Hi everyone,

This forum is great, i feel so privileged to have found it. So many people doing such great things.

I'm from (near) Oxford in England. I want to loose 55lbs. I came to the realisation last week, that at 176lbs (my heaviest weight ever) and only being 5'2" my BMI now puts me officially in the Obese category. I have been steadily putting on weight since I was 16, and like many others I have dieted, then put it all back on and more so many times. I keep setting goals and then giving it all up or ignoring what I should be doing hoping that the weight will just magically go away. But now I am really upset and I think I have finally reached the point where I am going to finally do something about it. At Christmas, I wanted to be down to 133lbs by mid July when my baby sister graduates from college, and down to my ideal weight of 117lbs by mid October. Instead I have put on 7lbs! So after getting rid of all the junk food in the house (alas by eating it!) I have started to eat proper healthy meals, and I am now walking every day and cycling as much as I can. It is hard work, especially dealing with cravings, but I have lost 1lb in the last week

I just want to say a big congratulations to every one out there who is managing to make such big life changes, and I hope that I can be one of you.

Good morning England!
Welcome! There is alot of good support and information on this website.

Good luck to you! Remember take one day at a time and make healthy food choices. You can do it.

Welcome to 3FC!
Congratulation on your first pound and on making some great life-style changes!
Please post in a few areas of the forum, and you'll soon meet all kinds of wonderfully supportive people.

Hello and welcome from a fellow Britton

Why not fisrt set yourseld a mini- goal?

http://www.3fatchicks.com/weight-tracker/

Good Luck!

Hello everyone. Thank you for the welcome.

I have never really set myself a mini goal before, so I don't know how adventurous I should be. I guess that I would love to loose at least 14lbs (1 stone) in time for my sister's graduation on 19th July. Does that sound like too much?

Congrats on the pound lost !! iei !!
You can do it !! Every time I have a craving, I stop and think before I eat the object of my desire, and at the end I always come to the conclusion that in the long run, I´m much happier when I don´t eat it ! It feels really good seeing the results, and knowing that if you keep it up, you will get there !!

At least for me, the first month was the worst, so hang in there, that the cravings will appear less and less !

Hi England and Welcome to the site! There are so many here that have lost and maintained that loss. It is really amazing the support that is here, if you choose to use it. Congratulations on the 1 lb loss. Each pound is one that our body doesn't have to drag around!
I know that I have been here since May and I do Weight Watchers which helps me with accountability and I love the flex plan. I've lost about 15 pounds in the last 6 weeks. I weigh today and hope that I lost 1-2 pounds. But any plan is fine as long as it is healthy and doable for you.
As far as a goal, I think you should set it a little high. Maybe 2 pounds each week, which is a reachable goal and healthy weight loss. That is just my suggestion. Also remember a goal is something that we strive for, if you don't achieve it as long as you tried that's what's important. Same way with exercise, make small goals on increasing your exercise. I love walking and I walk 4-4 1/2 miles about every other day and do an exercise video on the opposite mornings. I should be doing some weight and resistance training, but I just havn't got that started yet. I know that muscle helps to burn fat.
Anyway hope the suggestions help and good luck in your lifestyle changes.

Welcome my british friend!! Glad you're here

14lbs by then sounds good to me. I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you all for your support. I'm going to work on that 14lbs!

I am on a healthy eating / healthy life plan, rather than a specific diet. So lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and my oily fish once a week. Considering the amount of junk food I have previously put away between meals, I would hope that I can loose some weight with this plan simply by cutting this out and upping my exercise. It will also be easier to keep up once I am back living with housemates, as it is a diet that anyone should be able to follow, even if they aren't on a diet - right?

I have been very bad in recent years. I have had such a sedentary life. I drive to work, sit at a desk all day, drive home and sit in front of the tv, usually with a movie bag of crisps (chips). Now that I have been walking 4 miles for 6 days, I am thoroughly shattered, but I think I am starting to see improvements already. I wonder whether I should try to throw more exercise into the mix from Monday, or whether this will be too much for me to take. I want to loose weight and get fitter quickly, but I don't want to get so tired and achy (sp?) that I just end up giving up!

Again, thanks for all your good wishes

Hi, Welcome to the site! Great people here! Can I offer a suggestion? have you considered lifting weights? It makes such a difference in weight loss! It tones you up as you lose and even makes you lose more, because muscle burns calories!