Could use some friends to help with motivation

Hi Steph I'm Jana. I've only consistently logged in for 5 days but I am determined to keep going!

Hi Steph, I'm totally new to this website as well. A friend actually told me about it, and I'm also prone to putting excuse after excuse up for my issues with my weight. I'm ready to get it off & I'm on the start of my third week of insanity. I've got 50+ pounds I need to lose & I'm all for motivating others & hopefully others will help inspire & motivate me too Good Luck!

Any of you can add me - I'm always looking for new MFP friends. I'm pretty active on here (daily since January). The more support we can all offer/share, the better!

Im with you! Im new and its about time I lose this weight. Love to exercise and run 5k's but weight doesnt come off. Need to be accountable for what Im eating!

Hi Steph, I'm Lauren! 2nd year college student.
It doesn't have to be painful! Quitting or starting something cold turkey 9 times out of 10 fails. If you make changes to your life and your lifestyle a little at a time it won't be so terrible to do. I lost 64 pounds in 19 months. That's not spectacular or anything to marvel over but I did it and I will continue to keep it off because instead of crash dieting/excercing I started out by making sure I drank enough water (how much you weigh divided by 2 and that's how many oz I would drink, not scientific but it worked best for me) Once I did that I noticed I wasn't as bloated anymore because my body wasn't holding onto excess water since I was constantly replenishing it. Then I started to eat healthier smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. I'd choose a rice cake with a smudge of peanut butter sprinlked with cinamon with half a banana cut up on top instead of grabbing a bag of chips and I learned it kept me fuller longer and much more satisfied because of the many different flavors and textures. Plus it only had 130 calories as apposed to 250 and almost 1/4 the fat! Then I made sure I started to go to sleep around the same time at night and try to wake up the same time every morning. The earlier the better it starts your metabolism so it is working longer burning calories throughout the day. I started using the stairs no matter what floor I had to walk to. (I live on the 6th floor)Then I made sure I was going to the gym atleast 5 times a week and would walk most places instead of driving. (I am a college student) I am still working at my body and my problem areas but what makes me happiest is now I am healthy and happy in my own skin finally. Others may have a different opinion on how I did it or what works but I just wanted to share what worked for me and you are always more than welcome to contact me if you ever need a little support!!

Feel free to add me for extra support! Plus anyone can add me who feels they'd like extra motivation!