Health Advice

buttercup1958 · June 2014

Hey guys, I could put this in getting in shape but this place is more active. I'm trying to lose weight and become healthy. My metabolism has slowed down and I gained 15 pounds. I'm 20, 5'4, and now weigh 140. I want to start becoming healthy now so as I get older I reduce possible health problems. I've been going to the gym for a week and haven't seen much results.

I know only going for a week isn't going to do much but I have some questions. It's really hard not to get discouraged. How long did it take you guys to see more results? I'm trying to eat healthier and I would love some tips on what would be a good place to start. Plus I can't always make it to the gym so I was thinking of buying at home exercise videos. Which ones are the best? I'm completely out of shape so I don't know if I can handle the hardcore ones. Thanks for reading!

sarahufl · June 2014

A friend from college loves the Beach Body T25 workouts. They are not for me, but they seem to have really good results for 25 minutes a day- plus you can do it at home with limited equipment.

All I can say, is don't get discouraged. If you try eating better (more protein, less carbs, less snacking/junk) and slowly ramp up your workout, you will eventually see results but it could take a bit of time. Try parking further away when you drive somewhere or walking more (if that is an option for you).

Good luck!

mrsmorales2be · June 2014

Set mini-goals for yourself - whatever helps to keep you motivated. Changing your diet is going to be most beneficial, but you need both - diet and exercise - to make lasting change. Feel free to PM me, I could go on all day!

natswild · June 2014

a couple of big things-increase your water intake, it WILL make a difference. Also, getting out and walking even 20 minutes a day is really beneficial. I like the Jillian Michaels videos. I'm unfortunately not doing them currently because my shoulder is screwed up

(and working 12-15 hours/day)...
Also, it usually takes a month or so for results to be seen.

One of the biggest things too-don't go on a crazy calorie reduced diet, like 500 calories a day or something. A good guide is your weight x 10, so for you, about 1400 calories.

Good luck!

buttercup1958 · June 2014

@sarahufl Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely look into beach body! I already park far away in the parking lot and have been going up and down stairs instead of taking the elevator. Carbs are my weakness, I'm hoping switching white bread for whole grain so I hope that helps. @mrsmorales2be I'm trying to set goals to keep myself motivated, the main two are fitting comfortably in my clothes and have an easier time to hike. I love hiking but I get worn out so easily. @natswild I actually just went out on a 30 min walk with V, we are going to do that more. The weather has been gross out lately with the humidity and rain. But I think it will end in a day or two. And I can never go on those 500 calories diets, I love food way too much. I'm trying to be smart and not go crazy by starving myself. Thanks for the suggestion, I'm going to look up her videos too. Maybe I'll get both so I'll have some variety and not get bored. Thanks everyone!

buttercup1958 · June 2014

i swear i had paragraphs..damn knot haha

CMGragain · June 2014

Weight Watchers is a healthy eating program that has proven results for many people.

buttercup1958 · June 2014

@CMGragain I have heard of great things from weight watchers. I'm not sure if I would be able to stick with it long term though. I'm not sure if I can afford it

lc07 · June 2014

For me, it was finding a form of exercise that I really enjoy doing. I love yoga. LOVE IT. So I go almost every day. Sometimes twice a day.

I don't like running on a treadmill and I don't like doing videos at home. So I would give up easily on those things in the past.

Find something you like doing.

As far as eating, I found that planning meals in advance worked best so I had something reasonably healthy to eat that was quick and easy when I got hungry. I would usually make poor choices when I was really hungry, like way beyond the time that I should have eaten. And I'd crave junk because of it. I agree with the PP who suggested drinking a lot of water. When you're dehydrated it's easy to confuse that feeling with hunger. If you finish a meal and you're still hungry, drink a full glass of water and wait 15-20 minutes. If you're still hungry, then eat more. But it might take that long to digest and for your body to realize you aren't actually hungry.

As far as how long it takes to get results, that varies. As you build muscle you will gain muscle and lose fat. So if the scale shows you lost 2 lbs. It's possible that you lost 4 lbs of fat and gained two lbs of muscle. So don't solely rely on the scale for weight loss results.

It's really more of a lifestyle than a "see results quick" kind of thing. Know that what you are doing is making your body healthier whether you can see it or not (lung capacity, heart rate, oxygen/blood flow etc). This circles back to why you should choose exercises that you like.

Sorry that was rambly.

Edited: to make sense.

buttercup1958 · June 2014

lc07 Ramble away! I'm not flexible at all so i'm not sure how I would do in yoga. I've never tried it before. I'm not even sure if my college gym has a yoga class and since i'm a student its free. I like exercising indoors. I get hot really easily and I feel like I can go longer in air conditioning. I have learned I shouldn't wait till the last min to plan my meals so that my start to help.

I'm trying to eat more vegetables and I haven't drink soda for the past couple of days so that may help too. Isn't it true I should only exercise for about 30-40 mins? I'm trying not to burn myself out but i'm not sure if 30 mins is "wussing" it out. My dad told me I should be at the gym for 2 hours which is scary ha.

BreMR · June 2014

I'm so with you OP, I get discouraged after a week very easily. I started Jillian MIchael's Body Revolution on Monday and have worked out and kept my calories at a deficit all week and think "WHY HAVEN'T I LOST 5 POUNDS!?" The thing is, I swore to myself I'd give it a month before I allow myself to even think about giving up. I was even thinking of hiding my scale and basing it off of how my clothes fit.. but I haven't been able to give it up yet.

buttercup1958 · June 2014

BreMR Exactly! I think scales are pure evil and I keep telling myself it may be 5 pounds off ha. It doesn't help that V can eat icecream and sausage AND somehow lose weight.

erollis · June 2014

I second find something you love doing. And I'm probably echoing some other things too.

Look on groupon and living social for yoga, Pilates, dance classes, and other active activities to try. It'll help keep you engaged and work your muscles different ways. You'll also learn what you like to do best.

Drinking a lot of water, watching food portion size, and eating better quality of food (avoiding overly processed junk) help.

Don't forget muscle weighs more than fat. So you can gain weight but loose inches.

lc07 · June 2014

That's the other thing I wanted to mention! (I'm also terrible at getting it all out in one post). You mentioned being worried that you may not be able to do the hardcore videos. Like yoga, or any class you take, you do what you can. And what you can't do, you can't do.

I take one class in particular at my yoga studio that is insane. It's cardio and yoga mixed. No one in the class can do everything. But it's fast paced and if you're supposed to do 10 push ups and you only do 2 then you do 2! And it's a really cool feeling when you go back the next week and you can do 3!

The beautiful thing about yoga is that it isn't about what you did last week or what you hope to be able to do. It's about honoring where your body is right in that exact moment. You do what you can. And you push yourself. And over time you can do more and more. But it isn't about that. It's about being in the moment. But I'm like you - I like to be able to do everything that I try to do really well. It's a perfectionism thing. I'm trying to let go.

Get veggies and wash and slice them and leave them in tupperware in your fridge. Have hummus ready to go. Then when you're hungry you just open the fridge and grab it instead of thinking "Oh I have to wash and slice vegetables. A bag of chips is so much easier. CHIPS!"

Nothing is wussing out. You're exercising! Yay! The next week, try to go a little longer or do a little more than you did the last time. Don't set overwhelming goals like being at the gym for 2 hours. Set manageable goals for YOU. You know you best.

Also, if it's in your budget consider hiring a personal trainer. I did that years ago and the accountability was awesome. They pushed me and encouraged me. I HAD to go to the gym even if I didn't want to because I had an appointment. They also helped me track my muscle mass and weight and all that stuff.

buttercup1958 · June 2014

erollis I'm actually watching my proportions more closely now. I feel this way I can still eat things I love in a healthy way. And I live in a small college town so I'll definitely look things up and see if there is anything going on. Thanks!

lc07 I think I'll look into yoga! I really am a perfectionist and a workaholic. So maybe I should try and reduce my stress. I actually have carrots ready to go and peach fruit cups too. So I think I'm doing ok. When I do go to the gym I try to do different things like an elliptical to sit ups and weights. I wish I could afford a trainer but I don't have the money right now.

lc07 · June 2014

Does your gym offer free classes?

My gym had a kickboxing cardio class that I really liked. It helped with the perfectionist / workaholic personality that I have, too. I wanted to keep up and do well and impress the teacher. And I wouldn't walk out in the middle of a class. Whereas I'd tell myself I was going to run on the treadmill for half an hour and at the 20 minute mark I was all "Ah, that was enough, I think. Done."

Classes keep me from being bored. And keep me going through til the end.

WinstonsGirl · June 2014

Your diet is about 70% of your weight, so cut out processed stuff, eat lots of fruit and veg and whole grains. Also, eat slowly, so you can tell when you're full. It's hard, cos I love eating too. Try putting your fork down between every bite and don't pick it up again until you've swallowed. I've done Alpha of T-25. It's ok. Try to get some weights in at least twice a week. Muscle will trim your inches and help up your metabolism. And be patient. Average healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs per week, so don't get discouraged if you don't notice something immediately. Tell someone else too, to help keep you accountable. Or keep a journal of everything you eat. It makes you so much more aware of what you're putting in your body. Track the workouts there too. I find that if I'm tracking, I'm less likely to grab that extra doughnut from the staff room cos I don't actually want to log it in the journal. I feel guiltier that way and usually avoid too much bad stuff

emmyg65 · June 2014

What sort of results are you looking for? Usually when I start working out, I notice that my body changes before I lose any weight. My clothes fit better and things firm up. I also like being able to just do more week to week. First week, I can squat 50 pounds. Next week, it's up to 55. That kind of progress is exciting because it's fun to see myself getting stronger.

I mix cardio with free weights. I cannot recommend free weights highly enough! They can be intimating at first, but they're so very effective. My favorite exercises are bench presses (or shoulder presses until I can press the bar, which is 40 lbs.), squats with weight, and deadlifts. Those three exercises will work every major muscle.

Everything I know about weightlifting I learned from Stumptuous: http://www.stumptuous.com/category/training/dork_to_diva

offensivekitten2 · June 2014

I am a BIG fan of yoga. Yes I felt stupid and embarrassed when I started, but I'm only 2 months in and I've gone down a clothing size.

(FYI, don't weigh yourself at the start of any excersize routine. You will gain muscle, you will gain lbs, and you will quit out of being discouraged despite being legit healthier).

buttercup1958 · June 2014

@Ic07 I'm not sure, I think they do during the school year. But since its the summer, I wouldn't be surprise if they didn't. I would love to try kick boxing it always seems like so much fun. We are getting a new fitness center so maybe they will have a lot of new classes!

@WinstonsGirl‌ I told my boyfriend so he will definitely keep me on track. And I do eat really fast so I'll try and slow down. I do need to lift weights, I have very weak arms. That would help me carry heavy trays for my job too. I'm starting with the 5 pounds. Yep I'm that weak ha. I actually don't eat a lot of sweets, and I haven't eaten white bread for a couple of weeks now.

@emmyg65‌ I'm trying to get back Tony normal weight. I was 125 and I'm not sure what happened. I also want to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be. My family is plague with health problems so I'm trying to avoid them as much as I can. I also want to be able to hike without almost dying from being tired ha. I'll try and use the squat machine at my gym. I use to go to the gym at least every other day. But I got lazy so I need to improve that.

@offensivekitten2‌ thanks! I'm always afraid looking dumb so it's nice to know I won't be the only one. And will stop weighing myself before workouts. That's the main thing discouraging me. Is at home yoga really dangerous? I keep reading that it is

erollis · June 2014

Honestly one of the biggest contributors to me loosing weight and inches was walking and standing. I started a new job over a year ago. I was on my feet for 8 hours a day (4 or 5 days a week). Just walking, bending over, squatting, and standing. I drank crazy amounts of water. I never broke a sweat and my heart rate never was elevated. Granted I never gained muscle but I got back to a healthy weight thanks to this job. FYI I'm 5'4" and 136. I was 190/195 when I started my job.

My point being that no matter what you do consistently you will loose weight/inches.

I also wouldn't say in home yoga is dangerous. I would say not knowing how to properly lift a weight, do a stretch, stance, dance step in your home is potentially dangerous. Not that doing workouts at home is bad or the videos are bad. If you don't have an instructor I believe the risk of injury goes up. At least for my clumsy self.

buttercup1958 · June 2014

@erollis‌ I'm very clumsy too. There isn't much walking and standing at my museum jobs right now. I prep fossils and help with collections so I'm actually sitting a lot. Plus my communicates are kinda long too. I think I'm going to look up classes.

And do home videos as well. Since school ended I don't have my part time job as a work study. That job was very physical so maybe that's why I didn't notice my weight gain until now. I really do need to become more active. I'm very lucky to have V's support. He isn't a gym person but we do like biking and walking together.

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