I want to lose 100 pounds in 6 months

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hello, my name is Taylor. I'm 20 and a mother of two twin 3 month old boys. I've recently decided I want to lose 100 pounds within the time of 6 months. I'm not sure how to exercise, or how to eat sometimes. I do wat healthy and count calories and recently I've gotten it under 1,500 and even under 900. I keep track that I don't consume too many carbs and sugar. I'm losing weight but I just don't know if it's as fast as I'd like.
What are some good exercise and good food to eat to lose weight fast?
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Replies

  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
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    I suggest you do some self education on healthy weight loss and re-evaluate your goals. Your goal is too aggressive. You are looking at about 4 pounds per week and that is just not healthy. Long term weight loss comes from permanent lifestyle change and slow steady progress.
  • jcn11
    jcn11 Posts: 8 Member
    edited July 2015
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    The faster you lose weight the higher your chances are for loose skin. I would recommend not losing more than 2lbs a week. I'm speaking from experience. I will lose 80 lbs in about the same time period of 7.5 months. I'm halfway there right now.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    hello, my name is Taylor. I'm 20 and a mother of two twin 3 month old boys. I've recently decided I want to lose 100 pounds within the time of 6 months. I'm not sure how to exercise, or how to eat sometimes. I do wat healthy and count calories and recently I've gotten it under 1,500 and even under 900. I keep track that I don't consume too many carbs and sugar. I'm losing weight but I just don't know if it's as fast as I'd like.
    What are some good exercise and good food to eat to lose weight fast?

    Exercise is for fitness. Weight loss is done by calorie deficit. You can't safely lose weight faster than 1-2 lbs per week, you will lose lean muscle mass, and your skin won't have time to reduce with your weight. You want to lose weight at a nice even pace, safely.
    Please start by reading the first post in this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited July 2015
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    You are more then likely to binge and regain the weight again, plus more. Also you will end up being skinny fat, which could be just as bad as being obesity, loss of hair, lose skin, etc.

    OP I suggest reading the link above.

    Slow and steady for healthier weight loss.

    ETA: I loss 121 pounds in 2 years 9 months, may have been slow but it was healthy weight loss and now been maintaining for 10 months.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
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    For 40 years I could drop weight very fast but 100% of the time I had 100%+ regains. Now I am OK with just losing 1-2 pounds a month on average to try and prevent regaining and over the last year it is working. OP you are getting some sound advice so I will not give you more.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    @taylorstege431, please pay attention to all of the above, and read the sticky provided. This is for you:

    ok9t0.jpgvia Imgflip Meme Maker

  • reachnataliewiebe
    reachnataliewiebe Posts: 10 Member
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    I'll give you a massage after 50 pounds. How's that for motivation?
  • taylorstege431
    taylorstege431 Posts: 31 Member
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    I'll give you a massage after 50 pounds. How's that for motivation?
    That sounds like a plan to me ☺️
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Weight loss is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Unless you're in the super obese category (400 to 700) pounds there is no way to realistically expect to lose 100 pounds in 6 months. It's just the math--3500 calories = 1 pound.

    If you're consuming less than 1500 calories a day now, how do you cut out another 500 calories a day to take off another pound per week? No one is supposed to eat less than 1200 calories a day, otherwise your metabolic rate will slow down, and your body will go into ancient starvation mode, burning as few as calories as it can.

    So to get your additional 500 calories a day, you'll have to exercise. But--even that in all will produce a 2 pound per week loss.

    Weight loss taken off slowly stays off. People who lose weight quickly, by using some weird diet, typically gain it back plus another 20 pounds.

    Be happy with 2 pounds a week, that means you'll be at goal in 50 weeks or about 1 year. Don't get discouraged if you see that the more you lose the slower it will come off. That's the way it goes with everyone. I had to learn to be estastic with a 1 pound loss, then 1/2, then 1/4. It took some time, but I finally made to my goal weight, and I plan on staying right here forever.

    Remember weight loss is simply calories in--versus calories out.

    Good luck!
  • taylorstege431
    taylorstege431 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    hearthwood wrote: »
    Weight loss is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Unless you're in the super obese category (400 to 700) pounds there is no way to realistically expect to lose 100 pounds in 6 months. It's just the math--3500 calories = 1 pound.

    If you're consuming less than 1500 calories a day now, how do you cut out another 500 calories a day to take off another pound per week? No one is supposed to eat less than 1200 calories a day, otherwise your metabolic rate will slow down, and your body will go into ancient starvation mode, burning as few as calories as it can.

    So to get your additional 500 calories a day, you'll have to exercise. But--even that in all will produce a 2 pound per week loss.

    Weight loss taken off slowly stays off. People who lose weight quickly, by using some weird diet, typically gain it back plus another 20 pounds.

    Be happy with 2 pounds a week, that means you'll be at goal in 50 weeks or about 1 year. Don't get discouraged if you see that the more you lose the slower it will come off. That's the way it goes with everyone. I had to learn to be estastic with a 1 pound loss, then 1/2, then 1/4. It took some time, but I finally made to my goal weight, and I plan on staying right here forever.

    Remember weight loss is simply calories in--versus calories out.

    Good luck!

    I actually weight around 340.. I weighed less than that lee babies but I had twins and gained a bit. I lost weight now I just haven't weighed myself. At first it was 5 pounds in a week and now I'm down more
  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    Options
    At first it was 5 pounds in a week and now I'm down more

    It is not at all unusual to have big gains in the first few weeks. Sadly, those gains are unsustainable in the long run. The reality is that a good bit of those first pounds is water weight (yes, this is true even if you are hydrating - water is a natural biproduct of the body burning fat cells). The weight loss will slow down. As you progress, you need to understand that a good bit of the weight you are losing is not fat, but rather Lean Body Mass (e.g., muscle). The percentage varies by individual, but you can bet that 20 or 25% of what you lose long term will be LBM. You can minimize that as best you can with strength training and a balanced diet that includes correct amounts of protein. What is the correct amount? I can't tell you because that is highly individualized based on a number of factors. However, the macro's that FWP give you should be pretty darn close as long as you are honest with your inputs. That said, if you do track macro's remember that the percentage of macro's by weight (grams) is not the same as percentage of macro's by calories. A gram of carbs or protein is about 4 calories where a gram of fat is about 9 calories.

    Anyway, there is a great deal of well vetted scientific research out there. The reality may not be what you hope for, but it is honest and correct. The fads and the short term views won't get you where you want to go. I suggest you start with the articles at bodyrecomposition.com. He is a bit long winded, but the time spent carefully reading his articles is well worth the time. You can learn a lot about how the body's chemistry, the realities of weight loss, and strategies to maximize things for you. There are other places you can look, but please understand there are no magic wands and no fast answers. Further, looking to lose weight is only one step. Maintaining that new weight will not allow you to go back to the habits that put the extra weight on in the first place. Before you can be successful in the long run, you must be honest with yourself and accept that you need to function within the way your body operates.

    I wish you great luck and success in your journey.

  • rwhyte12
    rwhyte12 Posts: 203 Member
    Options
    One hundred pounds is probably too hard a goal for six months. I did know someone who was able to do that when he got job walking for ten hours straight to check parking meters. He did keep it off after that job.

    I think for exercise choose something you like. Usually, I swim all summer and lose some weight and then I go back to work and it is the slow regain throughout the year, despite going one or two days a week.

    This year, I have drafted my kids into the exercise plan. We will be doing six one hour stretches of swimming all through the seasonal work that I do. We have a schedule and I can depend on one of the three saying they're coming with me.

    So that's what I'd suggest for exercise. Just pick something you like. For example, there are kickboxing classes, aquafit, and yoga classes pretty much everywhere.

    When losing weight, you should also make sure to keep your fat grams consistent. If you refuse to eat fat, it can wreck your metabolism and can harm your gall bladder. But use good fats like olive oil or a half of an avocado or canola oil. The human body needs fat. Also, if you reduce it too low, you end up hungry all the time.

    If you're hungry a lot, one food to try is going to the bulk section and getting soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds as well as a modest amount of dried fruit. Then, mix this together and add it to yogurt or just munch on it. It is very filling and calorie dense.

    As you get going on exercise, you might need to add in some protein powder like whey protein.

    Good luck.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited July 2015
    Options
    hearthwood wrote: »
    No one is supposed to eat less than 1200 calories a day, otherwise your metabolic rate will slow down, and your body will go into ancient starvation mode, burning as few as calories as it can.

    Starvation mode, such as you allude, does not exist. Your body does not hold on to calories when you stop eating enough. That is a misconception. ;)

    Edited to add: What the heck is ancient starvation mode?
  • emcdonie
    emcdonie Posts: 190 Member
    Options
    I am in your weight range. Currently 327, but my high is 345. My opinion is geared toward low carb/sugar and even toward keto if you have blood sugar issues. Previously, I have lost a lot doing around 100 carbs a day even. I had lost 67 pounds in about 6 months.

    THe reason I regained was multiple fold. I started changing how I ate to experiment. I was trying to figure out a potential food allergy. So I kept tweaking and eliminating various foods. THen I got to trying things like higher carb diet and low fat diets. The higher carbs my body CAN NOT handle. I gain VERY rapidly and my blood sugars go soaring.

    I also foolishly stopped taking my meds for my hypothyroid. All bad calls on my part. I should have stuck with what worked for me(lower carb) and kept taking my thyroid meds. I am back to low carb/sugar and I am down toward ketogenic levels of carbs. (Less than 50 carbs.) Blood sugars are improving again. My weight loss before put diabetes in remission. My weight gain, almost brought it back. Thankfully with my current losses and killing the carbs again I am losing again. Also back on my thyroid med.

    All of that to give you an example. When I lost that 67 pounds in 6 months it took everything I had. I did exercise several days a week. I ate low carbs and low calories. I am not sure more than that is possible without outright fasting or something. THe weight loss of people vary so much. Some can knock it out of the park fast. Some not so much. Just be aware, that too often the body will not respond to a schedule like that. Mine doesn't. A more realistic and doable goal would be 100 pounds a year unfortunately. Even that can be challenging. As there will always be times of the losses stalling out for a while. The biggest key is finding what works and sticking with it. It needs to be something you can stick with for the long term.
  • taylorstege431
    taylorstege431 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    I think that 100 pounds is do able, but more so with lots of exercise. Which is hard for me since I have babies. 67 is really good though too! Good job :)
    emcdonie wrote: »
    I am in your weight range. Currently 327, but my high is 345. My opinion is geared toward low carb/sugar and even toward keto if you have blood sugar issues. Previously, I have lost a lot doing around 100 carbs a day even. I had lost 67 pounds in about 6 months.

    THe reason I regained was multiple fold. I started changing how I ate to experiment. I was trying to figure out a potential food allergy. So I kept tweaking and eliminating various foods. THen I got to trying things like higher carb diet and low fat diets. The higher carbs my body CAN NOT handle. I gain VERY rapidly and my blood sugars go soaring.

    I also foolishly stopped taking my meds for my hypothyroid. All bad calls on my part. I should have stuck with what worked for me(lower carb) and kept taking my thyroid meds. I am back to low carb/sugar and I am down toward ketogenic levels of carbs. (Less than 50 carbs.) Blood sugars are improving again. My weight loss before put diabetes in remission. My weight gain, almost brought it back. Thankfully with my current losses and killing the carbs again I am losing again. Also back on my thyroid med.

    All of that to give you an example. When I lost that 67 pounds in 6 months it took everything I had. I did exercise several days a week. I ate low carbs and low calories. I am not sure more than that is possible without outright fasting or something. THe weight loss of people vary so much. Some can knock it out of the park fast. Some not so much. Just be aware, that too often the body will not respond to a schedule like that. Mine doesn't. A more realistic and doable goal would be 100 pounds a year unfortunately. Even that can be challenging. As there will always be times of the losses stalling out for a while. The biggest key is finding what works and sticking with it. It needs to be something you can stick with for the long term.
    100 pounds is doable, but I think I would have to get more exercise than I am. I can't really do much because I have new borns so it's hard. I did find a gym near me that would do child care for them though ! Which is exciting! 67 is good in 6 months too! Congrats!

  • taylorstege431
    taylorstege431 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    I think that 100 pounds is do able, but more so with lots of exercise. Which is hard for me since I have babies. 67 is really good though too! Good job :)
    emcdonie wrote: »
    I am in your weight range. Currently 327, but my high is 345. My opinion is geared toward low carb/sugar and even toward keto if you have blood sugar issues. Previously, I have lost a lot doing around 100 carbs a day even. I had lost 67 pounds in about 6 months.

    THe reason I regained was multiple fold. I started changing how I ate to experiment. I was trying to figure out a potential food allergy. So I kept tweaking and eliminating various foods. THen I got to trying things like higher carb diet and low fat diets. The higher carbs my body CAN NOT handle. I gain VERY rapidly and my blood sugars go soaring.

    I also foolishly stopped taking my meds for my hypothyroid. All bad calls on my part. I should have stuck with what worked for me(lower carb) and kept taking my thyroid meds. I am back to low carb/sugar and I am down toward ketogenic levels of carbs. (Less than 50 carbs.) Blood sugars are improving again. My weight loss before put diabetes in remission. My weight gain, almost brought it back. Thankfully with my current losses and killing the carbs again I am losing again. Also back on my thyroid med.

    All of that to give you an example. When I lost that 67 pounds in 6 months it took everything I had. I did exercise several days a week. I ate low carbs and low calories. I am not sure more than that is possible without outright fasting or something. THe weight loss of people vary so much. Some can knock it out of the park fast. Some not so much. Just be aware, that too often the body will not respond to a schedule like that. Mine doesn't. A more realistic and doable goal would be 100 pounds a year unfortunately. Even that can be challenging. As there will always be times of the losses stalling out for a while. The biggest key is finding what works and sticking with it. It needs to be something you can stick with for the long term.
    100 pounds is doable, but I think I would have to get more exercise than I am. I can't really do much because I have new borns so it's hard. I did find a gym near me that would do child care for them though ! Which is exciting! 67 is good in 6 months too! Congrats!

  • taylorstege431
    taylorstege431 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    I think that 100 pounds is do able, but more so with lots of exercise. Which is hard for me since I have babies. 67 is really good though too! Good job :)
    emcdonie wrote: »
    I am in your weight range. Currently 327, but my high is 345. My opinion is geared toward low carb/sugar and even toward keto if you have blood sugar issues. Previously, I have lost a lot doing around 100 carbs a day even. I had lost 67 pounds in about 6 months.

    THe reason I regained was multiple fold. I started changing how I ate to experiment. I was trying to figure out a potential food allergy. So I kept tweaking and eliminating various foods. THen I got to trying things like higher carb diet and low fat diets. The higher carbs my body CAN NOT handle. I gain VERY rapidly and my blood sugars go soaring.

    I also foolishly stopped taking my meds for my hypothyroid. All bad calls on my part. I should have stuck with what worked for me(lower carb) and kept taking my thyroid meds. I am back to low carb/sugar and I am down toward ketogenic levels of carbs. (Less than 50 carbs.) Blood sugars are improving again. My weight loss before put diabetes in remission. My weight gain, almost brought it back. Thankfully with my current losses and killing the carbs again I am losing again. Also back on my thyroid med.

    All of that to give you an example. When I lost that 67 pounds in 6 months it took everything I had. I did exercise several days a week. I ate low carbs and low calories. I am not sure more than that is possible without outright fasting or something. THe weight loss of people vary so much. Some can knock it out of the park fast. Some not so much. Just be aware, that too often the body will not respond to a schedule like that. Mine doesn't. A more realistic and doable goal would be 100 pounds a year unfortunately. Even that can be challenging. As there will always be times of the losses stalling out for a while. The biggest key is finding what works and sticking with it. It needs to be something you can stick with for the long term.
    At first it was 5 pounds in a week and now I'm down more

    It is not at all unusual to have big gains in the first few weeks. Sadly, those gains are unsustainable in the long run. The reality is that a good bit of those first pounds is water weight (yes, this is true even if you are hydrating - water is a natural biproduct of the body burning fat cells). The weight loss will slow down. As you progress, you need to understand that a good bit of the weight you are losing is not fat, but rather Lean Body Mass (e.g., muscle). The percentage varies by individual, but you can bet that 20 or 25% of what you lose long term will be LBM. You can minimize that as best you can with strength training and a balanced diet that includes correct amounts of protein. What is the correct amount? I can't tell you because that is highly individualized based on a number of factors. However, the macro's that FWP give you should be pretty darn close as long as you are honest with your inputs. That said, if you do track macro's remember that the percentage of macro's by weight (grams) is not the same as percentage of macro's by calories. A gram of carbs or protein is about 4 calories where a gram of fat is about 9 calories.

    Anyway, there is a great deal of well vetted scientific research out there. The reality may not be what you hope for, but it is honest and correct. The fads and the short term views won't get you where you want to go. I suggest you start with the articles at bodyrecomposition.com. He is a bit long winded, but the time spent carefully reading his articles is well worth the time. You can learn a lot about how the body's chemistry, the realities of weight loss, and strategies to maximize things for you. There are other places you can look, but please understand there are no magic wands and no fast answers. Further, looking to lose weight is only one step. Maintaining that new weight will not allow you to go back to the habits that put the extra weight on in the first place. Before you can be successful in the long run, you must be honest with yourself and accept that you need to function within the way your body operates.

    I wish you great luck and success in your journey.
    Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out to me :) I'll check that article out!
  • taylorstege431
    taylorstege431 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    I think that 100 pounds is do able, but more so with lots of exercise. Which is hard for me since I have babies. 67 is really good though too! Good job :)
    emcdonie wrote: »
    I am in your weight range. Currently 327, but my high is 345. My opinion is geared toward low carb/sugar and even toward keto if you have blood sugar issues. Previously, I have lost a lot doing around 100 carbs a day even. I had lost 67 pounds in about 6 months.

    THe reason I regained was multiple fold. I started changing how I ate to experiment. I was trying to figure out a potential food allergy. So I kept tweaking and eliminating various foods. THen I got to trying things like higher carb diet and low fat diets. The higher carbs my body CAN NOT handle. I gain VERY rapidly and my blood sugars go soaring.

    I also foolishly stopped taking my meds for my hypothyroid. All bad calls on my part. I should have stuck with what worked for me(lower carb) and kept taking my thyroid meds. I am back to low carb/sugar and I am down toward ketogenic levels of carbs. (Less than 50 carbs.) Blood sugars are improving again. My weight loss before put diabetes in remission. My weight gain, almost brought it back. Thankfully with my current losses and killing the carbs again I am losing again. Also back on my thyroid med.

    All of that to give you an example. When I lost that 67 pounds in 6 months it took everything I had. I did exercise several days a week. I ate low carbs and low calories. I am not sure more than that is possible without outright fasting or something. THe weight loss of people vary so much. Some can knock it out of the park fast. Some not so much. Just be aware, that too often the body will not respond to a schedule like that. Mine doesn't. A more realistic and doable goal would be 100 pounds a year unfortunately. Even that can be challenging. As there will always be times of the losses stalling out for a while. The biggest key is finding what works and sticking with it. It needs to be something you can stick with for the long term.
    At first it was 5 pounds in a week and now I'm down more

    It is not at all unusual to have big gains in the first few weeks. Sadly, those gains are unsustainable in the long run. The reality is that a good bit of those first pounds is water weight (yes, this is true even if you are hydrating - water is a natural biproduct of the body burning fat cells). The weight loss will slow down. As you progress, you need to understand that a good bit of the weight you are losing is not fat, but rather Lean Body Mass (e.g., muscle). The percentage varies by individual, but you can bet that 20 or 25% of what you lose long term will be LBM. You can minimize that as best you can with strength training and a balanced diet that includes correct amounts of protein. What is the correct amount? I can't tell you because that is highly individualized based on a number of factors. However, the macro's that FWP give you should be pretty darn close as long as you are honest with your inputs. That said, if you do track macro's remember that the percentage of macro's by weight (grams) is not the same as percentage of macro's by calories. A gram of carbs or protein is about 4 calories where a gram of fat is about 9 calories.

    Anyway, there is a great deal of well vetted scientific research out there. The reality may not be what you hope for, but it is honest and correct. The fads and the short term views won't get you where you want to go. I suggest you start with the articles at bodyrecomposition.com. He is a bit long winded, but the time spent carefully reading his articles is well worth the time. You can learn a lot about how the body's chemistry, the realities of weight loss, and strategies to maximize things for you. There are other places you can look, but please understand there are no magic wands and no fast answers. Further, looking to lose weight is only one step. Maintaining that new weight will not allow you to go back to the habits that put the extra weight on in the first place. Before you can be successful in the long run, you must be honest with yourself and accept that you need to function within the way your body operates.

    I wish you great luck and success in your journey.
    Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out to me :) I'll check that article out!
  • taylorstege431
    taylorstege431 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    rwhyte12 wrote: »
    One hundred pounds is probably too hard a goal for six months. I did know someone who was able to do that when he got job walking for ten hours straight to check parking meters. He did keep it off after that job.

    I think for exercise choose something you like. Usually, I swim all summer and lose some weight and then I go back to work and it is the slow regain throughout the year, despite going one or two days a week.

    This year, I have drafted my kids into the exercise plan. We will be doing six one hour stretches of swimming all through the seasonal work that I do. We have a schedule and I can depend on one of the three saying they're coming with me.

    So that's what I'd suggest for exercise. Just pick something you like. For example, there are kickboxing classes, aquafit, and yoga classes pretty much everywhere.

    When losing weight, you should also make sure to keep your fat grams consistent. If you refuse to eat fat, it can wreck your metabolism and can harm your gall bladder. But use good fats like olive oil or a half of an avocado or canola oil. The human body needs fat. Also, if you reduce it too low, you end up hungry all the time.

    If you're hungry a lot, one food to try is going to the bulk section and getting soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds as well as a modest amount of dried fruit. Then, mix this together and add it to yogurt or just munch on it. It is very filling and calorie dense.

    As you get going on exercise, you might need to add in some protein powder like whey protein.

    Good luck.

  • taylorstege431
    taylorstege431 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    rwhyte12 wrote: »
    One hundred pounds is probably too hard a goal for six months. I did know someone who was able to do that when he got job walking for ten hours straight to check parking meters. He did keep it off after that job.

    I think for exercise choose something you like. Usually, I swim all summer and lose some weight and then I go back to work and it is the slow regain throughout the year, despite going one or two days a week.

    This year, I have drafted my kids into the exercise plan. We will be doing six one hour stretches of swimming all through the seasonal work that I do. We have a schedule and I can depend on one of the three saying they're coming with me.

    So that's what I'd suggest for exercise. Just pick something you like. For example, there are kickboxing classes, aquafit, and yoga classes pretty much everywhere.

    When losing weight, you should also make sure to keep your fat grams consistent. If you refuse to eat fat, it can wreck your metabolism and can harm your gall bladder. But use good fats like olive oil or a half of an avocado or canola oil. The human body needs fat. Also, if you reduce it too low, you end up hungry all the time.

    If you're hungry a lot, one food to try is going to the bulk section and getting soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds as well as a modest amount of dried fruit. Then, mix this together and add it to yogurt or just munch on it. It is very filling and calorie dense.

    As you get going on exercise, you might need to add in some protein powder like whey protein.

    Good luck.