Hello to all who looks at this!

I'd like to start out by saying my name is Codi but you can call me Wolfie. I am a girl and am only 18 - so young, yes - and I wanted to find a site I could come to that would keep up the positive attitude I have currently.

This week, I changed my life. I've always been struggling with my weight but never have I weighed in at 263. That was the moment I had the realization that whatever I was doing, was not working. I wasn't losing weight and I was only getting more upset over it. Typically, I'm stuck at home, alone all day, with nothing to do. Not a good thing at all. I knew I had to do something. I talked to my friend who is attending a college three hours away from our hometown and I decided to apply too. That was not the only big life changer, though. The other was the fact that starting college in six months is jump starting me to actually lose the weight.

Starting college is my new start. It's my new beginning and I want to go in to it feeling good about myself and not crappy about how I look. I can't remember a time I weighed under 200 and that thought upsets me. And so, I've started a diet and am going to start working out twice a day start Monday. My diet started today.

I always refer to this site but have never actually joined it. For what reason, I do not know. But, here I am now! I need a site I can come too and find support and encouragement. I want to lose a little over a hundred pounds before college. Which is a feat in the time I have and so, I hope to be a little under 200 before college.

But I'm glad to be here and I hope you all will give me tips and all that jazz! =]

I too was APPALLED when I realized the scale read 263, but what a motivator it has been for both of us!
A couple things:
1) Your plans for loosing a lot of weight before starting college is a big one, I've heard of people being able to do it, but MANY people need longer than this to loose that amount. Please don't get discouraged and give up if it's not coming off super fast like you're hoping (I've been there and done that! And that is why I'm STILL overweight....because I got discouraged and gave up)
2) I see you have a plan for exercising, but how about eating? Are you thinking weight watchers, calorie counting, etc.? I personally love calorie counting because I feel so in-control and am not restricted on what I can have (like how on Atkins you can't eat certain carbs, etc.)

Good luck to you!

Thank you so much for your reply! It means a lot! =] And I'm glad I'm not the only one that flipped out at 263. As for your questions.

1) Oh, I am prepared for this. As I said, I am hoping to at least be a little under 200. If not, then 210 or 220 at least. The college has a free gym with pools and everything so I plan on losing the extra weight while there if I have some.

2) I need help with eating. I do a lot research and all the diets and all that are so overwhelming, I don't really understand it. What is calorie counting like that? I'm not very familiar with anything like that because it just seems confusing to me.

I add up what I eat throughout the day and try and make it about 1200-1500 calories, but occasionally go a little over (some times I eat 1200 calories/day and am completely full, but other times I'm still starving after eating 1500calories), the whole point is that my body uses a lot more calories than this to stay alive so I'll lose weight eating this even if I don't exercise (I walk all day long at work for 12 hours, 3 days a week, and then do 4.5 miles on the treadmill at a 6 or 8 incline 3 days a week). There are MANY site on the internet that help you calculate how many calories you will need in a day to stay the same weight....just subtract 500 calories from that amount each day to loose 1lb/week, or subtract 500/day AND burn 500 calories/day working out to loose 2 pounds, or eat 1,000 calories less a day to loose 2lb/week, etc.

Here's a link to a site that figures out how many calories you need to maintain your weight (I just put in my info into 3 different sites including this one, and they all gave me about the same number of calories): http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

The whole point then is to eat less than the number they tell you

Welcome!

Thank you so much, mccull83! You managed to dumb it down and now I actually get it. I will begin to do that =] Thanks again for the site!

Thank you, penmage!

Welcome LoneWolfie,

There are a bunch of folks in college and just starting over on the threadYou're welcome anywhere - look around and find a group that feels like home.

Good luck on your new journey.

Welcome and good luck on your journey!

BillBlueEyes, thanks so much for the welcome and the link!

Mozzy, thank you and good luck on yours! =]