Hello lovely ladies!

I'm brand new here! Just joined a few minutes ago. I am looking for some serious help! :-) Its SO good to see that there is a 20something group here. I am 22 (turning 23 on the 10th) and I feel like its really hard to be so overweight when you feel like all the other 20 somethings are skinny! Im happy to know im not alone.

I just recently had surgery for advanced endometriosis and polycystic ovarian disease. However, I'm done letting my body decide things for me. I'm going at this with a "cut the bull ****" approach. Sure, I have some medical issues against me which cause it to be harder for me to lose weight, but I'm going to fight to change it anyway! I've recovered from surgery, and its time!

Does anyone have any good tips for jump starting a diet/exercise program so I will stay motivated? Any good books/or programs you have used that have worked?

Thanks for any advice you can give! I hope to get to know many of you out there!

Fed-up, Pissed off, and Doing something about it. ;-)
-La Vie Boheme.

First of all, welcome!

The only thing that works for me is calorie counting. I cannot do restrictive diets that totally cut out a complete food group. Plus, if you want the weight loss to stick, you have to find something you can really stick with. Something like Adkins might work in the short run, but I don't think many people can keep up with it for the rest of their lives.

With calorie counting, you become more aware of what you're putting into your body and how it affects you. You can choose to spend 600 calories on pizza and soda, or you can use that for a healthy, filling lunch plus an after-dinner snack. You begin to become aware of proper portion sizes, and notice that you can eat a giant salad for very few calories as long as you don't throw in a lot of cheese and full-fat dressing. It's really not a diet- it becomes a way of life.

There are lots of websites that will help you track your calories for the day. It seems daunting at first, and it can get overwhelming. After awhile, you start to put a lot of things to memory, and you'll know that this cheeseburger will cost you 550 calories, 20 grapes will run you about 60 calories, etc. If you Google MyPlate, it's a great resource and tracking tool for calories. It'll also give you an idea of where to start with your daily calorie allotment once you put in things like weight/height.

Thank you so much! I will take a look at Myplate.

Yeah, I have tried some of those diets in the past like "adkins" and such... and it works for a bit! But, then I end up losing weight, quitting the diet, going crazy, and gaining all the weight plus an extra 20 pounds!

You are right though, the idea of counting calories is kinda daunting to me... I really dont know why either? Its not like it is THAT hard... I just feel like I have failed so many times in the past, ya know?

Thanks again so much for the welcome and I really appreciate the reply!

-La vie boheme

Welcome!!

Like kaelah I also count calories. On top of that I am doing C25K which is a running program. And I try to go for a nightly 30-40 minute stroll. Nothing extenuating just something that keeps me moving after dinner. For me, calorie counting has been the best. I now eat 1300-1400 calories/day but when I started out it was around 1500 calories. I don't use any websites to track. I do it the old fashioned way with a pen and paper. I sit down once a week and make a rough meal plan which I know I can tweak along the way if I need to. I've tried different websites and iPhone apps but I never end up keeping up that way. Calorie counting, although tough at first, really put things into perspective for me. I like that it's not restrictive so if I ever want a chocolate bar I can have it as long as I plan for it and it's not a binge.

Welcome La Vie!

My advice for you is to make sure you're eating often. I eat every 2-3 hours, just a little bit of food. For me if I go to long I get ravenous and try to eat everything in sight! So eating often and drinking lots of water with my small meals really helps And always, listen to your body (just not exactly your mouth or tummy lol )

Welcome La Vie,
I have to agree with the ladies that mentioned calorie counting. It is the best way to go because if you won't feel deprived of anything. You can still have that brownie but you know you need to eat less somewhere else. It is all about planning too.
I just started it few weeks ago and I am seeing results. The first 10 days of me going to the gym and eating less I didn't see any change. I think that was just my body being in shock and thinking "wtf is this? wheres my food?", but soon after I saw results.
If you do it the healthy slow way it is nothing too drastic, which can be frustrating if you are like me where you want results now but keep reminding yourself it is more a lifestyle change. You are doing this for you! When I get impatient I just keep reminding myself that the longer it takes and the harder I work, it will make that final goal so much more worthwile so that I can never be tempted to go back to where I was.
Just hang in there and start slow, you will see results soon enough.

Welcome La Vie Boheme!

Here is a link to a good book list...
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/main...ook-lists.html

I am also doing Couch 2 5K (C25K) training which has been rewarding so far (in week 5 now) and I can tell you that I have NEVER been a runner so don't let that scare you off if you start thinking about doing it. I am also trying to work in Jillian Michaels 30 day shred into my routine too. You will really find a lot of resources and a lot of motivation on this site!

I agree with calorie counting (or some form of it). If I cut something completely out, it's all I think about. I (am new so this is the plan) am going to allow myself the splurge, but if I eat all of my point (I'm on weight watchers), I know that I'll have to eat better the rest of the day (vegies!).

You guys kick some major a**. Thank you SO much for all of the ideas and comments!

I started counting calories for the first time in my life this morning!! I feel a little overwhelmed but... I think I can do it!

I know some of you mentioned the C25K and the Jillian Michaels 30 Day shred. I have both of those actually and I think I'm going to start those out first... (Who wants to put a bet on how long it takes me to fall over dead? lol!)

Thanks again for all of the great advice so far!

Way to go on getting started! The first step is a hard one, so just taking the initiative to pop in one of those DVDs or listen to a Podcast means you're off to a great start! Let us know how it goes.

Welcome! Isn't getting started always the hardest part? My advice would be to learn as much as you can. Educating myself has really made the difference for weight loss this time around. Knowing what's going on with my body, food, hormones/metabolism, exercise program, etc. has been really empowering. I'm a teacher, can ya tell ! I highly recommend Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. I've researched some of the stuff she writes about, and it seems to check out. It's co-authored by a dr., so the information seems to be well-researched and credible. I didn't necessarily follow her "diet plan" but the information has dramatically changed the way I think about food and eating. She even has a section dealing with PCOS. I would also recommend any books by Michael Pollan. Not "weight-loss" books per se, but great information about the food production system in the US. I love In Defense of Food. The cerebral thing might not work for everybody, but it works for me .

Like others have said, I'm a calorie counter too. It's hard at first, but gets MUCH easier. You'll learn what calories are in things you eat and pretty soon it won't feel like such a chore.

Hope you're having success so far!

Welcome! I'm new also.

I also count calories. At first, it was hard and I really didn't want to do it...but once I started, it became easier. It's helped me to pick out healthier food choices, as well as not overeat when I treat myself to my favorite foods. Moderation is key! And I've learned it's okay to still eat what I really like, I just can't go overboard with it.

As for exercise...walking is a great way to start getting active. I like to walk around my neighborhood and listen to music. I also do low impact aerobics DVDs, and I'm working my way up to more intense exercise. My motto is to not overdo it, listen to my body, and have fun!

Good luck!

Welcome to 3fc!! I cant wait to read more about your progress. I love your attitude!
p.s. I'm all for counting calories as well.