Right, well, my name is Hope and I live in the United States.

I'm 18 years old, and I weight about 230-ish. My weight issue started when I was six or seven, and has progressed terribly ever since. It most definitely has something to do with depression and traumatic events, but those have been dealt with in therapy (except the depression triggered by academic stress). So now all the doctors are telling me to do is eat three meals a day and exercise.

I'm trying the three meal a day thing, instead of skipping meals, and I actually feel better... but I don't think it's helped my weight, yet. Which is not surprising since it's only been a weekend. I think the reason I feel better is because my electrolytes are getting back to normal, and I'm not so tired and lethargic or grumpy anymore.

The exercise thing is a bit harder. I have a problem with my left ankle that hinders my walking ability. I can do 2-3 minutes on the treadmill, but then my ankle begins to seize uncontrollably (as well as my calf muscles) and I cannot catch my breath (which is not surprising, since I'm a heavy smoker). So I'm trying to build up my resistance to this problem (I've already seen the doctor about it), and my ability to keep my ankle flexible for a longer period of time is working... I started last week at not being able to walk for a minute on the treadmill, and I'm up two minutes.

I'm a college student, and I do a lot of walking around the campus. But I also eat unhealthily, i.e., fast food. So I've decided to cut out the fast food, unless it's a salad from Subway. And there's a gym on campus that is free for students, which I plan on going to three times a week.

My main reason for being on this forum is because I cannot keep to a regime without help. I need support; I need someone to 'keep me on track,' so to speak. My mother would be the person I'd choose to do this, had I not grown up with her being a bulimic. It was horrible growing up with a bulimic parent; I once swallowed her vomit because it was in an identical cup to the one I was drinking a milkshake from. Those are the horror stories of growing up with a parent with an eating disorder.

So my question is this: how well do you think this kind of regime will work? I don't expect to drop ten pounds in a week, but I do expect to see and feel results after a month or two. Is this reasonable? Or am I setting my expectations too high? Here's exactly what I plan to do:

- Three meals a day, 4-6 hours between meals.
- Walking on the treadmill 2x/day, for as long as I can stand it, stretching and strengthening my ankle muscle in the process and therefore stretching my time on the treadmill as I progress.
- Doing a gym routine for two hours, 3x/week.
- Swimming (laps & lazy swimming) 2 or 3x/week.

Any feedback is welcome. Thanks.

-Hope

Mortalsolace,

Lots of challenges! Gosh! First thing is--quit smoking. Period. Your life is in danger from that much more than from your weight. Quit smoking! Get help with it if you need to, but you gotta quit! I feel so sad when I see young people smoking. I was one of them once--how stupid.

Three meals a day sounds like a plan--but it depends on how big the meals are! There are lots of tracking tools available on computer--many folks here use FitDay, but there are others. They just help you to know how much you're eating. I would say, allow a small snack (100-200 calories) every 2 hours between your meals. You won't get so hungry that way.

Can you use an exercise cycle rather than the treadmill? That may not be as hard on your ankle. You need to learn to monitor your heart rate also so you aren't OVER exercising. Two minutes isn't enough to make a difference, but I realize you are trying to work with a disability. The exercise bike might be better to start with.

But mainly, stop smoking. Stop.

Hope to "see" you around on the forums!

Jay

[QUOTE- Three meals a day, 4-6 hours between meals.
- Walking on the treadmill 2x/day, for as long as I can stand it, stretching and strengthening my ankle muscle in the process and therefore stretching my time on the treadmill as I progress.
- Doing a gym routine for two hours, 3x/week.
- Swimming (laps & lazy swimming) 2 or 3x/week.

Any feedback is welcome. Thanks.

-Hope[/QUOTE]

Welcome Hope
Everyone is different you really need to try something for a couple weeks and step on the scale once each week and see if it worked. That being said here is my suggestion:

5 small meals a day Start your calories high maybe around 2000 you can always cut back calories.
eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit
Try some Fiber One and Kashi go lean for breakfast Mix it 1/2 and 1/2 add some fresh berries and skim milk or light soymilk or oatmeal.
You must start your day out right or you are more apt to eat whatever you can.
Have some fresh fruit, cut up vegetables or yogurt with some fruit or handful of nuts for a snack.
Eat a sensible lunch Sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread or Whole Wheat Tortilla, or salad with light dressing. Some cottage cheese.
Have another healthy snack. Try to get high fiber it fills you up. Low in sugar and low fat. Stay away from high fructose corn syrup. You can google it to find out why?
Dinner:Lots of Vegetables, Lean protein chicken, fish, turkey.
Labels: Read, read, read.
For me I can eat the same thing basically everyday and not get bored. I know how many calories I am having and I can go up 100 or down 100 if I am stalled.

You may not like any of these foods. I am a Mother of a 19 y/o son who just starting eating salads and only started drinking water after he got into body building. I know what is good for you and since January I am trying to practice what I preach.
Exercise: If you have a gym try weight training you can do weights with your upper body and stay away from your ankles for now. Weight training builds lean muscle which burns more calories. Use a tape measure instead of a scale because you will lose inches before pounds. When you lose some weight you may be able to try some biking or elliptical.

I was a smoker also at your age. Stop. I know it is easier said then done. The health issues of being a smoker are just as serious as being overweight, if not more. Please PM me if you want to talk more. I would be happy to reply.
Good luck.