Can MyFitnessPal and Zumba Help Me Lose Weight?

[mcknia07]

I'm using the app on my iPod that's for myfitnesspal. Great app to help count calories. Also, I'm doing the Zumba exercise program to help with the weight loss/tone up.

Any opinions on all of this??

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Sounds perfectly fine to me :)

Eat lots of whole grains, fruits and veggies!

 

[mcknia07]

That's another thing I forgot to mention... I plan to cut out meat from my diet again. I love fruits and veggies! Never been big on meat of any sort

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

That's another thing I forgot to mention... I plan to cut out meat from my diet again. I love fruits and veggies! Never been big on meat of any sort

Make sure to stock up on beans and yogurt for protein :)

 

[mcknia07]

Sure will be :) already an expert at Zumba according to the wii. Worked out for 2 hours tonight. I may be hooked!

 

[syhprum]

Don't "eat lots" let your meagre diet consist of a high proportion of beans and yogurt,whole grains, fruits and veggies!

 

[mcknia07]

That's going to be my hardest thing... I don't normally eat too much in the way of food

 

[mcknia07]

Update... Since exercising I have been eating way more

 

[syhprum]

Thats always the problem, our natrual tendency is to buld up stocks of fat.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Steve Martin had the best diet plan-

Day 1: a raisin
Day 2: an egg
Day 3: chocolate cake, potato chips, pizza, donuts, milkshake (x4)
Day 4: amputate body parts until desired weight is achieved.

 

[mcknia07]

What a great diet... Sure way lose weight... And pass out... But be thin lol

 

[NeuronsAtWork]

You might also consider a grain called quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)--most stores sell it now. It cooks like rice, can be used in soup, as a side, flavored in many ways, etc. The reason I recommend it is that it's a very good source of protein, like beans without the 'side effects'. If you go meatless, this protein is essential in my opinion. Read the directions, and rinse it well before cooking--even if it says 'pre-rinsed' on the box. It can also be bought in bulk at farmer's markets, etc.

 

[mcknia07]

What does it look like?? How does it taste?? Did it need lots of flavoring??

 

[fedaykin]

It's in the amaranth family, if I recall correctly. I roast mine a little bit to enhance the nutty flavor, which isn't very strong pre roasting. It's pretty good with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. You can pretty much treat it like couscous concerning flavoring.

For pictures http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=noBET5TcB46rsAKsvKTDDw

 

[angga333]

thanks for share,,, i'll try at home now...

 

[lewdawgdude]

I would recommend eating as much food as possible that is natural and unprocessed. Usually you would have to get this from the grocery store. Also, I would make an effort to increase your exercise intensity gradually - like increasing the speed on the treadmill by a little bit every week.

 

[mcknia07]

Well, great update! I'm down 8 lbs from my total weight. I'm doing good! Only a few more to go :)

 

[NeuronsAtWork]

Fantastic! Feel free to post what kinds of things you've been doing specifically--what foods have worked for you, are you going more for low fat or low carb, are you doing other exercise beyond Zumba? Would love to see how others achieve success to help motivate and educate the rest of us who might be 'gravitationally challenged'...

 

[mcknia07]

I'm down another lb. Now at my goal :) still plan to tone up and maybe lose more, but turn it into muscle.

 

[KBeacon]

Sounds interesting to me.
I'll suggest you to eat whole grains, fruits and Green veggies.Green veggies also proves to be helpful in losing weight.

 

[xunxine]

Hey, I've been trying to improve my health and lose some weight too. Reading mcknia07's success makes me so jealous.

I've increased my veggie intake and exercise more. But it turns out I'm more bulky, eat more and put on weight instead!
Now I'm at a loss...

 

[mcknia07]

Well, Tuesday I went and bought some quinoa. I have not tried to cook it yet. I'm excited to cook it up and maybe try something new and hope I like it and continue to eat more of it. My parents are even excited for me to cook it. I may even look up some recipes.

 

[jbmiller]

Just a suggestion, but goto a local GNC store and pick up some protein powder.

It doesn't have to be protein. It can be whatever you choose to get. They have a massive variety of things to help maintain ones shape and health.

I'm not suggesting you go load up on creatine and start to excessively lift weights.

This is coming from a 15 year old kid. So mabye protein wouldn't be the best choice for you, but if you're going to be commonly working out then protien shakes are highly advisable.

 

[fpdlskf]

before and after pics?

 

[Danger]

With the exception of Mr. Resnick, get off of my planet! All of you!
I don't know how many times I have to say this: vegetables are not food; they're what food eats. My ancestors put a lot of effort into evolving to the point where I'm at the top of the food chain, and I'm not about to dishonour them by backsliding into being a ruminant.

 

[leroyjenkens]

Don't eat "lots" of fruit. Fruit has a lot of sugar and people don't realize it. For example, some people fill their oatmeal with raisins, not realizing just how much sugar that is.
If you want to lose body fat, any sugar you do get should probably be from fruit.
And just try not to add anything to your vegetables that contains fat/sugar. Eventually you'll start to appreciate how food really tastes, instead of the masked version.

With the exception of Mr. Resnick, get off of my planet! All of you!
I don't know how many times I have to say this: vegetables are not food; they're what food eats. My ancestors put a lot of effort into evolving to the point where I'm at the top of the food chain, and I'm not about to dishonour them by backsliding into being a ruminant.

Are you really the top of the food chain? If you were in the wild and everything you used had to be made by you and not someone else, where would you place yourself on the food chain?

 

[Danger]

If you were in the wild and everything you used had to be made by you and not someone else, where would you place yourself on the food chain?

At the top. The reason that humans are dominant is that our brains allow us to kill things many times our size and strength. I design weapons as a hobby, and I guarantee that I could build something that would take down a rhino if necessary, using only naturally available materials.

 

[leroyjenkens]

At the top. The reason that humans are dominant is that our brains allow us to kill things many times our size and strength. I design weapons as a hobby, and I guarantee that I could build something that would take down a rhino if necessary, using only naturally available materials.

So if you were put on the African tundra, you could kill and eat a lion?

Sure, I could build a spear and I could theoretically kill a lion with it. But I would be too scared to even go into an area where I thought lions were. And if a lion actually came after me, I wouldn't trust anything I built to actually kill it before it killed me. But of course, that's just me. If you could, then I would definitely want you there with me. I'll go collect berries as a garnish for our lion meat that you procured.

 

[Danger]

So if you were put on the African tundra, you could kill and eat a lion?

I could, but that would be a really stupid approach to the situation. I wouldn't be hunting lions; I would be competing with them for the same food supply. Even that would be a bit off-track. My game of choice would be much smaller. There's no way that I could eat a whole gazelle before it rotted away, so killing one would be a last-ditch manoeuvre. Something that could be fully consumed within a day to two would be more efficient.
By the bye, there's no such thing as an African tundra. Might I assume that you meant "savannah"?

And keep your berries to yourself.

edit: Now that I've had a few minutes to think about it, I would just do the vulture approach. I'd follow the lions and eat their leftovers. Much less effort on my part, and a lion with a full stomach would have no animosity toward me.

 

[syhprum]

If I was left on the African savanah to find my own food I guess that would be a pretty effective way to lose weight although I don't think I would last very long to enjoy my reduced weight state.

 

[Danger]

If I was left on the African savanah to find my own food I guess that would be a pretty effective way to lose weight although I don't think I would last very long to enjoy my reduced weight state.

That does bring to mind the most crucial issue of this particular debate (as opposed to the OP, which we are ignoring for a moment)... hydration is key in any circumstance, whether it be a sporting event, a walk in the park, or the aforementioned safari. If you don't have enough water, it's game over.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

Any good weight loss program also needs to include weight training. This is because as your body burns fat, it also burns muscle. If you eat at a calorie deficit consistently, you will get skinny, but you will still be flabby, and you may be disappointed with the results. Lifting heavy weight for low reps will help you retain muscle while losing fat, and get that toned look. Look into a weight training program like Starting Strength to go along with your cardio and diet. Do this even if you are a girl who wants to "get toned"...it is impossible for women to get massive bodybuilder muscles without taking steroids, so don't be afraid of that.

Also, quinoa is not a good source of protein. It is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the amino acids needed by your body, but the proportion of protein to carbs is pretty low. Quinoa is mostly a carb food, like rice or wheat.

Lentils are a much better source of protein, but incomplete by themselves. Combine them with whole grains to get a complete protein. Or just eat some meat, it's good for you.

 

[timmastny]

Just wanted to stress the importance of what Ben Niehoff said. Starting Strength is one of the best things to happen to me.

I'm shocked to hear recommendations for sugary foods like fruits and more carbs instead of a foundation of adequate, complete protein (which is mostly found in meat).

 

[feathermoon]

I'd also recommend the doing Starting Strength. Rippetoe's program is great. Another good one is Starr's 5x5.

You don't need meat, but eggs and milk is more than enough of a protein source. In particular, women don't even have the same protein need that men do precisely because they won't be putting on pounds of muscle. But you should still do a full body weight lifting regemen, its the BEST way to get healthy if you take it seriously--in that it increases your potential in all physical activities, as opposed to preparing you for specific movements.