From Leah, Age 20 - 04/10/05 - IP#: 152.163.100.xxx  Click here to reply  
I wanted to offer some advice to anyone who wants to lose weight. I was fat my whole life. By the time I turned 18 I weighed 195, and I am 5'5". I really decided it was time to do something about it. I'm 20 now, and I weigh 140. I would like to share some tips that worked for me. 1.) STAY COMMITTED. YOU WILL NOT SEE RESULTS OVERNIGHT. WEIGH YOURSELF ONCE A WEEK, NOT 100 TIMES A DAY. 2.) DON'T EAT WHEN YOU'RE NOT HUNGRY. IF THAT'S TOO HARD, THEN EAT SOMETHING LIKE CELERY WHICH HAS ALMOST NO CALORIES. *OR* YOU CAN TRY THIS: CUT UP LIKE AN APPLE OR SOMETHING INTO REALLY SMALL PEICES AND EAT IT REALLY SLOWLY WITH A FORK. (THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST HELPERS FOR ME.) 3.) DON'T SKIP MEALS. JUST EAT SMALL ONES. IF YOU GO A LONG TIME WITHOUT EATING, EVEN JUST ONE DAY, IT WILL *SLOW* DOWN YOUR METABOLISM AND YOU *WILL NOT* BURN FAT. YOU MUST EAT. 4.) I KNOW IT'S HARD, BUT YOU *MUST* EXERCISE!! 3-4 TIMES A WEEK. i DO ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES OF CARDIO AND PAIR IT WITH SOME AB AND BUN EXERCISES (YOU CAN DO SPECIFIC EXERCISES WHEREVER YOU WANT TO TONE UP...BUT REMEMBER* CARDIO IS WHAT BURNS FAT: YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE DOING GOOD CARDIO IF YOU ARE SWEATING TO DEATH, YOUR SKIN IS RED, AND YOU CAN'T BREATH) IT GETS EASIER THE MORE YOU DO IT. ALSO: RUNNING IS GOOD CARDIO. WALKING WON'T BURN MUCH FAT. 5.) AVOID SODA. DRINK *DIET* SODA AND LOTS OF WATER. ALSO: TRY TO INCLUDE A GLASS OF ONE OUNCE 100% CRANBERRY JUICE WITH 8 OUNCES OF WATER. (YOU CAN FIND 100% UNSWEETENED CRANBERRY JUICE ANYWHERE ORGANIC FOODS ARE SOLD. TRY GIANT EAGLE'S ORGANIC SECTION) IT'S YUCKY, BUT IT HELPS TO SPEED UP YOUR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM WHICH HELPS YOU TO RID YOUR BODY OF TOXINS AND BURN FAT. ALSO* IF IT'S NOT SWEET ENOUGH, TRY ADDING 1 OR 2 PACKETS OF EQUAL* OR A SUGAR SUBSTITUTE. GREEN TEA ALSO HAS THE SAME EFFECT--USE SUGAR SUBSTITUTE. 6.) SET YOUR GOALS IN 5 POUND INCRIMENTS. DON'T TELL YOURSELF "I'VE GOT TO LOSE 50 LBS". TELL YOURSELF "I'VE GOT TO LOSE 5 LBS." WEIGH YOURSELF IN THE MORNING, NAKED, AND BEFORE YOU EAT, ON THE SAME DAY EVERY WEEK. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS. KEEP A JOURNAL OR SOMETHING. **IF YOU CAN TAKE A WEEK OUT OF YOUR LIFE AND EAT RIGHT (HEALTHY FOODS, MINIMAL SUGAR, *VERY* MINIMAL FAT/COLESTEROL, AND MINIMAL CARBS---SMALL PORTIONS WORKS!! AND EXERCISE!!--YOU'LL HAVE WAY MORE ENERGY AND YOU WILL BURN FAT LIKE NEVER BEFORE.) YOU *WILL* SEE RESULTS!! I PROMISE!--ALLOW YOURSELF A TINY BIT OF SOMETHING FATTENING JUST ONCE A DAY, SO YOU DON'T GO INSANE. AND IF YOU'RE HAVING A REALLY BAD CRAVING FOR SOMETHING, JUST EAT TWO BITES OF IT *SLOWLY*. IT HELPS TO CURB CRAVINGS. DON'T EAT A WHOLE PEICE OF PIE, TAKE 2 BITES AND THROW IT AWAY AND DON'T LOOK BACK. YOU'LL LOVE YOURSELF MORE FOR IT. *ONCE YOU LOSE THAT FIRST FIVE LBS, IT WILL BECOME EASIER TO LOSE THE NEXT FIVE, BECAUSE YOU WILL BE MOTIVATED BY YOUR RESULTS. ALWAYS REMEMBER, IF YOU MESS UP, DON'T GET DISCOURAGED. YOU DON'T WANT TO BE FAT FOREVER, RIGHT? THE TIME IS NOW TO BEGIN YOUR QUEST. GOOD LUCK, AND I KNOW THAT IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE (AND I MEAN *ANYONE*) CAN DO IT. :) HOPE THIS HELPS!!