I'm just starting out. I'm very serious about dropping 40 pounds as fast as possible... any ideas/ advice/ suggestions?

I have been doing WW, and it's the only time I have ever successfully lost and kept weight off. I've lost over 50 pounds in the past year. I feel wonderful. WW coupled with running has increased my confidence, endurance, and made my body look better than it has looked since I was a senior in high school (ten years ago).

Why the 40-pound goal? Is it for a wedding or reunion or something? I am just curious, because my ten-year reunion was one of the reasons I wanted to lose weight.

why is there a sudden need to lose 40 lbs fast?

Everyone would love to lose weight fast, but its not realistically possible unless you put your health at risk.

You can lose weight, and lose a little bit of it fast at first (*water weight). But just start and you'll reach it eventually!

~ tea

It was the last weight I felt comfortable in my own skin with.
I'm 22 and not fat, but heavier than I'd like to be. Especially with summer coming up...
not to mention the fact that I'm a size 13 and my best friend is a size 5
I hate going clothes shopping and all that stuff. It feels like nothing fits right or looks alright and I just give up.
It's more to gain confidence in myslef
I miss having that

Remember that fast weight loss is often temporary weight loss...

I do calorie counting while focusing on eating whole foods with minimal processing. Lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, and natural dairy. I started out very slowly, though, making tiny changes in my diet first (cutting out soda, adding more fiber) and kept tweaking as I went a long. So far I've lost about 135 pounds.

Best of luck!

I agree with everyone else... while we all want weight loss to be fast... healthy and permanent weight loss is slow. 1-2 lbs a week is considered healthy by most physicians.

Losing weight is hard work. No doubt about that. But, most of the things that are "worth it" in life are hard work... and trust me, losing weight the right way... getting stronger and fitter each week. THAT IS SO WORTH IT! It's one of the best things I have ever done.

followyourbliss -- I think you're getting the sense that there isn't necessarily support for weight loss that's "as fast as possible". 3fc supports healthy weight loss, and quick weight loss is not necessarily the same.

I urge you to take a long term view. You want to LOSE the weight, sure, but really don't you want to KEEP it off? Quick weight loss doesn't lend itself to permanent weight loss. What many of us have learned over trial and error is that in order to keep the weight off we needed to learn new ways of eating that we can then apply every day of our lives.

I applaud your desire to deal with your weight before it gets out of control -- I wish I had! But losing it all as fast as possible is often a recipte to gain it all back and then some!

Hi. I've lost 20 lbs recently by sticking to around 1000 calories each day and making sure I go for plenty of walks (am not a gym person).

I stopped putting sugar in my tea, stopped drinking alcohol and choose half fat milk, cheese, etc.

Eat plenty of soups (about 140 calories per can), lean meat and fruit and vegtables. Aviod 'low fat' ready meals - full of crap like salt and flavourings.

I don't eat carbs all that often because they make me bloat, but that may just be my issue.

Drink LOADS of water!!

Good luck!!

xx

xxxx

As others have said: You can lose it fast, only to gain it back faster. You're young, now is an excellent time to establish a healthy lifestyle that will keep you at your best weight for your whole life.

The secret is - there's no secret. Cut the junk food, sodas and alcohol. Eat whole grains, low fat dairy, lean proteins and lots of veggies. Read labels and know your portion sizes so you can see where the high calorie pitfalls are. Exercise regularly; find something you enjoy and will stick with. If you eat fewer calories and burn more in exercise, you will lose weight instead of continue to gain.

The quickest road to failure is to jump into some crash diet (something unsustainable), lose weight fast for some short term goal, go "off the diet, back to real life" and of course regain it all and more, because the basic lifestyle has not been fixed. You want to be at your healthiest weight not just for this summer's bathing suit season, but all of the summers to come.

I agree with MBN. Find something you can stick with. Because sticking with it, is what it's all about. If we don't stick with it, we can't consistently lose weight - and keep it off. Not being able to sustain ones chosen "diet" is the reason people yo-yo up and down. But if you find something that you like and feel comfortable with and enjoy - no reason to yo-yo.

And of course finding that something that you can sustain, keep up with, does not necessarily mean FAST. But that's okay. Steady and permanent is a LOT better.

So yes, make it about the whole lifestyle change. Decide that you want to lead a healthier, slimmer life and make the necessary changes to ensure that.

There is lots of really good advice being offered here with literally years of wisdom. Really think about what these ladies are telling you. I wish I had known these things at your age.

I started my own journey in May '08. I went the Lean Cuisine route for a couple of months but celebrated when I discovered there was another way. I became a calorie counter with a heavy focus on whole foods (I eat minimally processed items, fruits and veggies, whole grains and fish).

Figure out what your "weakest links" are. Mine were:

late night eating--so I started going to bed at 10.
Fast food--so I cut that out all together
Sweets & bad carbs--so I cut back on them severely

Good luck--and both you and I know this has nothing to do with luck. You have found a place that understands your struggle. There is support here but answers too.

LOTS of good advice here! You definitely don't want to gain weight, do you, and be maybe a size 15-16? See, we have all done that. Lost weight quickly and regained it and more, because we were young and impatient and no one could tell us what was best, because we "knew" what was best for our bodies, even though the folks who had been through it all seemed well-intentioned. They were well-intentioned but wrong...or so we thought. Be smarter than we were. Figure it out now. Heed the advice here. Do lots of research on your own about healthy eating, healthy weight loss and maintenance. Lose weight at 1-2 lbs a week by eating well and exercising, and keep it off for life. The key is not to go on a diet. Diets you go "on" and "off" of. The key is to change your way of life, to eat healthily and exercise regularly. That doesn't mean you can never eat unhealthy foods again, but you don't do it as a rule, only as an exception. Learn how to lose weight the right way, and you'll never have to worry again about being a double digit size. Good luck!

Thank you all so much for the encouraging advice. I guess you all are right.
when it comes to weight loss: Slow and steady really does win the race.

Has anyone tried weight watchers? I was debating it and I'm only asking because what they say is what you all are saying. It's not about dieting, it's an entire lifestyle change.

Good. Good. Good. Glad you've decided that fast in not necessarily the best way to approach this.

As far as WW. Yes, it's good. It WORKS - IF you stick with it. It's a way of counting and tracking your food intake. It will help you set limits. But you of course need to MAKE it work.

I for one, am a calorie counter. For me, it's more precise and easier. I find it simpler to learn (and yes, you'll have to learn) the calorie counts of foods, instead of points. thedailyplate.com & fitday.com or 2 of many sites to help you along with that.

Any plan that you should choose can always be tweaked and adjusted and totally switched if you find it's not for you. But of course at some point, you will just have to decide that you want to do this and make something WORK.

But having a plan is essential. Eating healthy does require effort and advanced planning as eating healthy just doesn't happen on it's own.

Rid your home of the junk, fill it up with filling, nutritious healthy and delicious foods. Map out your food schedule a day or so in advance, stick with it and you are on your way to a new and healthy lifestyle. All the best.

I'll definitely be following your advice. I plan on doing the 4-6 small meals a day plan.
Any "small meal" ideas?