Twenty years old with a BMI of 57.

Good luck! It sounds like you have some strong motivation, and definitely more salads are a good strategy - but definitely not for every meal! There are lots of great resources for nutrition on here, so do your research and give yourself the tools and strategy you need to succeed.

Good for you! No better day to get started than today.

I'm attempting to eat under my calorie goal. Tried low-carb for a while and was successful, but put most of the weight back on when I stopped eating that way.

Best of luck! :flowerforyou:

no need to go that drastic mate
figure out what your TDEE is
then do about 500 calories less than that daily

protein should be around 0.8gr/lb of body weight
fat should be around 0.4gr/lb of body weight
carbs can make up the rest of your calories

try that for about 4 weeks and then see where you are. make changes if necessary

No need to eat salads every meal, but it would be a good idea to be seen by a doctor to make sure that you are cleared for exercise, etc.

Good luck, forget the salad and hit the protein sources.

My top 3 tips;
1 - Don't do a "diet", use common sense for healthy choices and stick to the MyFitnessPal guidelines for calories
2 - Lift weights. As you lose weight you'll want the lose fat and not muscle... unless you want to be thin and still wibbly.
3 - Be consistent.

Well not twenty yet, but I will be at the end of the month. I have been bigger all my life, but it hasn't caught up to me until now. Over the course of the last few nights I've had trouble getting to sleep because of what feels like chest pains. I'm only nineteen, I can't die yet! So I decided that it's time to get in shape, and this is the best time to do it. Starting today, I'm going to eat salad until I'm forty.

Just stay in your calorie goals and eat all the food you love but try to fit in more salad and "healthy foods" I lost 20lbs the first month and it snowballed into a lifestyle of being athletic! It's amazing what you can do in a year if you put effort into it!

Also set your calorie goal no lower than 2000 calories and eat back those exercise calories when you start out!

I know how you feel... been there, done that.

My best advice to you would be to make small changes that add up over time... walk a little extra every day, eat more greens (like you mentioned), eat sweets not at all or just once a day, etc. It will all add up and before you know it, you'll be losing weight. Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels! GOOD LUCK, you can do it!

Eating healthy is a great start. Add some exercise as well and it wouldn't hurt to visit a Dr and get a physical.

You should really tell your doctor about your chest pains. They could be a sign of a bigger problem.

Hey, Richie!
I recommend that you do research on recommended ways to safely lose weight.
A healthy menu isn't just about 'salad'.
I follow the Paleo Lifestyle. I eat meat, eggs, and vegetables prepared
with plenty of butter and olive oil. I enjoy fruit, too. This way of eating
keeps your stomach and your taste buds thoroughly satisfied.
You can get lots of good information and recommendations
from:
Paleohacks.com
marksdailyapple.com

Recipes from these Facebook pages:
DJFoodie--he started out at over 350 pounds!
CivilizedCavemanCooking
PaleOMG--she has youTube videos

I used the tools here on MyFitnessPal to figure out my Basic Metabolism Rate, or BMR,
and my TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
I am an older woman with arthritic knees and lower back pain,
so I don't do exercise yet. So, I eat at my BMR, 1800 calories, which leaves me with a deficit
from my TDEE. It's enough to allow me to lose more than 2 pounds per week
from a starting weight of 315 in July.
I also have my regular doctor and an endocrinologist monitoring my progress.

I recommend that you view this adventure as an education.
It's a change in your lifestyle, not simply weight reduction.
Diets end, and people regain their weight, even after a gastric bypass.
When I was in my early 20's I lost about 70 pounds, and looked great.
However, I had the wrong motivation. When my dream did not work out,
I thought, "Then I'll just eat what I want!"
I regained half the weight in a mere 6 months.
It is 35 years later: I gained an additional 130 pounds.

As I spend time on MFP, I go to the forums for 'Success Stories' and Maintaining
for inspiration.

Best wishes, Richie! I'd love a Friend Request from you.

When you have time to cook keep the following in mind - the less ingredients the better. The fancier the food - the harder it is to track what is in it - and to underestimate calories. Salt is not your friend.

It seems that borstal-grade gruel is your friend.