[Polarity]

So I moved out about a month ago for college, and I think I packed on the dreaded "freshman 15." In my case, this was a bit more than 15...

Last September I started off at 120 pounds. I just got a weigh-in today at the doctors and I'm 175. I was so ashamed to walk off the scale, thinking how could I possibly gain 50 pounds in almost a year? So now I really want to change what I'm doing, but kind of need a shove and some advice on how to start my weight loss.

Things that I'm doing:
- Taking my bike to school (est. 15-20 minutes to get there on bike with up and down hills)
- Eating ONLY at home with groceries, no fast food
- No soda or sugar-packed juice
- Trying to snack every 2-3 hours (ex: half a poptart, a pear, etc)

However I'm so used to eating big meals for dinner that by the time it rolls around, I want to eat like I've been starving for days. If I don't eat until I'm full, I wake up around 3-4 in the morning being hungry and groggy.

But do my small changes seem good enough to start losing weight? I haven't calorie counted or anything yet but I'm trying, and if anyone has advice on what else I can do to kickstart weightloss or give some support it'd be much appreciated

[kimmieval]

Hey, you have taken the first step to losing weight. One of the first things (not set in stone, just the way I did it), is that you first need to figure out the calories in your food as when I first started to lose weight, I was eating half of a lot of foods, but I did not realize that half of some foods still had more calories than other whole foods. Additionally, even among fruits, there are some that are lower in calories per the same 100grams.

I started off snacking mini meals as well, but like you, I cannot function if dinner is not my heaviest meal-I too wake hungry. I shifted my eating to accommodate my heavier meals in the evening (it worked for me, not sure if it will work for you and I was at 172 lbs so near your weight)

Another suggestion is to replace your simple carbs with more complex carbs which will keep you full longer. The good thing is that you can probably lose the 50lbs in a year as well, and there is no single right way. You might want to choose one of the lifestyle/diet/exercise methods that will best suit your lifestyle as you are going to need to be able to sustain this program over time.

Personally, i cannot do low carbs-makes me weak and dizzy and hungry, but I have seen it work for others. I do carb counting/weighing my food and that works for me. Which program do you think you can realistically follow given financial, emotional and time constraints factors?

[racrane]

One thing that helped kickstart for me for real this summer was making a list of why I needed to lose weight. Not wanted, needed. For me, this included being better at my job. That really helped motivate me.

[JohnP]

I like eating big meals as well.

All the things you are thinking about doing are great. I'd suggest you also look into intermittent fasting. This would allow you to eat the big dinner you desire and still lose weight.

[Lovely]

Small changes can definitely add up when you build on them like you're doing.

I would suggest one thing. Don't force yourself to change everything that you like.

For example: If you like a big dinner, then budget for a big dinner. That's my big meal of the day, and I plan for it. I usually even enjoy an after dinner snack!

Adding in activity, and eating most of your meals at home instead of grabbing fast food, and avoiding empty calories in sugary drinks is an excellent start. If you like snacks, then by all means plan for snacks, too, but just don't force yourself to do something that doesn't fit your lifestyle (like a small dinner if you prefer a bigger one).

Building up a routine takes time. Keep adding in healthy habits and you'll see changes

[H82Sweat]

It sounds like you have a decent plan. In addition I would recommend ditching the pop-tarts and any other packaged crap you are eating. If you lose the processed foods and snacky junk you will be able to have larger and more satisfying meals/snacks.

If you like to eat big meals there is no reason you shouldn't have them. Multiple small meals or smaller meals with several snacks isn't any more effective for weight loss than 3 solid meals. It's all about the number of calories in versus calories out.

You should figure out what your caloric needs are:
http://www.sheerbalance.com/nutritio...n-calculators/

Congratulations on taking control!

[lin43]

It sounds like you're on the right track.

I count calories, and one thing that has been working for me is to starting tracking my "day" with dinner (in other words, I track, dinner then the next day's breakfast & lunch). I do this because dinner is usually my biggest, most unpredictable meal.

Good luck to you!