[Airlyeth]

Hi,

My name is Air and I'm 19. I started university last September and in the five months I've been there I've managed to lose a stone, which isn't bad considering new students tend to gain weight rather than lose it. I kind of hit a wall after Christmas, though. I have managed to lose that rather pesky Christmas weight (around 5lbs) but haven't made any progress since.

So, that brings me on to my plan. My goal weight is 10 stone (140lbs) overall. I come from a family that is naturally heavy, even at their skinniest, so I'm not going to kid myself and aim for the lower end of the healthy weight spectrum.

My current weight is around 15 stone (210lbs), give or take a few pounds! I don't know what is a realistic date to reach my GW is, but I know I want to have lost at least half of the weight by my 20th birthday on 09 September 2010.

Really I could do with a bit of guidance on calorie intake, etc. I've never been to great when it comes to eating, I always eat either too much or too little which never boils down to successful weight loss. I also need motivation for exercise and such, hence why I'm here I guess. I'm looking forward to becoming part of this community.

[doris fields]

good luck on your weight loss jurneyand

[SickCycleCarousel]

Welcome from a fellow newbie. Sounds like you have the right mind-set to really reach your goals. It's good you are being realistic and not setting yourself up for disappointment by setting a goal weight that is too low. I wish you the best of luck.

No day but today,
Dana

[mjhult]

Hey Air, glad to have you here. I'm new too, but have lost quite a bit of weight already.

My advice initially (which is what worked for me) is to 1) totally eliminate sugar from your diet and 2) eat 5-6 small meals a day of vegetables and proteins.

Now, I'm not a nutritionist, so consult your doctor before you start anything.

BUT...

There is so much sugar in just about everything we buy in the stores today and all those empty calories are a killer on your weight loss plan. And they are hidden in so many things, especially so-called "low-fat" items. Read labels and watch out for sugar more than anything else, including fat.

As far as eating the small meals 5-6 times a day, this does 2 things. First, it keeps food in you all the time, so you don't get as hungry and want to gorge yourself each meal (you may be hungry for the first week or two, but push through that and your stomach will shrink and you will not be as hungry anymore). Second, it causes your system to continually process your food, which increases your metabolism.

These 2 things alone will take you a long way. Commit to it, stick with it, and you'll get there.