Hello everyone! My name is Emm, I am 22 years old and I am finally ready to take my weight loss serious. I have been over my normal weight for most of my life. I have had numerous weak attempts at losing weight. I have tried exercising and dieting but can never stick to them long enough to lose weight. I think a big part of my problem is that I have an extremely busy life but I don't want that to be my excuse anymore. I will make time to cook for myself so that I can eat healthier and I will make time to workout. It probably sounds ridiculous to start right before Christmas but if I can make it to the New year at least 5 pounds lighter that will be a great motivator for me.

Height: 5.5
Weight: 160 lbs
Highest Weight: 180 lbs
Lowest Weight: 140 lbs
Goal Weight: 130 lbs

Hey Emm, and

We have a ton of forums you might want to check out for support - the 20-somethings (for those in that age range), or perhaps the "Featherweights" forum, since you're starting out relatively close to your goal. We also have forums by eating plan - what are you planning on doing? We have Calorie Counters, South Beach, Low Carb, Weight Watchers, and other forums geared toward specific programs.

Why do you say that you've had trouble "sticking with" plans in the past? There are a few pitfalls that many members struggle with. First, it can be very hard to avoid being "all or nothing" about weight loss. Either you're going full-tilt and doing everything "right", or you're in your old habits that aren't getting you where you want to go. Especially when you're busy, even more now, in the holidays, you may want to think about making smaller changes that you can stick with for the rest of your life, rather than falling into the "be perfect for 3 weeks, slip up, fall completely off wagon, repeat a month later" cycle.

And if you do have a slip up (EVERYONE does), the best advice I can give is to just get back on track ASAP. After all, one high-calorie meal or junk-food filled day doesn't make or break you if the majority of the time, you're eating healthfully and exercising. But one bad day, if causes you to say "well, I can't stick to this, so forget it!" and give up for a month...well, that'll delay you getting to your goals.

Another common barrier to staying on plan - plans that are hard to stick to because they are drastic and unsustainable. Try to make sure that you're asking reasonable things of yourself. I have see SO MANY folks come in, say "I'm going to eat 1000 calories a day and exercise for two hours with no rest days", do wonderfully for a week or a month, and then burn out and disappear. So if you've had trouble sticking with a plan in the past, you might want to think about ways you can change your lifestyle that won't burn you out after a few weeks.

Anyway, that's lots to think about. Look around, find a spot or many, and keep posting. I can't wait to get to know you better!

Welcome Emm!!! Looking forward to seeing you around the boards and the 20-something forum!

Thanks for the motivation everyone! I really don't want to rush my weight loss this time because I think that has been a huge factor in why I haven't succeeded in the past. I am a very impatient person and like most people I want to see immediate results. This time I just want to take it slow I know I don't have a huge amount of weight to lose and even if I did losing it slowly is something I haven't tried lol so maybe I can stay motivated and it will work. As for a diet I don't want to follow a specific diet. I just want to get used to eating at least three healthy meals a day. For exercise I plan to go to the gym at least 5 times a week and get used to the treadmill. My goal is to be able to run for at least 30 mins. I have never been able to run for that long and that would be a great accomplishment for me to reach. Of course I want to start slowly with that too. I have to admit this week my eating has been horrible. I had finals in school and work so some days I wasn't eating enough and on other I was eating too much. I think I have to start planning and preparing my meals ahead of time if I really want to stay on track.