Hello my fellow twenty-somethings!

I am brand new to the forums and am getting geared up to get my sexy back before christmas, lol. Well, maybe not all the way back - but it'd be nice to lose this baby weight by then (my son is almost 2!). I have a mini-goal of 150 by christmas and am trying to decide the best "program" to go with to reach this goal. I would love to get some feedback/opinions/experiences/etc.

Thanks!

Hi CC and welcome

Have you been working on weightloss? What have you found success in before? Are you committed to tracking every calorie (which many people find integral to weightloss) or would you do better with a points system like weight watchers? Are you able to exercise with a LO running around? I guess we need to know a little more about you! A lot of people incorperate a few key tools, such as calorie tracking. You can go to sparkpeople.com or fitday.com or Daily Plate and log that way. Some people just write it down. I think one of the biggest things that has helped me was to become a big-time planner. I take out the guess work and plan my meals out so I'm not left to my own devices. I also LOVE eating, so I aim for bulk. It's amazing how filling, yet low calories some foods can be. Don't be afraid to experiment, but if it's not working, accept it and move on. Those would be my first tips Oh, and this entire site is an absolute treasure trove of recipes and meal plans, so don't be afraid to peek around.

Hey there!

I'm an advocate of calorie counting. I love the simultaneous freedom and structure it gives me. I choose what I eat and am in complete control of it. If I want to eat something that may not be considered quite so healthy, I can do it so long as I plan for it. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I really do love it and recommend it.

Good luck in whatever you choose!

Welcome to 3FC, glad to see you getting into things around here ^_^
I'm currently on the Fat Smashers diet by Dr. Ian Smith, and I'm just entering phase three. I would recommend it if you're a carb addict, or if you like the idea of a good detox. It's comparitive to Weight Watcher's Core Program, in a sense that it will outlaw certain foods for a stretch of time, and the reintroduce them later on. It takes some willpower (what diet doesn't?), but it is also fun, fast-paced, and extremely rewarding! If you need more info, I've gathered some online info about Fat Smasher's and compiled it on my blog (see side link).

I also recommend calorie counting, though, I'm not a big CC myself, it's something that I'm trying to get into, because I know it can be quite benefitial. I've also heard that once you get into calorie counting it can be addicting ;P and I wouldn't mind having that addiction!

I second calorie counting. I can work in something "bad" as long as I plan for it. But over time I adapted to getting the most food for the least amount of calories. It's like a game for me. So it turned into a very healthy way of eating for me.
But everyone is different so you may need to experiment and find what works for YOU. Good luck and welcome!

I'm a big fan of incorporating whole, natural foods while reducing carbs and counting calories (think 1400 calories of vegetables, chicken and eggs and that's what I eat).

Exercise has been a big deal for me. Whether I'm walking, trail running, doing Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii, running to the train station instead of walking, whatever -- I keep it moving. Whenever I slack on exercise, my weight loss stalls. As a result, I try not to slack on exercise! I'm talking at least 3-4x a week, if not more.

That said, I don't calorie count, but I try to be reasonable. Going out and eating a whole pizza isn't going to cut it. And I'm not afraid to be picky about what I'm eating, especially when eating out. If I only want half, I only eat half. If I want to eat only a certain part of it and leave the rest, then so be it. I let my stomach and my common diet sense guide me and I keep it moving.

I like South Beach. I combine it with Calorie Counting otherwise I'll get out of control with some of the fatty foods I eat. I don't recommend it unless you are looking to change the way you eat. It is definitely successful, especially the first couple weeks but if you don't keep up with the structure then it will come back on eventually.

I like calorie counting, it's a basic formula that you can't go wrong with. I was bad at keeping the carbs low, I was still eating a reasonable amount of calories but they were mostly carbs.

Unfortunately, my weight stalled at just under 160 so I have switched to Atkins and calorie counting. I only have 11 lbs left I've learned some good habits about keeping carbs in check, as well as where they are hidden.

When I hit goal, maintenance will be a combo of calorie counting and making sure my carbs don't get out of control again.


EDIT: I forgot an important thing, exercise! Mainly, weight lifting. If your worried about getting bulky, it's all a lie. Women don't get bulky unless they take supplements because we don't have enough testosterone. It's even hard for guys to get bulky!

Weight lifting has helped with my weight greatly, as well as body composition. I have all these great muscles that make me look smaller and sexy!

I'm not a terribly structured person but for me it was enough to just cut out snacks, eat smaller portions, and add in more exercise than I was doing before. I've not been counting calories meticulously but I like to know what I'm putting into my body, so you could say I'm on the "calorie approximating" plan.

i'm doing a combo of calorie counting and eating healthy foods. seems to be working so far and i like that i can still somewhat eat whatever i want or have a drink if i want to.

my last year of uni i did nutrisystem and i really liked it because everything was done for me and i hate/had no time to cook so having everything already there worked for me. i didn't even do any exercise while i was on that a lost like 20lbs in 3 months.

i think you need to take a look at your life style. with a little one running around, taking care of him/her, you are super busy. i think the best food plan is something that lets you eat the same dinner ect as your son. whole foods as much as you can. when you make the same meal for you and your family, it's less work for you. i would think.
try to think about how much time you have to plan, flexibilty and other factors. how your body reacts to low carb, low fat, high fiber ect. everyone is unique. there's no perfect answer.

your best exercise plan. i would guess, combine short bursts of intense activity- intervals, HiiT, strength training, plyo, combined with activity you do with your son or whole family. walks with him in the stroller, playing in the park, in the back yard. as he gets older he can do more activities with you. count your sit ups, march in place with you, dance with you.

you'll need back up plans for exercise and food. i suggest freezing some meals or leftovers for those days when you are just too busy or tired. a slow cooker might also be your new best friend.
hope you find a plan that works for you. more important that what the plan is, is that you get back up and keep trying. try to also make some nsv goals.

I follow South Beach. I have an almost 16 month old, and what I like about SB is that he can eat the same foods as I do and I know that he is eating very healthy (he gets more carbs than i do.) SB is lots of veggies, protein, some dairy, some fruit, and good carbs. The first 2 weeks are very restrictive (no carbs at all including fruit) but it is to help you lose sugar and carb cravings. A lot of water weight falls off during these 2 weeks, so that is a great motivator.

I started March 1 and from then to mid-July i lost 22 lbs with no excercise. In July I stared Jazzercise 2 days a week and just recently I've started getting up early and work out every morning. I find different work outs each day on the Excercise On Demand option through my cable. I'm still doing Jazzercise 2 nights per week and morning work outs 5 days per week. I am working up to P90x which is 6 days a week.

If you choose the SB route, READ THE BOOK!!!!!!! People think that they can just find out the basic principles and go from there. I personally don't think that will work. For me, reading the book was a integral part of implementing this lifestyle change. PM if you would like to know more.

This has been my rout also. I did count calories at first but once I had a good handle on how much servings were, and how many calories were in my favorite stuff I just guess.
I've tried to walk more often and jog every 2nd day I also stretch every day because I have lower back problems.
So farm my only 'stall' was when I spent a week at a friends out of town and she eats lots of carbs and cheesy foods. I did cut my portions and maintained.

Wow! I wasn't expecting to get so much great info. Thank you so much!

I am definitely someone who needs structure or I will go "hog wild", no pun intended, lol. It sounds like calorie counting has been very beneficial for many of you and it's easy enough to do - so that is the first thing I am going to implement asap. I am also VERY intrigued with South Beach because, from what I undersatnd, it is basically just helathy eating and everyone (hubby and baby) can eat what I eat as well. That should keep me from making excuses about not having time/energy to cook two seperate meals. However, before I get ahead of myself I will definitely get the book (thanks for the suggestion Jen33082).

Personally, exercise is the bane of my existence but I can make a point to walk with the fam daily to start and work my way up from there...if nothing else, it's a great opportunity to enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

Thanks again for such thoughtful responses - I genuinely appreciate your input.