A Lifestyle Change, Not Just Weight Loss

[Anya_K]

Hello!

I recently bought the Fitbit Blaze and this is my first time really looking around at the website. I haven't explored much yet, so it's possible there's already a post on this. 

My question isn't simply about weight loss, but rather an entire lifestyle change. 

I'm about 5'4 (or 162 cm) and weigh 130 lbs (9 st and 6.4 lbs) + 23 years old. Currently I'm a student and I tend to travel at least once a month. 

I've never really been a super-committed gym-going person, but lately I've really been motivated to get into better shape and eat healthier. I wanted to ask for your advice on how to really go about creating a realistic lifestyle change, and how I can keep this change up, even when I'm not at home.

I know that it's so important to watch your nutrition, and some of my friends are familiar with the '6 meals a day' thing. I would love to have a set schedule on training and nutrition, but I can't spend hours in the gym and have time for my studies. Additionally, I don't want to just have a diet and go workout without really knowing what I'm doing. 

If you have any advice on how to plan meals/what to eat/how to workout (also when traveling), I would greatly appreciate it. I don't mind cooking, as long as I know what it is I should be cooking. Plus, I'm not in terrible shape, but I'd like to lose the stomach fat, which seems to be the most difficult (and I could be wrong, but losing the fat in this area seems to come more from nutritional choices than the gym alone). 

Overall, I need guidance and if anyone has any suggestions, I would be so happy to hear from you!

On a side note, is there any way to change the weight option on a Fitbit from the Stones/Pounds to just pounds or kilos? 

Thank you!

[Dominique]

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@Anya_K wrote:

On a side note, is there any way to change the weight option on a Fitbit from the Stones/Pounds to just pounds or kilos?

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This one is easy: just edit your settings (you get there by clicking on the "cogwheel", in the upper right corner, then selecting Settings > Personal info) and switch to whatever units you prefer:

[Dominique]

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@Anya_K wrote:

I know that it's so important to watch your nutrition, and some of my friends are familiar with the '6 meals a day' thing.

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This is the typical approach used by bodybuilders, but this doesn’t mean it’s the only one conducive to optimal nutrition. For a busy student, it’s probably not very practical to have to worry about eating every 3 hours and carry Tupperware boxes everywhere. Not to speak of how monotonous it gets to eat neat portions of chicken breast and broccoli weighed to the gram. The most important aspect of nutrition is total calories: how you split them during the day (number of meals, timing) is secondary. And you don’t even have to hit your target everyday: you can do it on a weekly basis, which will allow you to eat more on days when you go out with friends, and correspondingly less on other days of the week.

[Dominique]

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@Anya_K wrote:

If you have any advice on how to plan meals/what to eat/how to workout (also when traveling), I would greatly appreciate it. I don't mind cooking, as long as I know what it is I should be cooking. Plus, I'm not in terrible shape, but I'd like to lose the stomach fat, which seems to be the most difficult (and I could be wrong, but losing the fat in this area seems to come more from nutritional choices than the gym alone).

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It’s great that you don’t mind cooking! As to what to cook: as many unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients. Veggies (fresh or frozen), legumes, fruits, meat/fish from the meat/fish counter (unless you are vegan), rice, potatoes etc. If you have a freezer at home, it can make sense to cook large amounts of the same dish at the same time, then split it into smaller portions and freeze them. This way you can eat self-prepared food even on days when you are busy. Just take it out of the freezer on the previous night.

As to travelling: I attended a conference in a large US city last November (I’m based in Europe) and I discovered Whole Foods Market, which I believe is a nation-wide chain. You could pick up food from a large selection and they weigh it when you exit. It wasn’t cheap, but not that much more expensive than what you would pay for far less nutritious stuff at a typical fast-food joint. I’m sure they have competitors in the same niche. 

You are right that it’s not possible to "spot reduce" fat (no matter how many crunches you do, this won’t have any effect on your belly fat) and that fat loss is induced primarily by nutrition. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do abs workout (or, more generally, resistance training and cardio conditioning), but exercise alone won’t get rid of your belly fat if you don’t nail down your nutrition.

[Anya_K]

Hi Dominique, 

Thank you so much for your replies. 

1. I did figure out the settings to change the weight. 

2. Do you have any recommendations on how to plan meals throughout the day? You're correct - my schedule changes often as a student, so trying to have a strict schedule at certain times doesn't always work for me. 

3. I'm quite familiar with Whole Foods, as I'm from the US. I believe it exists in the UK as well, but I think my biggest issue is making the time throughout the day to prepare food. 

[Dominique]

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@Anya_K wrote:

2. Do you have any recommendations on how to plan meals throughout the day? You're correct - my schedule changes often as a student, so trying to have a strict schedule at certain times doesn't always work for me. 

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I don’t really have specific recommendations. I personally believe the number and timing of meals is really a matter of personal preferences: whatever floats your boat / works best for you. Some people like to have a fixed schedule (eg. breakfast at 7am, lunch at noon, dinner at 6pm); others may skip breakfast altogether (so much for the myth of it being the "most important meal of the day"!); some like the idea of intermitted fasting (most of your eating during a narrow "window"); then, there’s the bodybuilder diet ("Tupperwares") you already mentioned. All approaches can work. As long as you eat the calories you are supposed to eat (with regards to your weight loss goal), you should be OK. And to add flexibility, you can think on a weekly basis instead of daily (your deficit doesn’t have to be the same everyday, and you can even have days when you are eating at a surplus). 

[Dominique]

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@Anya_K wrote:

my biggest issue is making the time throughout the day to prepare food. 

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This is why I suggested preparing larger amounts of food at the same time, so you don’t have to spend time preparing when you are busy / in a hurry: just eat things you have prepared in advance.

Also: if you are busy during the day, it can make sense to eat a hefty breakfast and a hefty dinner (additional benefit: more control over your food when you’re at home) and only a smaller snack during the day. I personally find that if I eat enough protein for breakfast, this will keep me going through the day without being hungry,

[Anya_K]

Thanks a bunch! 

I've been a little too focused on daily tracking, but I like your idea of thinking more in terms of weeks..

I'll definitely give it a go!