Hello - I'm New! Could you help please?

welly7

Hello

My name's Helen, I'm nearly 30 and very overweight.

Since having my son I have tried endless diets, none of which really did the trick for me. I found them unrealsitic long-term and felt they weren't teaching me to eat 'correctly'.

Last week I started running, I managed 30 seconds before feeling out of breath and quite sick. The following day I started eating a healthier diet and tried running again, this time managing 1 minute (pathetic I know)

As of today I am able to jog for 15 minutes without stopping and I feel so happy. I have finally found something I enjoy more than Pizza (:rolleyes: ) I weighed myself this morning, and have lost 0.5lb in the last week. Obviously, I would have liked more, but my weight isn't my main concern, it's my size and overall fitness.

Could any of you give advice on the best way to lose weight, shape up and get my life back please. I have hired a treadmill as I don't feel confident outdoors yet. I am trying to eat a low fat diet and have been eating 1800 cals a day, but a friend told me this is too high and I should be having 1200. I am 16 stone (:o ).

If anyone has any advice it would be greatly received.

Thank you

Helen xxx

Vinnie K

Hey helen, well done for getting on the right track, i've just started recently too so im no expert but 1200 per day sounds very low to me, have a look through the stickies at the top of the forum, in there you'll see how to make out how many cals per day you need, and there loads of other great info there too. Best of luck with it.
Vinnie.

welly7

Thanks Vinnie

I'll have a read through them now.

Helen xxx

rubadub

How tall are you?

You should start out doing brisk walks before running. Or try low impact exercises like cycling or swimming. You should aim to eat 6 equal sized meals per day at equally spaced intervals. This speeds up your metabolism, and means your next meal is never far away. Also your stomach will shrink from never getting too full- so you feel full quicker on smaller amounts. This makes it much easier to resist snacking.

On a calorie deficit you risk loosing muscle along with fat. Doing heavy weight training is low impact and will stop any muscle loss, and probably add some more, this creation of new muscle uses up a lot of calories even when not training.

Read all the stickies as mentioned. You should be aiming for lower calories, this does not strictly mean a "low fat diet", fats are important in your diet and you can risk having too little if aiming not to eat them. Excess calories make you put on fat, these calories can come from any sort of food, not just fatty ones, it is only that fatty foods are calorie rich per 100g so tend to get a bad name, and some people think only eating fat makes you fat.

MA

Hi Helen,
I wouldnt recommend a set diet, people can only stick at that for so long then eventually cave.
Figure out what you really love and cant live without, ie. Pizza- PIzza can be made healthy no problem. You can use a spelt base and low fat cheese etc. Going into a health store is a good starting point, keeping AWAY from the diet pills section!!!
Make sure you breakfast is big and complex carbs, weetabix/ porridge w honey is a good start (no sugar!! if you must use brown sugar or sweetner). Most cereals are processed and packed full of sugar, alot of pple dont know this - even special K!
Dont use butter, user Flora or even better Suma spread (sunflower oil based spread, tastes like flora!) If you live in Dublin check out www.blazingsalads.com on Drury street, they have nice cakes etc for the sweat tooth that are relatively healthy.
Basically you need to figure out what you cant live without and substitute. Id recommend eating every couple of hours also, eating less and your body goes into starvation mode so next time u eat it will store fat through shock!

MA

Exercise - very important, make sure its something you enjoy. If the gyms not for you, walk, try gym classes, kickboxing, yoga, team sports - anything you enjoy. if you can exercise because of energy levels, look at your diet and also at taking a energy suppliment - be sure to buy from a health store and NOT a pharmacy!!

MA

Last thing - stay off the scales!! if you have to weight yourself every couple of weeks first thing in the morning. Water can increase your weight by a couple of KGs also gaiing Muscle has a huge effect on weight.