else. i go to school early in the morning around 6 am and usly just grab a bagel from tim hortons. I have been trying to cut back my junk food and pop intake and trying to drink green tea and water but i love sugars and if i don't have pop at least once a day i get a headache and not feeling good i think its because of the caffine. we drink alot of pop because his dad buys it and its easiest to grab. at the moment i'm not very active because i drive to and from school alot and sit at school so alot of sitting. i need some advice on what to do for excersises on toneing up and help on a meal plan. little about me i am 5'3" weight about 150 use to be 120 which i would like to be again. gain most of my weight in my legs butt, thighs and gut need to lose some of it but not alot i like having a butt but i want it to look nice. i plan on having a fit and flare style dress so i need a flat tummy.  if anyone hs advice that would be great or would it be better if i go talk to a nutrienest or my doctor?

lbarr088

I don't think you need to see a nutritionist or a doctor.  Also, please don't take this the wrong way but I think restrictions in this case is more along the lines of excuses.  We all do it, but the trick is to realize that you CAN work around it all.  From this post I would think that you are well aware of what the main issues are.... sugar!

FIrst and foremost I would start cutting back on the pop.  It has ZERO nutritional value and is absolutely full of sugar.  Slowly cut back and eventually the headaches, ill feeling will subside.  Honestly, grabbing a bottle of water is just as easy as grabbing a can of pop.  Talk to your FFIL about healthier choices and see what he thinks.  Also, what type of food is he cooking?  Do you track your calories?

What kind of cable service do you have at home?  IF you have the option of On Demand there are usually a bunch of free workout videos that I've enjoyed doing in the past.  For school, can you park further away from where you need to go to encourage walking?  What about getting outside and going for walks as part of a lunch break?  Are there any types of physical activites you like to do and would you be able to fit them in on weekends?

entropicbeauty

OP - Ibarr nailed it on the head. You are making excuses, and the only place that is going to get you is the unhappy place you're already at.

What kind of pop are you drinking? I admit, I drink more pop than I should, but I will only drink diet (not saying it's "better" for me, but at least it's not a lot of empty calories) - if you are drinking regular, try switching it up to diet. It is a good idea to wean yourself off and try to drink more water/tea though in the long run. The tea will help prevent you from getting caffiene withdrawl from cutting back on pop as well.

As for exercise and food...there are so many little things you can do to make improvements here. First off, are you counting calories? If not, start. You may think you're eating is decent, but if you have no idea how many calories are in the food you're eating, you could be really overdoing it without realizing it. I suggest myfitnesspal.com - a lot of us on this board use it and love it. It has been a great tool for me.

I also agree with Ibarr on parking further away. Try taking walks with your FI...even if you can only fit one walk in a week on the weekend that will help. A lot of people on here like programs like P90X or the Jillian Michaels workouts (30 Day Shred etc.). Any extra movement is going to be better than no movement, so just get active any way you can.

If you are in school, does your school have a gym facility? I know my university had a wonderful free-for-students gym with all of the cardio and weightlifting equipment you could ever want. 

Are there physical activity classes you could take? My university offered 1 credit classes like this (I tried Jazz Dance myself), and it could be a great way to force yourself to stay committed to moving (considering you still get a grade!).

My final suggestion is to keep coming back here and post on our daily accountability threads. It is a wonderful support network and it has really helped to see how everyone else handles their weightloss on a daily basis.

Goodluck!

cnf2013

Ahhh, you and I are similar sizes. I feel your pain. I am also working my way back down to 120 from 162 and I'm also about 5'3". I gained a lot of weight while working at a job I despised with a 2.5 hour commute followed by being unemployed for 8 months, which made me depressed and miserable. 

The above advice is great. I'd also suggest trying 15-20 minutes of body weight exercises  a day. This would be things like different variations of push up, squats, lunges, etc. The Crunch brand DVDs are good as well. They make videos that are broken down into 10 minute segments so if you don't have a lot of time you can squeeze just one 10 minute workout in, or opt to just run the whole thing and do all 40 minutes. The exercises are combination strength and cardio so even if you choose a short workout it's still well rounded. I have the kickboxing one and love it. 

lbarr088

Crunch is pretty awesome.  I sampled a few of their workouts On Demand.  

unchatenfrance

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. Cut down on sugars and starches. Make your own healthy breakfast at home - that bagel from Tim's has next to zero nutrients. Remember that our bodies send us hunger signals not only when ithey're not getting enough calories, but also when they're not getting enough nutrients. So you can eat 3000+ calories of junk a day and your body will still keep sending you hunger signals because it's not getting what it needs. (Plus, if you need more incentive, remember that a healthy diet also improves cognitive function - and I'm sure you want that for school!)

Also, please ditch the soda ASAP. Even diet soda still wreaks havoc on your body and causes insulin spikes, which is very bad for your health (insulin resistance, bone mineral density) and therefore weight. If you need the caffeine, drink coffee or tea.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diet-soda-healthy/#axzz2DinFtRrR

Don't worry about offending your FI's dad. Explain to him you're trying to lose weight for the wedding - most men know better than to argue with a woman on that score! Plus, there's nothing preventing you from cooking up an extra side of vegetables for yourself in addition to whatever your FI's dad is serving, even if he and FI don't want to eat them.

Park further away and take the stairs whenever you can. Go for walks. There are plenty of home workout options out there. Remember that you don't have to work out a lot - you just have to work out smart. Some physical activity is always better than none. And some physical activity + better nutrition means that you'll be on your way toy our goal.

Also, note that there is no such thing as "toning up." You can lose fat and gain muscle, but you can't target a specific body part. Your body will begin losing fat from wherever you gained it last: for a woman, likely the belly, then the upper body will begin leaning out. But that "permafat" on the hips and thighs may not budge at all without extreme measures. Exercise will help shape your butt and thigh muscles, for example, but the fat may remain on top and that's ok (because a decent amount of lower-body fat on a woman is generally a sign of good health! The abdominal fat is what is often harmful). As long as you're realistic about your goals you'll be ok :-)

sarag8r

First and foremost, stop eating bagels for breakfast every day.  Tim Horton's bagels average about 50 carbs each.  I am diabetic and keeping an eye on carbs, even if you are not eating "low carb" can make a big difference.  And just switch out things-turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, skim milk instead of whole, diet soda or water instead of regular soda.  Also portion size-basically every restaurant meal is at least twice a normal size, so start taking half of everything home  and have it for dinne the next day.  Simply eat half as much.  This isn't a diet and you would notice a difference if you do nothing else.  just my 2 cents.

Dreamergirl8812

Wow I'm not very new to TK but I am new to this board and I am so impressed with you ladies! There is so much misinformation out there, especially when it comes to women's weight loss. Thank you unchatenfrance  for your entire post, but particularly your comment about the myth that is "toning."

One thing I want to add: since you're worried about offending your fiance's dad, who sounds wonderful for cooking for you all the time instead of ordering pizza every night, you could ask him to teach you how to cook. You could specify that you want to learn healthy cooking, or you could just adapt whatever he teaches you. But either way I bet he would love to spend some quality time with his future daughter in law, while imparting some of his knowledge of cooking.

MelissaGwen3

I recommend Hot Yoga or Hot Yoga Barre if you have it in your area. It helped me get into amazing shape for my wedding! For some reason, I think because of the heat and sweating, it becomes addictive- which obviously really helps. Good luck!