Can't drop the pounds...

<p>dittoing collegekid.. my parents used to be thin, but became obese later on.
i was thin until about two years ago, when my metabolism caught up with me. i've since gained 15 lbs. i thought it wouldn't catch up to me until college, but you really never know. i've been trying to lose the lbs, but it'll take some time.</p>

<p>To recommend that the OP walk instead of run is absurd advice. Walking is not nearly as effective in losing weight as running. You guys are getting away from the basics: to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume. </p>

<p>The average basal metabolic rate is about 1700-2000 calories a day; therefore anything consumed above that could potentially be stored as fat. You don't want to eat below this, because like the original poster was doing way wrong was eating so little that his metabolism actually slowed down so their body could store more energy. You want to eat about 2000 calories a day (at the least) and supplement your lifestyle with a 30 minute run. Lifting weights would also be ideal in adding to your weight loss.</p>

<p>Once you have implemented a healthy diet and running you should start having a calorie deficit of hopefully at least 500-1000 calories a day. That should turn out to be 1-2 pounds a week which is the healthiest weight loss goal.</p>

<p>If you need specific help you can PM me because I have quite a bit of experience in human wellness and physical therapy which I'm sure can be put to good use in your situation.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone for their input. I am going to stick to running because I have noticed my energy level is much higher. I am able to get by easily on 4-6 hours sleep per night and am able to play full court basketball for hours without tiring out. Though the pounds aren't coming off yet, I feel like I am in much better shape. I am keeping the calorie count at about 1650 per day because I was told to take the goal weight, multiply by ten, and consume that number of calories daily. I have also been drinking lots of water. I think I will stick to this for at least another month before going to a fad diet. I am 5'10'' and weigh 182 right now and would like to get to 165 before college.</p>

<p>Uh, running burns more calories than walking. It's all in the calories.</p>

<p>"I am able to get by easily on 4-6 hours sleep per night "</p>

<p>if possible, try not to do that...</p>

<p>I'm 22 years old and my weight caught up with in the summer of 2003. In May 2003 I was 192 lbs (I'm about 6'1", and 192 was a good weight). In August 2004 I was 235 lbs. I had been eating tons of fast food and lots of cereal. I LOVE cereal (dry, no milk) and it really put on the calories. In September of 2004 I cut out all of the junk food and I've been at 210-215 since January of this year. Most of my excess weight goes to my stomach and waist (just like my dad). And while I lost 20+ lbs I still have a good amount localized fat on my stomach and waist and almost no fat anywhere else on my body. It's like having a blanket wrapped around your midsection. One day I will be motivated enough to exercise and burn it off. I hate to run but love to bicycle. Much easier on my joints.</p>

<p>hi im a girl and i was stick thin (about 120) until sophomore year, when i just started putting on weight and i didn't know why. i didn't really think i had changed my lifestyle at all too much and couldn't figure out why i was gaining weight. i was up to 135-140 by the summer, but during the summer the pounds started to melt off. (note that i didn't change eating or exercise at all during this time). after a little while (thru experimentation) i figured out that the less sleep i got, the more weight i gained and the harder it was to lose weight even when i exercised. when i started sleeping as much as possible (aiming for at least 9 hours a night, usually getting at least 6-7) i lost weight much more easily. yea, so is there a reason you only get 4-6 hours a night? i think you should try going two weeks staying on your diet and getting as much sleep as possible. i really think it'll help. good luck!</p>

<p>I don't usually sleep 4-6 hours, but just ever since summer vacation started. I am going to fix the problem and start going to bed around 11 and waking up at 7 so I get a good 8 hours.</p>

<p>LisaSimpsonReborn: I had the same experience this year, and went from 112 to 125 lbs without changing my lifestyle (I'm 5'6). Right now I weigh around 120, but I'm going to try to get down to 110 over the summer. I actually read about a study a while ago that showed that sleep slows down the production of a hormone that increases your hunger, meaning that if you don't get enough sleep you're more likely to feel hungry, binge, and gain weight.</p>

<p><a href="http://forum.bodybuilding.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://forum.bodybuilding.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>look at the losing fat board. all your answers lie there</p>

<p>Good resource
Bodybuilding.com is one of the best resources for anyone into weightlifting/supplementing or weight loss
I use it ALL the time.</p>