Hi! I REALLY want to lose weight and at least over 20 lbs! I'm a 22 year old female who is about 5'5" and 160 lbs. Might even be a little over that.

What kind of foods should I be eating that will help me lose the most weight?! What should I eat for breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner? etc?

And what kind of exercises should I be doing to lose the most weight in the least amount of time…assuming I keep up with a routine?!

If anyone has a website that will give me a list of foods or exercises…for free…please let me know! I really do want to lose this weight and FINALLY be happy with my body. I have been struggling with this weight issue for years now. I have never really been truly happy with my body.

Please help!

And thanks to those of you who try and help
Hello!

I think I know how you feel. I too had struggled with my weight for many, many years, and yes, I am much older than you. I had tried almost every diet out. Whilst, I was able to lose weight on various diets. Unfortunately, I was never able to keep the weight off. So at the age of 45 I decided to do something else about it. This is what I did.

I gave up on all the quick-fix diets and set out to change my lifestyle for good. I came to the conclusion that I would eat a healthy, balanced, low fat diet and exercise on a regular basis. Well the results were absolutely amazing. I managed to lose 48lbs in just over 6 months. This was over 3 years ago and I have since then been able to maintain my weight with ease.

This is what I did:-

I ate lean meats (no fat on), poultry (no skin on), fish with scales on (not fried in butter or breadcrumbs), eggs, vegetables, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, brown bread, potatoes, , beans & pulses, fresh fruit, soups (but not the creamy ones), fat free dairy products, healthy oils, high fiber and other cereals (but without added sugar), sugar free beverages.

Try to include as many whole foods as you can. As these are full of fibre and will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Keep all JUNK FOODS, ready made processed meals, sugary fizzy drinks, alcohol and takeaway meals to an absolute minimum. These are high in refined sugar and full of satuated fat. The two main ingredients which are responsible for those unwanted pounds.

Junk food is just what it say - JUNK. With one added ingredient in - FAT.

Try to MOVE as MUCH as YOU CAN. EXERCISE will really help to acelerate your weight loss. I took up running. I know that this is not for everyone. But there are so many other forms of exercise that you can do. Try to find one that you can do on a regular basis, something that you enjoy. Exercise is beneficial regardless of your. The benefits of exercise far outweigh the effort it takes. I have just recently completed my first Marathon and am now hoping to do many more.

If, once you reach your realistic target weight (and I really hope you do). Remember you can't go back to your old eating habits or activity levels. Otherwise all that hardwork will be wasted and you will put all the weight back on again. It really is as simple as that.

Now here comes the hard part. Which is maintaining your weight loss. This is how you do it:-

Continue to eat a balanced, low fat diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Have three regular meals a day.

Always starting with breakfast. This way you are less likely snack in between. Have non sugary cereals, with skimmed milk, low fat yogarts, brown bread, fresh fruit, eggs, lean meats.

Well lunch and dinner. Learn how to choose, prepare and enjoy your balanced diet. Low fat cooking skills, understanding food labels and having the ability to judge portion sizes will really help.

Make sure you LIMIT the amount of certain foods. But try not to avoid any. By this I mean letting yourself enjoy small amounts of your favourite foods without feeling guilty. And if you do over indulge (just like I do at times), or have a big night out. Cut back a bit the next day or do more exercise to balance things out.

Sit down to eat your meals, take time over them and always pay attention to what you are eating.

Keep self-monitoring to say conscious of your new eating habits and activity levels. Remember make exercise a daily part of your routine.

Anyway that's about it. I sorry I've gone on a bit. I do try to keep it short, but it never quite works.

Good luck.

P.S. You have a life to live and enjoy, so hang on the satisfaction of being a comfortable, healthy weight you can sustain.

Hello all(: I know a lot about healthy foods and losing weight already but i would just like to hear some other opinions on my weight loss plan that i have.

First off:
I am 14 years old and 128 pounds.
I'm not sure how tall I am, about 5'1 or 5'2 i'd say.
I would like to lose about 15 pounds.
How long do you think it would take me?

My diet:
For breakfast, I usually have a piece of wheat toast with peanut butter.
For lunch, I have half of a turkey sandwich with a little bit of mayonaise on wheat rye bread and fruit.
For a snack, I usually eat a handful of pretzals or a piece of fruit.
For dinner, I have whatever my mother cooks(: It is usually a reletively healthy dish.
I may have a snack later which would be anything healthy and in portion.

Excercise:
Right now my excercise is limited.
I usually fast-walk on the treadmilll for about an hour every day. My goal is to burn around 500-600 calories.

What do you think? Any tips? Suggestions? Ways to help me lose even more weight?

Your diet sounds good, just make sure you stay away from cokes. If you choose diet coke, make sure its only once or twice a week at the most. If you are hungry, then eat. thats the most important part. Your a wise girl though, so you know to just eat a portion and not the whole loaf of bread lol. Drink more water as well, this helps a lot. If you are already doing that on the treadmill, id change it to a walk/jog. Jog till your tired, walk a bit, then jog again off and on like that. burn a lot more calories that way. Since you are at a very low body weight already, its going to take a lot more to burn calories. Doing the jog/walk thing will burn about 500 an hour.

Okay so I had my baby 3 months ago… I started exercising every single day 4 weeks after having him… I run with my 2 dogs, situps, swim, pushups, squats and much more. I cant understand why i wont lose the extra weight. I even started to eat healthier…. now what in the world am i doing wrong?
Note - Before I was pregnant i weighed 125 and now i weigh around 150. This drives me insane! all ym clothes are tight too!! =( Please give me HEALTHY suggestions. I wont take a diet pill or the weight loss food plans.
Sorry I forgot to be specific with that. You are correct I am not breast feeding. I moved 1500 miles and appearantly stress can dry u up =(

I understand as I'm a mother, and I gained quite a bit of weight during my pregnancy. It's a bummer but also a blessing to have a new bundle of joy! They have many things you can do to tone and get the extra weight off, but I agree, DIET plans and pills are just a easy quick fix that usually don't work and if they do work, it's unhealthy. There's a website called Sparkpeople.com that my husband I found. It's great, and it's FREE of charge. You enter your weight, height, etc. and your goals. They give you a chance to enter all your food you've eaten for that day, count calories,etc. and put in what exercise your doing, and will give you tips on what your doing wrong, and what your doing right. It is very helpful. They showed this site on the Dr.'s show, not sure if you've seen that show on TV before.

Also, if your breastfeeding, it can do two things, hold weight, or make you lose weight. Your body may be storing extra food to feed your baby if it thinks your trying to starve it. I know mine did that and it was frustrating. Give it time, and remember, it's only been 3 months, so the weight won't drop off immediately, especially if you've only been working out and eating differently for two months.

SUGGESTION that my trainer at the gym and my doctors say, if you eat carbohydrates, which everyone needs, eat WHOLE WHEAT and don't eat any carbs after lunch. Cut out all soda's, sugar drinks, sweets, if you have to have something sweet, there's plenty of Splenda substitute desserts that are yummy! Also, dinners should be a lean meat with veggies only, and breakfast, even if it's not your "thing" (trust me it was NOT mine!) you have to eat, and make it your BIGGEST meal. So like, whole wheat toast, some eggs, and turkey bacon, and maybe a piece of fruit. Something like that.

Sorry so long winded, I just feel your pain, but I've been doing this stuff and finally my post baby weight is coming off. 19 pounds in 2 months..so you can do it!

If I drink Cappuccino with a teaspoon of table sugar, then does this affect my weight loss diet plan?
How many calories would be in this cup of Cappuccino then?
What sorts of foods can I avoid if I want to slim down the hip part?
What sorts of exercises can I do if I want to lose hip weight?
Thank you

black coffee with no sugar would be a lot better.

My usual eating habbits were no breakfast, have a late lunch, and then bring home something from the pizza place I work at late at night for dinner, usually a sub. Late night eating is horrible, I know this. My new plan is to eat small meals through out the day. For example starting with a breakfast of cottage cheese and fruits, then with a snack of carrot sticks etc. Lunch I will have a tuna fish wrap and a fruit, and so on. I think I am on the right track with the food. I have also invested in some Lean Shake, and hydroxycut. Also a multi vitamin. I think these things may help me reach my goal. But I am just not sure what exercise plan will help me see results. I give up easy on that end of the deal. Should I only start off with cardio, or should I also be weight lifting? Some one please help me with an exercise plan to get the best and fastest results!

Most definitely start with cardio. It improves stamina and gets those muscles ready for toning exercises. 30+ minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week is what you should shoot for. If you can't do 30 minutes to start, work your way up to it. Once you get closer, start adding in some toning exercises. I've included a link to the mayo clinic's finess site. It has plenty of good information on exercising and diet.

As for your diet, you are definitely on the right path. Just make sure to keep your calorie intake between 1300-1500 per day. Any less and you won't have the energy to get the max benefit of the workout. Any more and the weight loss will be slower.

I'm 17, 203 pounds and 5'7". Any ideas on a food plan or exercise routine. Anything will be helpful. Thanks!

i stopped eating for 2 and1/2 weeks and i lost 70 pounds and i eat regularly now and i have perfect figure

I would like to lose 26 pounds but am unsure of how to do it. I don't really like to exercize but will if necessary. Keep in mind that I live in rural Kansas and don't have access to special foods or diets.

Dear member,
Well the very first step for doing such kind of things is a positive and a strong will to loose weight. What i belive in is that everything begins and stops at the mind and the mind power alone is capable to give you the desired results. If you are strong willed then go ahead make a weekly chart to track your weight and measurements. Once the will exists the urge to eat fatty foold will reduce and so for food with high carbohydrate contect. Cut out that Red meat, Cheese, Oils, fried stuff and yes include a walk of 25 to 45 minutes. As you like in rural area there are pleanty of oppurtunities for a good morning or an evening walk.
You may also like to try the oldest medicinal technique of Aryuveda to help you regulate your lifestyle and attain a healthier self. For that you may visit http://www.divyayoga.com/main.htm. Swami Ramdev has created an awareness revolution in India with millions doing his pranayam on a regular basis for a healthier self. I myself am a gezetted Govt officer and had rubissed his claims till recently when i turned to Pranayama for a healthier life. I have lost the flab from my waist in one month and am a much more active person now. I am 42 years of age and absolutely healthy.
My mantra is never be disheartned in life and always try to be hally… though i do have my faults… as i am a human too.

i weigh around 135lbs and i really want to lose anywhere between 10 to 30lbs. i cut back on my food - eat a light breakfast in the morning, and a significantly small amount of dinner, and that's it. for the rest of the day i drink lots of water. i also work out for an hour every day - aerobic dancing & 100 sit ups. i will gradually increase the amount of sit ups i do.

do you think this will get me somewhere? will i see results in the long run? how fast?

Read this article by Bethany Roberts called Top Ten Tips for Weight Loss http://www.weightlossfatloss.us/ten_weightloss_tips.asp

yes!! It is very effective for weight loss, but really if you decide to do it, you should view it as a lifestyle, not a quick way to lose weight. If you lose a lot of weight eating raw food, it will all come back on once you go back to eating normally, so you have to make a commitment to it. Get a raw food cookbook and you’ll see what great food choices there are.

I am 17 years old, female. Prom is coming up in mid-May and I put on about 10 pounds over the summer that I want to take off plus a little bit more. I am 5’0 and 119 pounds. What I want to lose most, other than all around is my love handles, stomach (#1), butt (sticks out =/), and my arms are a little too fat for my body.

I am planning on going to the gym everyday for about 1.5-2 hours and eating healthy, however, I need a little help with following it and what would be beneficial and what wouldn’t.

I went to the gym today, for the first time for this diet plan/weight losing plan. I did the treadmill for 5ish minutes fast walking (warm-up/cool down) and about 10 minutes running (not SO fast, but running) and then did the sitting bike for 10 minutes/1.5 miles. It was my first day so I didn’t do much.

I am planning on eating healthy so it helps with my weight loss as well and my face.

I plan to eat Special K cereal with 1% milk in the morning (615 AM)
Lunch at school: apple and water? If I should eat more, maybe a sandwich (wheat bread with a slice of cheese since I’m a vegetarian, would that be healthy?) (1030 AM)
100 calorie pack? Or a granola bar would be healthier? (12-2ish, anytime between there)
Dinner: Indian food, but healthy, like soups and veggies.
Snacks during the day: apples, plums, oranges/tangerines/clementines, watermelon.
6 bottles of water per day.
Not eating after 7 PM.

I am planning to go to the school gym right after school from 230-3 and then come home and go to my gym by my house from 345-5?
What machines should I do? And how long about? (How do I keep myself from getting bored=( lol)
Also like on treadmill/elliptical should I do incline/hill, if it makes a difference?

Also I have a bit of acne on my face. Will exercising and eating like that help clear it up?

When will I see results? And is it possible to lose a bit of love handles/stomach/arm fat in about less than 3 months?

Thank you so much and if you have any other experience suggestions/ideas please help. If anything is unhealthy (foods that I listed) or exercises that will not help/help please tell me, thank you =)

If you ever did a diet/exercise plan that worked/is working in about 3 months, please tell.

Wow, i actually took the time to read all that.

Make your own "100 calorie packs":

-6 almonds
-6 baby carrots
-1/4 an apple.
= 100 cal.

You can eat one in the beginning of every class to keep your metabolism up.. plus a bottle of water.

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"Also I have a bit of acne on my face. Will exercising and eating like that help clear it up?"

Yes, think of it this way, instead of eating chips & soda, you'd be eating fruits & vegetables & drinking water… which has very little oil compared to junk food.

Specifically, sweating will open your pours up and you can wipe away all the oil pretty much. What you want to do after you sweat is rince your face with cold water.

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"When will I see results? And is it possible to lose a bit of love handles/stomach/arm fat in about less than 3 months?"

You'll probably see results after a month, but your starting from square one, so it will take your body some time to get into shape but if you eat right & watch your calories, the lbs will be shedding off.
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"What machines should I do? And how long about? (How do I keep myself from getting bored=( lol)"

I too have workout ADHD, so this is what id recommend:

Cardio workout for the out of shape:
Day 1: 10 minutes of treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bicycle. (30 mins total)
Day 2: 15 minutes of treadmill and elliptical. (30 mins total)
Day 3: 10 minutes of treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike & just 5 minutes of stair stepper. (35 mins total)
Day 4: 15 minutes of treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bike (45 minutes total)
Day 5: 15 minutes of treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, then 5 minutes of the stair stepper with an additional 5 minutes of jumping rope. (50 mins total)

As you begin to get more fit, more confident in your physical health, you can begin to increase your total workouts by 5 minutes and the intensity by an extra level.

Good luck! You can make those other b*tches jealous if you stay motivated.