calorie counting

Calorie counting is actually very simple once you do it for awhile. Cook your meals yourself, so you know what's going in the dish, and avoid prepackaged things since they have a load more calories and preservatives. I work 14 hour days and 6 days a week, so I know how tiring it is to come home and have to cook. I try to use my slow cooker early in the week, and then with leftovers make variations during the test of the week.

Hi - I see you're just 19; I've a 21 year old daughter living at home so I guess you might living with your parent(s) or in university accommodation? This is a brilliant time for you to learn about eating healthily; your body will snap back into shape really quickly because your skin is so elastic at 19!!! Is there someone around who could support you - maybe someone in your family or a flatmate? Avoid the Slim Fast sort of stuff - yeah it can work v short term but it doesn't teach you how to eat properly for the rest of your life, and lets face, it no-one wants to live on Slim Fast for v long!! This site is great for calorie counting - my 24 year old son has lost 42 pounds just by keeping track of what he is eating - he wasn't eating particularly unhealthily but was just eating too much! Take it slowly, work out which foods you can eat loads of without bumping up your calorie count, and use plenty of them to fill out your plate. Get rid of things that might derail you (in my case Haribo sweets!) and have plenty of fruit and low calorie treats available when you get the munchies. You've got every good reason to look after yourself at 19 - your whole life is ahead of you, so why not get into the best shape to enjoy every minute of it. Good luck, stick with it, but get someone on your side who can help you make sure you're eating the right stuff rather than just 'what's on the table'.