Newbie, Anyone in the same situation as me?

Hey guys! I think counting "points" with weight watchers is a little annoying, I'd rather count calories and read the ingredients label most of the time. Plus restaurants don't usually have points values listed haha. I decided to try this instead, seems like it makes more sense to me!

I weighed about 150-160 my senior year of high school and was at happy healthy weight, even at 175 I remember being more comfortable than I am now. After college and some unfortunate circumstances I find myself 22, 5'5" and 190 pounds. I went up to about 210, and have lost 20. I'm hoping to be down to 185 in the next two weeks. My work schedule allows just about no time for anything but...work. I do have 2 pilates dvds and a jump rope that I try to get to as often as possible.

 

I'll be going on vacation in August, and beach season is almost upon me. I'd love to be closer to the 170's by the time I strut my stuff in the Caribbean haha...not because I care at all what other's think, I need to feel comfortable with myself. I have finally reached that moment of clarity I think...if I don't take this seriously...it will never happen.

 

Any helpful tips (that I haven't already heard)

Anyone else in the same boat?

How about making healthy choices in restaurants? I tend to stay away from terrible foods, and haven't had a bite of fast food in over 2 years, thank goodness.

 

=)

 

I'm looking for any tips as well I am also just starting this today :) I have always weighed 120-140 lbs but had a lot of stress when my house burnt down 10 days before xmas and know I am at 185 working towards atleast 150...Good luck to U and everyone else here's to hoping we reach our goals :D

For the month I have been on here I have lost 12 lbs. My biggest stumbling block is restaurants. We eat out quite a bit and the servings you get at a restaurant are larger than the servings here, for the most part. I am now a proud owner of a kitchen scale, and was shocked at the size of servings in a restaurant compared to a 'normal serving'. (WW didn't cut it for me either, I could never figure out the points!)

These are things I changed when eating out.

I order the food and bring it home to weigh it whenever possible. Buy a scale, best investment I have ever made in all the years I have been trying to lose weight!

If I don't have that option, I will order the main course "dry" (meaning grilled with no sauces or extra oils) and vegies steamed. I try to eat half the meal and bring the rest home, that way I can weigh the remainder and guesstimate what I ate.

When ordering salads, order the dressing on the side and use about one tablespoon at a time or you can just dip your fork into the dressing before putting the salad on it. That makes it go further.

Try looking online for a menu before going, a lot of chain restaurants have nutritional charts for the foods. My DH has only a couple of restaurants we go to that he likes, and no such thing as online nutritional information for these.

Hope this helps you two, good luck and if I can help further just message me. Good Luck and Congrats on the new healthier you!

Sometimes the places you go to eat at may have an online menu and those menus allow you to look up the their values  right there. Here on CC I know I can put a chain restaurant in the food browser and it will list up each item that chain sells e.g. burger king, tgi fridays, etc.

Without having to buy any equipment, here is a video of exercising using your couch! http://www.metacafe.com/watch/925256/how_to_g et_six_pack_abs_in_6_minutes_on_your_couch_th is_works/

leslazz has already given you very good advice. On top of that, I recommend that your diet be 40% protien, 30% carbs & 30% fats: percentage ratio of total caloric intake.

When trying to lose, people make many mistakes and go through alot of trial and error. As you already know, the key element is your diet. Also, it doesn't hurt to get a blood test once in awhile and the doc can tell you what you are in-taking too much of or what your chemistry needs more of e.g. cholestrol too high or protien levels too low, etc.

For you to achieve the fastest results ,  your exercise regime, no mattter what it is or what tools you employ, should be 75% cardio & 25% strength training. Never work out more than 75 minutes, you will be wasting your time after that 75 minutes. Using this ratio and those of the diet mentioned above is exactly what professionals use when cutting themselves to lean hard muscle.

I congratulate you for joining here. You will find many useful tools, friendly people willing to share ideas and assistance and support from others in similiar situations as you.

Further more, bravo to you! You are about to take a journey that will not be east to complete. But with your determination and hard work, you can achieve even better than you think!

Thank you both for the awesome advice :)

Thanks!!

Unfortunately the places my boyfriend likes to go calories are never listed here or on their website haha...I figure I try to stick to fish and nothing obnoxious, eat half and take it home. Snacking during the day is what really gets me, not the actual full meals I eat. Gotta work on it!