people in their 20s looking to lose 100+ lbs?

so i'm 23 and my cw is 257 and i'd like to lose 100+ lbs, would anyone like to go on this journey with me?  we could weigh in weekly and like keep each other in line?

Sorry, I've been away with work for two weeks or I would have joined right away.

I'm Indi, I still have 121 pounds to loose, and I am SO with you all! It's great to see others who have the same goals and journey to walk - It's hard if you only hear about ladies who have to lose 10 or 20...

I'm 29, and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to make a beautiful (read: healthy) transformation before my bday next March! Pisces rules!

Is it still ok to join?

I am 20 years old and weigh 260lbs. I would like to be down around 180-160. I am VERY new to this site, matter of fact I joined today. I would like to join this journey! You all seem to be doing very well!

Welcome to the site jacoba24!  I joined today too!  Let's kick ass with our sexy selves, eh?

Welcome all the new comers! This is a very exciting and supportive place to be!

Well, even though yesterday I was a human garbage disposal, I'm down 3 pounds. My CW is 251 which means that I am one pound away from meeting my monthly goal and since I started dieting I am 15 pounds down. I'm very excited about this!

Good luck to everyone else!

Welcome, welcome to you all! Of course you can still join, the more the merrier, I say!

Update: Water is driving me INSANE! I managed 2.5 ish litres yesterday, and sure I felt good, but I swear I must've been to the bathroom about every 15 minutes! It's ok, if not very annoying, if i'm at home all day.. but what if I want to go somewhere?! lol.. *sigh* still I shall plod on with my watery quest.

Weight loss is going really good this week, I'm seeing a loss of about 1 - 1.5 lbs every second day, so right now i'm way ahead of schedule! Hope it continues!

Also been swimming for 30 minutes two days in a row!! Which I am rather pleased with myself about, although I suspect it's because this week I am able to get a lift to the pool, I'm not sure how well I'll be doing next week when I have to get the dreaded BUS! Eeeks!

Been doing my Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVD aswell, and just want to say that I LOVE it! Highly recommend it to any of you looking for a workout DVD. The part at the end of the cool down moves is really quite touching =]

Today I'm going to attempt to make some low cal banana muffins - wish me luck!

And finally! Well done on 15lbs down Kekri, that's awesome!

Indi, girl we are in the SAME boat! I turn the big 30 in March and that is one of my biggest driving factors. I dont wanna be a fat 30 yr old!

Congrats on all the weight loss going on! :)

Now that my treadmill is FINALLY put together, I've been walking on it every night. Some nights only for like 15 minutes others for 30 to 45. It all depends on how beat I am after a long day at work! I believe things are going in the right direction for me. I know that this is IT for me. I'm done being the "fat girl" around all my hot friends!! Soon, I'll just be another hot friend! ha

Oh and Welcome to all the new comers! Glad to have ya here!

Ya'll I just found this article on how to lose water weight. Thought Ya'll might like it.

11 Ways to Beat Water weight

1. Stock Up

Many foods and herbs promote digestion and fluid-shedding: yogurt, fiber-rich cereal, brown rice, cabbage and cranberry juice. Ginger and dandelion have a mild diuretic effect. Both are available in tea so you can brew yourself a slenderizing drink.

2. Ban Salt

Surplus salt makes the body retain fluids, but you'll need to do more than hide the salt shaker. Steer clear of high sodium foods like hot dogs, olives, salted nuts, pickles and many frozen foods. Be on the lookout for less obvious sources such as soy sauce, ketchup, deli meats and cheese.

3. Skip the Sugar

Too much sugar can raise insulin levels, decreasing the body's ability to excrete sodium. Avoid high sugar foods, like sweetened cereals, cakes, cookies, ice cream toppings and products containing high-fructose corn syrup, such as soda.

4. Don't Under eat

Of course a low-cal diet will help you lose weight, but shed too many calories and you could create water retention. Don't eat less than 1,200 calories per day and include lean protein, an important nutrient in short supply in very low-cal diets that helps stave-off water retention.

5. Move More

Your lymphatic system can't drain excess fluid out of tissues without body movement. Exercise about four times a week to relieve your body of extra fluid and salt through sweating and increased respiration.

6. Get Dry

Alcohol acts as a diuretic at first, making you lose excess water. But that loss can lead to dehydration, causing the body to preserve its fluids. Opt for virgin cocktails, or dilute that glass of wine with seltzer.

7. Get Wet

Take a swim. Water pressure forces fluid out of tissues and ultimately, the bladder. To emulate those results, take some of your workouts to the pool.

8. Fill Up

While it seems contradictory, drinking plenty of plain

water -- 8 to 10 glasses per day -- will flush salt and fluid out of your system. A well-hydrated body in less likely to retain water.

9. Spread It Out

Eat five or six small meals instead of three big meals. Nibbling or drinking at frequent intervals will keep you nourished and hydrated and will help avoid the rush of fluid to the tissues that may occur with eating large infrequent meals.

10. Choose Natural

Anything packaged-including that can of asparagus that seems so healthy-will give you more sodium than you need. Become a purveyor of the farmer's market. Ditch canned products and flavored packaged grains. Plan meals that include fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

11. Go Bananas

Bananas are a natural source of potassium, a nutrient needed to help the body balance fluids. Not a banana fan? Apricots, avocados and raisins are potassium-rich, too. Strive for 5 grams of potassium daily. Other nutrients to include each day through diet or supplements: 300-400 milligrams of magnesium (food sources include green vegetables, nuts, seeds) and 1000-1200 milligrams of calcium (orange juice, yogurt, tofu). Getting an adequate amount of each can help alleviate bloating.

Original Post by jellybeano:

Welcome to our happy little gang Jackie and Moolah!

Congrats on the 10lbs lost in 4 weeks Jackie, you're losing over 2lbs a week which is great! That speed of loss seems to be generally accepted as the most healthy way to lose your weight, so well done you =]

I had a quick scan of some articles about hypothyroidism and how it can cause a lot of problems with weightloss - some suggestions made to help with it are taking St John's Wort [ http://thyroid.about.com/cs/dietweightloss/a/ losingweight.htm ].

"Eating right with hypothyroidism is usually low-sugar, low refined-carbohydrate and high protein" - [ http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/18912/2313 /2 ] <<< this website has a great section about which foods can cause problems for you with hypothyroidism.. something about goiters?! lol I don't know, but if you're interested in more information about how the condition can affect your weight loss, and what might help, this site is great =]

Forgive me if you already know all of this!

Super, mega, ultra determined to get all my water today! 1.2 litres and counting..

Thanks so much for taking interest in my problem, Jellybean! I went on atkins when I was younger to try to combat the hypothyroidism and I lost weight INSANELY fast. Like.. 40lbs in 2 months. It definitely works, but I gained the weight back as soon as I went off of it and I just can't stick to a low carb diet for long. BUT I do stay as far away from sugar as possible. Splenda is my savior, haha. And I get tons of protein too so I hope I'm not doing too bad!

That website is awesome, thanks a lot for linking it! I'm still not too educated with it. Hell, my doctor still hasn't gotten my synthroid dosage right after 4 years. It's a constant struggle so the more I can learn about it, the better!

Original Post by lilmskelly79:

I just really wanted to Welcome everyone to the group.

Jackattach, I understand having a medical condition that doesn't make it any easier to lose weight. I've got PCOS and w/out my medication I doubt even doing what I am doing now, I wouldn't lose even a lb! Thankfully I'm on my med's and its sorta a magical pill. Because it actually gives me a metabolism. Its weird to actually eat now because I'm hungry not just because its noon and I know its lunch time. I know with my medical condition, I'm consulting with my doctor. It would probably be a good idea if you did the same. Maybe the dr would have ideas to help you get off the plateau. Just a thought!

Wish you all much success!!

Oh I got off the plateau a couple weeks ago. My doctor knows I'm trying to lose weight and she told me that I'm doing everything right. She wants me to just eat less and move more.. my only problem is how much I'm supposed to eat, haha. But right around 1200 cals seems right.

Kelly I am SO glad to hear you are USING your treadmill.  For everyone that doesn't know, Kelly is a friend of mine off of the thread.  I sacraficed my body to help her put that thing together!  Maybe if you're too tired to get in a solid 30 minutes everyday after work you could try to workout early in the morning.  I KNOW you are NOT an early bird like me but I bet it would jump start your metabolism to do that. 

Hey all, room for one more?  Are us guys allowed in too? 

I’m 23, 6’+, SW 340 lbs, CW 335, GW 200.  I hope to lose at least 2 lbs a week to start out.  1% of your body weight is supposed to be ok to lose per week, so I could lose 3 lbs a week in the beginning, and that would be great. 

I know according to the height/weight charts that I am supposed to be 160-180 lbs, but I don’t think I could easily get there.  Because I have a large frame, I don’t look 335 lbs now, and I think at 200 I would be about right, but that might change as I get closer to goal.  Right now my body fat percentage is 49.5%, so at a super lean 10% body fat, I would weigh about 186 lbs, at 200 lbs I would be about 18%, so not too bad. 

Anyway, everyone here seems to be doing a fantastic job so far!  I hope you all continue in your success!

Original Post by bluesky42day:

Kelly I am SO glad to hear you are USING your treadmill. For everyone that doesn't know, Kelly is a friend of mine off of the thread. I sacraficed my body to help her put that thing together! Maybe if you're too tired to get in a solid 30 minutes everyday after work you could try to workout early in the morning. I KNOW you are NOT an early bird like me but I bet it would jump start your metabolism to do that.

Dang, way to work together, girls!

Awesome job Jelly on the water - I hear that as your body gets used to drinking that much water you won't have to run to the john so often - it takes a few weeks.

Kelly - totally weird! Well, we'll just both have to succeed then since we have almost identical stats and the same goals - lol! Don't tell me you're a tall girl too (I'm 6'0"), bc that would be uber-strange.

Keep it up chicas! (and Claudius - welcome, as long as you don't mind me occasionally slipping up and calling you a girl along with everyone else :D I'll do my best to remember - maybe you should upload some over-the-top manly testosterone-laden user image lol!)

Indi - Ha ha, No I am short! I'm only 5'5" ... :)

hi! im Liz, Im 25 cw is 238, goal is about 140-150 im 5'7". Right now im trying to gain a bit more energy before i tackle exercise, so Im just trying to eat right for now. My goal calories is between 1300-1800 with an emphasis on eating thru out the day (i was just mindlessly lumping it all together later in the day). I do try to do a bit of ball exercise, especially as im sitting at my desk in front of the comp (bouncing and stretching mostly, not much but every bit counts lol)

*off to day dream about my dream wardrobe*.... and new awesome dream shoe wardrobe hehe

Hey Claudius!!! good luck with you goals!!

I have been on my strict ass diet for the past 4 days, and I've kept to it...which I guess isn't as impressive as some of these other women who are doing just amazing!  But I am a total stress eater, and do it when I'm sad, happy, bored...all of the above.  But I am really proud of myself!!  I've already lost about 2lbs this week...so yay!! And I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband and good friends who support me, and of course, all of these great people on calorie count.  It really is a godsend!

-Sam

Liz, spreading calories out throughout the day is an excellent idea.  I've done the whole no breakfast, small lunch, then huge dinner thing before, and it does not work very well.

I have been trying to divide my calories by 5 or 6, and eat small meals that many times a day.  Sometimes it is just hard to remember to eat that often!

Hope everyone is having a good day!

-Nathan

Good evening, and a Happy Thursday to you all!

Welcome to the newest recruits, Nathan and Liz =]

Ball exercise sounds like good times.. the closest I've got to one of those is a BEACH BALL! I've been using it to do leg lift type things while lying on my mini tramp, much fun!

Water update: today and yesterday I was super lazy and really could not be bothered with water, probs less than a litre both days. I'll pick it up again tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow! A trip to the movies is planned, which means a dodge the PICK n MIX will be in order, eek! I love love love pick n mix, which I suppose is one of the reasons that I'm in my present condition. Fear not, I'm sure I can make it!

Jellybeano you should pop some fat free popcorn and sneak it in with you, LOL! I probably would because I'm a loon like that.

Also an update with me. I am down a pound today! I was afraid I wouldn't lose anything this week because I had pizza and icecream on mother's day. But it must be out of my system now cause I'm doin good! Yay! CW: 247

lol i do that too.. i almost always bring my own snacks, popcorn cakes, soynuts, fruit snacks (at least they have vitamin C lol), sunflower seeds (all preportioned of course lol)..... and if i want something a bit bad ill have junior mints, but ill get the little boxes... mmmm now i want some... lol

Ive only been working on dropping weight (actually trying) since May 1st i think (Im not really sure exactly which day, but ive been at it about 2 weeks), and it seems like everytime i give myself a "free" day it turns into 2 or 3 days (oops), so i really need to work on that. Ill do good at recording what ive eaten, but then i just keep grabbing snacks, a few bites of this a few of that, and i know it adds up!

What are your biggest challenges?

Ya'll I read what you write and I think, AMEN, there are other people out there that struggle with the same things I do!! Its really nice to know that I'm not the only one who struggles with stress eating and drinking all my water everyday. I do believe this "group" will help me out a lot!! So to all of you, I say, THANK YOU!!! :)

Have a Happy Friday and a Great weekend!!!