Apples ok?

Question
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Hello!

I am 17 years old and am trying to put off a little weight(though I am not overweight, 120lbs, 5'4, just looking for a little toning to improve my body)so I try to run and will be using weights as often as I can but I work and go to school so it is not always thats easy to keep up a regular schedule. Anyways, my question for you is: is it ok to practically live off apples, and what else should I be eating? I am currently addicted to apples and eat 1 for breakfast and anywhere from 1-3 more throughout the day. I do eat other things, though I am trying to improve my body so I put off what else I can. I'm not trying to starve myself, but apples are just my food of choice right now. Is it ok to eat that many and more of that than anything else, and will it help with weight loss? Also, what else can I eat that will help me? I would greatly appreciate any advice you may be able to give me! Thank you!
Answer -
HI Kim

Apples are a great addition to any diet but not as your main food source. At 17 your body needs protein, carbs, calcium, etc in order to grow and mature properly. At any age in fact we need these things in our diets.  Apples contain approximately 81 calories with a trace amount of fat but they still don't add to the things you need daily.

The only safe way to lose weight is in a healthy manner. Losing 1 to 2 pounds each week is considered safe and you will keep the weight off. This allows your body to adjust to a new way of eating and activity level.

I simply followed a formula for weight loss using math. I am sending you the information and if you have trouble determining how many calories you need--just let me know.

The following formula is tried and true. If you follow it and make adjustments where needed you can't help but achieve nutritional nirvana. Many complex formulas's for figuring daily caloric needs have been introduced. My formula is simple and effective. Take your current body weight or a realistic body weight goal (Up or Down), and multiply it by your desired factor (either 12,15 or 18).

If you want to lose weight or have a slower metabolism, multiply your weight by 12.

For maintaining your current weight, multiply your weight by 15.

This is a starting point for figuring out your daily caloric needs. (Example: Male who is 200lbs x 15=3000 calories per day, Female who is 130 lbs x15=1950 calories per day). You may need to adjust your caloric need by 50-100 calories per day should you stagnate and not be achieving your desired goals.

With some changes in your eating habits and exercising habits you may be surprised at the amount of weight that you can lose in a months time period. You can adverage losing about 2 pounds each week safely so it won't take long to lose the weight.

You can make some adjustments in the foods you are eating but don't try to diet. Just make different food choices.

Don't skip meals. Eat three meals a day and even allow yourself to have snacks. Just choose your foods wisely. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies. Don't try to eliminate all fat. Your body needs some fat, or it will start to make more.

Be sure you get enough calcium by drinking skim milk or calcium-fortified orange juice. Drink at least 32 ounces of water each day. This helps to decrease your appetite and is good for your skin and hair.

Also, be careful not to lose weight too quickly. Don't lose more than one pound per week, and don't be discouraged if you don't see results quickly.

1. Stretch your meals to, at least, 20 minutes or longer. Your stomach, mouth and brain are all connected and it takes 20 minutes of chewing before your stomach signals your brain that you are full. To successfully lose weight, you need to eat slowly for 20 minutes or longer.

2. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is important to your health, your normal diet and to help lose weight. Water is necessary for the metabolism of your stored fat.

3. Make good food choices such as baked chicken, turkey, fish, tuna fish, lean ham, steak, lean beef or hamburger, veggies prepared without butter, brown rice, white rice, fruits--fresh or canned without extra sugar, low calorie jello, fat free yogurts, salads with low calorie and low fat dressings, air-popped popcorn, fat free pretzels, fruit smoothies made with yogurt, pasta in 2 oz servings.

4. Use snack foods wisely. Here are some suggestions for low calorie snacks. Fat free pretzels, fat free yogurt, air popped popcorn, low calorie jello with fat free cool whip, fruit smoothies made with fresh fruit and frozen yogurt, frozen grapes, sugar free popsicles.

5. When you go fat free or low fat, you also cut out much of the taste of the foods you eat. Add the flavor back with herbs and spices.

6. Increase your metabolism by including some of the fat burning foods and breaking your meals into 4 or 5 smaller meals during the day. Include some Catabolic or Negative calorie foods. I have listings of these foods if they would help you out.

7. Negative emotions will also interfere with your weight loss program. It's difficult to stay motivated to lose weight when you feel bad.

8. To lose weight faster, reduce your intake of caffeine. Caffeine leads to an increase of insulin in your body that retards the burning of your stored fat.This is a simple chemical reaction in your body that you can change. Reduce your caffeine intake by 50% and see what happens. Here is a rough guide to use when looking at the amount of caffeine you currently take in: Brewed coffee (6 oz. cup) - 100mg; Instant coffee (6 oz.) - 70mg; Tea (6 oz.) - 50mg; Soft drinks (12oz.) - (Coke, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew) - 50mg; Dark chocolate (1 oz.) - 20mg and Milk chocolate (1 oz.) - 6mg.

9. Incease your intake of fiber rich foods. They will help fill you up faster and will help all the food you eat pass through your digestive system more easily.

10. Exercise is probably the most important key to increasing your metabolism and burning off excess fat.

11. To lose weight quickly, never skip a meal. Your first meal after waking starts your metabolism. Your metabolism then speeds up for about eight hours and then starts slowing down until you go to sleep when it goes to low until you wake and eat and start the cycle again. Skip breakfast and your metabolism doesn't get started until lunch time. You've just missed three or four hours of fat burning time. When you skip meals during the day, your metabolism also slows down.

12. There are certain things that should be avoided when trying to lose weight such as--all fried foods--have them baked, broiled, grilled or pan fried using a non fat spray. Avoid rich gravies, sauces,rich desserts, sodas because of the sodium content.

13. Try including some fiber in the diet as it is very healthy for you and also expands in your stomach and gives you a full feeling.

14. Make sure that you have your caloric needs figured out and also keep the fat grams down to only 20 percent of the daily food total.

If you need added information--let me know.


Take Care
Jackie
  

Hi Jackie!

First of all, thank you SO much for your answer. I have found it very helpful!

I do have a few more questions, though. I have figured out that I need 1440 calories a day, but I have no idea how I am suppost to know how many I have taken in and keep track of them.
How many do you think would be in this: 3 apples, 1 sandwich(with varying things inside...usually a meat or avacado, lettuce..) and then a random dinner(don't expect you to know how many calories are in that)...but can you guess if eating that everyday is a good amount? If that is too broad, thats ok.

Also, what kind of excercise do I need? Cardio? Weights? Someone told me I have the right muscle proportion for my body, which I think is right, so do I not want to gain anymore? It is very hard for me to get out for excercise becuase of my busy schedule, is that ok?

I don't want to do anything too unhealthy, but is there any supplements or something that can help with this? I'm sort of in a hurry.

Again, thank you very much! You are being a tremendous help!  

Answer
HI Kim

It looks like you are having about 1200 to 1400 calories each day.  That is great when you are trying to lose weight or reach a maintenance weight.  There are websites that will give you the calories in different foods but if time is limited for you then you have to just guess and look at the packages of the food you are eating because the calories will be listed on the label.

You can do any type of exercise that you have time for.  Weights and cardio are both good especially weights.  You just have to do 10 minutes in the morning and 5 or 10 minutes at night for the exercises to be effective.

What type of supplements are you looking for.  There are several that will help you to lose some weight and they are very safe such as pepper, ginger, cinnamon, etc.  These herbs speed up the metabolism and helps the body to break down the fatty tissue.  Let me know what you are looking for in supplements.

Jackie  

1. Prev:ive changed my workout schedule...
2. Next:What diet?