I am getting married Sept.13,2008 and I am very weight... I am what you call obesed. and i need help losing weight.. a easy weight... any tips or sites that can help me?
Heather

I am in the same boat. I am getting married in May and do not want to be the weight I was at my engagement for the wedding. I joined weight watchers, and while it is not falling off drastically, I have lost 12lbs so far, and when I went to finally buy my dress was a size smaller than I was when I first started looking. The first thing is to ask yourself if you want rapid short term weight loss just for the wedding, or if you want to lose weight (maybe at a slightly slower pace) and keep it off after the wedding; that requires not a diet, but a lifestyle adjustment. I would suggest to start drinking way more water, and maybe keeping a food journal so you know what you are eating. Also make sure to get all your veggies and protein (in other words, don't starve yourself). Also I would suggest starting a little workout routine (something that I have yet to do even though I know I should) and this can serve both to help you lose weight and to de-stress.

low-carb/Atkins!! it works fast, and you are not hungry while doing it. i'm a super-fan of it. it especially seems to work for people who have a good bit of weight to lose. i'll be glad to share the details if you aren't familiar.

www.sparkpeople.com is an EXCELLENT resource as well )

Andrea

i just posted in the forum here how you can get help. Please take a moment to read it and see if that is what you are looking for.

Fat Loss
First things first...fat loss is all about creating a calorie deficit. There are two different ways to do this. One is diet. The other is exercise. A person can lose weight simply by changing their eating habits and consuming less calories than what they burn. The other way is to increase your daily activity while maintaining your current diet so that you burn more calories than you intake.

Now, when you combine both of these...that's when you can accelerate your results. I used to think that losing 20 lbs in 3 months was an impossible feat. But when you divide that up...that's 6 2/3 lbs a month...or 1 2/3lbs a week...or a ~.25lbs a day. Thats a 1/4 of a pound. So if a pound of fat is the equivalent to 3500 calories that would mean you'd need a deficit of 875 calories a day. That's equal to 3 less cans of pop combined with 45mins to an hour on a stationery bike...or even better...25-30 minutes in the morning and another 30 after work. It can be done. It's mostly about dedication.

Resources
FranksGirl pointed out an excellent resource at spark people. It's a good place to start and monitor a weight loss program. Another couple sites are Body For Life and Bodybuilding.com. I've linked to the female transformation page there. I probably know what you're thinking..."Bodybuilders...they're all gross and veiny". They do weight loss/gain for a living. There isn't a better place on the web to begin to understand how your body works and responds to nutrition and exercise changes.

If you're truly serious about this, I'd recommend a site like FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal. They're online software is awesome for tracking the foods you eat and the amount of calories you intake. Daily Caloric Need Calculator: I've linked to a calculator on bodybuilding.com to help you assess your daily caloric needs (at the end of the article). See if that number matches with what fitday says you should intake.

Nutrition
The biggest thing is to avoid 'crash dieting'. Severely cutting calories/starving methods only stress the body and weaken it. Eat 5-6 small nutritious meals. This will regulate blood sugar and prevent fat storage. Start some type of exercise program. It can be an aerobics video, home training with body weight exercises, or even joining a gym. Just doing things like jumping jacks and push ups can really help get your metabolism cranking. Walking is better than nothing...but you won't see the results you want. Look for basic beginner workout programs at About.com and Bodybuilding.com.

Goals are Key
Set some goals....and then set some more goals......and then set some more goals!
Take that magic number in your head...whether it's 10 or 15 or 20...and break it down into smaller more immediate goals. You can put off losing 20 lbs in 3 months till tomorrow...but putting off not drinking any pop today...that's hard to do. Also realize that the first few weeks your body will be adapting to your change. If you're doing weight training...your weight may actually go up a little before it starts to come down. Weight is actually a very poor measure of fitness/health level. The biggest bodybuilders weigh in at close to 300lbs, but their body fat is low (between 3-5% at competition). If you can measure you body fat (a caliper is best), that's a better way to detect progress. Even the mirror or photograph can be better than a scale at times.

If you mess up...don't worry about it. Just pick up where you left off. Look at some of the transformation stories on BodyforLife.com and Bodybuilding.com. Realize that if you plan out and set yourself up for success...in 3 months your life and lifestyle can be completely changed.

Nutrition...again
The one point that I want to emphasize before I finish is how important nutrition is. Read labels...'Fat free' usually means more sugar...which the body is very efficient at converting right back to fat. In the fitness community there is a saying that says 'Abs are made in the kitchen...not the gym'. It refers to the fact that no matter how much exercise you do, if your diet isn't inline with your goals...you'll get no where. If you're not sure where to start, check out The World's Healthiest Foods List. This site has tons of great information about the best foods for you.

Good luck.

__________________

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
~Author Unknown

Hi!! I am in the same boat. Ten years ago I had a gastric bypass. I lost 165pounds. Looked and felt great. Two and a half years ago I was in a serious car accident and have put 80 pounds back on!!!! Mostly in my hips/thighs/butt. In my head I know that I need to start exercising but still suffer from neck and back pain. I am eating all the comfort foods from the past and grazing all day. I have checked out Weight Watchers and they seem to have the best program. I am shooting for a goal of 100 pounds in the next 15 months. That equals out to be about 2 pounds per week. By changing my eating and lifestyle habits I hope to achieve this! Good luck to you!

Teresa

rememebr diet is 75% of succeeeding or failing

Like some of the other threaders I too am in the same boat. I am interested in trying Nutrisystems in January to help me focus more. I just can't seem to stick to any one diet. Good luck everyone. I am interested to no how everyone is surviving the wedding planning with stress eating and the holidays!

I am not fairing very well as I shove everything in my mouth when I am stressed and my originial 20lb goal is now 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I had to lose some weight I stopped eating fast food and drank lots of water. I think it's bad to completely stop eating things you like though, I tried that and I was in a bad mood constantly. I'd rather work out 3 hrs a day than not be able to eat, who wants to live a life without good food? :-)