Hello everyone. Actually I'm new to posting, I've been reading this site for months, but I am now just finally registering.

I am 163.5 lbs 5'3" female, and I would like to know the best way to lose 20 pounds in about 11 weeks without counting anything. I have tried the calorie counting method and I have failed numerous times, and it is a time consuming hassle! I say I will stop calorie counting, but I get paranoid when I eat something I go right back to counting my calories.

Please everyone share your success or tell me how I can lose this weight a healthy way. Thanks everyone

There is a thread below on the most important tips for losing weight. That is basically the information I would give you. But instead of just my advice you can see a whole lot of other people if you go down. 20 lbs in 11 weeks is doable. I think an upper limit of around 2 lbs a week is the most you can lose if you are doing it right. One big piece of advice I would give is to try eating slower. That is right simply pause, enjoy the food, eat slower and it is amazing how much less you will eat over a day. Also drink lots of water, stay away from sugar drinks even fruit juices, and no milk even fat free. You will save 100s of calories a day just drinking water and get use to in no time.

Hi there, My name is Mona Wagner, and my first suggestion to you is to do a "head check". Ask yourself : "Have I mentally made up my mind that I want to lose weight?" "Are there any mental obstacles preventing me from having the resolve within me to do this?" If the answer to the second question is yes, then determine what it is you need to do to remove the mental block.
For me, "making up my mind" was the hardest thing to do. I was fat purposely because it was a fortress, it protected me from unwanted advances from men. I was molested when I was a little girl, and the thief that robbed me of soooo much used pornographic materials to justify my getting naked for him at the age of four years old. I swore to myself that I would never look like the women displayed in the magazines...thus, becoming fat was my solution to the problem. Then I realized at the age of 30, that I'd be damned if I was going to allow that SOB to rob me of what nature intended me to be. Nature did not intend for my 5'4" frame to carry 276 pounds (I didn't weigh after that, but could almost swear that I probably added another 15 or so pounds.
The next thing I did...was start tearing down my self made fortress by increasing my intake of water..and increased my physical motion by walking. I have tried to walk at least, the very least, 3 miles a week. It's a 3 mile round trip walk to my mail box and back. If I meet my walking goal, I make the trip 3 times a week. I never counted any calories...the only thing I counted was bottles of water I drink daily. Because I had purposely maintained my fat body, It was easy for me to reverse that process. I just stopped maintaining the fat. I significantly reduced the amount of fast foods, and starches, as well as reducing my intake of sodas, I have been on a plateau for a while...but My commitment still stands, and I have renewed my resolve to get healthy, and be the sexy woman I should be! Let me know If I can help.. You can check my profile to see my web site url. There I have journals that I keep. In addition to "The Shedding" Weight Loss Journal, I also have a condense biography where I have documented my abuses and the effects thereof and I have a sexuality journal "It's OK to be sexual" because my sexuality has been another hurdle that I have overcome. You can do anything you set your mind to do.. that's why I feel like it's important for anyone wanting to shed some pounds to do a head check and face whatever possible demons there are connected with being overweight or in my case morbidly obese. Let me know how your doing, and good luck!