New - Need advice

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goal2befit

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Hi everyone! I am a 38 year old female, weigh 117 lbs, height 5 foot 2. I would like to get down to 115 pounds and can't seem to loose 2 stinking pounds. I have always weighed 110 but as I am getting older, I am gaining. When I tell someone I want to lose a few pounds they think I'm crazy. I have been trying to eat healthier and exercise more for the last 6 months. Since I don't really like to cook and like convenience, I was eating everything out of a box. (processed food) I am actually eating fruit, salads and switched to whole grain bread and am very proud of it. Ha! Ha! I would like some feedback on my diet at this point. Any information would be appreciated.

Breakfast
1 cup of International coffee French Vanilla
1 cup of Kashi Go Lean Cereal or Heart to Heart cereal
1% milk
Snack - LaYogurt Reduced fat or fruit
Lunch
Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones (weight watchers) meal
Bottle of Snapple Lipton Ice Tea
Snack fruit or yogurt
Dinner
2 cups of salad w/ fat free Italian dressing
Meat/potato and vegtalbe (I need to reduce my portion size at dinner and stop using betty crocker potato mixes or Liptons side dishes and actually make brown rice or real potatos) It's my next step in trying to eat healthier.

I have been keeping a food log and my daily totals seem to be about the same each day Example:
Daily Fat intake between 40 -50 g
Daily Calorie intake between 1800 - 2000
Daily Saturated fat intake about 20 g
Daily Trans fat intake - zero to 2 g
Daily protient intake - 55 - 70 g
Daily carb intake between 270 - 350

I also never drank water unless I brushed my teath and swollowed some. I am now drinking 3-4 glasses of water a day besides my one cup of coffee and one glass of apple juice/prune juice or O.J.

I walk outside 3 miles - 3 to 4 times a week at a good pace. I just started running instead and my muscles are sore. I also just purchased a heart monitor and am going to use it later today when I run. Wish me luck.

As I typed this I know that I am still not eating as good as I should be (or drinking) but I have come a long way and have a lot more to go. Any feedback would be appreciated.
 
Welcome to the site. Have you been trying for six months to lose the 2 pounds?
Here are some of my reccomendations:
You need to lower your carb intake and up your protein intake. Your total calories seem ok since you're only doing cardio at this point (IMO). Your lunch needs major changing, ditch the smart one box and make yourself something better. Chicken breast, or a turkey or tuna sandwich on wheat bread. Once you reduce those smartones and potatoes you'll see your overall calories drop, but that will be ok once you re-adjust your diet. Uncle Bens makes these 90 second microwaveable rice packs that I find handy as well. Remember protein is the key ingredient to a successful diet.
Its good to see that you're now drinking water, however you should work on doubling that amount, getting up to 8 glasses minimum. Good Luck.
 
Do you do any strength training? It's definetly helpful in helping to tone up, etc. and muscle burns more calories than fat. Just curious, since I don't remember you mentioning it. There's some good advice on these forums about it if you aren't doing it already.
 
Thanks Kaleigh and Tonymcclellan for both responding to my post.

After I eat the last 3 Lean Cuisines/Smart ones in my freezer, I am going cold turkey from them. Ha! Ha! I sometimes do make a turkey sandwich or tuna sandwich for lunch but most of the time eat the boxed stuff out of convenience.

What has a lot of protien in it besides tuna for lunch?

No I haven't been doing any strength training. I wanted to get my walking/running down first and then start on that. I have a tendancy to start exercising and it last 3 months and I quit. So I figured I tackle one thing at a time.

I have a treadmill, weight bench, 3 & 5 pound dumbell weights, a barbell with several different weights to put on it plus an 8 station Weider home gym. (The home gym doesn't fit my body. I need to put a pillow under me or in back of me when using it and that gives me an excuse to not use it.) My husband says that he doesn't want me to buy any more equipment since I don't use it. So I went and bought the Tony Little Gazelle and used that a handfull of times. I gave that to my sister and she used it a handfull of times and she inturn gave it to my other sister. (I haven't asked if she is using it) I would like to start strength training but don't even know where to begin. I am thinking of hiring a personal trainer but that costs a lot of money. I would prefer the person come to my house. I know of a lady that owns a curves and I think she also does personal training. I will look into that tomorrow.

I live in the northeast and we are flooded out. They evacuated the town today. The dam has a hole in it. I live across from the dam but up on the hill. Thank god I am on high ground. I feel so bad for everyone that had to evacuate.Those that had to evacuate didn't have time to take things with them and some had to leave their pets.:(
 
Protein

Try Salmon. It has much more protein than Tuna, plus a lot more things that will make you even healthier. Salmon is a God food. It's benefits are great in every way.
 
Sorry to here about you guys getting flooded!! I tell ya, the rain has been REALLY bad this season. We joke at work that we must actually be living in the rain forest, we are actually losing buisness at the vet clinic because no body wants to brave this weather! lol anyways, salmon is awsome, if you can get the wild caught kind, it taste better and has more omegas, or so I have heard. and I STILL swere by my george forman grill, it takes only a few secconds to cook it in the morning, and you can eat it for lunch or dinner. also, those little cans of chicken that you can buy in the tuna section make for a good lunch, and I find if you open a can and mix it up, then put half for lunch and half in the fridge, that will make it that much easier to make your lunch in the morning! hey dont feel bad about the smart ones, i used to eat them every day for lunch. its alot easier to make gradual changes than one big giant cold turkey change in diet, and I find it is easier to stick with in the end. but hey that is just me:)
 
goal2befit said:
What has a lot of protien in it besides tuna for lunch?
Click to expand...

Fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef, you can also find other sources such as almonds, kidney beans, and milk. Its time to start reading nutrition labels.
 
kaleigh said:
Do you do any strength training? It's definetly helpful in helping to tone up, etc. and muscle burns more calories than fat. Just curious, since I don't remember you mentioning it. There's some good advice on these forums about it if you aren't doing it already.
Click to expand...

I thought of that too - a well rounded program for strength, stamina, flexibility and balance would help.
 
goal2befit said:
I would like to start strength training but don't even know where to begin. I am thinking of hiring a personal trainer but that costs a lot of money. I would prefer the person come to my house.
Click to expand...

Where at in NY? I am in Northern Jersey and may be for hire soon.
 
Thanks everyone for the great information. Tonymcclellan - Thanks but I don't live near Jersey.
 
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