new here, not sure what I'm doing & need help

[enight97]

hello, i just joined because, of course, I am trying to lose weight. I'm not familiar with how everything works yet, so if I make any mistakes please correct me

I am 18 and female. I'm 5"2 and weigh around 155lbs, sounds very large but I am more chubby than anything and would just like to get in shape. I would like aim for the 120-130lbs range.
I do not eat much junk food, I do not eat anything fried or fast food, don't drink soda. I eat lots of fish, soup, rice, yogurt, vegetables. But I have a lot of trouble making myself eat fruit, if anyone has advice on how I can get myself to eat more I would really appreciate it.
I have trouble exercising, I make myself walk for 1 hour (around 2 1/2 miles) a day, but I know I should do more. In short, I live on my own and I'm very poor (living situation is beyond complicated) so I can't go to a gym or buy any kind of equipment. So any kind of at home equipment free exercises, exercise routines for beginners especially, would be very very helpful. Any advice helps really

 

[IAmGoingToTri]

Doesn't sound large to me, but that's because until recently I was a 6"2 220 pounds man (now about 210 pounds).

After reading your intro, here are some questions that may help you:
- what are fruits that you like, or that you can learn to like ? I have always loved bananas, and still eat them a lot, but I have learned to love apples/pears as well, they are a great snack. I allowed myself to choose the sweeter ones first, but now I love some of the more sour ones too.
- how can you make your walks more enjoyable?
- what sport would you LOVE to do?

I think you are doing great. You are fighting! Keep pushing your boundaries (within healthy limits, of course). And please don't be harsh towards yourself, again you are doing well.

Ok, a regime. I did a lot of walking too when I started losing weight. Not just for the sake of walking, but also to the supermarket, to university, to friends, etc. That added up to quite a big distance. Eventually, I felt the need for speed, and I gradually started to run more. First some bit, then more. Eventually I did 40+ kilometers per week.

This worked for me. You may also like a couch to 5k program, I hear that they are great for starters.

 

[MrNiceGuy1]

Hello enight97 and welcome to the forum.

Alongside the suggestion of IAmGoingToTri, as seasoned runner, I’d also recommend following the couch to 5K running programme. Not only does running require little equipment (other than a decent pair of trainers), it’s also a great way to lose weight and improve fitness in a comparatively short period.

C25K programmes are a great way to introduce you to the activity, whilst also developing your running endurance. Besides, they’re not built around developing speed (that’s something you can work upon once stamina is developed).

Moreover, as a beginner/novice, you’ll also be rather surprised at how quickly running endurance develops, while also allowing a sense of post-run satisfaction to ensue, helping to lift mood and self-esteem (known as the runner’s high).

As for home exercise, if your budget extends, treat yourself to a home workout DVD, such as Gillian Michaels’ 30 day shred, since the majority of exercises performed throughout can be executed using body weight to provide resistance.

Concerning diet, I wouldn’t necessarily concern yourself over the fact that fruit isn’t consumed as often as you think it should. You love to eat vegetables, so your body will no doubt receive sufficient nourishment from the vitamins they possess.

Additionally, since you’re attempting to lose weight, ensure that consumption of protein constitutes roughly 30-40% of daily calorific intake, to ensure that existing muscle mass is maintained.

To ascertain daily calorific intake, providing the body with sufficient nourishment while also allowing weight to be lost, consult BMR and TDEE calculators. Having obtained figures for both, aim to introduce a daily calorie deficit (preferably 500Kcal) from your TDEE, ensuring that the deficit introduced doesn’t take you below calories needed to satisfy BMR.

In doing so, calorie reduction, alongside an increased level of activity, may only amount to a weekly loss of 2-3lbs but it’ll be both measured and sustainable, allowing goal weight to be maintained once it’s achieved.

With each 6-7lbs lost, you’ll need to re-assess the amount of calories needed to satisfy BMR, to reduce the risk of plateau en-route towards your goal weight.