Where to start?

Ok, so since I moved to San Diego I've been over weight. Not by much, but I'd like to lose 15-20 pounds. Where do you start? How do you stay motivated? Any help.

Do you work out or go to a gym?

That is my biggest problem as with my intense schooling it is hard to keep to a regular gym schedule. Cardio and weight training are a great way to lose fat and tone.

Since it is summer, playing volleyball, swimming and bicycle riding reguarly can also be subsituted for indoor workouts.

I find increasing the amounts of veggies in my diets helps to keep me fuller and healthy!

But this is not a structured plan and more of an everyday lifestyle.

Good luck!

I'd start with really looking at what you're doing now, as far as eating habits and exercise, and go from there.

Getting plenty of exercise is important of course, and necessary not just for losing weight but for overall health, but there are also a lot of things you can do that don't take up any more of your time.

If you're eating out more than a couple of times a week that would be a good place to start making some changes. SomeNight and I eat out way too much, and since we moved in together I've gotten overweight (by about 5 pounds) for the first time in my life! It's really hard to eat responsibly at restaurants.

Also, if at all possible, eat more often during the day without actually eating more food. Smaller, more frequent meals can help keep your metabolism running higher throughout the day. Drink a lot of water, eat more produce and leaner meat (and maybe cut back on meat overall), and trade higher-calorie foods for lower-calorie versions (whole milk vs. skim for example).

If you do have time to get more exercise I bet there are a lot of outdoor activities in San Diego that are way more fun than running on a treadmill. I've always found that it's a lot easier to stick with something you enjoy.

Thanks for the reply Pink :p

Well, to start, I'm actually eating breakfast now.
I have a morning drink, it's called Snapple A Day.
It has 210 Fat-Free Calories
24 Vitamins/Minerals
protein
calcium
Fiber and contains no dairy

I eat that with yogurt or a banana.

Then I eat a light dinner.
Now when I say light I mean moderate.
I don't stuff my face...but I do eat what I want.

BTW, when I was dating D, we would go out all the time. Benihana was his favorite place to go....WHOA, TALK ABOUT FOOD OVER LOAD. Fried food at least two times a week...YIKES!!!
I gained about a good 5-10 pounds too...EEK!

The real issue is staying motivated with my work out!
I'll go for a week and feel great and accomplished....but then I get tired and I don't want to go any more. So I purposly forget my gym clothes and go home and veg or go to sleep instead.
How do I stay motivated?
Should I be lame and pin up pictuers of Beyonce and JLo to get my butt out of bed? Geez.
I do much better on a treadmill, for some reason I can't really do outdoor activities for fitness. Strange really...I can do it for leisure, but to push for any kind of fitness goals...nothing!

What to do?

Hi!

You mention your breakfast and dinner -- do you eat a lunch as well? Because if you don't, you could be inadvertently lowering your metabolism. This means that what you do eat is less likely to get burned off, and more likely to get stored as fat. The best way to speed up your metabolism is to eat a small meal or snack every few hours.

Also, I recommend Weight Watchers -- it's great for even those who only have a tiny amount to lose, like you! And it's very motivating.

:)

PinkCat

First off, start eating lunch! :D It's kind of counter-intuitive, but not eating enough can be just as harmful to your weight-loss goals as eating too much. If your body's in starvation-mode it's not going to let you burn enough calories to lose weight. Also, if you don't eat a little more (not a lot!) to compensate for increased exercise you're going to get tired really quickly and not be able to sustain your workout routine. It's just a balance thing.

If you do like the treadmill thing better then try to stick with it (although I think you're nuts! :p j/k). The second week of any workout is going to be tough, but if you force yourself to make it through that you're more likely to stick with it long term. And long term improvement is what you should be looking at, rather than just a short-term goal.

Oh, and do you do any weight training? Muscle burns lots of calories just to maintain itself, so the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be. I'm not talking about becoming She-Ra here, but building some muscle can really help you lose weight and keep it off.

LOL...SheRa...that would be rad :)

Weight training eh? Gonna have to try that one.
As for the treadmill, as long as I have a good song with a steady tempo...I'm good...blame it on the colorguard:rolleyes:

Thanks Pink
This helps!!

If anyone else has tips....shove them my way :D

Maybe you can find a friend to work out with and that way you can motivate each other to go on a regular basis.

I also keep my gym bag in the trunk of my car along with a pair of sneakers so I have no excuse for not stopping at the gym.

Since my issue is time management, I try to go in the mornings before school. My gym bag has travel sized shampoo, conditoner and bodywash so I hit the shower at the gym before making a mad dash to school.

Maybe you can grab a salad for lunch to get those extra veggies and help your metabolism.

So the gym bag is something I think I'm going to start doing.

I started to do some weight training, but I really don't know exercises. I know I'm a tight-wad...I DON'T want to pay for a personal trianer...but should I? Is it worth it?

As far as drinks go...my only down fall is alcohol...love it! But, I've been really good lately....I had wine with my dinner last night. My first glass of any kind of alcohol in over a week....so I treated myself. Plus, I only had one glass. Ok, Ok...I admit...it was a big glass :)

I had bread for dinner, but only had a little...I stopped when I wanted to reach for more. I cut my chicken in half and put the other piece away, and the same thing w/ my pasta.

Hmmm...about this weight watchers thing....how much does that cost? Is the cost of food expensive? I've always wondered about that.

Thanks guys...you all rock...this is a great place to start :)

Originally posted by EMCAD80
I started to do some weight training, but I really don't know exercises. I know I'm a tight-wad...I DON'T want to pay for a personal trianer...but should I? Is it worth it? It might be worth it to pay for an hour or two. Or maybe you could find some cute guy to help you, lol. :D Sticking to the Nautilus machines for a while before venturing into the freeweights might be a good idea. There's much less chance of doing an exercise wrong on a machine. There are also plenty of good books (and magazines) out there with instructions about different exercises and proper form. Most of them seem a little hokey but they can be a good source of information. And if it's just a specific question that you need answered or some tips, the staff at most gyms is pretty helpful.

Also, remember that when you're weight training you're building muscle, which weighs more than fat. Therefore, as you progress you might find that even as your size goes down your weight stays the same. Just keep in mind that there's more to being in shape than numbers on a scale.
As far as drinks go...my only down fall is alcohol...love it! Watch out for coffee drinks too, if you drink those. Some of them have as many (or more) calories as your breakfast!

Lucky for me I HATE coffee!
I've been drinking those Snapple-A-Day things, and mainly water. If I don't want water...I add Crystal Light to it. Good stuff ;)
But yes, alcohol is my weakness....but I've cut back A LOT!

when it comes to weight training, I would love to build muscle than see this damn flab!! LOL

I'd rather see my result then read them off a scale ;)

LOL, thanks Dankia :)


I am apart of a gym....and there was no promotional trainer :( But there are some cute guys at the gym...maybe that will be a new motive for me to go :D