12 week plan

[jace151982]

I have this crazy Halloween costume idea as a goal, and I know that to really pull it off, I need to get started now. I might be crazy—I'm a 40-year-old mom of 2—but if not now, when? So, I need a solid plan to get going.

I'm 5'1" and 133 lbs, and I have a gym membership. My husband and I just started doing a high-energy kickboxing class three days a week, which is great. But I know that to get in the best shape of my life, I need to get my meals in order. The real issue is that my family all likes to eat different things, so I end up eating the least common denominator, which isn't the healthiest.

I'm posting this as a flag in the ground for accountability and to ask for any advice you might have.

Decided to add before pictures just for accountability.

Edited because this my be confusing: the reason I say 12-week plan is that I am going to have to make this entire costume and I want to have a pretty solid size plan before I start making it, so I can't keep getting too much smaller after I start making it.

https://preview.redd.it/rupi9sp0fd1...bp&s=0a2d913affacce5fed7079fc34089b25bbade7e3

 

[jp175]

@jace151982 A lot of times, I make my kids a meal, and I eat my meal separately because I know sometimes they don't want my "boring" food. Also, I try to make semi healthy meals overall. I make a lot of chicken pasta dishes but skip the pasta portion (I get my carbs through fruit and other healthy grains). I make extra veggies, give them their portion, and I eat the rest. For tacos, I use lettuce wraps with guacamole and Pico. I skip the cheese/tortillas. These are just some examples of how I still make foods they like, but that I can also eat.

Your diet is going to be the main factor with exercise supplementing. I aim to eat 100-120 grams of protein daily. I do this with eggs, protein shakes, oikos yogurts, lean meats, steak once a week, tuna/salmon 2x a week. I also watch my caloric intake (1500 cals daily.) Limit alcohol to special events. Mynetdiary is a great app for tracking and is free.

I have lost 20 lbs (138-118) since Jan 1st. I've had cheat meals. I have days that I still eat foods I love. I just get back on track after. One bad meal/day won't stop your progress. Just like 1 good clean day won't make you lose the weight instantly. It's about consistency!!

 

[austinrnewton]

@jace151982 Who does the cooking? If it were me, I would just make them eat what I eat haha. I mean, I wouldn't feel guilty about feeding my family healthy food. If they need more portions or calories, then I would just give them larger portions or do easy add-ons or something. Tbh if you are making something for them that you know would not help you reach your healthiest state, then it probably isn't that healthy for them either, and on top of that, it might be pretty hard to stay accountable when that food is just right in front of you.

 

[jace151982]

@austinrnewton I cook, but I have kids (and a husband) with sensory issues that limit what they can and will eat (husband and son will gag and throw up if they eat certain textures) so while that would be great, it is not really an option.

 

[austinrnewton]

@jace151982 That can definitely make it more difficult to use my recommendation, so I understand that. There might be foods they would find acceptable that could also work for your health goals. There are so many recipes out there, and so many different kinds of foods.

If it isn't too personal, you could share here and on other more relevant subreddits your constraints and perhaps we could give some recipe and meal ideas that could work for you.

 

[elijah1933]

@jace151982 I feel like meal prepping your meals would go a long way here also makes it easier to track your intake.

 

[bravestarr]

@jace151982 Ooh I have a Halloween costume I want to do and my size is similar to yours. I want to do a 12 week plan too.

 

[jace151982]

@bravestarr We've got this. Halloween is just under 24 weeks from now.

 

[sandralois]

@jace151982 What a fun reason! And yes, diet will go a long way and it is really hard to get in order. Do you currently meal prep, or do you cook every night? Shifting to a "meal prep sunday" made a huge difference in staying consistent with my meals

 

[jace151982]

@sandralois I do a bit on Sunday, but I think you are right, I need to work on really prepping for the week on Sunday.

 

[cherishgodmore]

@jace151982 I meal prep and pretty much eat the same thing for a week. I make sure I have enough for 3-4 days so I’ll I’m doing is heating up my stuff and making dinner for my family.

 

[sweetkf]

@jace151982 I would be realistic. Using phrases like “best shape of my life” may not happen by October. It may not happen for a year or more.

I started at 47. 148 pounds down to 120 lbs in 15 months. I’m still not “the best shape of my life” pre-kids, but I’m getting really close. I’m definitely the strongest I’ve been in my life without a doubt. I lift 4x a week. Box almost daily.

Nutrition is key. High protein. Clean carbs (potatoes are fine just be clean/not processed). Less processed foods. Reduce/eliminate alcohol. Avoid seed oils (I know this sounds ridiculous but it helped me tremendously).

 

[pyckles]

@sweetkf What do you use if not seed oil?

 

[sweetkf]

@pyckles A friend worked with a dietician and had great results. The only thing I hadn’t been doing was avoiding seed oils (even in crackers). The claim is that they cause bloating and inflammation and have significantly higher omega 6 and 9 vs omega 3 oils. I was like “whatever” but started looking at labels for these and actively avoiding those oils and my lower ab area firmed up pretty quickly and was able to finally get to my goal weight. To be fair though, processed foods (chips, crackers, packaged nuts, packaged/jarred sauces/dressings, etc) all have these oils so logically avoiding processed foods would help weight loss, it may not necessarily be the oils themselves. So I really don’t know but it worked for me