Home Health & Wellbeing
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨
Options

Preparing to lose weight and get fitter

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
After reading the thread about demonising fat people and contributing to the disussion. I realised that I really don't like being overweight and that it has already begun to affect my outlook on life and my health.

I have decided that in the new year I am going to eat well and excercise more. My bloke wants me to go to the gym with him but at the moment I won't consider it because I am very overweight and exceptionally unfit.

I am slightly over 5ft 2inches and weigh 195 llb and a dress size 18. I want to start making changes before the new year so that its easier to get into the routine of taking more exercise and eating well.

For the last few days I have used my cross trainer for 30 minutes per day and have cut out eating ready meals and take aways and sweet things and have been eating more fresh veg and fruit.

Do you think that this is a good enough start or should I be doing more in preparation ?

Comments

  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It seems like enough;
    I went on a cutting out thing in Feb/March and did less than what you say you're doing, and I lost 2 stone so hopefully you'll lose a bit too!

    Good Luck :D
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    in the new year I am going to eat well and excercise more.
    everybody's new years resolution. why wait till NY?
    your making a good start now.
    should I be doing more in preparation
    preparation puts off getting stuck in. just do it. :)
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree with otter and start now rather than just saying you will when you get to a certain date, as it's easy to get to that date and then put it off.

    By the sounds of it, you have begun to make some good changes, so keep it up. If you want some help with tweaking your current diet or just want to see if you're going in the right direction, either post here or PM me. The only thing I'll say is perhaps avoid doing workouts with your partner, this is only anecdotal experience on my part, but whenever I see couples working out together, they chat too much, and the guy always gets the girl to do ineffective exercises incorrectly.

    I'd avoid using scales as a measure of progress, they don't tell you what exactly is being lost or gained, and it can turn into a bit of an obsession. People using the body for life programme take pictures of themselves once a week, I think it's quite a good thing to do as you can see progress rather than just looking at the figures. If you wanted to take any measurments, I'd say use some tape measures.

    Cardio has a number of health benefits, so I'd keep using the cross trainer, but be aware that in terms of fat loss, it's not the most effective means. Diet will always come first, followed by some resistence training, then cardio. I had no idea what or why to do weights, then this site completely changed things for me. Read it all, seriously. She also has some good articles on nutrition (and she started out being 40lbs overweight). I recently discovered this blog too and she has some good advice and information.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I did post once already today but my fucking PC power cable came out (the missus fault).

    The jist of it was that I think you are doing well to start now and what you're doing is fine especially for the initial losses you want.

    Personally, I like the cross-trainer, I have one too..

    My recommendation however is to hit the cross-trainer for 40 minutes+ even if you have to lower the intensity at first, and really if you can manage 5+ days per week you will really see the difference!

    Always make sure you have at least one full day of rest though from everything!

    I don't think you need to worry about weights at the moment as you sound like you just want to basically be a bit lighter/smaller so cardio with diet would be fine.. as long as you aren't expecting to look like a celeb at the end of it (but really, who does?)

    Post up an average days eating if you'd like our help with it.. :)

    Good luck, please keep us posted !!

    I am due to start dieting myself in the new year, I want to shed at least 21lbs of fat so I feel your pain:heart:
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks for your help guys, I just first of all want to get a bit lighter and be a bit fitter before I make any more advanced plans, which will be in a few months time.

    Having cut the rubbish out of my diet its something along these lines

    2 slices of wholemeal toast with olive spread and 2 poached eggs for breakfast, a cup of tea with semi skimmed milk.

    Mid morning snack some carrots, tomatoes and cucumber or some fruit satsumas/pineapple/plums/banana

    Lunch is tuna or turkey sandwich on wholemeal bread with olive spread, no mayo

    Afternoon snack is the alternative of what I had for mid morning

    Tea is either liver/pork/chicken/salmon/steak with steamed veg, broccoli/carrots/cauliflower/green beans/sweetcorn/

    I drink water thoughout the day and have about 2-3 cups of tea.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Best of luck hun. I've got an appointment with the nurse on Wednesday just so I can get an 'official' weight and try shift a bit. I'm not looking to lose loads quickly, I'd like to lose 4 stone over 2 years. I know that's slow progress but I rekon it's doable (specially with the number of set-backs I often end up facing!)

    I hope you do well :D
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    4 stone in 2 years is easily doable for anyone! (I don't mean that in an cocky way) - I just mean you'll easily do it :)

    Twinklestar, diet OK at first glance, especially as it hasn't been tweaked, tomorrow I will do the sums and get back to you :D

    Cheers,

    Phil
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CheeseOnToast - I've purposefully set myself that target because I've currently got shite willpower, and have no control over meals. So have gone for the slow and steady approach. Maybe -1lb a week? :)
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Your diet looks good to me (but I eat like shit). If you start with what you like doing, 30 mins on cardio a day, you'll soon find you can up that and change things around to doing different things.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    wow, great diet, maybe I will follow
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Your diet looks great, the only thing I'd suggest doing is trying to get a bit more fat in there e.g. olive oil dressings in salads, peanut butter (or other nut butters), nuts, EFAs, avocados, cheeses etc.
    So have gone for the slow and steady approach. Maybe -1lb a week?

    That's the approach that's most likely to get you better and more long-term results. Generally they say a 65kg person can aim to lose 1lb a week, but only use it as a guide, the body doesn't always run to things like this, and as I said to the OP, try to avoid using the scales as a sole guide.
Sign In or Register to comment.