<p>Hey everyone,
This is my first year at college and of course the whole myth which I never believed about the freshman 15 has proved to be true. I have gained 15 POUNDS!! I am only 19 years old and weigh 140 I need to lose this weight. I am going on vacation in 2 weeks to Cancun Mexico where all I am going to be doing is laying around in a BIKINI on the beach and looking for guys and getting tan. How am I going to do that when I have gained 15 pounds. I need help!! So if there is anyone in the same boat as me or is going somewhere cool on their srping break I would love to talk to them!! Any advice would be great!!</p>
<p>haha you wanna give me a few of those lbs? I'm a guy and i need some</p>
<p>Eat less and exercise more.</p>
<p>(Just kidding; this comes from a really skinny guy who's never had to watch what he's eaten, ever)</p>
<p>ditto unclefeezus</p>
<p>Cancun is great if you are female, forget about it if you are male. The guy girl ratio is now like 3:1. If you are a guy, better to go to Acapulco than Cancun. But if you do go to Cancun, don't miss the Mardi Gras party at Pat O'Brien's or the foam party at the amusement park. Two main things, never get into a cab (take the bus, its only like 50 cents) and avoid renting those dumbass scooters they try to rent on the side of the road (they breakdown all the time, then they try to hit you for repair charges.)
Also don't buy any of the meal/drink packages the spring break companies (studentcity.com, springbreaktravel.com etc) try to sell you. They say 8 hours of drinking for free, when in reality they have like one warm keg that runs out in 20 minutes, and you have to tip the bartenders like mad or you don't get to drink at all.</p>
<p>There is a nice convenice store at the mall in the hotel zone, buy all your beer there it is alot cheaper than buying it at the hotel bar. </p>
<p>Also be sure that your hotel is not one of the ones that don't let you bring guests back to the room. Some of them won't even let you bring outside food or drink to the room which is stupid. Check <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com%5B/url%5D">www.tripadvisor.com</a> to see Cancun hotel reviews. One's of the top of my head to definetly avoid are the Girasol (I stayed there, the place is a total dump) the Oasis (unless you want puke in your pool and bird crap in your food) and the Dos Playas.</p>
<p>Finally, if you did go through one of the cutrate companies catering to students, be prepared to fly in a charter jet that is 95% sure to be delayed. (Up to 2 days in some cases) Be prepared to have your flight possibly canceled on the way back and having to buy a new ticket. This is nothing new, it happens to many naive college students allured by cheap Cancun prices. I recommend booking the flight and hotel yourself through expedia or orbitz, that way your flight is guarunteed through a major carrier, not by some fly-by-night charter which is not subject to FAA rules. (read the fine print)</p>
<p>LASTLY, Plan to spend about $50-$75 a night food/drink to have a decent time, tipping is like gold to these people and if you have no money, they won't even talk to you. </p>
<p>Anymore questions holler back.</p>
<p>Hey thanks for all your advice and thanks for the helpful hints about Cancun. I definately won't be taking advantage of the student discounts.<br>
Anyhow, I still need help losing my weight. I do excercise and I drink a lot of water and eat sort of healthy but I still can not lose the weight. It's so much harder to lose the weight then it is to put it on. Some of my friends has suggested that I try Xenadrine NRG because it has worked for them so why wouldn't it work for me. I think I'm going to give it a try. Any suggestions? Do you guys think I should? I need some others opinions about this!!!</p>
<p>There are many options you can look into for loosing weight. The most reliable from my perspective is going on an all protien diet (is it called Atkins?). This means you eat only meats, preferably fish. This works because your body digests carbs (breads, cookies ect.) and uses it as energy, when carbs arent found then the body resorts to finding the fat in your cells in the search for an energy boost. If you use this diet while engaging in some kind of arobic activity (ie running, cycling) your body will digest the fat leaving the muscle underneath. I found this to be the most efficient way to loose weight in a short amount of time. BUT REMEMBER dieting is worthless if you arent active. I hope this helped :)</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your advice. But I did try the Xenadrine NRG and I actually like it because I think it is actually working. I checked out their site and I am getting another free pack, <a href="http://www.xenadrinenrg.com%5B/url%5D">www.xenadrinenrg.com</a>.
I am pumped! Now I have some faith in losing my weight and hopefully looking good on the beach!!! :)</p>
<p>Looking good on Spring Break is irrelevant, everyone is drunk all the time anyways so it doesn't really matter. :) But good luck on the dieting regardless.</p>
<p>I'll keep that in mind. lol Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>I was actually thinking what you said Joev about How looking good on spring break is irrelevant because everyone is always drunk all the time so it doesn't really matter how I look, but it does to me. I don't want to be or feel like I am the only heavy one on the beach. Even though this may not be true I would still feel that way. I wanna look good for myself in addition to be appealing to others. It's more of a self esteem issue and I won't be happy until I lose weight and be at my ideal or desired weight. </p>
<p>So I think I am going to continue to take the xenadrine NRG and see where it gets me and how much weight I will lose by taking this.<br>
Thanks for your help again tho. It gave me a good laugh because it is def. true that everyone is always drunk on spring break.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, dear, don't drop so much so fast because your body will go in a panic mode and save all the fat and lose the muscles. Then it will set a higher weight "set point" in preparation for another bout of this "diet."</p>
<p>Just go for more complex carbs like whole grain and fruits and veggies- you will be fuller that way and won't eat as much.</p>
<p>I am leaving for cancun in 8 days</p>
<p>If you wanted to loose weight, starting 12 weeks ago would have helped.</p>
<p>Two weeks, even shorter now, is not alot of time to loose weight in healthy manner.</p>
<p>Taking pills does not make you loose weight. That mentality is probably what gained you those extra pounds in the first place.</p>
<p>More than anything, weight loss is DIET</p>
<p>What to Eat</p>
<p>This is simple. Eat good foods.</p>
<p>Protein:</p>
<ul>
<li>Fish: Salmon, Tuna, Cod</li>
<li>Eggs</li>
<li>Chicken breasts</li>
<li>Cottage cheese</li>
<li>Milk protien isolates</li>
<li>Whey-casein blends</li>
<li>Lean Red Meat</li>
</ul>
<p>Carbohydrates:</p>
<ul>
<li>Vegetables</li>
<li>Mixed beans</li>
<li>Low-GI fruits</li>
<li>Oatmeal/Oat bran</li>
<li>Mixed-grain bread</li>
<li>Small amounts of protein-enriched pasta</li>
</ul>
<p>Fats:</p>
<ul>
<li>Flax oil</li>
<li>EPA/DHA</li>
<li>Olive oil</li>
<li>Mixed nuts</li>
<li>Fish oil</li>
</ul>
<p>Foods to Avoid</p>
<p>Proteins:</p>
<ul>
<li>Fatty meats</li>
<li>Fatty dairy</li>
<li>Most lunch meat</li>
<li>Large amounts of milk</li>
<li>Large amounts of soy</li>
</ul>
<p>Carbohydrates:</p>
<ul>
<li>Regular bread</li>
<li>Added sugar</li>
<li>Most cereals</li>
<li>Soda</li>
<li>Fruit juice</li>
<li>Bagels</li>
<li>Fruit bars</li>
<li>Candy</li>
</ul>
<p>Fats:</p>
<ul>
<li>Margarine</li>
<li>Vegetable oil</li>
<li>Corn oil</li>
<li>Heated/fried oil</li>
</ul>
<p>Fat loss 101</p>
<p>Losing fat is the easiest physiological process of all. It's very simple and straight forward, it will also be the most challenging for a majority of the population. Let's begin with the most important aspect of fat loss, calories. A note about calorie calculators: They suck. They are NOT meant to be followed exactly. In fact, for the most part, they actually do suck. For example, for me a lot of calculators give me 4000 calories to diet on. This is the same for a lot of people. One must realize that any calories given in ANY article, including this newbie thread, are STARTING POINTS. You MUST re-assess weekly or every 2 weeks.</p>
<p>Another note - the goal of losing fat should be 1-2 lbs a week. Anymore than this, unless assisted or obese, and you will be losing muscle in the process.</p>
<p>First, the basics:</p>
<p>Calories: Set calories to begin with at 11 to 12 times your bodyweight. This means if you weigh 200 pounds, eat 2200 to 2400 calories per day to start.</p>
<p>Protein: Set protein at 1-1.5g per pounds of bodyweight. More is not neccesarily better, but it does not hurt. I personally diet on 1.5g per pound of bodyweight. Protein is THE most important macronutrient during a diet. It is also the macronutrient that will most favorably change body composition.</p>
<p>Fat: Set fat at 25% of total calories. One can stress about the ratios of fat, but a good, general way to get adequate fat is to simply eat some eggs, lean red meat, take 3-6g of fish oil, and take some olive or flax oil.</p>
<p>Now, for the individual part. The rest of the diet needs to be filled based on what you think you'll do well on. In general, those who feel great on low carbs feel like **** on a more carb based diet, and vice versa.</p>
<p>If you've never dieted before: Fill the rest of the diet up with carbohydrates. This ensures a basic, straightforward, balanced diet that allows you to assess on what you'll do better on. Note: there is no physiological difference in fat loss between a carb based diet vs. a low carb diet.</p>
<p>If you know what you're doing, fill the rest of the diet up with what you know you'll do better on. This could be all fat, a mix of carbs/fat, etc.</p>
<p>It is very important to take a break off dieting for 2 weeks every 4-6 weeks of dietng. The fatter you are the more you can diet without a break. A general guideline would be: 15% and below - 2 week break after every 4-6 weeks of dieting. 20-25% - 2 week break every 6-10 weeks of dieting. 30% and above - 2 week break after every 8-12 weeks of dieting.</p>
<p>Honestly, don't expect that much of a difference in two weeks. No miracle pills can make that happen. But reevaulate your health goals and try to make a concious effort to stay fit in the long run, for yourself.</p>
<p>good luck</p>
<p>Hey everyone! Well I went to Cancun on Spring break and it was great. I had so much fun. I met so many people and got a nice tan. I wish it never ended. But ne ways, I wasn't able to lose all my weight before my trip but I did lose weight by taking the Xenadrine NRG that I started taking before I left for Cancun. I am now passed my goal weight of 125. I lost 16 pounds!!!! Even more than I wanted too. I can't believe I lost this much weight. With the Xenadrine NRG and going to the gym and eating healthy I actually did it in a months time!!This stuff is great!!<br>
I stopped taking it as much now but I still take it everyone once in awhile to help me get back to the gym when I am feeling lazy. I feel great!!</p>
<p>Jennfrank-No offense but, I am a little suspicious. Are you for real or is this some kind of advertising. Looking over what you posted and the way you really seem to be plugging xenadrine so intensely (sorry, I mean "Xenadrine NRG"), I think it seems a little disingenuous. I hope I am wrong, please correct me if I am.</p>
<p>This is def. not some advertising. I just wanted to know peoples advice about what they think I should do and I needed some help with the weight loss issues. Sorry for making you feel that this is advertising and I don't feel like I am "plugging xenadrine so intensely" I just decided to try out the product because I knew some people who were taking it and I wanted to know how people felt about it. I needed others advice because this is a serious issue to me. I thought that taliking to people who were going through the samething that I am would help boost my self esteem and help make me feel that my weight loss is possible to lose. Sorry again for speaking about a product that I am taking I just wanted some feedback and I thought that I would share my excitement with the rest of you guys about the weight that I did lose.</p>
<p>::tipping is like gold to these people and if you have no money, they won't even talk to you. ::</p>
<p>I find that a bit offensive. By 'these people' do you mean Mexicans? Because they are some of the friendliest people out there and I in no way find them to be greedy. </p>
<p>I'd also like to take this opportunity to send a message to all you american spring breakers headed to Cancun: it is not your playground. It is a beach resort, yes, where many Americans and foreigners in general go and spend money but that does not give you the right to trash hotel rooms, get drunk off your asses and get into trouble with the law, or numerous other things I have heard of. Having lived in Mexico, I know that we are thought of as a joke because of our behavior at beaches. It is a poor way to represent your country.</p>
<p>Well Mexicans are thought of as a joke here, so I guess we're even! :D</p>
<p>Guess so. We both represent a huge chuck of each others' economies, you'd just think the people who are supposed to be more 'educated' would behave nicely about it.</p>