New and unsure of what to eat.

[cher36]

I have just started lc'ing this week and working out.(treadmill (2 mi.brisk walk) and light weights (alternating upper one day, lower next) and unsure of what foods are good to eat.
I have gained over the summer and need to lose probably 5-10 lbs. I am 5 ft tall so it is very obvious. Plus i've had 3 c-sections so my tummy is my main prob area, and thighs are getting too round. Plus i'm 36 so the metabolism is slowed due to age i'm sure.
I've been eating boiled eggs or scrambled(2-3), turkey sausage links(2-3) and decaf coffee for brkfst. Getting really sick of that.
Mainly salads for lunch (lettuce, grape tomatoes(5-6)and cucumber slices w/ lite ranch dressing.I don't really measure the dressing just use as much as i want I do know cottage cheese is good, but I can barely stomach it. I have been trying to drink alot more water and I drink diet sodas also.....and some Diet V8 Splash.
Need some ideas, I do have some protein powder (O.N whey, chocolate mint, EAS advantedge vanilla whey) I havent got the blender out yet though.
I want to lose as fast as possible , so I don't want to make any bad food choices. I'd like to see some improvement by Thanksgiving(relatives coming)
Thanks!!
Cher

 

[Sassy69]

First, welcome to the boards! Speaking as someone older than you, though I don't have any kids, don't feel like your metabolism is now your enemy. Things just change a little bit is all. Also if you are only looking to lose 5-10 lbs, don't sweat it too much. Looking at your diet, I'd say there's LOTS we can do to get you in the right direction. As far as training, if you just got started, you need to be patient - also with the diet - takes about 3 weeks for your body to adjust to a new consistent regimen and start showing some results. Given that however, you should at least feel more energy within the first week or so by feeding your body more optimally.

Diet:

Breakfast - Even if you are getting sick of the stuff you eat now, its not a bad way to start. You might consider something like 4 oz of chicken breast or ground turkey and 1/2 c oatmeal. Morning is a good time to get some carb in your day because you are more active and you can burn it more than you would like right after dinner when you are sitting in front of the TV for the night.

LUnch - keep the salads, but throw in some grilled chicken or tuna - some sort of protien in there. Try going with some vinegar & olive oil or flax seed oil on the salads - this will give you some of the good fats you need in your diet.

Dinner - more protien & green veggies.

Snacks - mid morning & mid afternoon - some things you coudl throw in there are almonds, natural peanut butter, or just a small meal of protein & veggies or some protein mix.

You can also throw in some carb like a sweet potatoe at any of these meals.

You generally want to eat 5-6 small meals / day instead of a couple large ones or skipping meals. You metabolize nutrients (fats, carbs, proteins) in 2-3 hours so you want to feed, metabolize and then refeed over the course of the day. Diet soda isn't deadly, but try to keep them to a minimum and continue to drink lots of water to just generally flush your system.

Resistance training & cardio will help to burn fat, but remember that you can't "spot reduce", but as you lean out, the training will help to create the illusion of more proportionality by developing muscle. Trouble spots left after C-sections may or may not be addressable via diet & training.

The key to dropping bodyfat is consistency & patience with your diet & training. Diet is more important key of the two, and consistency over the long term will get & keep the results you want. You may want to "lose as fast as possible" but you can't force fast changes in your body that you won't rebound from later, so just keep plugging away at the goals as you go.

 

[chesty]

what are your current stats?

 

[cher36]

well i'm 5 ft tall and 106 lbs according to my scales. My frame is very small boned and not muscular. So even though 106 sounds light, I am still chubbier than need be. And believe me I don't expect to look 20 or anything.