[morganleigh919]

Hiya! I'm Morgan and I'm totally new to this whole type of thing. But I've tried pretty much everything there is to try, and I keep falling off of the wagon. I've got 120ish pounds to lose, and I've been working (or attempting to work) at it for over a year now. It seems like every day I slip off of my diet and I tell myself "Whoops. Guess I'll just start over tomorrow" but tomorrow never comes. I guess what I'm really looking for is advice and support. Anybody out there willing to help a young girl out?

[indiblue]

Welcome!! I think a lot of people (myself included) have tried many times to lose weight before- whether it's 10 or 100 lbs- with the same results. So you are not alone!

I learned from this board the right attitudes, approaches, and technical information behind losing weight. I've learned:

1. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet. This means incorporating a way of eating that you can sustain for the rest of your life. For me at least, no "diet" that has a spokesperson or book or website works. (others may disagree). It's about eating wholesome food and eating a heck of a lot less of it.

2. It's calories in versus calories out. No other mystery behind it. Some people prefer their meals to have higher protein, fewer carbs, certain amount of fat, eating fewer meals or eating more meals, etc, but in the end there's no magic about what to eat when. It's eating LESS food. Period.

3. What a portion looks like. What 1200 calories a day looks like. It's not a lot, but it's doable and with creativity I can eat wholesome, delicious meals that fill me up and provide me with the right nutrients.

4. Creating a deficit in your calories comes from eating less/eating fewer calories. Not from exercise. Exercise can add to a deficit, but trying to create a deficit through mainly exercise is like trying to pour water that's quickly flooding your canoe over the side with a measuring cup.

5. Activity is just as important as exercise. Standing while working at the computer, walking instead of taking the stairs- these all add up and are critical for feeling (and looking) better.

Good luck! You DO have support here!

[NEMom]

Welcome Morgan! You will find a wealth of information and a ton of support on this forum!
My advice to you is to not look at the whole picture, 120 lbs seems like a big number, it is totally possible, many, many people on this forum have lost that and more. However, break this down into small manageable goals. Set your first goal for 10% loss, or break it up into 10lbs increments. When you reach your mini goals, it will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep going.
Incorporate small changes first. One week your goal will be to increase your water intake and decrease your pop intake. Then eat a healthy snack instead of chips. Make an effort to move more and become a little more active.
These small changes really will add up.
Look around the forum and find a food plan that you can live with long term.
I count calories, others have success on WW, whatever you choose, stick to it. IF you have a bad meal, a bad day, a bad week, do not let it derail you, hop back on the wagon and keep going.
Losing weight is hard but look around this forum, it is totally doable!!!