New to diets/excersice plans but need help! (this may get long!)

atg11715

I am well aware that I need to lose weight/get in shape. Not just for my wedding but for life in general. I know I should eat better foods and fit more excercise into my days. Problem? Even though I know what  I should do, I find it so hard to actually do it. I never realyl needed to diet until after I had my daughter. She is now 6 so I can't really call it baby weight anymore. I joined a gym with my fiance this winter but have not gone in a while because both of our work schedules got messed up and we no longer have time to go. I enjoy walking and try to walk when I can but between working different hours each day/week and taking care of my daughter it is so hard to fit in anything. By the time she is in bed at 8 each night I am wiped out.
As far as food goes, I can not help myself around sweets. chocolate is just too tempting. I rarely drink soda, perfer water actually but need my coffee inthe morning. I know I need to eat more fruits/veggies and less processed stuff. I thought once I planned my wedding that would be the motivation I could use to get in better shape but we are 4 months away and I have yet to lose a pound. I would like to go on my honeymoon and NOT feel like a hippo in a bathing suit, its kind of a mood killer.
If anyone has been in my shoes and managed to turn things around or just anyone with some good (but sorta easy) tips and ideas that would be AWESOME. Thanks!!!

sazatronic

Two words, Wii Fit. You don't have to go all the way to the gym to use it, it counts how many calories you've burned while you're burning them, and it's something you could do with your daughter. She would LOVE it. That's what I'm using, the first week I lost three pounds, and I hadn't even started dieting.

As far as food goes, you've just gotta do it. Coffee in the morning actually helps with weightloss, but mochas and stuff with a ton of sugar is just counter-productive. Cut out soda completely. If there's one thing you are going to cut out, make it soda. If you're having a hard time giving up the sweets, try alternatives, like fruit smoothies, salads and 100% juice popcicles. If chocolate's the issue, run to costco, buy a bag of chocolate covered Acai berries, and limit yourself to one or two servings a day. That way it's not COMPLETELY empty calories you're eating. The berries have antioxidants that are good for your skin, and help promote weight loss. Whenever you get the chocolate craving, just eat one or two, it'll go away because they're so rich and yummy.

Anyway, that's what I've been doing, and it really works. Forget hardcore diets and exercise routines that you're not going to be able to stick to. Start with something attainable. When you start getting into shape, you'll actually begin wanting to go get a good workout at the gym.

msange727

it sounds like you consider yourself defeated... so you're going to need to start over. forget any bad experiences with diets or gyms or whatever, and don't consider yourself helpless around any kind of food. 98% of getting in shape is the mental workout, really. so from now on, think yourself thin - from your post, it sounds like you already know what to do. that's half the battle for a lot of people! so you've got a leg up.

from now on, don't focus on any struggles you've had in the past. you've got the motivation, and you've got the right ideas, just put them into play. stay positive, and if you slip, don't beat yourself up over it. promise yourself that you will make good choices from here on out, and think of it as making a promise to your little one: you wouldn't let her down because you're tired or had a bad day, would you? of course not. treat yourself the same way! good luck to you and keep us posted! :]

pollyguts

Try livestrong.com. It has REALLY worked for me. I joined a gym in January  and was exercising about 3 times a week, and didn´t see any results. I think its because I was eating just as much or more than normal, because I thought it was ok because I was working out. Anyway, a friend told me about the daily plate on livestrong.com. basically its a calorie counter. You can set your own limit.. I started at 1800 and then have been lowering it every few weeks as I get better at controlling what I eat. I swear, it has totally helped me, because I now avoid foods that are super high in calories, and I have been working out more to balance out my intake. And, its not really like a "diet" because there is no one food that is prohibited. So I can eat a cheeseburger for lunch if I want, but then I just eat salad for dinner. You also put in the calories you burn too- even things like walking or cleaning. Anyway, try it, I have lost 10 pounds in 2 months. The first month I didn´t see much of a difference, but stick with it because the second month was when I saw the changes. Good luck!!!

cac847

If you can't resist temptation, don't keep those foods in the house. I make homemade granola bars, cut up fruit to make a big fruit salad and carrot sticks at the beginning of every week, and keep bowls of fruit on the kitchen table so there's always a healthy snack ready to grab. Menu planning also makes a big difference. Over the weekend, I plan everything I'm going to cook for the week, and make my grocery list from the necessary ingredients. http://www.eatingwell.com and http://www.cookinglight.com have a lot of great recipes, and list all the nutritional info for them.

Laur0813

ive lost 40 pounds..  i never had to worry about weight until my boyfriend (now late-ex)  got really sick (cancer) i gained 40 pounds in 2 months. it was crazy.  its now 4 years later and i have lost all the weight that i put on.  i had to get a routine.  now i eat just about the same thing everyday.  make sure to count your calories, no more needless sugar, limit yourself to 1 low-cal snack a day, and keep the calories under what your BMR reads.  I recommend getting your BMI (body mass index)  cross reference that with a body fat calculator (some scales do this)  that will give you a pretty accurate standing of where you are, and of where you need to be.  Become active, you said you were exhausted after your daughter goes to bed, couldnt you fit a 30 min workout in after? stretch your day an extra 30 min?  or ideally get up 30 min early, then your energized and ready for the day.  when i started trying to lose weight, i was not involved in any active activities, and my usual snacks were potato chips.  now i play softball, yoga twice a week, and my standard workouts 3-5 times a week.  i think the wii-fit is an excellent idea, because your daughter can be involved too.  exercise with her!  I wish you luck, and remember theres really nothing you cant do when you set your mind to it.