So, I plan to hopefully start doing some exercise regularly in the incredibly near future. Mostly for losing weight, but muscle is a nice thing to have. Being 19 years old, having a height of 5'6" and a weight of 172 lbs, along with dealing with type 1 diabetes, I definitely want to improve how I look. Of course, my biggest problems have been lack of knowledge of what to do, and what should be done, and motivation. I just can't seem to get motivated about it. I'm also trying to do workouts with two friends of mine, but our schedules haven't really been working out so well. We've been planning to do it for two weeks now. XD Tomorrow might be our first day. Food is also an important factor, of course. I used to drink nothing but 4-6 cups of 2% milk a day, but that's been cut down considerably. Now it's like, 1 or 2 cups, with mostly water drinking. I use that Lipton green tea stuff, along with crystallized lemon juice, which doesn't have any calories or sugar, so it gives a variation to my water. I'll admit that, lately, I don't have much of an appetite. I find it quite hard to eat lunch and dinner, while I've never really been much of a breakfast eater, anyways. This could because I haven't really gotten much activity done, but even today I was working, which is all physical for me, and I still didn't have much of an appetite today. I will occasionally feel the need to have a snack if I get peckish, but that really hasn't happened in a while. But I have a snack EVERY night before I go to bed so my blood sugar doesn't drop in the middle of the night. However, they're not really the healthy variety. Cookie bars (using brown sugar Sugar Twin, so they have less sugar than normal cookies), chocolate coated granola bars, yogurt covered almonds, etc. Not all at once, of course. XP I'll usually have an apple or something similar before I have the sweet stuff. It might be understandable, though, considering I need proteins and/or fats to carry my blood sugar through 'til morning. When it comes to numerous fruits and veggies, they're not really capable of the same thing. I could use peanut butter with some of these fruits and veggies, but for some reason I've kinda had a falling out with peanut butter these past months. :/ So I'm hoping I could get help with what to do exercise-wise, while looking for some alternatives or better ways to snack before I go to bed. Meal-wise, I'm not completely concerned about. My mom's also health conscious, so when it comes to dinner it's fairly healthy most of the time. Meals vary every night, except when it comes to leftovers. I would really appreciate any help I could get! And I'm sorry about the long post. I thought the more details, the better. Thanks!
Noticed nobody was posting to this topic So I'll give a bit of help in this regard (or at least as much as I can)~ First off! I think we both know that eating all those sugary goodness at night time isn't a good idea They aren't exactly the healthiest choice. I would recommend something more wholesome. Instead of yogurt covered almonds, maybe just having simple almonds would be nice. (They're quite healthy) And Yogurt (granted it doesn't have a pound of sugar mixed in). Regular granola bars (Oats, and the like) are great as well, they don't need to be chocolate covered! You should try and figure out how those daily values on the side of the boxes mean, as it may be a bit helpful in figuring out what has TOO much sugar/fat/etc,. and what doesn't. The best drink: Water. Juice isn't great, sodas are worst. Milk can do as well (preferably skimmed). When it comes to breakfast, I would say make sure you aren't eating a cereal that has a lot of sugar in them (i.e. frosted flakes). Get something fibrous Fibre is your friend! Which reminds me: Whole wheat bread > White bread. If you do eat peanut butter, a good alternative to it might be almond butter (just as flavorful!) But that aside, if you just can't NOT have your peanut butter, I would recommend the ones with actual peanuts in them (crunch!) In terms of fruits and vegetable: Lots. Although fruits have a lot more sugar than we care to admit, they are still great. Vegetables should always be included in your meals. Make salads, but don't drench them in dressing, you'll lose the purpose of a salad xD! Cucumbers or carrots are great snacks to munch on, might I say. I don't think I forgot anything. Exercise => Move around. Don't sit around all day, Go for a jog, a walk, weight lifting (if you want to build muscle) [and if you do, you might want to consider getting a trainer, or if not, a friend or someone at the gym who can teach you how to properly lift]. Swimming is a great exercise (Seriously) and works out cardio, and like... everything xD I can't think of anything else to say. I think there's a lot more to it, but that's about all I can think of right now. I'm no expert, but I hope this helps you in some bit! (And sorry for bringing this topic up, but I just thought you'd like a reply to it with some helpful information at least)
Try other nut butters? Soy butter, sunflower butter, cashew butter... Or maybe plain old roasted almonds with an apple? Or a bowl of oatmeal, with some banana and a slice of cheese? Since I just made a similar post, I'll link you to it: http://emptyclosets.com/forum/913958-post14.html Linda Bacon's book talks about Diabetes. My mother has it and it runs in our family, so I understand why weight is often a focus for people who have it or risk getting it. But trust me, dieting will do you NO favors; focusing on nutrition and fitness is the way to go, and losing weight is sometimes just a happy side effect of that. Good luck!
Well unfortunately, I'm one of those rare people who dislike almonds and yogurt. I dunno, not a big fan of just plain almonds. And I only drink juice when I have a blood sugar low; otherwise, it's either water or milk. I don't even drink pop. Haven't had one, for pleasure's sake, for just over a year now. I'll also admit, I'm not much of a breakfast person. I never seem to have much of an appetite in the morning. That and most of the time I'm waking up around 11 in the morning. Only because my internet's best at watching videos online anytime from midnight 'til 8 in the morning. But I only ever stay up 'til 3. I love skip rope, so maybe I'll do more of that. I WAS doing a exercise regimen with a friend, but he has no time these days. For some reason, working out with him is the only time I can actually work out. I have no energy to do it by myself. His energy is pretty contagious, though. And don't worry about posting late. Any bit helps! I always find it's nice to try other people's methods when it comes to eating right. Maybe. I've never really tried other nut butters. How much more different tasting are they? And an apple and peanuts I could deal with. Peanuts seem to be the only nuts I like so far. But there are a LOT of nuts out there, so we'll see. It's not that I'm picky, I just don't like certain foods. It's something I'd like to feel good about eating, instead of dreading it. But I like the book's link. It makes me feel better about not having to worry so much about being chubby. Even if I'll never be called 'cute' or 'handsome'. xD This advice is much appreciated, though! If you guys have any other ideas, I'd love to hear them!
Hazelnuts, cashew, pistachio and walnuts are all great nuts. Try them. Try running or walking. You don't need lots of expensive equipment. Cycling is great too. You can cycle a lot without too much effort once you get used to it.
