What more should I do

[Taylor82]

Hello I just joined; I am trying to eat healthier and I am walking a hour a day up a little mountain(more or less a hour of walking up hill). Its been more or less a month since I started but I don't notice much.   So my question is what more can I do? I am living in Spain so diet pills or weight watcher is so out of my reach(plus I don't like them). Honestly I am not good with exercise and am afraid of always hurting myself cause I know I am really out of shape.

My typical meals during the day are:

  For the morning:

  a coffee

about a hour later:

  two pieces of toast with olive oil and salt

Lunch:

 Usually meats, two slices "Lomo" from pig, beef, or some times chicken with mashed potatoes or french fries (home made) or simple just the meat

For the evening a small sandwhich but not always

Dinner :

Hot dog, fried egg, or simple mashed potatoe.

If anyone could offer any suggestions that would be great.

[Silhouette]

I dont know what spains food is like, but in america you stay away from the hotdogs. LOL. Pure fattening. Pilates got me into shape FAST, so maybe try adding that to your daily routine? That core training thing really does work. And I dont promote any excercise programs or weight loss plans. Pilates was the only thing I ever tried that actually took my baby gut (pooch from having a baby) and made it dissapear. Took 3 months of faithfully doing it 3-4 times a week. I never went to step 2 either. I stayed on the begginers disk. Im lazy though. My new plan to loose weight deffinetly wont go without that! I dont have the tape anymore, but I recall most of the workout anyways.

[BrittanyL86]

Add in some fruits and veggies :) That will help give you more energy!

[gymgirl]

I lost 50lbs with cardio-weights and eating clean. You can go into food journals here and look at my food. It can give you ideas what to eat. Stay away from the pork-fries ect. Egg whites are a great source of protein for breakfast.

here is an example:

breakfast: 5 egg white-1 slice of whole wheat bread

snack: cottage cheese and an apple

lunch-leafy green chicken salad-fresh friut

snack-greek yougurt and berries

dinner: grilled chicken-steamed vegi's-sweet potato

Don't be afraid of exercise. I was soooo out of shape when I first started. I am 5'2 and was in a size 22.

[onthegomommy]

Hi,

You're doing great by exercising daily, but eating right is 80% of it!  Here are some tips:

1.  Drink lots of water throughout the day.  You should be drinking 1/2 your weight in ounces.  For example, someone who weighs 150 pounds should be drinking 75 oz. of water per day. 

2.  Eat  fruits and vegetables throughout the day.  Try eating it with every meal including snacks. Aim for 7-9 servings.  For example, have some orange juice or a piece of fruit with your toast.  Have cut up carrots with something healthy like hummus for a snack.  Eat a salad (side or main) for lunch.  Eat some fresh vegetables for dinner with a side salad and some fruit for dessert.  If eating enough fruits and vegetables is a challenge for you, I'd recommend getting some good supplements with carotonids and flavonoids. 

3.  Eat lean protein.  Hot dogs are not lean.  Go for grilled chicken and fish. You should eat .36 grams of protein for every pound you weigh.  For example, a 150 lb. person should eat 54 grams of protein a day.  Make sure you eat protein with every meal!

4.  Eat sufficient levels of fiber.  The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, which provides science-based advice on matters of medicine and health, gives the following daily recommendations for fiber intake for adults:  Men, age 50 and younger – 38 grams, age 51 and older – 30 grams; Women, age 50 and younger – 25 grams, age 51 and older – 21 grams.  It's very difficult to eat enough fiber throughout the day.  I'd recommend using the internet to find fiber-rich food. 

For more information about weight loss, see the links to my websites for healthy nutrition and health weight below my signature.

Good luck to you!

[Taylor82]

Thanks guys these are great tips! I really do need to eat more veggies and fruits, and eliminate some things from my diet. Thanks again :)

[jakeandshane]

I've lost 80+lbs since Jan. 2008. In my opinion I don't think you should take anything out of your diet to start, just add better things. Fill up on those first, then eat what you like. It's how I started my weight loss and after a while of doing this and losing weight I gradually took the bad foods out of my diet. Start slow. There is no reason to rush into it. Give your body time to adjust. It worked for me.