[xohprecious]

I have always been a terrible eater. I snack, eat fatty foods, ignore anything that's good for me, etc. However, I was a competitive swimmer, so I was practicing for long hours a day. However, about a year and a half ago I quit swimmer to focus more on my studies. Great new: I'm ranked 5th in my class and a 4.4 GPA. Bad news: I am getting disgustingly fat and unhealthy.

An average day for me looks something like this:

5:30am - Wake up, shower, get dressed, usual morning routine type stuff
Breakfast: Half of a bagel with a little bit of low-fat "fake" butter
7:00am - Leave for school
12:30pm - Have lunch at school
Lunch: Some kind of nasty school lunch (burger, chicken pot pie, spaghetti, etc.), small portion of fruit, and a small slushie
2:10pm - Leave to go home
2:30pm - Get home, rush to start my homework/studying
3:45pm - Leave for work (lifeguard and swimming instructor)
Snack: Chips, chocolate, cookies, any happy food to get me through my miserable job
Between 8:30-9:30pm - Get home from work and eat dinner
Dinner: Pierogies, Homemade tacos, Fast food (anything quick and easy)
Whatever time is left-11:30pm - Homework again, and then sleep

As you can see, 90% of what I eat is crap, and I have no time built in for exercise haha ugh. Basically, I need to change my habits. I'm 110lbs and 5'1", which is slightly overweight according to my doctor. He told me that the reason I have so many health problems is because of my lifestyle. He told me to start exercising, eating healthy, and lose 5-10lbs.

Basically, what I thinking about changing is this:

Breakfast: Should I stick with what I already have or should I change it? My change would be a small fat-free Yoplait yogurt.
Lunch: I would change to a sandwich with just white bread + meat, a piece of fruit, bottle of water, and maybe some carrots or celery.
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: I would start eating my mother's cooking again. That usually involves white rice, chicken, steamed vegetables, etc.

For exercise, instead of starting my homework right when I get home from school, I would play 20-30 minutes of DDR on the advanced levels and maybe some Wii Fit. The only downside to that is I would be staying up 30 minutes or so later at night, and I only get like 5.5 hours of sleep as it is.

Basically, what I want to know is if this would be satisfactory or not. Will I be able to lose those 10lbs and be on my way to getting healthier?

[brn2shop10494]

i would suggest substituting white bread/white rice for brown ^^
whole grains are much healthier, and white stuff only gives you quick energy and can be bad for your digestive system.

other than that, sounds good

[naito]

maybe you could exercise more on the weekend? that way you wouldn't have to stay up later. sleep is important for keeping a healthy weight. studies have shown people who don't get enough sleep tend to weigh more.

PS: I don't see how 110 lbs at 5'1" is overweight? I'm not a doctor, but I am 5'3" and used to be 110lbs and everyone told me how skinny I was. Does 2" really make that big of a difference? anyway, that's just my thought.

[iyagi]

I agree with naito. I used to 116lb or more and I'm the same height as you. Granted, I thought I needed to lose a few pounds and did so. If you're "skinny-fat" then it probably would do you good to work on losing some weight. Or at least trimming some fat.

Now IMO, your situation can be easily solved. Don't feel like you totally have to restrict yourself from everything that isn't good for you, but also don't reach for junk food at every turn. There can be a good balance. If you're really focused on being healthy right now and you really don't think you have the time for exercise, then your daily diet is going to be the major component. As brn2shop10494 said, substitute white bread for whole wheat/grain. It's all about substitution and just eating better little by little. But also be sure you're not eating too little. Just yogurt for breakfast isn't enough energy. Try making eggs or toast, or some oatmeal and fruit. Eating homemade food is definitely better for you than store/restaurant-bought meals.

As for snacks, you can snack on healthy foods (this is kind of a "duh" to me, no offense lol). Instead of chips or cookies, bring veggies (raw veggies are gooood :9) or fruit. Or go out and buy some trail mix bars (I loove those). Seriously, there are options for you literally everywhere. You just gotta look in a different direction sometimes.

Good luck!

[duh123]

i feel a little insulted that you say that 110 at 5'1 is overweight. if you look at your BMI, you are so far from overweight. especially if you are a former athlete which means you would still have some of your muscles which makes you slightly heavier but thinner than most girls who are just 110 of fat with barely any muscle at 5'1. btw i'm 5'1 and heavier than you and i'm not overweight or slightly overweight.

1. your fake butter is margarine which most likely contains trans fat. you could either switch it up with real butter which has more nutrients or use a fruit spread that contains no added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. but i suggest you ditch the bagel and have some whole wheat cereal with light soymilk or some oatmeal with a handful of assorted nuts. it keeps you fuller and gives you so much more energy.

2. i know school food isn't the most nutritious or the most appealing but i would assume your school would have a salad bar. get a salad with your lunch (choose the lesser evil if every choice is unhealthy). put dressing on the side and eat a fruit before the actual lunch because the fiber in the salad and fruit will fill you up before you dig into that unhealthy dish.

3. why is your job so miserable? i would think after doing competitive swimming that being a lifeguard and swim instructor would be fun for you. i used to be on the tennis team and i would love to be a coach just to get to play. anyway, choose better snacks like assorted nuts without added salt or that funky flavors. maybe the lightly spiced ones are better than all those other flavors. assorted nuts is a great choice for snacks because of the healthy fat it contains, it fills you, and provides you with many good nutrients. but it can be easy to overeat assorted nuts so your snack shouldn't be more than you can grab. eat some dried fruit while you are at it but i guess since so many dried fruits are covered in sugar, beware of how much you eat. try to stay away from junk food. if you crave chocolate, choose dark chocolate because it has the least amount of additives such as cream, milk, and sugar. drink lemon water, it's refreshing and it's healthy.

4. why not eat homemade food? unless whoever cooks is a bad cook. but your mom seems to make really healthy food although you can substitute the white rice for brown rice or do half and half until your family gets used to the brown rice. fast food is disgusting. watch supersize me or youtube the 6month old happy meal. supposedly mcdonald's food is so processed that it doesn't degrade like normal food. it was really hard for me to watch because i used to eat that stuff.

5. you wake up really early to get ready and everything. i was never one to take a long time to get ready so i'm not going to judge but i think you can spare 10-15mins to do some cardio and strength training every other day. like mon, wed, and fri you do 10-15mins of cardio such as running place, jumping jacks, high knees, jump rope, and things like that and if you can actually jog outside that's even better. on tues, thurs, and sat you can do strength training as in crunches, squats, lunges, pushups, burpees, and things like that. you don't even need any equipment.

6. sugary drinks are out of the question btw. vitamin water is evil. it has so much added sugar you might as well be drinking a bottle of soda. drink water or even lemon water.

7. if you want to eat yogurt, try to eat greek yogurt. it's better for you and it doesn't have all that added sugar stuff.

8. learn to read the ingredients for anything packaged or anything you eat. it helps a lot.

[happeecampee]

yo think of it this way
the less you spend on food, the more you can spend on clothes
after you shed some pounds, reward yourself with nice things,

btw, you have the best job in the world, wtf

[Shiwen]

imo preparing the food you want to eat is the hardest part.
so if you want to change your diet and you find you're really rushing everything, maybe get a shopping list together and tell your parents to buy it for you/cook it for you, so when you're home it's right there and you just have to eat it.

[suzushii]

It sounds like you eat bad food mostly because it's available, and convenient.

Rule 1: Pack your own food. (get a bento box, they're very intelligently made. Maybe, 2 tier, microwaveable, with a snap on lid, and an extra 1 box for salads). Cafeteria food sucks, and fast food is attrocious. Easy stuff to pack - one part carbs (saaay rice, wholewheat noodles, sweet potatoes etc.) one part protein (fish, chicken breast, turkey breast, etc.) and one part other stuff (pickles, veggies). OR veggies plus dip (think hummus, or sour cream based home made sauce).

Rule 2: make food in BULK and then PORTION and then FREEZE. Then in the morning all you have to do is defrost 1 portion and eat it. Some things are once a week (you could do it on the weekend) and some even less often. Hardboil 4-5 eggs at one time, and keep them in a bowl in the fridge. They're a healthy snack and they're great for packing. The cholesterol in eggs is not only NOT BAD for you, it's actually GOOD for your heart.

Rule 3: Get used to eating RAW, it saves time - particularly eat a salad or even 2 every day. Mix up the vegetables. Either do it each night and pack in in the bento box, leave it in the fridge till morning and take it with you OR if money is not an issue, buy those pre-made, pre-washed salads. Add no sauce whatsoever. Plain > disgusting fatty sauces.

Rule 4: No junk in the house, no junk to eat. Throw/donate what you already have, and never buy them again. Easiest way to stop eating so much crap. Also, don't go shopping when you're hungry. You WILL buy 50% snacks and junk.

Rule 5: non-processed > processed. Switch white things with brown (rice, flour, etc.). Switch those horrible sugary unhealthy bfast cereals with rolled oats. Stop eating pastries.

Rule 6: snack on fruit, veggies and nuts. Portions: 1-2 pieces of fruit, as many veggies as you desire, and a handful of nuts/seeds.

Rule 7: find a way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine - ALWAYS take the stairs. Consider going to work by bike. If you have a short errand WALK, don't drive. Each evening dance to your fav tunes. Consider having a stationary bike, or a threadmill at home. Cheaper version, do a 20 min floor workout, there are dozens on youtube. ETC.

Rule 8: Be flexible. If you MUST have a work dinner, order grilled meat with boiled veggies, don't jump at the stuff with sauces and french fries. If you MUST order fast food, get a plain salad and ask for the burger without mayo and cheese. Drink water, but if you MUST, drink diet coke rather then siroupy fruit juices or regular pop. Minimise the damage. Don't eat out of the bag. Pour some in a bowl, usually 25g is a normal portion, and put the bag away, and eat. If you want some more, stop, drink some water and wait 10 min. Most likely you won't want it after then. Don't eat in front of the TV. If you eat bad for a day, ENJOY it, then GET OVER IT, and don't get in a vicious circle of blaming yourself and calling yourself disgusting. That's not nice. Other people may be just like you. When you blame yourself so harshly, you're rude to OTHERS.

[momoxai]

wow, i'm just like you...except fatter...
anyways, i used to swim but i quit and now i'm struggling with my weight. i've only gained like 5 lbs but it's noticeable that i lost muscle and gained A LOT of fat D:
Sorry i don't have any helpful input, i guess i'm just saying you're not alone~

[agnes.]

i personally think you're far from overweight.
but it would be good to eat healthier. you don't need to lose weight though.

[xohprecious]

Thanks for the replies everybody My doctor was explaining it to me, and the reason I am considered slightly overweight is because all of my weight is fat as compared to muscle. I used to be 105 and all muscle... now I'm 110 and all fat. Haha I think I could afford to lose a few pounds (~5), but he said to aim for 10.

For those of you asking why I hate my job these are my reasons. When I guard, I have to sit in my chair for hours by myself. Since we are short on guards, I don't get a break. That means no bathroom break, no water break if I forgot a water bottle, no getting up to stretch, nothing I just sit there for 4-5 hours. When I'm teaching swim lessons, I always end up with the younger kids, and their parents love to complain about every little detail that we do. It's super frustrating to have parents yelling at me. I even got called racist once for no reason at all D:

[Shiwen]

^ i use to be a pool lifeguard, trust me you have it easy sitting down haha
the only time i was sitting down was when i was running the water slide, other than that i'm standing up the whole time.

i only lasted as a lg about half a year lol...i hate yelling at kids..which was basically what i was doing the whole time

[dramaprincessxox]

I just want to say that nothing about your stats is "disgusting". Just work on losing the extra weight you have, it's not even much, and you'll be fine. You're not disgusting, from the title I could've sworn you were 350 pounds or something!

[Melodieee]

edited~
Breakfast: Special K cereal(yogurt's not that filling imo) My change would be a small fat-free Yoplait yogurt.
Lunch: sandwich with whole wheat bread + meat, a piece of fruit, bottle of water, and maybe some carrots or celery.
Snack: Yogurt, crackers, granola bars
Dinner: white rice, chicken, steamed vegetables, or a salad etc.
Drinks : water and water, with a bit of vegetable/fruit juice. If you're on the go, stop by a fruit/veggie place like julius i swear the carrot juice isn't that bad. lol