Gender:
MaleLocation:
DenmarkOccupation:
TranslatorAge:
43Member Since:
November 28, 2004Answers:
1296Last Update:
April 28, 2014Visitors:
136460Favorite Columnists
lalalaflower
karenR
jenny914
DangerNerd
isis
theymos
Cux
Erinn_the_bamf
Lola
LM
LagunaBabe
more...
Main Categories:
Fitness
Nutrition
Friendship
View All
about
Forum!
advice
okay i have many many problems, too many to type out on here. but i have two major problems that i need to fix. im sixteen, female by the way.
numero uno: my weight and losing weight the healthy way.
heres the story, i used to be average weight, not skinny, but not "fat". i was fine with myself, and i used to be able to eat anything i wanted. i know that as i got older, my metabolism slowed down yadda yadda, and i gained some weight. im not fat, im just lazy. im normal weight for my height and age, but im not happy with it. im about 5'3 and roughly a little more than 120 pounds.
id like to drop about ten pounds, but i want to eat really healthy and actually work out and get muscle, im not worried so much about the scale as i am about how i look.
im not trying to make myself look better for other people, i want to look better to make myself feel better. (although it would be nice to look better in other people's eyes, but im focused on making myself feel better first)
so does anyone know any good plans to get on, nothing i have to pay for, just healthy foods and things. like things to pack for lunch at school, things to eat for breakfast that help you lose weight. i do not want any diet pills or things like that.
also, does anyone know any good workout moves besides crunches and pushups? that could really help me. i dont really want to buy anything to workout, like weights etc., but i do have an exercise bike to workout on.
okay problem 2:
its about a boy, of course. and also kind of self esteem issues, but its one in the same to me. i kind of like this boy, but i hate the word "like" or "crush", im just interested in him. ive never had a boyfriend, but im kind of over that. ive had little elementary school boyfriends, but none in high school yet(im a junior, so i find that kind of pathetic).
anyways, i started talking to this kid over the summer, but i knew of him last year a little bit, but never really felt like talking. i started talking to him online because one, i thought he was cute, and two, he has great taste in music and i love a guy who loves good music(and as we talked, i realized we have a lottt in common.)im just afraid that im stuck in the friend zone because i havent ever been myself around him yet.
so the problem here is, i get really nervous when i talk to cute guys, when i want to think of them as more than friends. my guy friends, i really dont care how i talk to them. but for some reason i cant be myself around guys i think are cute, i know its a natural teenage thing but i need some ideas of how to get over it. i know the number one reason why i get self consciense around the guys, its because i feel like they wont like me because im a little bit chubbier, but thats not the main main reason.
i just dont get why im so funny around my friends and i cant be myself/funny around him. i didnt really like him when i started talking to him, i just thought he was cute. he has a girlfriend, but i dont really care, i just want to be open around him and be my funny self. any tips?
thanks for reading all of this, and thanks if you actually answered with things that can help me out :)
Ok let me talk about problem 1, since that is something I know a bit about. Problem 2 would be just guesswork on my part :)
Now, first off you have the right idea. That is excellent and a great starting point.
I will outline some basic ideas behind healthy weight loss below. You can incorporate however many you wish/ can, at whatever pace is suitable for you.
1. The diet plan:
- At the very basic level try to eliminate or minimise empty calories and other blatantly unhealthy food such as: anything with sugar added to it, anything with a disproportionate amount of saturated fat (cheap animal products are the culprits here), and processed foods.
- The key is balance. Your body needs all the major macronutrients, at the right times. Carb control is crucial though, since that is often abused. In general (fasted cardios aside- see below), try to eat more of your calories and carbs before periods of activity rather than after.
- There are many several different distributions for eating balanced. You can experiment your way to it, or you can use a formula. A classic one is a 40- 40- 20 split, where 40% of your total calories come from carbs, 40 from protein, and 20 from fats (primarily non saturated). There are 4 calories to each gram of carb and protein, and 9 to 1 gram of fat.
- Base your meals around a lean protein source. Good choices include skinless chicken, turkey, tuna, other kinds of fish, lean beef, egg whites, cottage cheese, soya, skim milk, and so on. Then add a moderate carb source. This could be something like 50grams of rice, 50g of whole wheat pasta, 50 grams of oats, a slice of whole wheat bread, etc. Then for a couple of your daily meals add a small source of good fats from good oils, nuts, oily fish, seeds etc. Pay attention to your omega 3 intake (from oily fish, walnuts, flax, etc), you need this in small amounts daily. On top of this add veggies in generous portions, and fruit in moderation (and not late at night).
- Aim to eat 4- 5 meals a day. It makes it much easier to control what you eat in light of your activities. Every 4 hours or so ask yourself "what am I going to be doing next?"... then eat accordingly. If you take a nap, then 200 grams of cottage cheese and a few walnuts are your best choice. If you are about to play a sport, then rice, chicken and a salad might be the way to go. You get the idea.
- Good breakfast ideas include things like oats in skim milk (oats are really excellent carb sources by the way); scrambled eggs (say 1- 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites) and some whole wheat bread; low fat yoghurt with oats and so on. On top of this fruit is always a good choice, and you can also supplement with any other kind of lean protein source if you feel you need it.
- Lastly, keep yourself hydrated (dont go overboard just make sure you drink when you are thirsty), limit excessive salt intake, and try to think ahead. Its always much easier to cheat when there is no healthy option readily available... at least it is for me :)
- In regards to how much to eat, well you can use a formula like BMI, but they are not all that accurate. Otherwise just monitor your progress and lower your calories a bit if you are not dropping enough every week.
2. Exercise
- Quintessential here is cardio. Its good to other things, but this is a must. You said you have a bike, thats great! I dont know how fit you are now, but start slowly and work your way up. Your ideal goal should be something like 4- 6 weekly cardios of over 30 minutes each. In bodybuilder circles 45 minute cardios are generally recommended. Other options are things like jogging, certain sports, etc.
- Fasted cardios are also popular. They are done in the morning on an empty stomach. It supposedly targets the fat stores better. Not essential but may be useful.
- Other than that, try to work as many of your muscle groups as possible. Check out this site, it has a lot of exercises (including ones that dont require weights and equipment):
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm
Just remember to try to balance your training. Dont train stomach and chest without training your back (particularly lower back). Thats common mistake and leads to poor posture and back problems. If you train one side train the other too.
Ok thats more or less it.
Good luck.
(Rating: 5) ah thank you so much!
that really helps alot.