Ok. So, I'm trying to start. But I have so many dilemmas at the moment. So many questions in my head.... Weight loss seems to be the most complicated and the hardest thing to do in my life.
I guess I am so confused I don't even know how to formulate a question here. And I hate it, cause I'm strong and independent in other areas of life, but when it comes to weight loss I feel like a week and needy girl...Guess this really is like an addiction.

Any advice for a beginner?
How hard has it been for you? What should I expect?
What advice would a slimmer, healthier, wiser, stronger, happier you give to yourselves, if you could go back in time and meet with the you when you were about to begin losing?

The hardest part is not giving up when you see a stall on the scale. Water weight fluctuations can cause you to "gain" or "lose" pounds overnight, and you HAVE to remember that to gain a pound you must consume 3500 calories OVER your normal intake, so you can't go into panic mode. Just keep plugging along...it may be hard to see the finish line sometimes, but if you literally take it day by day and get into the mentality that you -cannot- fail, before you know it you will be halfway to the end.

Oh, and if you mess up one day, don't just throw in the towel for that day/week/month. One slip up does not ruin a diet, but a week of indulging will set you back for sure.

If you are relatively healthy with no extra stuff going on that would pose extra challenges (ex: hypothyroid or other conditions)... just basic cutting back and some exercise will do to start out with. If you do suspect hidden issues, make an appt with the doc, but get started anyway.

I use FitdayPC for my food log -- you can do the online one, or any of the other free food log diaries available.

As for calorie need, freedieting has a calculator.

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

If you need ideas for portions -- basics there too. 1/2 cup starch, 1/2 cup protein, 1/2 cup green veg, 1/2 cup orange or other color veg at each meal. Eat all that, wait 20 min, and if you need more, get a little more -- maybe a fruit. If you want to get more serious about exchanges, you can learn more details of that by googling diabetic exchanges.

You want menus try here and scroll to the middle and find the links on the side to match you calorie level. You do not have to be diabetic to use them but it gives you 2 weeks of ideas to start out with while learning and researching.

http://diabeticgourmet.com/Food_and_...Meal_Planning/

Exercise can be a simple walk. Or check out fitness dvds from the library or on exercise tv online.
http://www.exercisetv.tv/

Everything else you can tweak as you go along and learn along the way.

HTH!
A.

The beginning can be rough because so much is unknown. It's hard to know what to expect as our bodies all respond differently, but if you stick with a healthy plan, you WILL start seeing the scale drop. Looks like you've gotten some great practical advice so far. A few more ideas- write everything down! Food, exercise, moods, cravings, anything. That way you can go back and look for patterns of what worked.

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to be patient with myself, not to expect perfection and not to set deadlines. Weight loss is so not linear and that has been so hard for me to accept! I would tell myself that I am capable of SO MUCH more than I ever imagined. I would tell myself that to it's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it!

Stick around 3FC, this is a great place to learn!

Calorie counting and increased exercise are the simplest tools for a beginner.

A great online and FREE calorie counting aid is Livestrong.com's MyPlate, which used to be called TheDailyPlate. It has an incredibly comprehensive list of nutrition facts for every product I've ever searched for. It's very easy: just put in what you eat, and the site totals the calories for you and lets you know whether you're above or below the calories you need to lose weight.

Something else I wish I'd known the first (or second, or third) time I lost weight: setting goals for yourself is the most important thing you can do. Weight goals are good, and I like to give myself a little reward each time I meet a goal, but fitness goals seem to be held in common by almost EVERYONE who loses weight and keeps it off for life. That's what I'm doing differently this time around--every month, I set myself a new fitness goal, and then I meet them. I also have one huge overall fitness goal that all this is working towards: I'm going to do the Warrior Dash when it comes to NC next year.

I do a lot of positive visualization, too, which is another form of goal-setting. When I'm looking at clothes I like on the Internet, I imagine myself happily wearing them at my goal weight. This is probably one of the best-feeling motivators I have.

Some really great information on goal-setting and goal-setting behaviors is available in Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle," an eBook I recommend to ANYONE who's interested in weight loss.

Good luck, newbie!

Thank you, girls!
I had a 'this is impossible' crisis this morning, but I feel better now.
I kinda made a plan - how to eat and what workouts to do. I also decided to make a 3fc blog so it would keep me more accountable.
I will start with counting calories and with a light exercise program, using workout DVDs....and I just need to remind myself to be patient...and hopefully my endeavors will be successful.

That sounds like a great plan!

One thing that most people accept around here is that different things work for different people. I would go farther and say that different things can work for the *same* person at different times. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what clicks for you, but it does get a lot easier when you find that groove.

I was gonna comment, but it seems these ladies already have you covered! The blog is a great idea for tracking.

Log on here often! It can make a huge difference just in making sure that you have progress and positive change on your mind. I usually log on on my lunch break at work which helps remind me why I'm eating lots of veggies instead of the horribly-delicious starchy stuff that my co-worker is. Plus, if I'm typing or scrolling, I'm not snacking mindlessly

If you're a student (or even if you're not and just want to set a goal for September), you could check out our Back to School Challenge thread.

bopbot I've totally overseen your post. Yes, I've actually read T Venuto's BFFM and I also have The Body Fat Solution, but I read it a long time ago. I'll have to re-read those books.
And I also choose caloriecount.about.com for tracking calories.

And I'll be sure to log to 3fc daily, so see you all around the forums!

ahyessophie, my college starts in October and I've joined TBL challenge for that matter...And also the 90 days exercise challenge, I think challenges will definatelly help with my motivation

I would tell my 10lbs heavier self to TAKE 'BEFORE' PICs! I didn't, so even though I've been measuring I still look at myself in the mirror and feel like there's no change, despite what the measuring tape--and those nice arm muscles and my perkier butt--tell me.

Hi hotHealthy4life!

I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone on being confused and feeling that it's impossible. My big day will be Aug 1st (this Monday)...thats when my new life begins. I have 65 lbs to lose...and I know how I am. I'm going to want to give up. Maybe we could help eachother along the way- keep eachother motivated and provide some tips?

I've decided that I'm going to set mini goals...and work towards accomplishing the mini goals- instead of big goals. For every mini goal I accomplish I'm going to reward myself- a new book, a new shirt...just something.

I'm right here with you!! Let's hang in there together!