Hey, I'm Nikki, 19, and about to start college.

I've been a big girl all my life. As i have made many attempts to lose weight, nothing has helped.
Here i am, pushing 250. I need my life turned around asap. It's a start to a new life, hitting college, and facing reality. I'm tired of looking in the mirror every day and being utterly disgusted.

I need a new life plan that works, I just don't know where to start.
Any Advice?

Hi Nikki, welcome!!

I was very much in your same boat, beginning my weight loss journey at the start of college. And while I've put back on weight (stress and laziness will do that to you), it is 100% doable.

As for particular plans, it really does depend on your personal preferences. The whole idea of losing weight is essentially calories in vs. calories out. A lot of people enjoy the simplicity of simply calorie counting, and you there are a lot of different calculators online to help figure out how many calories you should eat in a day. I am on Weight Watchers, which is similar, but does cost money, whereas calorie counting can be completely free. There are also low-carb diets, diets focusing on clean eating, and others that focus on eating primal. The only person who knows which plan will work best for you is you, I suggest maybe trying things out, or thinking about how you eat now and what you think would be the easiest changes to make.

Good luck, you can do it!

Welcome!

Two main things that worked for me:

1) Calorie counting. It's not for everyone, but it's often the easiest and most approachable way to start. Use this calorie calculator to work out how many calories you need, and don't try for a short-cut by going for less than the recommended amount for fat loss. Quick fixes don't work for weight loss, that's why we're all on this forum. If you're pretty much sedentary, it'll be about 1920 calories for weight loss, which is a nice number to be working with, you shouldn't have to feel deprived on that.

2) Think about why you put on weight, what bad habits you've got into and how to approach them. I was eating when I was bored or low in energy, for instance, and was snacking when I woke up from a nap feeling a bit peckish. And most of us do emotional eating at one point or another. You may have "trigger foods", the sort where once you start eating them you can't stop, and these are probably the only ones you will definitely have to stop eating. I'm avoiding tortilla chips, for instance, as they come in such big bags that even moderation means eating a surprising amount of them. However, that doesn't mean your diet should be miserable or lacking in treats. I have a tiny piece of very dark chocolate most days and love it, and my cooking is delicious and something which I'm enthusiastic about.

And another thing which isn't a big thing for me personally (I basically put on weight due to getting ill and losing track of how much I was eating), but is a huge thing for many people: abandon guilt. Guilt should have no part at all in how you eat. If you start making yourself feel bad because one day your calorie deficit wasn't what it should be, or you even ate more than the maintenance level, then you will end up off your diet, miserable, and putting on weight. Don't use terminology like "temptation", "sin", "cheat", "bad", "naughty", or anything else from a shame mentality. Staying positive about all of this is crucial.

Welcome to the board Nikki!
I only just arrived myself, and I think this is a great starting point - reading the success stories is so inspiring. You just know, if so many people are able to - then so can YOU!

One of the biggest things ever for me has been calorie counting - not for loosing weight solely, because next to counting you need the motivation to stick to your daily intake - but counting just made me aware of so much.

I didn't realize that a ramen noodlse soup has so many calories! I had no clue that the light looking bapao bun's actually hide a lot of fat and that cottage cheese (one of my fav things) is actually really not that bad so I can eat it even more now! Counting calories for just a week will already help you understand about food more, and that's a great start. Whichever 'diet plan' you choose afterward matters not as long as you are motivated and like Esofia says, don't go into the guilt thing. "The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it."

Goodluck on your journey!

Nikki Welcome,

First off let me tell you, joining this forum was the first wise decision you made today. Although I never been in my 200s I completely understand you. A new lifestyle change is what we all want. Like others have said calorie counting might be easy might not. I on the other hand just cut my portion sizes way down. Now each portion size is about the size of my palm. And the key is getting protion and vegetables in. Excersing is also important if you don't have money take a walk to the park and back in the begging start slowly jogging. I did walking and jogging for about two weeks and then joined the gym. I started in May of 2011 and now in June I am 17 pounds lighter. Also water. Drink more than 8 glasses if you don't like water try flavor water or crystal light. Were all here to kens eachother support so take it won't day at a time and if you need help in the journey were all here. Good Luck. :-)

Hi Nikki!

Remember to think of losing weight as changing your life and the way you look at food - for the better. If you think of this as a "diet", i.e. something temporary, you may have problems later. What happens when the diet stops? Does the weight come back? I'm struggling with this concept myself. I just turned 31 this year and have to acknowledge that if I dont change my life, I will lose many years that I could have had and spend my remaining ones with a ton of medical problems.

Celebrate each success no matter how small. Not with food of course but cheer yourself on. Reward yourself with whatever is doable. Right now I'm rewarding myself with happy thoughts, but that may change into something tangible.

And don't let others bring you down. Screw the naysayers lol. This is YOUR life, not theirs and you need to live it to the maximum health benefit for yourself.

Welcome to 3FC!

Looks like you've got some great advice so far =)

I'll just add that no matter what goes on in your life, no matter the obstacle, you have the power to overcome, lose weight, eat healthier and move more. In small ways and big ways. It adds up.

Look around. Post. Reach out. We'd love to help support you.

Best of wishes!