new

[brooke08]

hey all! i am new and i need to loose about 20 pounds by march! i plan on doing it slowly and safely, so it wont come back on. just some history about myself...i used to be in really good shape. then my senior year of highschool came and senioritis hit where i didnt do anything and i didnt care about anything. i gained well around 15 pounds my senior year. i am now a freshman in college and i dont want to gain the freshman 15. ive already gained 5 pounds of the freshman 15. i plan on loosing this weight so i can lifeguard this summer. well, thats about it about myself. are there any tips that you all can give me to help me loose weight safely to keep it off?

 

[allcdnboy1]

well, u have the right mindset ... slow and steady wins the race. next, is your diet. Being in school, u actually have a good opportunity to eat healthier ... may sound a bit funny, but i actually got in my best shape in my first couple years of university (before stress of 3 & 4th year got to me) because you are always jumping from class to class, have a snack between each and no full meal. This way, you have your 6 or 8 meals a day, instead of 3 big ones. Your body burns the food much more efficiently and keeps your metabolism kicking ... also, u'll avoid that after-lunch-in-class-nap that is so tempting ...

 

[Lisa3]

hi Brooke,

welcome to the forum and Good Luck with your Goal!
I agree with AllCdnBoy - slow and steady is the way to go and 6-8 smaller meals is better than the three big ones....don't skip breakfast

 

[twinkles]

I think it is easier to make smart decisions about food in your case. I felt like living with my parents influenced me to eat the same food they did. Once I moved out, all I bought was healthy foods, and I lost weight by eating smaller meals and more throughout the day (approx. 4-5 meals a day). You can buy quick carrying foods like low fat yogurt, wheat crackers, an orange, fruit cups, and you can make yourself healthy sandwiches (I eat tuna with tomato and lettuce on wheat). When you have time to cook you should eat chicken, veggies, and a small potato (baked or cooked with veggies). For breakfast you can eat Total cereal with soy milk. Water with your meals is best. (This is simply what works for me, every body's different)

 

[allcdnboy1]

i'd say that's perfect advice twinkles ... the only thing i do different is i still have skim milk with my cereal, but soy with my protein shakes. living on your own is the best way to stay strick to your diet because you don't have to cook for anyone and ur parents are making their famous lasagna, etc every night.