I am 21 years old, about to be 22 in june and am 5’10 and over the past 7 months I have gained 30lbs. Last august I weighed 180 and right now I weigh in at the highest I have ever weighed at 210 and my family keeps saying things to me about my weight but its not like I don’t do anything to try to change it… I eat healthy. I have a protein shake for breakfast with a banana then one or two eggs for a snack then salad with vinegar (no oil) on it with some fiber1 cottage cheese and fresh pineapple for lunch then I will have a piece of fruit for a snack then I have grilled chicken and a salad and vegetables for dinner and I drink water with lemon before each meal and during the day, and I go to the gym and do cardio and weight training for at least an hour every day sometimes more. Over the past 7 months I have been really stressed out with school and my relationship and my family, and I tend to get depressed really easily and I just dont know what to do to lose weight anymore. I had been trying to lose weight before I gained all this weight but my new goal is to at least get back to the 180 I used to be, can you please help me?? Alyssa. [via Ask Questions]
If you want to lose weight, you need to do two things: First, if you have been eating healthy (as you have described), ask yourself this question: “Why have I gained weight?” I mean, people do not gain weight eating eggs, salads, grilled chicken, and some fruit. Something seems to be missing from the description of your diet.
Second, you need a structured diet to lose 30 pounds. I know it is a pain in the rear, but often people do not realize what they actually eat and how much of it, until they write it down. For one week only (you do not need to do this every time), write down everything you eat for one week. Do you eat any sweets? Do you eat simple carbohydrates such as sugary cereals, white bread or pasta? Have you read the nutrition label on your protein powder? How many grams of sugar does it have?
Do you see where I am going with this? You need to carefully examine everything you eat. Write down how many calories and carbs you consume every day. This is your starting point. Once you know that, you have a baseline, which will help you make educated adjustments based on your results.
Diet to lose 30 pounds Clean up your diet. If you want to have a protein shake for breakfast (take a look at these healthy breakfast options) use a low-carb protein powder and some berries (frozen berries are fine) not a banana. Pineapples and bananas are too high in carbs. Low-carb pasta is great and an excellent alternative to regular pasta, add it to your diet. For lunch and dinner, focus on vegetables and protein. Eat a wide variety of veggies and protein.
As for exercise, continue what you are doing. Alternatively, if you need to free up some time, you can just walk. Walking is one the best exercises for weight loss. Start by walking at least three or four times a week for 30 minutes, and increase intensity slowly over time.
In the beginning, spend more time on making sure that you follow a well thought out diet. Once you have your diet under control, you can spend more time on exercise. A proper diet is very important; no amount of exercise is going to help you lose 30 pounds if you do not eat healthy.