so I'm here... and I need help !!

I have been eating very good for the last few months (b'fast, salad and soups for lunch ALOT of chicken for dinners) I have also cut WAY back on drinking (used to be about 5 or 6 a day mix between beer and jack & coke) I have now trimmed it to two days a week and the occ. invite to dinner or a game night and no nore then 3 or 4 (mich ultra and now mgd 64 or wine not so much jack and coke anymore) I have also started going to the gym. 3 to 4 days a week...

k, all that back story gets me to this..

I started almost a month ago @ the gym, I had gained alot of weight (about 35#'s in the last 3 1/2 years) I went from a 31 waist and being in good shape to wearing a 34 (but should really be a 36) it is damn near all belly and side fat with a bit going to the rear too.

I have gone from 179 to 175 in a month, with a mix of weights and biking and walking... but I get really bored and only stay at the gym for like 35-45 min when I do go. I have no real direction or plan.

I feel like I have put in more effort than I ever would have and I'm just not seeing or feeling the results...

any direction or plan for me ?!?!?!

btw I like this site, I just joined today !!

Hi there!

Welcome to our lovely site!

I'll need you to elaborate on your meals a bit more so we can make suggestions there. What do you eat and when do you eat it. This stuff is about 75% diet so we want to make sure that is 100% on track instead of just relying on exercise.

So for your workouts... have you ever lifted weights before? You'll definitely want to start a weight lifting program if you haven't already...

I would start with full body workouts 3 days a week with 2-3 days of cardio and 1 day off. So your week would look something like this:

Monday: weights
Tuesday: cardio
Wednesday: weights
Thursday: cardio
Friday: weights
Saturday: cardio
Sunday off

How does that look?

Cassie

weights as in one day legs, next core, next upper body and cardio in between ??

and as far as my meals go I am going to make a point to fill in the info on the tracker on this site so I have a good grasp on how many calories as now I have no clue but I would guess around 2200

I have either oatmeal or a protien shake for b'fast (8am)

then snack around 10 or so ( gronala bar or apple, pear stuff like that)

lunch 12:30 or 1 home made soups like ham and bean or salads mixed greens with crasins and walnuts and very little light dressing or mixed greens with chopped pears avacodo and chicken (my fav)

random snack (crackers or another granola bar) at any time I feel a litlle hungry and need something to carry me over till dinner

Dinner (could be 6 or 8:30 depending on work sched) chicken, sweet taters, veggies or big salad with chicken or more soups.


I almost always have a protien shake after the gym and as I stated above I'm around 6-10 drinks a week... (way way down I'm proud of this please do not bash it too much I'm drinking the light stuff too)

For your snacks or random snacks… Try to get some protein in there.
If you can, try to avoid granola bars as it has a lot of sugar and other things in it.

so like hardboiled eggs ??

so like hardboiled eggs ??

eggs (or 1 egg and eggwhites if youre worried about fat and cholesterol), chicken breast, fish, lean beef, low fat cheese/cottage cheese, lean cuts of pork, turkey, lunch meat, jerky, legumes, protein powder (when you absolutely can't get solid protein in).

You need protein with EVERY MEAL. So breakfast should be oatmeal and protein, snack should be fruit and protein (and some form of healthy fat), your lunches look good, for snacks i would stay away from crackers and granola bars as these tend to have hydroginated oils, sugars, and other stuff that you dont need. Instead go for things like fruit/veggies, lean protein, and maybe a few nuts for some healthy fat. Dinner looks good.

For weights do 3 full body workouts. So a workout would include things like variations of: squats, lunges, step ups, deadlifts, rows, pull downs, pull ups, chin ups, dips, bench press, pushups, military press.

Okay so I had a hardboiled egg last night for a snack. So far this morning I had

Oatmeal square to go (210 calories 4g fat 43g carbs 10g fiber 13g sugar 4g protein) and a large handful of almonds. a small cup of coffee with little cream and sugar.

Is that a better start to the day ? normally like I said it would have just been the oatmeal. I have put everything in the meal tracker on here and I'm at 422 calories for the day so far. is that too many since it's only 9am ?

if you could look at my pics I took last night and give suggestions on certain weight training for my body type. (I'm not sure if this is important, but I also wanted pics so I could use them as a baseline)

Thanks

You need a good protein in the morning! Instead of almonds, can you do egg white omelets? Or scramble egg whites? Grilled chicken? And your oatmeal?

Maybe Almonds and some protein for snacks?

Having a before and after picture is a good idea. It will keep you motivated as you will see the results and it will show you how hard you have worked for it.

As for workout… you can do a full body workout or a split workout… something like this:

M- Fullbody
Tu – Cardio & Core
W- Full
Th- Rest
Fri – Full
Sat – Cardio & Core
Sun – Rest

Or

M – Chest, Back
Tu – Cardio & Core
W – Legs
Th- Rest
F – Shoulder, arms
Sat - Cardio & Core
Sun - Rest

b'fast is hard for me, I am a really bad sleeper and when I get up I am very very impatient and feel the need to get out the door and to work (I'm a crazy workaholic) I know I would not take the time to make anything thats why it's usually just what I grab on my way out the door.

My wife has done a great job getting lunches and dinners good but I just don't want to put anything else on her (long story short she has a severe disability and thats the other reason I need to get in better shape)

any good quick grabs for b'fast ??

How do you cook your oatmeal? Pop it in the microwave?
Crack some egg whites with your oatmeal.. BAM 3 mins.. you have breaky...
Maybe add some protein powder and honey.

Sorry to hear that about your wife hope everything will be ok
Since you said.. you will get in shape for her and of course yourself (of course)..
You will HAVE to make time for better food choice & time to exercise.
Im not a workaholic but i'm obligated to work long hours...
However, I do make time to make a life style change and commit to health & fitness!
So... my dear... You will have to try to work around it and make fit for you!

Oh... You can also make your breaky the night before & pop it in the microwave in the morning?

I buy the quaker oatmeal to go bars. what about a hardboiled egg in the morning ? ( one whole egg not just the white ?)

I buy the quaker oatmeal to go bars. what about a hardboiled egg in the morning ? ( one whole egg not just the white ?)

"a" hardboiled egg? = that's 1... Oh man.. i'm a pig as I eat 6 (1 whole, 5 whites) in the morning...
Hardboiled eggs would work... like 1 whole and 3 whites? And add your almonds or a fruit?

I love fruit,

so what about a apple or pear or grapes, a egg and my oatmeal? for b'fast ?

any good quick grabs for b'fast ??

This is where I think alot of us get in trouble. Grabbing a danish, or a oatmeal bar, poptart...etc. as we head out the door. All of those convenient "to go" foods are loaded with preservatives, sugar, salt, etc. I think Nokie has a good point about pre-planning your meals. It does take a bit of extra time...but you have to make it a priority if you really want to make a change in your eating habits to lose weight. It's hard - but trust me, we've all gone through it and are still going through it - and we all try to help each other along the way
Recently I gave up (it was a sad day ) my favorite almond granola crunch breakfast bars. I started pre-mixing in a little sandwich baggie - 1/4 scoop of rolled oats (stopped buying the "instant" oatmeal packs), 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 pkg. Truvia sweetener, sprinkle of salt, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder. I bring it to work and cook it in the microwave - eat it at my desk. This may not work for you, but maybe pre mixing the oatmeal, then allowing an extra 10 minutes in your morning to sit down and eat a bowl.
Another thing I started doing was really paying attention to the ingredients listed on the back of the foods I was buying. It is a real eye opener when you see what you are eating (oatmeal bars, granola bars, etc.) So, I try to stay as close to natural, whole, raw, fruit, grains, as I can. It has really made a difference in how I feel and has helped me to shed more stubborn inches.
Bananas, apples, hard boiled egg, string cheese, almonds - all of those are good choices.
Stay away from "100 calorie" packs - or pre-processed foods as much as possible. You know we are going into the Holiday Season with all of its tasty temptations, so it is good that you are starting now to make healthier choices, so you will be well armed to stay on course with your diet and not let the holidays throw you off! We are all in this together! That is what I love about this site, and what I hope you will find here as you progress in your weight loss and fitness journey. Good luck to you, and welcome! Glad you are here!