Hi everyone! My name is Cara and I took advice from some of you on this message board and got out the scale for the first time in 4 months and decided today was the day to make a change. I'm 165 lbs . I was 151 pounds this summer. I'm only 5'3" tall and this is the highest weight I have been as an adult. I'm not surprised I'm at this weight, I've pretty much been eating whatever I want each weekend and fooling myself into thinking the 1.5 hours I spend at the gym each morning can make up for it. I feel calorie counting makes the most sense and will be the easiest for me to stick to long term. I could really use some support, I'm still in shock at what the scale said this morning but at the same time realize I need to start weekly weigh-ins to make sure the scale keeps moving in a downwards direction.
Thanks for reading.

Hi Cara!

I'm fairly new at this too, and have had the same thought processes as you. I've only just joined 3FC but I've been lurking for a little while, and the support that I've seen dished out on here is amazing and that's what made me join!

There's lots of calculators out there that you can google which will tell you how many calories you need to maintain and to lose weight. It is different for everyone, though, so don't be disheartened if it takes you a while to find the right calorie allowance for you. Just keep playing around until you feel it's a level you can sustain happily and the weight is still coming off.

I'm in a similar situation to you, but a bit heavier - 196lbs at 5 foot 1, and though I've lost a few pounds already like you I really just want to keep the scale going down.

In my opinion, the great thing about calorie counting (other than it being free!) is that there's so much information to be had on the internet. My starting advice is do some research, plan some meals or some days, and get going. It's cheesy, but like they say a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step!

Keep posting, and keep positive, and good luck.

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Welcome! There are many good resources here, and online. You can find online calorie counters, and places to measure your daily caloric needs. Good luck and stick with it!

Hi Cara!

I'm in a similar situation too, and we happen to be about the same size. Since I started graduate school a year ago, I've gained almost 20 lbs! Last March I started hitting the gym and took up running to try to lose weight. I worked my way up to 5 miles 3 times per week. If I lost weight from all the running, it was only a few lbs, because the scale at the gym never moved more than a couple down, a couple up in my 6 months of running.

So, finally got my own scale and have been calorie counting since the 20th, trying to keep it under 1500 a day. Already, I've lost a few lbs. If I go by my last weigh in on the scale at the gym, I've lost 6 in the past few weeks.

I seem to eat a lot more calories than a lot of people here, but I find it really hard to stay under 1500. Some days I might get 1300, but almost every day I am hungry after a few hours of eating. If I stick to 1500 at least I can have a snack every few hours. I'm a bit worried I am eating too high, but we'll see.

As far as advice...just start reading labels and portioning out things and count how much you eat now. I estimated I was eating 2000-2200 calories when I was eating whatever I wanted. Start understanding how many calories are really in things, what combinations you can put together to get some 400 calorie meals you like, and see what will work for you. It might take a few weeks to get the hang of it, but you'll do it.

Good luck!!!

Thank you all for your responses! I'm a more "experienced" dieter now so I promise not to do anything drastic. I realize I didn't get to this weight overnight and it's going to take months to get it all off. I'm setting a goal weight of 130 and starting myself off at 1500 calories per day. Plan to decrease by 50 calories everytime I lose 10 pounds.

Welcome and congratulations on your first step towards a healthier you!

You're right, we didn't get this way overnight and when I think about my own situation...I wish I would have eaten better and not consumed so many calories during my last pregnancy. But, I didn't and here I am.

You'll find lots of support here, good luck on your new journey!