After discovering I'm overweight I have decided to start dieting. Problem is I have no idea what I'm doing and could use some input from experienced dieters.

I am currently 5'5 and 160 pounds and my goal weight is 120 pounds. I'm hoping to lose the 40 pounds in 5 months or 2 pounds/week. I currently lead a sedentary life. Just go to class (I'm in college) then sit around all day working.

My planned workout and diet are as follows:
Breakfast: cereal (Cheerios or Kix), low-fat yogurt, and cup of OJ
Workout: 30 minutes or 200 calories whichever is longer (Cardio exercise)
Lunch: sandwich (turkey on wheat, lettuce, swiss cheese, and packet of mayo) and fruit
Dinner: no plans yet
Snacks: granola bars and/or yogurt (2-3 snacks/day limit)

I'd appreciate any help I can get especially on food. I currently live in a dorm with no stove and only a mini-fridge I share with 3 other people so if anyone knows any cheap healthy foods that can be stored in a pantry and only need to be microwaved please let me know.

Thanks for the help.

Today, was my second work-out in about 6 months (my first was yesterday). I'm trying to get on a set routine of going every day at 8 AM. I'm trying to start off small (200 calories/workout) and only doing cardio (bike and treadmill). I plan on adding a little bit to my routine every week. Next week, I'm going to incorporate squats, push-ups, bench press, and bicep/tricep curls.

Right now my main problem is not doing too much too fast. When I worked out before I would do too much and get frustrated and quitso I'm trying to start small and build up although resisting the urge to go all out is tough.

For food, I'm trying to eat fat-free yogurts and cereal low in sugar. I also have strawberries and bananas on hand for snacks.

Hi, Janise!

One thing I've found helpful is what my wife and I call the "Cut Veggie Principle." One time she mentioned to a friend that she cuts up some veggies at the beginning of the week, so she can just pull them out of the refrigerator when she wants a snack, or when she's packing her lunch. Her friend responded--"Oh, you shouldn't do that. Veggies lose more nutrients if they're cut." My wife's response was--"Yes, but if I have cut veggies in the refrigerator, I eat cut veggies. If I don't have them, I grab something else convenient and easy to eat, like potato chips." The choice wasn't between eating veggies with maximum nutrients preserved vs. eating veggies with slightly more nutrients lost in storage. The choice was between eating veggies and eating potato chips So the Cut Veggie Principle is our name for the idea that the best strategies are the ones you actually do, rather than the things that might be optimal, but that you won't actually do.

I'm a newbie here, but I've already seen that there are a lot of people here who have had a lot of success, and who have wonderful advice. I think the key is finding the advice that works for you--the things you'll actually do. There's a lot to be said for simplicity. Having a few good principles or practices that you do every day sets up for success. And you always add more things later as you need them.

Your diet looks like a good start. My only suggestions would be to check the sugar content on any cereals you use--you want to minimize sugar, maximize whole grain content. And also, some granola bars can be high-fat, high-sugar, but not a lot of food to eat. I find fruits and veggies give me more volume per calorie, so they fill me up and give me the satisfaction of eating bigger meals and snacks, without giving me lots of calories. So yogurt with fruit gives you both a nutritious and substantial snack.

But again, those are just my things. The key is what works for you.

Best luck!

Jim

One thing I'd note - you may want to ditch the OJ, and work in a little more protein.

Protein is important for keeping muscles, and it's helps to avoid feeling as hungry. Greek yogurt is generally higher in protein than your standard yogurt.

Also - not all fat is bad. And in fact, some fats are essential to proper absorption of vitamins. Almonds, avocados, olive oil, flax seed, salmon - all are good sources of the 'good' fats.

I find a salad with avocado and some pre-cooked chicken breast is really quick to throw together, and has a good blend of your macro nutrients.

Starting off slow is also good - you don't want to overstress your system. And when you're starting out, even small amounts of extra movement can help

Hello! Couldn't resist adding in my 2 cents haha

If I were you I'd take out the OJ... why not just have a real orange? Most juices just seem loaded with sugars to me. I have read that some people use something like club soda and then just a splash of juice so they're still getting the flavour with less sugars/calories! Crystal Light is a nice option, I use it more as a treat than an every day drink though...

For cereal you could try to find one of those "fancy" kinds that aren't tooo much more money. They usually have way more fibre and protein and things that keep you more full than something like Cheerios. (I still eat Cheerios sometimes too though!) Just make sure you check the labels!

On your sandwich can you add any more veggies? Maybe some cucumber or something else you enjoy. Also, have you tried buying whole wheat tortilla shells and making wraps?? That way you can cram in a lot more little chopped up veggies and it tastes awesome! I'm a mayo addict (I always use light though) but I've been trying to use less and less... and in my wrap I didn't need any because the veggies (onion, green pepper, cucumber, tomato) we're so tasty/juicy!

I agree with what someone already said about granola bars. Assuming they're from a package there's a lot of crap in them! I guess if you don't have your own stove you don't have an oven to make your own...
Have you ever tried cottage cheese?? I love it and eat it almost every day as a small snack usually with sunflower seeds on top for a crunchy-ness!

Anyways, that's just my two cents! Hope some of it is vaguely useful haha

Have to agree with you Rupert, we go shopping on a thursday night for fruit and veg, I then spend 30 minutes maximum slicing and dicing, it makes putting a salad together later in the week childs play. Also as you point out they are healthy fast food snacks. I stood and ironed last night watching Numb3rs (totally hooked on this show and HOUSE but that is a seperate thread all together) and tucked in to carrot sticks (healthier than crisps(chips)).

Have you ever heard about the alkaline diet? Not only is it effective in increasing our metabolism but also beneficial for our bodies. I used to be overweight ever since God knows when until I ran through a health expert, Christopher Guerriero and introduced me to practical and effective techniques on how to boost my metabolism. Not only did he influenced me to go with an alkaline diet in loosing weight (which isn't really hard if you really really really want to loose those extra pounds) but also, taught me to be in CONTROL of my own body. I'm positive that he can help you out too. Good luck!

Have you ever tried counting calories? Find out what your BMR is, then your TDEE. Take about %20 off of your TDEE and you will have a decent calorie goal per day to attain.

Its amazing to see how many calories you consume per day when you start adding them up, 3,500 = 1 pound of fat!

Ive used matthews calorie counter, you can get the link from my sig.

If you do like OJ instead of an orange try Tropicana 50. It is sweetened with stevia, which is far preferable to splenda or aspertame (crystal light has one of those). But ultimately the orange is better. Also ditch the mayo on sandwiches. Use mustard, or even some greek yogurt! The best bars in the store are probably Kashi but again fruits and veggies and raw almonds are better than anything processed for snacks. Best advice is keep it simple and as close to the Earth as possible! I know it's hard in your environment by try to avoid processed foods as much as possible.

My best guess since you're living in a dorm and sharing space in the fridge would be to stock up on fruits and veggies that can be contained OUTSIDE the fridge or pantry. Processed foods (though cheaper and longer kept) are really not your best friend. Natural foods are. Not discounting the necessity for a granola bar or protein bar here and there when you're in the hurry (they're certainly better than not eating at all), but planning to eat sensibly will work wonders for you and shouldn't be too difficult for you to maintain.

Fruits- fruits are naturally packaged in their own skin, peel, etc. so if you've got a market nearby, try and make two trips a week to pick up some fresh fruits like small oranges (mandarin oranges are incredibly small so they're fewer calories but peel incredibly easy and make a perfect snack), apples, bananas, etc. Berries are fantastic and portable as well. The trick to keeping them longer? Don't rinse them until you're actually ready to eat them. They'll last longer outside the fridge that way.

Veggies- probably my most difficult thing to master, but that is my own issue. Cucumbers take 20 seconds to slice, carrots can be cut up or bought in those little baby size cuts...shoot, I used to just wash a whole cucumber and just start eating it whole when I was in college! Currently, I, too, cut/dice/chop my veggies when I first get them home and then throw them in the fridge for later use during the week. I love red, yellow, orange and green peppers for a crunchy and hydrating snack. They'll either become a cold snack food for the week or end up in a stir fry. I know you can't cook for yourself too much, but I've started grating asian green pumpkin, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, etc into my meatloafs or lasagnas to add veggies in so I don't have to worry about veggies while we're enjoying the meal. Plus, my toddler has no clue tee hee...

As far as carbs, whole wheat options are the best and just watch portion size (literally- don't make a plate of pasta, eat it as a side dish and try to make veggies the largest portion of your meal). My doc told me that a healthy cereal and piece of fruit is best for breakfast, but I always like some sort of protein to help keep me satisfied as well (glass of milk or slice of cheese).

For proteins, you'll have to get creative since you're not in the best position to cook chicken, meat or fish for yourself. You could always boil a few eggs to have as a snack, salad topper or to mix with light mayo for egg salad sandwiches, but by 'creative', I mean that canned options such as tuna, albacore tuna, and salmon are your best options for college life (although the trade off is higher sodium content- keep an eye on that). There is also canned chicken which you can make into a chicken salad and as a topper for your salads. Another fantastic protein source that comes form a can would be a bean salad: really, any beans besides baked beans. I take a can of each black, red kidney and diced tomatoes, 1/2 can of chick peas (these are high in fat, good fat, but high in fat nonetheless, so increase or decrease as you'd like)and mix them together with a splash of olive oil, 1/2 cup of diced red onion, 1 cup diced peppers--red, green, orange, and/or yellow-- and any dried spices you'd like. I used parsley, thyme, and basil or whatever I have in the house that seems tasty. This is so easy and doesn't need to be refrigerated until after you put it together. It's a fantastic snack and quick eat, and you can make a few days worth at a time. The fact that there is a good mix of protein, fiber, fat and carbs in this will really help you feel satisfied and energized.


In terms of dieting for weight loss, calorie intake should be monitored, but if you're eating balanced, whole foods and getting plenty of fruits and veggies, then you'll find that is is more a matter of portion size than calorie counting (at least until you get closer to your goal weight :-/).

Good luck and hope I have helped.

Most people understand that the best way to lose weight is gaining good and healthy habits such as doing exercise on regular basis and maintaining healthy diet. But it is not so easy to start healthy way of life after many years of other habits. For this reason there are numerous weight loss formulas that help you lose weight - ether rapidly or slightly.
We are overweight for the most simple of reasons - because we're eating the wrong foods, the wrong types of calories per meal, and we're also eating meals in the wrong patterns each day.
I needed to lose 20 pounds in order to be healthy, and i know that before using of any pills it is better to consult a doctor.
Ask doctor about your private method or medicine.
If you wish you can even send him a letter as I did before starting my diet!

Hello.

For some useful information, go and read the various sticky threads iin the different sections of this site. They will tell you pretty much all you need to know about nutrition, exercise etc.

I'll add a couple of things, though.

Controlling your dietary intake is key. I suggest getting started by tracking your calorie intake - try a free online calculator like FitDay.com
Get your caloric intake and macronutrients (a good balance of protein,fats and carbs) and you have won most of the battle.

When trying to lose weight, getting enough protein is important. Include a lean protein source in every meal if you can.

Doing cardio is okay, but you really want to add regular strength training. As you lose weight, some of it is fat and some of it is muscle. Strength training helps you hang on to that muscle and allow you to lose mostly fat, which is what we want, right?

Not sure how to advise you on the dorm living conditions. At the very least you should invest in a hot plate so you can do some basic cooking. What kind of dorm doesn't have any kind of cooktop? What are they expecting you to eat? Get a hot plate, or a crockpot. You would be surprised how much you can cook in an electric rice cooker - they are cheap and relatively small.

I'd say more, but anything useful I'd have to say can already be found on this site. Read the sticky threads.

We aren't allowed hot plates or toasters because they are a fire hazard. It's a pretty common rule nowadays.

You can start your day with walking & exercise in the morning that includes some stretches. Then a light breakfast to gain some energy for your days work.
In afternoon, you can take nutritious lunch. Then a light snack again in evening.
At night, I would prefer you to take only light dinner as it does have load on your stomach. If you follow this schedule strictly then you can surely lose your weight.
Better burn more calories then intake.