Where do I start?

Where should I begin if I want to attempt losing weight? I've never tried doing so before, but I really need to. For years and years my doctor has been telling me I should.

Should I try just being a little more active than I usually am? (A normal day for me means sitting all day in front of a computer or at a desk)

Should I watch my calorie intake? Should I just eat healthier foods and forget about the calories?

Should I be more active AND change my eating habits all at once? or one at a time?

If I reduce the amount of food that I normally eat to smaller proportions and move around for maybe 30 minutes a day, would that make any difference?

I used to believe that it was impossible. I slowly started to make healthy decisions and exercise a little. Since March 24 2006, I have successfully lost just over 50 lbs by making small changes. My goal is more healthy days than unhealthy days, because the healthy days add up!! I threw together this post a while back with all the little things I learned when I first started. You are more than welcome to check it out.
http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/8532 .html

Sometimes making little changes helps in a big way.  For example, if you drink a lot of soda, try cutting down to 1 can/glass of it a day, and substitute the rest with water.  IF you use full-fatted items like mayo and cream cheese, opt for the lower fat or fat-free versions.  Try to incorporate more fruits and veggies and cut down (or eliminate) the junk food - and find healthier alternatives (yogurt, veggie sticks, low fat snacks, fat free sherbet, etc).  Check out the different recipes on this site and also try googling for recipes that might be low fat, low calorie, or termed "healthy". 

In regards to exercise, if you are extremely overweight, you should get the clearance from your doctor.  Once you do, start slow and small, and work your way up.  Maybe a little walking to start.  Doesn't have to be anything major.  Even walking around during your 15 min break at work can do wonders!  When I was working (before birth of 2nd child), I would go walking around the building I worked at during my 2 15-min breaks.  One of my co-workers found out what I was doing, asked if she could join, and I said "sure".  Ended up being a total of 3 of us.  It was a great stress reliever because we got some fresh air, cleared our heads and away from the desk for a little bit, and we also got in our needed exercise.  I kept a pair of sneakers and socks in a small bag at my desk so I wouldn't have an excuse (barring bad weather), and made it a point to go each day.  I was doing Jenny Craig at the time and between the dieting and exercising, lost just under 30 lbs.

Sometimes you don't need to do the drastic stuff.  Sometimes small things is enough.  And if it isn't, then you assess what you are doing at that point and figure out what the next step should be.

In regards to caloric intake and all that, there are some awesome tools on this site that can help you better determine what they should be.  Give yourself some time to check out all the stuff this site has to offer.  They have a 'library' with some excellent information, they have a vast database that seems to grow on a regular basis - and the best thing is the fellow members who are a great support system!

Good luck and welcome to CC.

Thank you :)

You should start by doing activities that get your heart rate up for 20 minutes a day.  Anything you want that will be fun for you that can do this will work.  For other great tips, eat 6-8 small meals a day to keep metabolism up.

Hi Rachelynn! Different things work for different people, but what worked for me, was just keeping track of my calories in the beginning. I lost around 35lbs. just counting calories. It didn't matter what I was eating, I just ate the amount I was supposed to and it worked for me. Then I hit a plateau, and I felt so good about how far I came, I wanted to keep losing, so that is when I started adding the treadmill, and strength training (which I am on my second week doing) and I made a few other adjustments to my calories. So far I have lost another 2lbs. (for a total of 44lbs!!!)

I would start out with whatever you feel comfortable with. It's funny, because since I have started cc, I check just about every regular food item I buy (like bread, beans, spaghetti sauce, etc) and I will buy which ever one has less calories in it. It is amazing that two different cans of refried beans can have a difference of 20 calories per serving, spaghetti sauce having a difference of 40 calories per serving!!! Even checking things like that and then measuring your portions could help. It has become second nature for me to meausure out what I am about to eat, and I even bought a scale at the dollar store and it works great!

Extra movement will help too! 2 years ago, before I started CC, and befofe I got pregnant with my second daughter, I just cut my portions, and starting walking on my treadmill, and lost 25lbs. (But then I got pregnant again!).

Anyway, just do what you feel comfortable with to start, and as one of the pp said, you should get clearance from your Dr. before starting to exercise if you are extremely overweight.

Good luck to you!!! :-)