Im kinda lost, someone help?

Hi.

First of all, you are at the PERFECT age to re-shape your body and be happy with what you see. How is WISH I had started in my teens. It really does get a bit harder as you get older so take heed!

Second... Don't worry so much about exercise right now. Swimming and rollerblading as you do is fine in the beginning. The most important thing is diet.

Please open your diary so that folks who have been successful can give you tips. I love food. I do. Learning about hummus, salsa, and lower carb options that taste wonderful have helped me through my plateau.

If you do not enjoy cooking, check out the recipe board... It will make you want to cook.

Most of all, know that you have found the support you need here. I have been on many weight loss forums and this by far is the best.

You GO Girl. You will do it. Your will is stronger than you think.

You are going to be fine. If you are still living at home, you need to get your parents on board to help. I think one of the hardest things to do is resist junk food when it's in the house. So ask your mom/dad or whoever does the grocery shopping to help by buying healthier snacks. You can easily swap out those hard to resist foods, like potato chips, with healthier options. I eat a ton of carrot sticks just for the crunch factor and to keep myself busy. Also one thing my sister and I have instituted is a cheat day. I know it might slow down our weight loss, but it gives us a break. It's hard sticking to low calorie diet, but if you know on Saturday you can have a cookie and a few potato chips it's easier to resist them the rest of the week. Plus I've found that even on my cheat day, I am thinking about what I'm eating. That is what the food tracking does, it makes you much more aware of how many calories you are eating. My sister made a really good point - she said she loves French fries, but now when she's eating them she only eats the first few that are super hot and crunchy because once they are cold they aren't as good and why eat the calories if you aren't going to really enjoy them. It is good you are starting now, at age 18. You are going to be much happier in the future if you loose the weight now. Good luck!

#1 rule - BE PATIENT! If you were like me, my minimum calories of 1200 was a shock and REDICULOUS to what I was used to eating! If I wanted to eat dinner some days and stay close to my calorie goal, I had to go workout to earn it. It will take your body (and mind) some time. You may slip, you may fall down, just get back up. You'll get lots of advice and everybody is different. Be patient and keep trying until you find what works for you. Message boards are great for info.

Start off eating what you "think" is good & then study how it effects your calories. If you are like me, you'll figure out that some of your favorite foods just aren't worth their calories when it comes down to it. You'll either cut your "faves" portion in half or substitute lower calorie/lower fat options in their place. Protein at every meal will help you stay satisfied & vegetables are low calorie, good for you, and help fill you up.

1200 may be just too low for you if you have alot to lose.
What worked for me...Thanks to advice from another MFPer, I googled "Harris Benedict formula" And found out by using my height (5'5"), weight (180), and activity level in their formula that it estimated that I needed 2457 calories to maintain current weight. And it recommended me to subtract 500 calories for each 1lb I wanted to lose a week. Fo example, I could eat 1957 calories if I wanted to lose just 1 lb/week, 1457 if I wanted to lose 2 lbs a week!! So now I don't beat myself up if I eat 1900 calories - I'm still doing better than I used to!!! You may be surprised what you can consume and still see success. Good Luck!

#1 rule - BE PATIENT! If you were like me, my minimum calories of 1200 was a shock and REDICULOUS to what I was used to eating! If I wanted to eat dinner some days and stay close to my calorie goal, I had to go workout to earn it. It will take your body (and mind) some time. You may slip, you may fall down, just get back up. You'll get lots of advice and everybody is different. Be patient and keep trying until you find what works for you. Message boards are great for info.

Start off eating what you "think" is good & then study how it effects your calories. If you are like me, you'll figure out that some of your favorite foods just aren't worth their calories when it comes down to it. You'll either cut your "faves" portion in half or substitute lower calorie/lower fat options in their place. Protein at every meal will help you stay satisfied & vegetables are low calorie, good for you, and help fill you up.

1200 may be just too low for you if you have alot to lose.
What worked for me...Thanks to advice from another MFPer, I googled "Harris Benedict formula" And found out by using my height (5'5"), weight (180), and activity level in their formula that it estimated that I needed 2457 calories to maintain current weight. And it recommended me to subtract 500 calories for each 1lb I wanted to lose a week. Fo example, I could eat 1957 calories if I wanted to lose just 1 lb/week, 1457 if I wanted to lose 2 lbs a week!! So now I don't beat myself up if I eat 1900 calories - I'm still doing better than I used to!!! You may be surprised what you can consume and still see success. Good Luck!

^^ This.. Will get you to your goal. Do not restrict calories too much - log, log, log before you eat what you want to eat. I CANNOT TELL YOU how much I've wanted a Gyro with the works and fries until I saw the calories... Then I said "FORGET IT". 2000 calories for 1/2 hour of food?

This is why logging your food works. Stick around. You will not be perfect, but once logging becomes a habit, you will really understand what to do.

Cmon now kiddo, you are starting off on a real negative note! Be patient with yourself and the process, weight loss takes time and effort. If this is the first time you have had to diet you can't go wrong joining weight watchers, or finding a group at school or in your community. You need a little education. maybe a few sessions w a trainer too. Don't go it alone, educate yourself.Remember fads don't work, calorie counts are the real success to losing weight. Good habits are easier to come by if you change one thing at a time. So hang in, and Allan to make 1 change a week until these become new habits! UCANDOIT.

1. Log - log -log. Log BEFORE you stick it in your mouth if you don't know the calories/fat/nutritional value.


2. Log the good, the bad, the in-betweens and the just a little bites of...

3. Give yourself NO excuse not to exercise until it is a habit. Schedule yourself on a regular basis to workout. I schedule a workout for every single day. Then, if something comes up and ruins my plans on one day...I'm not out completely. But you can always find an excuse not to workout. Don't give yourself any excuses. NONE.

4. Feed your body regularly and with the best food you can find. Don't deprive....just redefine what food really is...Fuel.

You can succeed. Bodies are very resilent at 18. Best wishes!

very well said -- I'm new at this too 8 days -- and i love reading all the great stuff on here !

P.S How long do you think it will take me to lose approx:40 lb? Im 167 now!

If you stick with it and work hard. You will be rocking an awesome body by summer.

You need to add lots of fruits and veggies into your menu.

The plate of spaghetti, cut it in half and add a tossed salad with a low cal salad dressing.
Instead of the sugar cookie have an apple.
Instead of the whole chocolate bar, have half.