My name's Tegan and i'm 18.
I've been browsing the forum for a couple of weeks and have finally joined because i know i'm ready to do something about my weight, for my health, for my happiness, just generally for me.
I'm supposed to be having the time of my life but there's always something holding me back and i'm ready to lose that excess baggage, the only problem is i'm not sure where to start.
Any suggestions on how to give myself a kick start because i really am clueless...?
Hello Tegan (awesome name btw) and welcome. First thing I would suggest is to create a battle plan. Tell yourself what you wanna weigh in x months and divide that into weekly goals. Challenge yourself every week to meet these goals. The Challenges section in this forum is a great help as well. Next, on your computer, keep a notepad file of all the reasons you want to lose weight along with some inspirational / motivation sayings/thoughts/quotes, etc. Also, take pictures of yourself. When you start losing this will be a great motivator to look back at your progress and keep you from straying.
Don't deprive yourself of the food you love. Just remember moderation is your best bet. At the gym, make a strong mental note of your suffering and always remind yourself no amount of food is worth all this hassle. This may help build negative reinforcement when you're tempted with food. I'm thoroughly convinced that weight loss is 90% nutrition and 10% exercise so don't beat yourself up too bad if you're not getting enough exercise time. Most importantly, be patient. There's no rush! Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Trust in the process and it will pay off, if not eventually
Thanks for the advice, i tend to shy away from cameras but i think it'll help so i'm going to dig mine out and start documenting.
I like the sound of challenges, keep the motivation up and everything, it's bound to help somehow.
I can't find the scales so the weight thing is going to have to wait til i track them down.
Thanks again for your advice, it's given me a direction to head in instead of being completely lost.
Hi! I'm quite new as well, hopefully we'll do well. ^^
Most important thing I'd recommend that hasn't been yet is water. Water water water. Drink lots. You may whizz a lot, but it's worth it and tones done hunger pains, which may be thirst instead.
