I'm new--and in need of some support

thaliaamaral

Hello everyone! I have lost 13 pounds, but I seem to have hit a plateau which is really heartbreaking considering I still want to lose another 30 pounds ideally. I am super frustrated and I need to lose this weight quick, I have a cruise that I want to look great for at the end of this year! I am in panic mode for sure. The first three weeks seemed promising until now I am stressing out. Please feel free to add me, I could use some help

Fabfitgirl5

Hello, you first need to NOT panic, you have more than enough time to hit or come close to your goal.

You need to relax and look at this experience as a marathon not a sprint. It is better to loose weight gradually over time because that way, generally speaking, you tend keep it off. Don't look at this as loosing weight only for that cruise as with that in mind you may loose but then you are likely to gain it back because the motivation will be gone once the cruise is over.

You are young enough to embark on a healthy lifestyle journey and it is better to do it now, when starting and keeping habits are easier, rather than later in your life. On this journey, try to pick up habits and practices now that can follow you throughout your lifetime.

With that said, you do NOT need to try any fad diets, any low calorie eating (i.e. 1000 a day) etc. that will likely sabotage your weight goals.

Usually when you hit a plateau your body has gotten used to whatever it is you were doing. You will have to amp up your workout routine. Whatever you are doing, change it up a bit, keep you body guessing. Spin classes are always a great way to burn calories. Tennis and racquetball are awesome as well. Running or swimming (although I personally hate running) are great ways to amp up your calorie burn. If you are like a lot of African American women then you won't want to swim because of hair issues, then you need to look at other high energy activities, zubma, crossfit, indoor rockclimbing, etc. But you will have to do something aerobically different other than what you have been doing to shock you body back into action from a calorie burn perspective.

Most Importantly don't give up. I have been there and I truly understand how you feel, wanting to be at a certain weight by my bday, however, I had to realize that once I get there, then what??? Am I going to starve myself to look at ceratin way only to regress after that date. No! I am choosing to do it gradually with mostly healthy eating (my weekends are mine! ) to make sure I keep it off when I get it off. Slow but steady.

You can take it off quick, just make sure you do what you need to do to keep it off. So just keep at it, don't get stressed as that is counter productive, stress can lead to weight gain, but change up your routine, eat a lot of veggies and fruits. You may want to get this book called Eat to Live by Joel (somebody). A friend of mine got that book and she broke her plateau and got from a size 10/12 to a size 6 in like 4 months. She lost quite a bit of weight following the dictates of that book. But she is also KEEPING to those dictates and making sure she eats RIGHT!

Good luck and stay on the path!!!