A few years ago I weighed 215 pounds. I came home from school one day, and just thought to myself "I don't want to be fat anymore". That VERY DAY I started running, and done it after school for the rest of the year, and through the summer. I stopped eating sweets and drinking pop. I lost 40 pounds, and I've kept it off.
And here's how to do it. I've done a lot of research on this over the course of the last two years, so I consider myself pretty knowledgable:
1. Stop drinking soda. Please. Just stop. It is a huge source of sugar, and it just isn't worth it. You get absolutely nothign out of it except a little water.
2. Caffeine. I love coffe, especially iced mocha's, but you need to watch caffeine. It can make other sugars hard to digest, and it's a diuretic, meaning you'll dehydrate yourself drinking it. However, a small amount a day can actually be helpful. So drink a diet coke or have a cold cup of frappacino before a workout if you need it to get started.
3. Excersize. You absolutely need to do this, especially cardio. However, I would also recommend lifting some weights as well. Why? Because when you ONLY diet, you burn mostly muscle instead of fat. And as soon as you stop dieting, you gain fat. You have just replaced muscles with fat. If you workout AND diet, then you'll build muscle and burn fat.
Keep in mind that running incinerates fat. Try this: Jog for about 30 seconds, then flat out run for 30 seconds. Repeat that for a while. As you get better at it, increase your run times to a minute, but remember to jog in between. This alternation between fast and slow does some major damage to the fat department, and you only need to do it for about 15 minutes. It's so much more effective than jogging a mile or two, and it takes less time. Just be warned: IT HURTS. I thought I was going to die the first time I did it.
Another reason I recommend lifting weights is because the bigger your muscles are, the more fat they burn. This means that you can be setting around watching TV and your large muscles will be burning fat for you.
4. STAY HYDRATED. I can't stress that enough. Most people walk around all day long, dehydrated, and they don't even know it. Drink lots and lots of water. Ever heard of creatine? That stuff that makes your muscles bigger? All it really does it cause them hold more water, and they will do that by themselves if you drink enough.
5. Eat something after you workout. This is important. After a workout, you're muslces are open and ready to recieve carbs. So eating a cup of lowfat yogurt or a bowel of grapenuts or something.
6. Eat healthy foods. Buy some unflavored unsweeted oatmeal. This stuff is insanely easy to make, makes you feel full, gives you a lot of energy, and is good for you. Other healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and nuts.
7. Get calcium in your diet. Calcium burns helps you lose weight. Milk and broccoli are good sources of calcium. I would recommend buying skim milk, 2% milk, or 1% chocolate milk.
8. Eat often. It sounds ridiculous, but it works. Instead of eating 3 meals a day, eat 6 smaller, healthier meals a day. This will keep your metabolism working. That's why starving yourself DOES NOT work. You're body gets used to not having food, and when you feed it it holds onto it for as long as possible. Eating more often keeps the motor revving.
9. Cheat once a week. Eat whatever you want for one meal a week: a burger, pizza, buffalo wings, you name it. Cheating once a week relieve stress, satisfies you, and keeps you from quitting your diet.
10. Get as much protein as you can. Eat an egg of a morning with your oatmeal, just remember to remove part of the yolk, because that's where all the fat is at. Next time you're at the grocery store, look for some whey powder. It's LOADED with protein, and you can add it to recipes or smoothies or whatever.
11. Speaking of smoothies...MAKE THEM! They are awesome to drink after a workout. Just throw together you favorite healthy foods. Add milk, some yogurt, fruits, peanut butter, whatever suits your fancy.
One of my favorites is:
Milk
0% fat vanilla yogurt
A table spoon of peanut butter
A couple squirts of chocolate syrup.
Whey powder if you can find it.
Also, check this website out:
http://www.menshealth.com
Re: Diet Plan Recommendations
and jogging is going to have to be mostly a fast walk for now.
) but I'm cautious about things so I will be taking it kinda slow for now. Walking is fine, fast walking is fine. Maybe some light jogging here and there and weight lifting should be fine as long as its not too heavy for now until I can get used to it
The source of alot of my 'problems' has been my self image so I dont to make this short term at all
Hybrid Mode
