|
My Diet Plan - Will it work?
I'm 5'8, 158 pounds, 15 years old, not active at all.
On this coming monday, im starting a diet which will hopefully help me lose 1 or 2 pounds a week, but I need to know if it will work. Here is my daily plan:
Breakfast: Honey bunches of oats cereal, 1% Milk
Lunch: Fruit salad, water
Supper: Anything my mom makes (healthy)
I will also be running on the treadmill for about 20 minutes at 4m/h. I've sort of been using the calorie-counting method.
Anyways, will I lose weight with this, or is it a waste of time? What can I change?
[ ]
Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Nutrition?
You should have some lean protein for lunch so you're not tempted to snack later. Poultry or some sort of soy product would probably be a good choice.
But other than that it looks pretty good.
Drink a lot of water and don't worry so much about calories as fat. Stay away from saturated fats and high-cholesterol foods.
]
im not too sure this is really healthy.
you need iron, protien and some carbs and calories in there. that just makes a healthy diet. you should drink a lot of water and some milk.
then work out more then just 20 min. a day. maybe 45 min? at the least.
but you dont need to flip out because this seems really hard. you shouldnt dive right into it and cut out 2/3 of the food you are eatting and work out for 45 min a day. you should start slowly. maybe stop eatting all of those extra snacks, then once you have that down start working on the proportion thing.
as for the working out thing, i'd start with 30 min. then after a week or so go up to 35 min. then 40 and then 45 .. and so on.
you can do more then just run. you can do crunches and maybe if you and a gym near by, join that.
so best of luck! ♥
]
Add some meat. Maybe make it a fruit salad and a normal lettuce salad, withh chicken. If you don't like salad withouth dressing get a low fat kind. Make sure it's not like ceaser or ranch, those are really creamy and fatty. Instead of 1% try skim, I really can't taste the difference, and it's healthier.
*Hope I Helped**
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
]
You arent eating often enough. As mentioned earlier by Ericstarr, you need up to 6 meals a day to optimize your weight loss efforts (in fact all his advice will improve your situation).
I also agree with the OldOne that you are better off pushing the cardios to over 30 mins. Dont get me wrong, the 20min thing is fine, and I have had great results with just that, but over 30mins at a time is better. Just work your way up slowly of course, no need to overstress yourself.
I just want to add a few things:
- Try to eat slightly larger meals before exercising and slightly smaller ones afterwards (in terms of calories). In this way, always eat for what you are about to do. If you are about to take a nap and are due for a meal, eat just a little. Too often people eat the largest meal (dinner) after exercising. It wont kill you, but its not ideal.
- I have read a bit on whether or not it is possible to elevate the metabolism through cardio workouts. I have come across conflicting material (some claim that it returns to normal after an hour or so). However, if its possible, variation is the key. So do your workout normally for a few weeks. Then change it a bit (put up the speed for example, or add some elevation... you get the idea).
- If you decide to incorporate some resistance training (which would be the best thing to do), then the variation principle applies there as well.
Good luck!
Answer to the edited part:
First of all check the packages of the stuff you eat, they should list protein content. You will find that most foods have a certain amount of protein, the tricky thing is finding those foods that dont have a too high content of carbs and/or fat.
Sources of animal protein include meats, eggs (all the protein is in the whites), fish, milk products
Sources of plant protein include: Beans, soy products, grains
When composing your meals, keep track of the proteins, carbs and fats. Remember about 20% of your calories should come from fats (there are 9 cals to 1 gram of fat) and, of these, less than half should be saturated. Saturated fats are found in things like fatty meats, butter, cheap oils, junk foods etc. Non saturated fats are found in olive oil, canola, nuts of all sorts, fish etc. Check the packages.
From this it follows that although some foods have a fair amount of protein, they are also a source of "bad" fat. This includes most cheeses for example. Meats should also be lean, so as to take advantage of the rich protein content without the fat. Same thing goes for milk products.
I would avoid the dip and cheese in the snacks. Fruit and vegs are great, but you should still try to add some protein into the snacks so as to balance the meal (low fat yoghurt comes to mind as an easy snack). Nuts are also a great snack, but in moderation due to the high calorie content (in small amounts they are really healthy).
You dont have to make this an exact science, although I think you will benefit from tracking your calories and so on. Just focus on keeping animal products in general as low on fat as possible, while intaking the bulk of the daily requirements from nuts, fish, good oils etc.
If you find it hard to keep your protein up, then buy a protein shake. Pure whey (which is what most good shakes are made of) is one of the best and most quickly absorbed sources of protein out there. It should not be a total substitute to protein in your food, but its a great supplement.
Here is a link to a recipe sharing section of a bodybuilding site. I know you are not a bodybuilder (neither am I), but there is some great stuff here:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
These recipes are pretty much all high on protein, low on saturated fat and often low on carbs too. Lots of healthy alternatives to choose from.
]
I don't know if just fruit salad for lunch is going to be very satisfying. Think of it this way. Dieting isn't about quantity, it's about quality. A good diet also has a little variety in it. Eat a decent portion of food and eat different kinds of foods. Just eat healthily. You may benefit from seeing a dietician or getting a book on dieting since you're new at this. More important than diet is exercise. The 20 minutes is a great idea. Splitting it into ten minute intervals isn't bad if you want to do that. If you do that however, you'll have to run faster than you would if you were doing it altogether and make your breaks short (5 minutes). Walking during your breaks would help too. You don't have to run for 30 minutes and honestly, exercise is exercise no matter how you look at it. You're not trying to get in shape, you're just trying to loose weight. Do what feels best for you. Good luck!
]
it would probably help you loose weight, but wouldn't you get bored of eating the same exact thing every day? you don't have to be that strict to loose weight. using the calorie counting method and having 1200 - 1400 calories a day and running on the treadmill like you explained. watch carbs too. eat healthy things like you said above, not a lot of junk food. if your hungry, a small amount of nuts is very filling& healthy. just try to be active as much as possible .. maybe take walks around the neighborhood with your friends or little things add up. goodluck<3
EDIT; protiens - cheese, yogurt, meat, etc. proteins stay with you longer than carbs (which is a reason why you should balance carbs & proteins out). running 30 minutes a day is very good exersize & fruits are a good snack, as well. apples, grapes, carrots, celery, salad are all good. if you use dip or dressing though, watch out because it can have a lot of calories and you won't even realize it. recording how much you are taking in is useful so you can see how much you are eating, and like i said, eat between 1200-1400 cals. a day to loose weight. you might have a handful of chips there, some more there, and it all adds up, so it is useful to write it all down.
the plan you have is attainable& will help you loose weight. REMEMBER - loosing weight the RIGHT way takes time, but it will keep it off if you mantain it. however, if you do some crazy diet that says you'll loose 10 pounds in a week, you'll likely gain it all back & even more soon after. good luck!<3 i hope i helped you!
]
I think that would be a good diet to lose weight but to also help what i do is sometimes go for a walk after dinner to burn it all off. I dont go every day but just every now and than. Good luck!!
]
There's one important point: When you're exercising, you need to work out for at least thirty minutes STRAIGHT. Sorry to disagree with SC, but breaking it up into ten-minute sessions won't help you anywhere near as much.
If you can do a cardio exercise for at least 30 minutes straight (and more is better), you'll boost your metabolism rate for the next 24-48 hours. Your body will burn fat at a higher rate, even when you're sleeping. And you'll have more energy.
Ten-minute sessions won't affect your metabolic rate.
It would be a good idea to try other cardio exercises too, just to give yourself some variety and to keep your body from getting into a rut. Consider different kinds of cross-ramp machines (some have arm levers, too), jogging, swimming, rowing machines, and biking. As long as you can keep it up at a brisk pace for 30 minutes, they'll help. And you need to do that at least three times a week.
Weight training will help you too. You can use weight machines, or free weights; you'll probably be more comfortable with machines. You don't need to build up huge muscles, so don't lift the very heaviest weights that you can stand; don't hurt yourself.
But if you put in some good effort, you'll find that by developing and toning your muscles, you'll also be burning more fat. Your weight might go up a little, temporarily, because muscle weighs more than fat. But you'll shrink, and your new muscles will actually burn the fat in your body.
4 miles per hour on the treadmill isn't bad, but if your machine has a heart rate detector, you might want to give that a try a few times; it will help you find out if you're in the "zone".
About food: if you always eat the same thing, your body eventually adapts and makes it harder to lose weight. So vary your diet.
You might also want to take a multi-vitamin. And, of course, drink plenty of water.
Good luck!
FOLLOWUP:
When it comes to diet - that is, the best foods to eat for weight loss - start with the food pyramid:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
As for proteins, they are primarily found in meat, dairy, eggs, and nuts. A more detailed list can be found here: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Any vegetable should be fine, likewise most fruits . Well, technically if you go absolutely crazy and eat insane amounts of the worst fruits, you could harm yourself - but veggies and (to a lesser extent) fruits are great for snacking. Dips can be risky; you need to know what's in them, and how many calories (and calories from fats) they have.
Cheese tends to be high in fat, so go easy on that. I believe that low-fat cottage cheese isn't too bad for you, though.
One thing I forgot to mention: avoid diet drinks. They're really not good for you. You'll be best off if you drink water. For variety, try squeezing a slice of lemon or lime into a glass of ice water . It's incredibly refreshing, and (of course) much cheaper than soda.
Calorie-counting is great. It sounds like you're really starting this off intelligently. Keep with it, and you should see the results you hope for!
Oh, and if you DO fall off the wagon, don't let that stop you. Make sure to start right in on your program again.
I've heard that the best way to lose weight is to determine what your normal calorie intake should be to maintain your weight, and then to take about 10-20% off of that - since you're young, let's say 10%. Here's a site that lets you calculate your maintenance calories: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Good luck!
]
dieting is always exelent but you always have to be safe so you need all the nutritions in a day try finding a book about and you need to keep it up try activities that your good at too like join the basketball team or something
good luck!!!
]
Good job on planning before starting your diet.
I can offer a couple tips that will help you succeed. First, looking at your plan you need to add more protein. Your body needs protein to maintain muscle which burns fat. If you cut protein too low, your body will start using protein from your existing muscle, thus reducing your metabolism. I would ad a portion of protein to your breakfast and lunch.
Second, rather than eat 3 meals. try to eat small meals every 3 to 4 hours. Remember, you want to keep your metabolism in fat burning mode, your body has to know you have a constant supply of nourishment or it will slow down your metabolism to conserve fat not burn it.
I a nut shell, the best way to loose weight is to eat 5 to 6 meals a day, consisting of 250 to 300 calories with a 40% protein, 40% complex carbs and 20% healthy fat balance. Exercise with some muscle building exercises every other day, do some form of aerobic exercise on the other days. Drink 8 glasses of water a day (you body needs water to burn fat), and get plenty of rest because your body repairs it self while sleeping.
Good Luck and Good health!
Added later per request of Questioner.
You asked what Proteins you can add to your meals. For breakfast you could add a couple egg whites, I like to boil several eggs, remove the yolk and stuff them with a mix of water packed white albacore tuna with a dollop of miracle whip "free". For other meals I choose a portion of tuna, Salmon, broiled skinless chicken breasts, turkey, cottage cheese, and kidney beans. If I can help any further feel free to Email me or ask me at my column.
]
Eating healthier, excercising. There is nothing more that needs to be changed. That is all you can do to loose weight. I've heard of honey bunches of oats, but I don't know the health factor, it sounds healthy though. And always drink water with meals.
Possibly what you could do is maybe run a little more. Maybe a total of thirty minutes, but split into 10 minute intervals.
I'm in a foods and nutrition class, and we've learned how to calculate all this stuff. The only thing that I can remember off the top of my head is that you should excercise for 30 minutes at least 3-4 times a week. But that it's okay if you split it up into 10 minutes intervals.
So, if you have time, 10 minutes after breafast (you want to be nourished while excercising) Then 10 minutes after lunch, well, if you have school, then eat a small snack such as a banana or something when you get home, then run for 10 minutes. And then after dinner you can run for another 10 minutes.
Don't forget to include about 2 snacks. A snack after lunch, and a snack after dinner unless you eat late.
I would suggest not eating or drinking anything other than water about 2 hours before going to bed. I don't recall the reason, but a lot of people say something about not being very active before going to bed so it makes you gain while you sleep. I'm not sure, but I just know lay off the sweets and anything high in calories before bedtime.
----EDIT----
Because I don't have my school stuff with me at this moment, I won't be able to answer your additional information completely, but I do have some stuff to add.
I know some people who like to dunk celery in peanut butter, I also know people who like to dunk apples in peanut butter. If you like either, then I suggest doing that. It's a decent way to get protien. Also, there are healthy meats out there as long as you cut as much fat off as you can. Also, don't think McDonalds is a way to get proteins. I have a friend whose mother is a manager there, she works there too. Well, she told me that one cheeseburger meal is enough calories for the day, one big mac (or whopper, or well you know, the bigger things) could even get to a weeks worth of calories (if you eat the fries too)
I'm not sure about the calories thing, but like your calorie counting thing. But if you could wait until Thursday, I plan on staying after school, and I feel more comfortable around a different foods teacher than the one I have, so if she'll stay for a little bit, I could get her opinion if you reask this question to my inbox and can wait until Thursday for a response. It's up to you, I know you've gotten other answers and may not need and more, so if you can wait until Thursday and want a foods/nutrition teachers opinion, copy and paste this question to my inbox.
]
More Questions: |