brianne_cowfer's Journal, 19 April 2009

You go girl! You are so brave to step up and take the initiative to lose the weight and be healthier. You can do this. Welcome to FS and good luck :]  

Yes, you can do this and we will all be here to help you along the way. It is easier with this website and friends to encourage you. Good luck to you and your step mom.  

Brianne, Good luck! It's great that you're already looking into taking action at a young age. It only becomes more difficult to lose weight the older you get as your metabolism naturally slows. With 100 pounds to lose, you should see reasonable results by adding daily activity to your schedule. Start with walking or bike riding, which is pretty easy on the joints & see how your body handles that. You will want to do some weight training as soon as you're comfortable because putting on muscle helps you lose more fat in the long run by increasing your metabolism. Don't restrict yourself too much. If you start starving yourself, inevitably you'll get sick & tired of your impossible routine & fall back into old habits. Instead, look up your BMR to discover how many calories you should be eating & reduce that number by 500 each day to lose a pound a week via diet then on top of that burn extra calories each day with exercise. I really recommend the 30 Day Shred DVD by Jillian Michaels. It contains a Level 1, 2 & 3 program so you can ease into more difficult sessions & it's only 20 minutes, so it's easy to fit into any schedule. You can stay at Level 1 for as long as you need & still get a lot of benefit out of it. Most importanly- don't let family or friends tell you you shouldn't be concerned with your weight at this age. You are overweight & need to lose weight for your health & confidence. This is going to be a long journey & the earlier you start, the better. You should be proud of your decision. Keep at it & you should see huge results by 2010. That's a lofty goal, but continue to shoot for it! Feel free to message me any time!! Good luck!  

Congratulations! The first and hardest step is admitting there is a problem and finding the courage to fix it. Keep up the motivation and let us know how your doing! ;)  

I was the same weight at about your age; you're off to a great start and I wish you luck!  

Congratulations on taking the first step! We'll be there support you!