Just starting. Would someone answer these questions?

Hey, I'm just starting out with this site. It looks good; cool tools. But I have some questions:

1. Do I really have to count for EVERYTHING I eat? And weigh it? Or determine if it's a medium, small or a large?

2. Is there a problem if I start logging things like food and exercise AFTER a week? Because I just started eating healthy/exercising and I want to establish a routine before anything else.

General weight loss questions:

1.  I have been going for long walks (1/3 to 1/2 of it is uphill) and eating fruit, veggies and soup, with the occasional special K bar for three days. My scale disagrees; it keeps showing 124 lbs. Before, my weight fluctuated from 122 to 124. I didn't expect any substantial loss in 3 days, but my weight hasn't even decreased by decimals! Moreover, it looks like it's gonna stay 124 forever!

2. What's starvation mode, really? I read about considerably large people go anorexic and become stick-thin. Wouldn't starvation mode affect them?

3. Is cardio (like long walks) enough for a beginner? What about sit-ups/crunches? If I should eventually do weights (which I would like to avoid), when should I start?

4. Is it better to have several small goals (like 120 by the end of the month) or longer goals (such as 105 by Christmas)?

Thanks. To anyone who un-boggles my mind :P

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Female; 4'11; 124 lbs; will be 17 in September.

Okay :)

1. I would count all the calories you eat, but unless you are wary about the amount of food your getting for the amount of calories, then don't weigh it if you don't want to.

2. I guess not, but it might be better to start logging as soon as you feel comfortable, because once you look back on logs and see all the healthy things you ate/exercise you did, you'll want to continue it.

THE OTHER ?'S :

1. Okay if you're eating a lot of water-full veggies (cucumbers example), then you might be holding in extra water. If you're eating a lot of foods high in sodium, then you could be retaining water. Which in turn is causing your scale not to budge.

2. Starvation mode is when you continually don't eat enough, and your body slows down and (i think) whatever you try to eat after being in starvation mode long enough will cause you to gain.

3. CARDIO IS GREAT. haha obviously i love it, and it does help. just start out with walking/light jogging if you want then work up to other things. instead of just normal crunches, try doing ab workouts (turbo-jam is good) every few days, it'll work more then just one set of abdominal muscles. Start weights whenever you feel comfortable, it helps to make you look more lean

4. Small goals, IMO are easier to reach. Once you hit a 5 lb loss, you'll want to keep going. The other direction you're shoting to want to lose 19 pounds, and you won't be satisfied that its not going fast enough.

sorry for the length of this!

runnabe has a pretty good grasp on it...just a few more additions:

Starvation mode is when you eat less than 1200 calories on a consistent basis, thus causing you metabolism to become VERY slow. The body thinks its in a famine and once you start introducing more calories to your diet, anything extra will be converted to fat. This pretty much undoes all of your hard work, so you must eat at least 1200 calories everyday. You need 1200 for basic human functions, breathing, heart beating, blinking ect ect ect.

Cardio isn't the best for weight lost, it can destroy muscle. What cardio does is create a calorie deficit big enough for you to lose fat. I do do cardio everyday, but I really saw a difference once I started lifting. The best solution is a combination of cardio AND weights - Cardio creates a calorie deficiency allowing you to lose fat, while weights will build muscle. Eventually you will have a nice toned body. I would recommend starting out slow (I started at a light 10min jog and am now up to an hour's run).

Its best to keep a daily update of your calories - that way you are always on track and eventually you'll be able to build a routine. I generally do keep track of all calories, but once I reach my goal, I'll slow down a bit and give myself some leeway.

Your weight will fluctuate DAILY. I can gain like 5 lbs some days, depending on weather I've done a heavy work out, eaten something salty like pickles, not drank enough water, drank too much water...the list is endless. As long as your weight loss TREND is down, you are losing weight.

Welcome to CC! Its a good community :)

Thanks, runnabe15 and theswissmiss,

I think it's awesome that even teenagers and other young people know all about healthy weight loss. I have a lot to learn. Anyway, I want you guys to know how your advice has helped:

So, I logged my food intake. It's great! I ate till I was satiated and it's only 154 calories! It's unbelievable. All I had to do was get my mom to write down everything she put into the vegetable dish and then divide it by four (cuz I had one-fourth) and measure out the brown rice. It's really helpful; makes me feel accomplished already!

I'm gonna make my walking more useful. I go by at least two supermarkets, so I'll do some grocery shopping for my mom. I'm still uneasy about weights. How about this: I start school in less than a month, and I HAVE to take personal fitness the first semester (I'll be a senior and the class is required for graduation). So, I'll be doing some weights in school already, and I know our teacher breaks it up into "arms day", "legs day" etc.  So will that be enough? I'll be more used to exercise by then anyway.

I think I'll add to my cardio in a week's time. I have a stationery bike at home. So maybe try that? Also, I love skating, but I haven't done it in 6 or 7 years! So I'm gonna buy some inline skates if possible. I think as long as I have fun doing what I do, it'll be fine.

I'm not weighing myself for another week. Anyway, that's not important. I want visible results more than numbers.

I chose short goals: 120 by September 1.  Still I'm aware of my long term: 100 by mid-January I think. (I'm 4'11")

And I have to say again, it's so awesome to be satisfied with your meal and then find out it was only a little more than 10% of your recommended daily calorie intake. (Mine is 1400). Yay!!!

Redspecial: I would like to note that the tools on CC aren't accurate for teenagers. This is a more accurate calculator: http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html But, with the amount you are burning and your present intake (1400) you're in about the right area anyway. [:

Making your walks more useful is a good idea. It actually helps me stay motivated for doing them, sometimes, heh. As for weights, I would recommend you just lift a little, even if it is a very simple short routine using soup tins as weights. There are loads of them scattered all over the net; look for movements that work more than one muscle if you can, such as squats. The Fitness forum is a good place to ask. [:

Hey there. Just wanted to encourage you to keep trying! I went a month struggling with why I couldn't lose any weight after eating extremely healthy Then, I found this calorie-count and its WORKING! The reason is because I actually see exactly how many calories I'm taking in alot better than when I guesstimated before. Also, I've switched to drinking sodium free spring water which helps you lose water weight.

So, definitely log exactly what you are eating. For some women that aren't overweight to begin with, and just want to drop a few lbs, it is crucial to stay under 1200 calories a day (watch those special k bars b/c at 300 calories each, they add up fast). So log EVERY day for the most benefit and so you don't forget. I like to log my day in the afternoon so I can see how many more calories I can eat at dinner without going over. Hope this helps! (I've lost 3 lbs so far in a week and a half wohoo)

dont diss weight training. read this article from freedieting.com

Say the words "weight training", and many people think bodybuilders and big muscles. This is a media myth. Weight (or strength training) is an integral part of maintaining overall health, physique, muscle tone, and... fat burning.

You do not get big by lifting weights! Not unless you are eating excess calories (and generally lots of calories). And even then the average women (for example) is not predisposed to having physically large muscles.

Add to this that many body-builders are using all sorts of steroids, supplements, and pills.... And some female bodybuilders take quantities of male hormone. It is very unlikely that you will get big from a typical weight training program.

When choosing to lose weight, many simply change their diet. Maybe some will combine this with good aerobic exercise. But what many don't know is that weight training can also contribute to fat loss. Muscle tissue burns fat, and the act of increasing muscle, increases the rate at which the body can metabolize energy, and ultimately burn fat.

Obviously just lifting a few weights by themselves will not constitute fat loss - but the combination of the right diet, exercise and weight training will give you the best chance of achieving your weight loss goals.

See a very basic beginners program here

Weight training does not mean you have to go out and join a gym (membership can be expensive)! You need to find what works for you. Weight training can be done simply by buying a few barbells and dumbbells and a bench. It's really that simple. There are, of course, gym machines around which will allow you to perform a far more diverse range of exercises.

Aim to do your weight training 2-3 times per week. Any more is not recommended for beginners. There are a number of books around describing various weight routines - including Tom Venuto's excellent e-book Burn the Fat (see our review). His program is all about diet and exercise for fat loss.

I'm sure all of us have seen those exciting infomercials selling the latest ab machine. With a single machine, it seems that you turn into a muscle-bound hunk (if you're a man), or have a wonderfully sculpted and tanned body (if you're a women). It seems to good to be true. Well it is.

Doing abdominal exercises will strengthen your stomach muscles, and maybe even build some small definition. But if its covered with fat who will see that fabulous six-pack?

Abdominal machines will not strengthen your thighs, give you big biceps, or burn all that tummy fat.

However, increased lean muscle mass - leading to a fat-burning metabolism, healthy eating, aerobic exercise, and a variety of weight training - will help you lose weight!. This advertising borders on the deceptive. By all means get an abdominal machine (they can certainly help you work your stomach without straining your back or neck) - but that does not mean you turn into a TV model!