I though I would post in the featherweights because I don't actually have that much to lose, even though it is only 13.8 lbs it is still intimidating.
This is my first time starting a thread of my own, but I thought it was time. Today I had to adjust my ticker upwards , I have been gaining slowly but it the scale has definitely been moving in the wrong direction. I am a full time student and until last week had been working part-time where I had worked full-time during the summer. I finally realized that the situation was not healthy for me, I was at school all week with meetings between classes and I usually worked about 20 hours every weekend. Needless to say, it was stressful, not to mention that my work environment was not conducive to healthy eating, It was a hotel and there was constantly food in the office from the restaurant and we all know how food is prepared in restaurants, lots of oil and butter. I was always snacking on candy and junk and I know that it is when I consumed a large portion of my calories for the week.
So I left my job and now am concentrating on finishing school and getting my body back into shape.
My plan is to run 5 days per week and do weights 2 times per week.
In terms of eating I am planning:

Breakfast- Cereal with almond milk
Snack- Fruit and nuts
Lunch- Chicken breast, wasa bread and goat cheese
Dinner- Fish w/ vegetables

For all of you successful weight-losers out there, any tips for me?
Specifically I am looking for, how you stay motivated, exercse tips and meal ideas that you love.

Let me know!
Ash

Hey Ash to 3FC ... Join us on our weekly thread Featherweights Planning & Chat for Apr 1st-8th , we're here to encourage and motivate

Just wanted to add my welcome, too!!

I'll just focus on 1 piece of advice--Meals I Love
I narrowed this down to quick and pretty healthy

1. Whole wheat couscous served with a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas and some homemade tahini (go light on the tahini--it's healthy but not low cal)
Serve with steamed spinach or roasted red pepper
2. Broiled or grilled fish. Serve w/a homemade salsa--black beans, corn, roughly chopped tomatoes and fresh cilantro
3. Breakfast: 2 egg whites, scrambled, served on whole wheat English muffin, a slice of melted light Jarlsberg (Jarlsburg?) cheese
4. Breakfast: plain ff yogurt blended with chopped fresh fruit and a few (and I mean just a few!) walnuts or pecans

Hope these help. You're on the right track--it all starts with awareness.

Good for you for making a change based on your own needs and leaving your job! I am doing the same at the end of May and travelling Europe.

There are tons of great tips on here that will help you to stay healthy. The only advice I have comes from a few books I read that I found really helped me. It's all in your head so you have you believe in yourself to make it to the end. Also, that goal should be very clear and you should write down how you will get there and assume that you will get there. You can do it and you will. If you focus on the negative and the struggle then you will create more of that struggle. Focus on your past accomplishments and your will to accomplish this task.

Good luck with your goal and keep posting! I am in TO as well! It's still so cold here!