[Kaitri]

Hello everyone,

My name is Jessica, and I live in Toronto, Canada. I'm 28 years old, 5'2" and I weigh 151 pounds (down from ~160 earlier this year!).

I'm really excited about joining this community. I know that I function better with support from like-minded people, and it's great knowing that many of you are willing to help people start a new diet or help others through tough moments.

Since I'm so new to this, I'm still confused about which diet/plan/program/approach will work best for me, and I'm absolutely open to any advice people give me.

I have never been super skinny, but I used to be far more athletic than I am now. In my teens and early twenties I was a competitive sailor - it was my life, and fitness was never a problem for me. When I was sailing regularly, I was around 130-140 pounds.

In university, I got sick and lost 15 pounds, but the weight started creeping back right away. I now spend all day in front of a computer (working in an office), and I have gotten used to a pretty sedentary lifestyle in general.

Two months ago, I got sick of looking so fat (I have terrible body image issues) and decided to do something about it. Unfortunately, I have no idea which diet/plan will work best for me, so I'm considering going to a weight loss professional, but I'd prefer to do it on my own (without spending a ton of money that I don't have).

I'm currently counting calories and focusing on eating healthier food as often as possible. I have eliminated most sugary or starchy foods (as well as most processed foods), and I've gotten over my obsession with massive portion sizes. I think I was addicted to the "full" feeling I got when I over-ate, but I think I'm learning to control that impulse. I'm also trying to get 20-30 minutes of exercise in every day.

I'm traveling to Europe in the middle of July, and I'm doing a long bike trip through Italy. My goal is to be 15 pounds lighter and a *lot* more fit by the time I get there (so I can handle biking 40k in one day). Does this seem realistic?

[juliana77]

Hi Jessica and welcome! Since you have been having success with calorie counting, why not just continue with that? It's one of the most popular plans around here - it's free, it's flexible, and it's simple (not to be confused with easy!). I've lost all of my weight with calorie counting. I also exercise, but as is said around here often - diet for weight loss, exercise for fitness.

I think your goal of 15 pounds by mid July may be challenging, but I think it's do-able. Since the bike ride is the main goal, if I were you I would focus on building up my cycling stamina and continue with the calorie counting. Even if you don't hit 15 lbs, it will still be 8 or 10 or 12 - and that is the right direction!

That sounds like an amazing trip, I'm jealous.

[Pepino]

Yeah I was going to say that it seems that the most successful group are the calorie counters (or plans that are calorical controlled like weight watchers, etc).

Best of luck!

[Kaitri]

Thanks for the welcome!

I'm going to continue counting calories, but I've also been giving the South Beach Diet some thought. I downloaded the book, and since I'm definitely an "apple" (rather than a "pear"), I thought that it might help me more than simple calorie counting. I love starches (especially bagels, pasta and delicious fresh bread!), but I know they're bad for someone like me.

I've been thinking of following the South Beach Diet while continuing with calorie counting, just to be sure that I don't end up over-eating.

And yes, the trip is probably the best decision I ever made. It has given me the motivation I needed to get off my butt and start working out and eating properly again.