Making a plan for a new diet

[Raven1981]

Hello All:

 

So wanted to see if I can have some assistance to help me on track with starting a new healthy diet.  I was doing some research on the best ways to start a diet / healthy living and what I found on WebMD, I liked.

 

I have set some goals to follow and liked how the very first thing that was suggested was take baby steps, dont try to change everything at once.

 

I figured for baby steps on doing a 1 week at a time like the following:

1. Cut out Fast Food.  Week 1
            Week 1 light activity, walking

2. Cut down on soda's Week 2
           Week 2 pickup the activity a little more

3. Cut out processed foods.  Week 3

          Week 3 and on continue with the week 1 / 2 activity

 

For the food's, I figured to slowly take away the crap food and slowly add a new food like fruits, vegetables, lean meat, whole grain.  So just slowly start to get rid of the crap foods and slowly introduce the healthy so my body does not go into shock and I can stay true with the healthy eating and if I just start with light activity to raise my heart rate up even by 2 or 3 points  wont be too much of a shock.

 

Lots of Love

 

Amy

[Kirsten]

I use an app to help me track my food. My fitness pal. It’s a free app created by under armor I believe. If you have an Apple Watch or a Fitbit you can link it to your app. It really makes it easy to see what you’re taking in and where you need work. 

Here’s a couple screen shots of my days good on the app. 

 

It really helps me a lot. Depending on the diet or lifestyle change you’re going to follow you can adjust your macro % and the food library in this app is the best I’ve found. 

 

I like your thoughts on removing the bad. Fast food and soda are awful for you. Also try getting more water in as well. Water does wonders for your body. 

[Jani]

As part of my company's health program back in 2005, My Fitness Pal was made available to us when it was introduced.  (UnderArmor bought the app recently)  My wife used it for a while and it appeared to be pretty good.  There is a phone and laptop version.  

 

I think cutting out junk food and mindless eating will really help you.  Make sure you exercise regularly.  This is as hard as the diet discipline!  Good luck!

 

Jani

[KymmieL]

I am looking to start exercising after the new year. I have done some walking at lunch and felt good. but I figured it would be better to start after the new year. give me the holidays to splurge, a little. Monday I weighed in at 246. yuck. plus my blood pressure was up. 125/95 my Dr did put me on blood press meds, again.

 

Kymmie

[Raven1981]

Hello All:

 

Thank you very much.  Just also wanted to see about getting the motivation as well?  Even though this is the holiday season and what I am doing right now is taking baby steps.  I dont want to shock or overwhelm my body.

 

So my first goal for this week is:  Cut out fast food 100% and do some mild activity to raise my heart rate up 2 or 3 points.  Figure this is a good goal and wont shock my body and no fast food and just do mild activity like a basic walk.  Dont have to break a sweat but just enough to get my heart rate up a tad.  This is a good start and to get me on a good path.

 

My second week goal will be to continue on with the first week but then to add the removal of processed foods, like Hot Pockets, or frozen pizza.  The foods that you can pop in the microwave and cook and eat.  Want to work on that for my second goal.

 

For right now, starting out, NO FAST FOOD, mild activity like basic walking.

 

My most hardest challenged would be the fact that I work weird hours  for working overnight's and sleep during the day.  So it makes it kinda of hard, but I can do this.  Just one step at a time.

 

Lots of Love

 

Amy

[DeeDee]

Amy, of all of you steps the exercise is the most important one, once you find something you enjoy doing to be active you are more likely to stick with it, I am an emotional eater and used a meal replacement diet earlier this year to drop down 3.5 stone over 12 weeks as I was not very happy with myself. I am now eating again and whilst I did a paleo type diet for a while I am simply eating what I already know to be healthy meals, the days when I want fizzy drinks I buy sparkling water and use that. Fast food urges will disappear after a week or two 0 thats the sugar in them designed to make you want to crave them. This time of year is a nightmare to avoid cakes and chocolate though! Good luck!

[Jani]

I think that walking would be a good way to get your exercise in.  You can vary the pace to raise your heart rate.  I like Sadies idea of sparkling water.  I always have it in the house. My wife tried finally tried it a few years ago and she started drinking it as a sub for diet drinks.

[RithiaAllen]

Walking is a great idea.

 

I have lost 17.4 pounds since around October 30th simply by cutting pop, candy, junk food, snacks (with the exception of a serving of fruit here and there), a third meal (breakfast).

 

I have normal meals at 11AM and 5PM. I do stick to portion control though. No more huge meals. Think about the size of a typical dinner at a sit down restaurant and cut it in half.

 

Then I added walking and after a few weeks some light cardio to my routine to burn extra calories in the day.

 

You can do it Amy.

[Raven1981]

So I got some good activity workout at work.  I work in a data center and I had to pull some cables and have noticed that when I was pulling the cables, I can feel my heart really beating and then I was sweating as well.  So I think that I got a good work out for an hour.  I cannot wait till I get my fitbit that I ordered so I can connect it to my phone and I can see how my heart rate and steps are panning out.  I know that I do alot of walking at my work besides sitting down.  So that will help me.

 

Lots of Love

 

Amy

[RithiaAllen]

4 hours ago, Amy LeBlanc said:

So I got some good activity workout at work.  I work in a data center and I had to pull some cables and have noticed that when I was pulling the cables, I can feel my heart really beating and then I was sweating as well.  So I think that I got a good work out for an hour.  I cannot wait till I get my fitbit that I ordered so I can connect it to my phone and I can see how my heart rate and steps are panning out.  I know that I do alot of walking at my work besides sitting down.  So that will help me.

 

Lots of Love

 

Amy

The Fitbit will help. The app can track meals, water, weight, steps, calories and heart rate among other things.

 

When you feel up to it I still strongly encourage walking and building up to running. It will increase your lung capacity and help lower your overall heart rate along side losing weight.

[Raven1981]

2 minutes ago, RithiaAllen said:

The Fitbit will help. The app can track meals, water, weight, steps, calories and heart rate among other things.

 

When you feel up to it I still strongly encourage walking and building up to running. It will increase your lung capacity and help lower your overall heart rate along side losing weight.

Thank you Rithia Allen.  So far I like how I am taking baby steps.  So far I can say that I have not touched any fast food at all this week.  Even though I work overnight's, I have been preparing my dinners and taking them to work with me and it's nice eating home cook meals.  While at work, I like the fact how I am getting up and doing walking and walking alot more so that way I am not just sitting.

 

Thank You

 

Amy

[RithiaAllen]

That is great Amy. Baby steps are a fantastic start.