Do you think i can do it? *seriously please comment! :)*

Okay so I just started this whole diet and exercise thing his week. I went to the personal trainer and he told me to warm up with cardio, do the weight machines and go back to cardio. Im going to listen o him and im going to do what he says. I go to the gym about 5 times a week. Im trying to eat 1500 calories a day, sometimes I go a little over, but for the most part im okay. Im 20 years old, 5’4 and a 163 pounds according to my scale at home (the scale in the gym says 170, personally I like my scale at home, he’s nicer! :) ) I want to be about 135-130 by the middle of July, im going camping and would LOVE to be able to wear a bathing suit this summer!! Realistically do you think I can do it? Does anyone have any suggestions? Im DESPERATE to lose the wait, its become an obsession! Any tips would be amazing, especially on what to eat. Whole wheat pita’s better than white bread? This is all so new to me, thanks in advance for any replys!!

 

Man.  Well for starters, I would love to be your weight right now, lol... I'm the same age and height as you, but I weigh 236... and I still wear bathing suits at the beach!  (Granted, it's with a t-shirt over 99% of the time, but hey, it's something, lol).

But sure, you can do it.  30 lbs in 4 months?  Sounds about right, although it leaves very little room for *cheating*.  Take it a day at a time, don't stress yourself about absolutely-no-leeway having to be that weight.  Cuz even if you only lose 10-20 lbs, it's still a big step towards your goal, right?

Eat lots of fiber, drink enough water, keep your balance of fruits and veggies as well as proteins and carbs.  Try to stay under 40 g of fat a day (Alli diet plan says 46, but I think that's high!).  Eat 5-6 small meals a day.  Personally, I think lean cuisines are great cuz everything is pre-portioned and pre-made, lol.

Here's my one little quick-recipe that is pretty tasty...  use a small (7-9 inch diameter) whole wheat pita, 1/2 cup of a low-cal, low-sodium sauce (Hunt's makes a really tasty spicy pizza sauce), and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top (I use a combo of a low-fat mozzarella and a fat-free mozzarella).  Top with any veggies you like on pizza and mmmm you have a healthy, portion-controlled pizza!

Thanks!! Somedays I  really don’t feel like I actually weight 160 pounds, im not putting a huge deal on weight or the actual number. My best friend is 130 and I would just like to look like she does! I know its self centered to want to loose weight because of looks but its true really lol. I did go swimming and wear a bathing suit last summer but my poor boyfiend!! I woud make him follow me into the water and then get him to take my towel when I went under the water, Then when I wanted to get out he would have to go get my towel too lol. Poor guy,  I don’t want to have to do that anymore! Its not so much the number to me. Theres a girl at my work who weights 170 and I swear she looks like shes 120!! Mind you shes 5’10 or a little taller so it looks way better on her!  Anyways back to the whole dieting thing lol 

Your pizza sounds so yummy! Im always so confused about what I can and cant eat, probally because I am so new to this. Ive read that some people just loose the weight so fast, its crazy! Im having a feeling I wont be like that though

 

Well, the marvelous thing about counting calories is that there's pretty much nothing you *can't* eat, it's just about portion control and staying under your daily calories :-)   And on days you do a good work-out, you can allow yourself a couple hundred extras, too.

Haha my boyfriend teases me cuz I'm a nutrition label natzi now... I read the labels on EVERYTHING before I eat it.  I try to avoid things that are super high in fat or sodium (sodium makes you retain water), and try to get at least 5-7 grams of fiber a day (apples and pears are awesome for fiber - just make sure you eat the skin!). 

I think you're crazy about the towel thing (lol I say that in the nice way!).  Even weighing like 70 lbs more than you, I don't care about stuff like that quite so much.. well, I mean, I care... but I don't let it affect my ability to enjoy myself.  My family vacations in the Outer Banks, NC, and I love it there because the beaches are really secluded and the few people that ARE there are mostly families, instead of hot little skinny girls in bikinis everywhere (*grrr* haha). 

I dunno, I used to care a lot about how I looked... and I guess I still do at times, but I just don't feel like letting my weight get in the way of stuff I enjoy, like swimming and volleyball and sunbathing.  Plus I am losing weight every week and I am already feeling so much better, so I want to show my progress off :-)

I'm also 5'4" and weigh 160. My goal is 135 by the middle of June to fit into a bikini and look good. (130 would be better, but we'll see...) I was always 125 or less before kids. I think you can do it by July. You're young, too. That's a big benefit. I'm 32 with a 6 yr. old and a 3 1/2 yr. old. Anyway, eat lots of protein: chicken, turkey, eggs... I agree with the previous post about keeping your fat at 40g. Watch your sodium and sugar. They sneak in everywhere. But, ya, whole wheat anything is better than the white version. They have more fiber, less sugar, and a lot of other benefits that will help you lose weight. Remember your veggies. They are super low in calories and sugar. Take a good multivitamin. Drink at least 64 oz. of water every day. You are working out at the gym too, that's great. Make sure you eat enough. Muscles need protein and take up less space than fat does. Muscles also burn more calories than fat, and of course, will give you a more defined and toned body. Good luck. I'll be doing with you!!

Well i try to not really let it get in the waaaaay really but im well aware im crazy!! ive been reading the labels to but to be honest i just mostly read the calories, im not to sure about a lot of other things. Like when you say keep your fat under 40g. So just like counting calories you count the fat content on everything as well? grrr. So many things to consider! Ive only started on Monday, sunday i knew i was going to diet so i was SOO bad!! lol!

I had a hot dog loaded with hot peppers and ketchup, a Jugo Juice (i dont know if you guys know what the is, but man is it ever so deadly!) and i had a cinamin bun, NOT the little one either, the BIG boy, probally about 2 peices of bread and 2 potatoes! Oh man im making myself hungry as i look over at my *pathetic* cheese sandwich (im catholic, i cant eat meat on fridays)

Im also not really good at measurments. Im drinking a water bottle that says 500mL, and im supposto drink 64 oz, whats the equivalent too? i have a TINY bladder so i dont know how realistic that number will be to me!!

Wvallie we shoud keep eachother updated, we have the same goals :) i live right near a lake with a really nice scenic view and i see people jogging all day, some pushing their children in the stroller as they run, also they have this little thing you can attach to your bike and pull them, it actually looks like fun!!

xmiss, ok, I would love to keep each other updated. I'll add you as a friend. CC will keep track of your fat content if you log everything in. It's a lot easier.

Your 500 mL of water is 16.9 oz. Drink at least 4 of those a day. You have too. Just do it. Yes, you will go to the bathroom, but it is worth it.

I wish I lived by a lake. It's too cold to jog now anyway. I live in Missouri and we've had lots of freezing rain.

 

Ohhh yeah its pretty frozen here too, im in Ontario, Canada. You can do someother stuff and have something to look forward too in the summer :)

I'm 5'4" and a half, almost 5'5", and when I started, I was 160.  I started almost exactly a year ago and I am now down to 125.  I started really slowly, by just cutting candy out of my diet and it has turned into an obsession of exercise and calorie counting.  ;-)  I'm sure you can get down to 130 by July.  I was about 135ish in July/August when I went to Hawaii last year and I had started not eating sweets in April.  That was JUST by watching the sugar content, nothing else.  What REALLY helps is the exercise.  I really began exercising in September and became religious about going to the gym around October.  That's when I really noticed the inches shaved off.  I'm sure you can get down to 130 by July if you just watch carefully what you eat.  Portion control is key as well.  You can eat full fat cheese, just have one slice, ya know?  Anyway, I hope this helps.  I was in the same position you are right now and I felt like I could shed some light on the topic.  Good luck!!  Keep us posted!

Thanks Kutie, your a sweetie :) and a lot of help!

Of course you can do it! You are lucky - you have come to the right place.

I started off my weight loss journey last September at 170 pounds (I'm 5'3). I currently weigh 138...3 pounds from my goal weight. I never thought I could do it, but thanks to this site and calorie counting, I made it!

Here are a few things I learned along the way... 

1) Don't look at it as diet - this is a lifestyle change. You are training yourself to eat healthier for the rest of your life.

2) You're restricting your portion size, NOT cutting out your favorite foods. So if there is something you are really, really craving, let yourself have it! Just fit it in to your daily calorie amount. My personal weakness is a sub, so I compromise with a veggie delight sub from subway (537 cal) as a meal sometimes. 

3) Don't beat up on yourself. If you mess up one day, don't fall into a heap. Don't cry, don't give up. Just start again fresh the next day. You're human, you're allowed to mess up sometimes. 

4) Discover new foods. You'd be amazed at what you can discover that are low calorie, healthy - and delicious! I found this amazing vegetable soup recipe back in October and it's only 220 calories a bowl! It's absolutely delicious and I never would have discovered it if I hadn't been looking for lower calorie meals.

5) Come back to CC often and check the forums. Yep, this one helped me a lot. I've never been a fan of social networking sites (personal opinion due to the nature of my professional career) but this site is the exception. There are some amazing people on this site and there's a lot of useful information everywhere.

6) Exercising can be...fun?! I used to hate exercising. Now I love it. Just knowing that I'm making my body stronger along with the great feeling I get after I'm done is enough to keep me motivated!

 

These are some basic things I learned, but through them, I've completely rewired my brain and I'm no longer tempted by junk food. It's in front of me a lot and it just doesn't have the same effect anymore. So keep at it and I wish you the best of luck in your weight loss journey! :) 

 

Hey I have the same goals as you. My scale says I am around 164 but last time I was at the doctors I swear it was 168. So yeah my scale is very nice, the only problem is we are hopefully getting a new one. My goal is 12 pounds in 2 months and just continue from there, working out and being healthy. I also just started last Sunday and I am shocked that it is already almost my weigh in on Monday.

 So, yeah I think you can do it since I think I am do it. I also go to the gym five times a week, my off days are Tuesday and Thursday. Yet I still try to exercise on those days. So yeah we all can do this!

you guys make it sound so easy!

yeaah the whole scale thing is weird! i weighed myself two days ago 163, not shocked. I went to the gym later that day and the personal trainer weighted me, 170, WHAT?! Lol! that was NOT cool! Then the next day i weighed myself in the middle of the day ( just to see how much a difference there is between morning, noon and night) and it said 157... what the hell?! LOL. So i bought a new scale yesterday, a digital one and im at 163.4, i personally liked the 157 better :P

if you try hard enough, you can totally do it! in november, i was 5'8" and 171... now i'm 145, with only 10 more lbs to go! exercise and eat right...easier said than done, right? not once you get used to it.
as for the scale going bonkers, its probably water weight...weigh yourself in the morning. thats when you'll have the least amount. i sometimes gain up to 3-5 lbs over a day :P and then magically lose it the next morning ^_^

Your personal weight has a lot to do not only with the size of your waist but your bone structure as well. I am a medium framed female 5'3' and at 176. 10 days ago I was at 186 so I am well on my way as I have much fat to lose. Just dedicate yourself and make it so YOU are healthy because skinny is not everything. Obsessing about the scale is moot too as you will be building muscle and it weighs more than fat so give yourself a break and only weigh in once a week. Instead, enjoy the feeling of better fit clothing and the comments you will receive on how great you look.

It can be done, but it's going to take hard work and lots of exercise.  I would do a form of cardio every  day.  Increase your meals to several per day(keeps the metabolism working).  log those cal's, it does work.  i'm new to this sight too, pulled off several lbs. in a short time.

Gl

Bob

several meals a day? woooow, thats a lot, lol! I do the elyptical machine for about 30 min 5 days a week, and some circut training, do you think thats enough?