Weight loss motivation
 

Hey guys my name's Takari and i'm 18 years old. I'm in desperate need of weight loss support and motivation. Right now I weight about 175-180ish (not sure i don't have a scale atm) and at 5'3 that is way to much for me. I carry my weight everywhere on my body except for my boobs :( haha. For the past few days i've been drinking only water and green tea and cut out all sodas and sugary drinks i'm also trying to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tofu (i'm vegan) nuts, and beans. Starting today i'm going to try to work out two hours or more 4-6 times a week i'm also keeping my calories between 1,200-1,800 depending on how hard I work out. Do you ladies think that i will get good results doing all of this? Also I just moved to Arizona from California but i'm moving back around the middle of December. How much weight do you think i can lose in about four months?

Sorry this is so long and poorly written but I just have so many questions and i really need people who would help and support me through my weight loss journey :).

I was fired up to give you some suggestions, then I noticed that you're vegan :D Can't really help you at all with diet tips except to make sure you are eating enough proteins and dark leafy greens for calcium.

Make sure that you focus on drinking bunches of water every day as much as you focus on your food intake.

Eating 5 or 6 small meals a day will increase your metabolism. (Snack between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and supper. If early enough, snack after supper)

Resistance training will build lean muscle which are the calorie burning machines in our bodies.

There's my tips! But hey, you're only 18. Youth on your side makes it a little easier for you to shed the pounds. You can do it! :carrot:

My best advice is to get a scale and see how much you weigh. You might be surprised.

Just a bit of advice though... working out 2+ hours 4-6 times a week is a lot. Try for a half hour 4 days a week, and then increase.

ditto on the weighing yourself. also 2 hurs 4-6 times a week is alot for exercise. Try 30 min and work your way up as the other poster suggested

Hey, notice how no one yet said how much you can lose? I think there's a reason -- it's very hard to know! I actually also think it can be somewhat counterproductive to think "I"m going to lose X amount of weight in Y months."

Let's say you're cranking along, learning new habits, eating well, exercising, and then realize 1/2 way in that you are nowhere near on track to make that "goal". What often happens is that people get frustrated and give up! Yep! They let go of the new habits, and right back with the old. They gain back what they lost (and then some!). And that's not good!

I think you should think long term. You're 18 and want to develop new eating and exercise habits that will keep you at a healthy weight for the rest of your life!! Now, maybe it will take you a lot longer than 4 months to get there, but in 4 months you can be well on your way to the new, permanent you!!

So, my advice is to worry less about the time frame and focus on building sustainable habits. I also agree with the others that working out 2 hours a day isn't necessarily the healthiest/best plan... especially if your starting level of fitness isn't that high.

Good luck and welcome to 3fc!!!

I agree that that much exercise is too much. You may be able to do it for a few days but I know I would get burnt out! I bought a heart rate monitor and use it to keep track of how many calories I burn each work out, and then I write it down in a notebook. I have a seperate sheet of paper for each week and a seperate goal. It keeps me motivated and its a helpful tool to go back and see what weeks I did best, what weeks I did worst, and then try to figure out what was going on that week that either helped or hindered my exercise program.

Thank you ladies for all the answers so far :). I was actually planning on breaking up the two hours one in the morning one at night. I used to working out that much at before I graduated and once I start I like to keep going. Only problem is im lazy most of the time haha.