Hello to you all! I'm new to this forum and am hoping to find support and encouragement here -- which looks likely, having read many posts on the site. I'm 29 and trying to lose all the weight I put on in college and grad school, and then some. As a ph.d. student, my life is very sedentary and very stressful, making it difficult to eat right and exercise. Time is less the issue than motivation. I'm looking for buddies as well as friends.

Oh, and then there's the small detail of my wedding in July and I'd really like to look at the pictures without wincing.

I hear you on the sedentary lifestyle. Good tip- get up every hour or two and walk around, even if it's just for 10 minutes. And keep water by your side! It'll be your best friend. Congrats on the wedding, too!

Stick around, hang out, chat, meet people. We'll be here for you.

Thank you. I agree with you, yhahmd, that I should move around more, but I find it difficult to do this without a destination--which means I head over to Starbucks when I go out, and while chais are delicious, there's ~so~ much sugar in them. Probably explains why they're so delicious. Any suggestions?

I'm not really sure... I cut out coffee/iced coffee/soda/etc out about 3 years ago and haven't looked back... The sugar alone would probably cause my heart to flatline lol. I tried an iced coffee after 2 1/2 years, finished half, and was in bed with a headache and a racing heart the rest of the evening. Not fun! Is it possible to get something smaller, with fewer calories, and to make it maybe a once-in-a-while thing? I think even walking to your car, or to the bathroom, or around the break room a couple times will cut it. I think it's more about just getting you up and moving than burning calories, per say.

Have you given any thought to calorie counting? There are people here that have lost weight doing just that. Some later incorporated exercise.

I was doing calorie counting for a while, and that worked okay, but then I and my husband moved to using South Beach and that's been far more effective. I just have slipped the past month and half (stopped exercising, started drinking chai again). Kicking a craving is, naturally, simply difficult. I'm also alone all day (my office is in our second bedroom), so I don't have the reinforcement/distraction of coworkers. Hence joining this community.

Thanks, Kit!

Hello everyone... I'm new to the site and like just about everyone here I have been dealing with my weight struggles just about all my life!!! I'm at a point right now in my life where I'm not happy with my weight...as long as I can remember I have always been overweight, but I have always been happy with what I would see in the mirror. Now I'm not so happy!!! I'm 24years old and I am the heaviest that I have ever been!!!! AND NOW IS THE TIME FOR ME TO MAKE A CHANGE IN HOW I EAT, EXERCISE , and THINK. Recently I saw this informercial about this program called The Food Lovers Program...this program seems so different from all of the programs I have tried over the years (WW,JC,6 day body makeover,and a few diet pills). Don't get me wrong there are people that have done quite well with some of these programs, but they weren't for me.....I didn't have the time or patience to count points or calories....neither do I enjoy eating flavorless food/tv dinners!!!!! So I'm thinking about doing this food lovers program...is there anyone that has tried it or knows someone that has....or even thinking about doing too???

@msbabygurl313: I can't say I've ever tried it, but looking at their website, it looks very gimmicky to me. But that's me. There is a Diets section of the forum. You might want to post your question there and see if anyone's talked about it.

Welcome to this amazing community!

Good luck with your efforts!! YOU can do it!!

Sorry for leaving off mid-welcome. My friend randomly came over to pick me up and I had to leave. Anyway, good luck with everything, hope to see you in the forums

Not a problem at all. I went out of town for the weekend as it was. :-)