I'm a 30 years old, 5'4", 142lbs. I was a very overweight child/teen. During my early 20's, weighing over 200lbs, I started taking diet and exercise seriously (completely eliminating fast food, walking, running and yoga). Over the course of 7 years, I went through I series of 2lb, 5lb, 10lb weight losses with months of plateau in between each loss. I've maintained my current weight for the past 3 years.
When I reflect on all of the life changes I have made and how far I have come, I am very proud of myself. At the same time, I've come this far and feel like I have not acheived my full potential. Being on the short side and having a small frame, I still feel chubby. The women in my family are on the slender side so there does not appear to be any "genetic" factors for my weight.
Overall, I think my diet is pretty good. I eat cheerios w/ skim milk and a piece of fruit EVERY morning, usually a turkey sandwich (no mayo) for lunch, and a lean cuisine w/ a small salad for dinner. I usually have 2 or 3 snacks per day which may include a 100 calorie granola bar, light microwave popcorn, piece of fruit, light yogurt, or a non-fat latte.
Lately my exercise routine has consisted of 45 minutes of walking/running on the treadmill. After turning 30, I decided to be a little kinder on my joints, so I alternate 5 min. walking (4.0)w/ 5 minutes of running. Twice a week I do a series of arm exercises with 8 lb weights. On a good week, I fit in a yoga session.
Given my weight history, I may very well be destined to be kind of chubby. However, if there is anyway that I can acheive a slender physique (in a healthy way) I would love to attain it. 120lbs sounds good and completely within my healthy weight range.
I would love to know if anyone has acheived success in a similar situation and specifically what they ate throughout the day (including quantities). Any exercise advice would be appreciated as well.
Thanks!
When I reflect on all of the life changes I have made and how far I have come, I am very proud of myself. At the same time, I've come this far and feel like I have not acheived my full potential. Being on the short side and having a small frame, I still feel chubby. The women in my family are on the slender side so there does not appear to be any "genetic" factors for my weight.
Overall, I think my diet is pretty good. I eat cheerios w/ skim milk and a piece of fruit EVERY morning, usually a turkey sandwich (no mayo) for lunch, and a lean cuisine w/ a small salad for dinner. I usually have 2 or 3 snacks per day which may include a 100 calorie granola bar, light microwave popcorn, piece of fruit, light yogurt, or a non-fat latte.
Lately my exercise routine has consisted of 45 minutes of walking/running on the treadmill. After turning 30, I decided to be a little kinder on my joints, so I alternate 5 min. walking (4.0)w/ 5 minutes of running. Twice a week I do a series of arm exercises with 8 lb weights. On a good week, I fit in a yoga session.
Given my weight history, I may very well be destined to be kind of chubby. However, if there is anyway that I can acheive a slender physique (in a healthy way) I would love to attain it. 120lbs sounds good and completely within my healthy weight range.
I would love to know if anyone has acheived success in a similar situation and specifically what they ate throughout the day (including quantities). Any exercise advice would be appreciated as well.
Thanks!