just starting
 

Hi all- I just joined, and I'm soooo confused as to where to begin. First off I have a LOT of weight to lose, mostly in the tummy area....and have NO IDEA where to start. Keep in mind, my money is limited as a college student. I'm trying to work out 4-5 times a week, but I lack disipline, especially when it comes to eating. I get cravings that are out of this world especially for sweets. So, ANY advice would be much appriciated. :?: :dizzy:

hi, shell :) i gained a pretty big chunk of my weight when i was an undergrad. you'd think someone earning a psychology degree would be a bit more in tune with what was going on but i wasn't! :o i had a lot of fun in college and i spent a lot of that time eating lunch with friends, meeting up for dinner or eating at mcdonald's during down time between classes. i look back now and see just how out of control i was.

i can only speak of my experience since i started losing weight recently. i've lost 24 pounds in about 2 months by counting calories and drinking more water. i can't even begin to tell you how much it helped the loss to simply cut back on calories. another thing is i don't "exercise", really.i do about 15 minutes a day of deep breathing and sometimes hop on my gazelle air glider. other than that, i just depend on my everyday activity, i.e., walking around my building, taking my dog out for walks, etc. to help burn fat.

here are some pointers that have really helped me:
*eat between 1400-1700 calories daily
*log all i eat and record calorie values so i know where i'm at for the day
*drink 64+ ounces daily
*cut out all sugar sodas except for diet. trust me, you are talking to a coke addict in the worst degree and after a month of drinking diet coke, i can't stand to drink regualr cokes now.
*take a multi vitamin, calcium foritfied with vitamin d (i'ts important that you take vitamin d or your body won't absorb the calcium properly) and an antioxidant like vitamin c or e.
*make your day work for you: if it's hard to get somewhere to work out, walk, walk, walk!!!!!!
*go to fitday.com and keep a log of your calories; it's easy to use and makes weight loss simple

you will be amazed how the pounds start dropping with just a few changes to your daily routine. i eat what i want and i'm not on any sort of plan. i just make sure my calories are below a certain range and drink a lot of water. feel free to post here or send me a private message if you need any help!

cheers,
samantha