[tsav8041]

Ok... So I am 22 years old, and weigh 217 lbs.... not fun. && not attractive at all!! I am constantly trying to lose weight & it just seems to never work!!! Idk what to do. I am walking every other day, and the days I am not walking I am doing some sort of exercise... I have been eating better. Not exactly as much better as I should but I have cut my portions in half... Does anyone have any other advice for me???

[sheramama]

I would say, for one week, write down EVERYTHING you eat and drink and how much. Go to: www.fitday.com and get a calorie count. You might not realize how much you are taking in. Exercise has to be consistant. You can't walk a few times or do something else once in a while and expect the pounds to melt away. I wish, but it doesn't work that way. Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day. Not only does it help fill you up, but flushes out toxins.

Good luck!

[tsav8041]

Awesome.. I will try that!

[zogo]

I was just cruising the threads on this site and found a thread that might be good for you...Don't know if the link will work but I'm sure you can find it. There should be lots of great ideas from other gals in their 20's and a challenge is alway motivating.

You have come to a place of great support. Good luck and hang tough!

Oops! Well apparently I'm too new to post the link....need 25 posts and I only have 11, so you maybe could search the 20-somethings threads for a link that has a 12 week challenge.

[Aly6690]

i've been in similar positions. I agree with writing down everything you are eating and drinking and the water. Another little tip is to drink Ice cold water it helps stimulate your metabolism. Are you on a specific plan or just generally trying to eat healthily?

As for exercise, do you enjoy the walking??? Is there a sort you really enjoy< maybe try that? It's really important to find something you enjoy because you are more likely to stick with it. If you do enjoy your walking maybe add some faster intervals?

[tsav8041]

Thank you girlies for the help!! I will check for that challenge. & I do enjoy walking. I want to run actually but I am too out of shape and cannot handle it. I walk everyday.. jog as long as possible but I dont make it too far. I am not on a plan, just trying to eat better and shed off some pounds.

[tsav8041]

Do you ladies know if there is anyway to get an email or alert when soneone replies to your post?

[mkroyer]

Originally Posted by tsav8041

Do you ladies know if there is anyway to get an email or alert when soneone replies to your post?

Yes, you can subscribe to a thread and get daily or instant alerts... ive nver done it myself, but if you click on "Post Reply" ( NOT "QUICK REPLY) and scroll down underneatheply" box, there is an "additional Options" box
and at the bottome, left hand side there is a drop down choice box called thread subscription. pick the option you want


OK, on to Weight loss help.
Fatloss boils ALL THE WAY down to Calories in vs Calories out. If you eat exactly how many calories your body needs, you MAINTAIN your weight.
If you eat MORE THAN what your body needs in calories, you GAIN weight
If you eat LESS THAN the acalories your body needs daily, you LOSE weight.

All exercise aside, fatloss is 100% diet.. you need to be in a caloric deficit. IU have a feeling you have NO IDEA how many cals you burn OR EAT in a day.. you are likely underestimating by hundredsm if not thousands, and im not being mean... we all pretty much underestimate our food intake when we arent dilligently tracking.

My persoanl; advice is calorie counting for you, but you dont have to do that. However, its free, except you neeed a digital scale. At first it seems daunting and time consuming, but you get the hang of it quickly, and after a while have a little stockpile of "go-to meals, that you know the calorie couonts for already. I suggest keeping it simple for a week or two. Have "whole food"s, if possible.... a proetein, a veggie, a starch for each meal, inda thing. A 3 oz chicken breat with 3 ozs of cooked broccoli and 2 oz brown rice, or sweet potato. Or you could have a salad...... whatever. just KEEP IT SIMPLE at first, so you dont feel as overwhelmed. There are PLENTY of sites, where you go to, for free, and enter in 4"4 ounce raw chicken breast" and it tells you the calories. I like Sparkespeople, personally.. it had more "measurement unit" choices for foods.. Plan out a weeks worth of meals (the same 2 breakfasts, tqwo lunches, 2 dinners and cycle them for the week) doesnt take long at all, but oonce you pick your meal plan (which you CAN pit topgether right in sparksppeople, among other websites) youll know the calorie counts then all you have to do it weigh out those portions and your good to go!1 PLAN IN ADVANCE Dont leave ANYTHING TO CHANCE

at your starting weight, id bet 1600-1800 is a great place to start........ if you want, to make things easier, you culd have one pre-packaged meal a day, like a healthy choice or lean cuisine at lunch, but eventually fade those oput

Walkling is a FANTASTIC exercise to do for fatloss..... keep at it!

[Expunge]

I agree that you're probably not eating anything resembling a controlled amount of calories, and that it's impossible to lose weight without knowing what your starting point is. I know for me, my estimations are often WAY off - I've gotten pretty good at eyeballing portions, but some foods still surprise me.


For me, I started out trying to make everything as low-calorie as possible. Fat-free sugar-free yogurt, fat-free sour cream, skim milk, margerine, etc. Diet everything. It was awful and I was always hungry. I've found that for me personally, eating full-fat foods in measured quantities makes me feel healthier and happier (and there's a lot of evidence that naturally obtained fats - including saturated fats - are essential in substantial quantities for good health). I'm taking a loose (not at all strict) "high natural fats, moderate protein, moderate carbs" approach and feel ten times better.

For example, I now eat a small portion of full-fat greek yogurt and berries instead of a pre-portioned cup of Splenda-sweetened strawberry Dannon. Or for breakfast, I have a whole wheat mini-bagel with a measured portion of full-fat cream cheese instead of toast and margerine. Or an egg omelette with onions, spinach and garlic sauteed in real, high-quality butter with a topping of cheddar cheese.

For lunch, I love spring greens salad with bacon, avocado and grilled chicken or turkey breast. Another favorite is a sandwich on whole wheat bread with roasted boneless/skinless chicken thigh, a sauteed compote of caramelized onions, apple and black currants, and brie cheese - this can be made ahead of time, kept in the fridge and heated up days later and still tastes great!

For dinner I might have some pulled pork BBQ and cole slaw made with real mayo and sour cream - just less of it. Or a great meatloaf that uses lean ground beef mixed with italian sausage, grated parmesan instead of bread crumbs as a binding agent, and is stuffed with provolone cheese and prosciutto and then baked in a tomato sauce.

Even though I'm eating less, I'm fuller and feel great and still manage to keep my calories well within range - it's far less of a battle than it was when I tried to restrict dietary fat. I find that small portions are satisfying and filling, and that I don't crave starchy foods nearly as much (though I still include starchy veggies and grains, just less than I did before I changed my approach to higher fat).

Note: try to avoid any unhealthy vegetable fats or hydrogenated oils and try to use high-quality fatty meats - grass fed beef, for example, if possible.