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Becoming Healthier - Need Help/Tips

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I've never been a very healthy person. I rarely eat vegetables or fruit and I could exercise a HELL of a lot more.

For the past 3/4 years I have been 12/13 stone. The past 2 years I have been a bit thinner looker/more proportionate due to height.

I just calculated my BMI: 5 foot 10 and 12 and a half stone and I seem to be overweight by .2. Don't worry, I'm not worried by this, just saying.

What I need is a diet plan. Not to lose weight specifically, just to be healthier. A set out plan. So that I can be more strict with myself.

I also need an exercise plan but I was thinking of doing sit ups and going running to start off with and then going swimming and working from there.

So, to get to the point: Healthy eating plan.

Cheers :D

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aye I'm like that too, it's just easier to eat junk cause it seems like less effort than cooking something.

    I'm skinny and it doesn't show on me, but my arteries are probably well clogged up :nervous:

    Healthy eating plan for me too please :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jazza wrote: »
    So, to get to the point: Healthy eating plan.

    Cheers :D


    Sounds like you're going about things in a sensible way.

    I wouldn't base everything on the BMI, since there are so many factors which can render it useless, if you're very muscular it will give a "false reading", But as a basic guide it's handy.

    Personally i would recommend cycling over jogging (just my opinion) I find jogging sooo boring! Also fairly high impact on your knees, if you're pretty overweight you can find yourself out of breath very quickly due to the weight "bouncing" on your back and chest etc...

    Cycling, you can still work hard but it's "easier" on your joints/chest/back etc...

    Similarly swimming, but whatever you enjoy really.


    Regarding the eating, look hard and honestly at your diet, i know when i was a fat lad i always thought i ate ok, perhaps slightly bigger portions than i should have had, a take away too many at times, and not quite enough exercise, but that was utter b*****ks, looking back my diet was dreadful, i honestly believed it just needed tweaking, but it was dreadful!

    Just look at what you eat and what you can replace with what, it's much easier than cutting things out and eating less.

    Instead of a cheese sandwich on white bread, perhaps try a wholemeal pitta bread slightly toasted, cut in half, jam packed full of lettace/pepper/tomatoes etc... with some chopped cooked turkey steaks?

    Remember Jacket Potatoes are only healthier than Chips if you drop the butter/mayo/cheese etc...


    Just be realistic about what you're aiming for, and what you're going to stick to and make easy changes
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What sort of things are you eating now, and how often? I find eating little and often is the best way to reduce hunger pangs during the day and maintain a constant level of energy, rather than eating three large meals which only make me feel bloated and lethargic.

    Stumptuous is aimed at women, but the page on basic nutrition is a good place to start.

    This page on BFL gives some basic tips on things you could tweak i.e. combinations and frequency etc.

    Regarding the exercise I'd always recommend some intense cardio (I only do 20 minutes and I find that enough) and combining that with weights, (weights = important) otherwise don't expect too much of a difference in your body shape. BFL website gives some info on that, but most importantly, find something you like, and push yourself every time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Regarding my diet, well - where to start! Like Bri, I eat shite because it's easier than healthy stuff tbh.

    I tend to eat a lot of frozen meals. I snack often on those frozen mini pizzas and burgers.

    I'm not a sweetie person, but if it's there I'll eat it if you know what I mean.

    With weights it's kinda difficult because I don't know how to use them properly too and I hate the gym, I'd rather go swimming again but if I maybe had weights in the house I'd use them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jazza wrote: »
    Regarding my diet, well - where to start! Like Bri, I eat shite because it's easier than healthy stuff tbh.

    I tend to eat a lot of frozen meals. I snack often on those frozen mini pizzas and burgers.

    I'm not a sweetie person, but if it's there I'll eat it if you know what I mean.

    With weights it's kinda difficult because I don't know how to use them properly too and I hate the gym, I'd rather go swimming again but if I maybe had weights in the house I'd use them.


    Not all frozen meals are from hell, none of them are ideal sure, but some are alot worse than others, the cheap mini pizzas are usually pretty bad though!

    If you're really finding you don't have time to do a proper meal (even though getting two slices of bread, packing them full of salad and throwing in some meat, then banging them on a sandwich toaster takes like 5 minutes at most!) then look for some of the birds eye ones, i'm a fan of their frozen steam meals!

    If you want to try a few simple things to start with then ask the lovely Sa-ra-ra-ra, infact theres a topic i started fool proof recepies or something similar, easy to follow, granted will take longer than a ready meal but you'll be able to add more of the things you like and you'll be in control of what you use, for generic meat dishes instead of crap pieces of "braising steak", use chicken breast, or even lower fat, turkey steaks :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Frozen and convinence foods tend to have hidden additives and a lot of salt. Frozen veggies are good though, they take only a few minutes to steam and nutritionally can be just as good as fresh veg, so if it's a matter of time, then it'll only take 15 minutes to prepare a meal of chicken/fish with some veggies on the side, and at least then you know what's going into your body.

    You can easily make your own mini-pizzas and burgers, and better yet, know exactly what's going into it rather than a series of additives, salt, fat etc. The foodies in F&D could easily point you in the right direction. You can even make your own pizzas using wholemeal pitta bread as a base, and freeze them for when they're needed.

    You can buy weights quite cheaply, I know Argos have a good set for around £20 But it's important that you know how to use them correctly, so even if you go to a gym for a few sessions, and have a fitness instructor explaining to you how to use them, it would be a good start.

    Cardio is important, but don't underestimate the power of building muscle. Fat takes up 5 times more room than muscle, and is far less metabotically active. By building up muscle, you help to raise your basic metabolic rate, you build stregth, will look leaner as it's denser and takes up less room and seeing the little buggers take shape is an awesome feeling. Now that I've been working out for a while I look forward to my weights workouts much more than the cardio.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    One thing you may want to consider/do is try to make more haelthy meals. If you don't have that much for making meals then make something that will last you a few days or something.

    Is it possible for you to start walking/running to more places than relying on your car or public transport?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sofie wrote: »
    One thing you may want to consider/do is try to make more haelthy meals. If you don't have that much for making meals then make something that will last you a few days or something.

    Is it possible for you to start walking/running to more places than relying on your car or public transport?
    'll start trying to do that with meals from now on. I know that it's just a case of buying the right things.

    Well I don't have a car at the moment and rely on the bus. The only places I go are to work and uni really so might start walking into town. Just laziness that I don't because it would only take 15/20 minutes.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jazza wrote: »
    Well I don't have a car at the moment and rely on the bus. The only places I go are to work and uni really so might start walking into town. Just laziness that I don't because it would only take 15/20 minutes.

    Dude I crippled myself financially at the end of last month, and I walked from the Anniesland end of Great Western Road, down Byres Road and into town to my work and back every day because I couldn't afford the train. An hour each way, a good eight mile round trip and I slept like a baby every night :thumb:

    Made me feel a lot better actually, but I had to stop by the chipper on the way home cause I couldn't be arsed cooking by the time I got in :razz:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bri-namite wrote: »
    Dude I crippled myself financially at the end of last month, and I walked from the Anniesland end of Great Western Road, down Byres Road and into town to my work and back every day because I couldn't afford the train. An hour each way, a good eight mile round trip and I slept like a baby every night :thumb:

    Made me feel a lot better actually, but I had to stop by the chipper on the way home cause I couldn't be arsed cooking by the time I got in :razz:
    Christ, my legs started getting sore just imagining that!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i dont get how people can say they pretty much eat frozen meals and snacks because they're 'easier'.

    doesnt take much effort to eat/cook pasta, baked potatoes, tins of tuna, fruit...etc....etc.
    im a lazy fucker, and i dont cook a big ass meal that much, but i still eat healthy most days.

    edit: also, i can pay for a weeks food for about 1/3 of the price i would if i ate the typically averge 'shit diet' everyday.
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