I'm feeling sick/nauseous

Honestly, you aren't going to get anywhere with that mindset of starving yourself.

First off, stop chewing Orbit. Just chewing on nothing like that only irritates your stomach more, and since yours is already sensitive and craving actual food, you're just making things worse.

Think about your logic for a second... saying "I need to hit the gym twice a week $100" is a bit silly when you actually feel like going every single day, yet instead, you've decided you won't go at all.
For most of the gym memberships I'm familiar with, going three times a week costs about $83. Honestly, hitting an organized workout three times a week is plenty. Once the weather warms up a bit, you can always start incorporating walking.
You jumped straight into running in the middle of this freezing winter while being totally famished. You’re just setting yourself up for failure where both the diet and the exercise end up backfiring on you.

Don't overdo it by making these massive, sudden cuts.
You're putting far too little fuel in your body, and what little you do eat is mostly junk: a cup of Nescafé isn't breakfast, and a hot dog isn't a real meal.
If you just get up twenty minutes earlier, you'll actually have time to sit down for breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day.
As for cooking, that should be the easiest part of the whole process. Boiling things is much simpler than trying to grill or fry everything. Just cook some meat, and then you can immediately whip up a proper soup by just tossing in whatever vegetables you have on hand... it's really that straightforward...

My advice would be to plan out your entire day tomorrow, including your meals. Decide in advance what you will eat, which exercises or activities you intend to perform, and any other obligations you have. Once you complete a task, check it off; I suspect you will find a great deal of satisfaction in doing so. Of course, there may be instances where you need to adjust a meal if you are eating at a university dining hall, but the priority is simply consuming something healthy. As you build momentum, increase your physical activity, though I suppose you shouldn't overexert yourself immediately. You mentioned an interest in dancing, so perhaps set a goal to dance for thirty minutes every day; once you settle into a routine, you could incorporate some sit-ups, push-ups, or crunches during study breaks, gradually increasing those numbers later on. When hunger strikes, I suggest distracting yourself with another task or finding a hobby to occupy your mind for a while.

Here is an example of how one might begin planning:

Breakfast: A bowl of milk with granola and some fruit.
Lunch: A stew or soup, meat, and a salad or similar side.
Dinner: Yogurt with fruit, cheese, or perhaps a protein bar and a banana.

- 30 minutes of dancing
- Between study sessions: 3 sets of 10 sit-ups
- 30 minutes of walking

Gradually increase your activity levels so that by summer, you might spend one day cycling, one day at the gym, and one day running; you should also be able to handle more strength training, such as 3 sets of 30 sit-ups, 3 sets of 30 crunches, or 3 sets of 10 push-ups.

If you happen to slip up one day—perhaps by overeating or being completely sedentary—do not give up. It is vital that you stick to your plan. 👍

This is merely an example; you can certainly structure it differently. Good luck. 😉

Kimberly Wright said:Look at the logic there... "I need $100 just to hit the gym twice a week, which feels stupid, so I'd rather not go at all if I can't go every day."
Most gym memberships I know cost around $83 for a three-day-a-week plan. Honestly, hitting organized workouts three times a week is plenty. Once the weather warms up, you can always sneak in some walking.
You jumped straight into running during this winter freeze while being totally starved. You're just asking for the diet and the exercise to clash and burn.
.

Exactly—people get sucked into these cinematic ideas of fitness and set impossible goals right when they have that initial burst of energy. They're impossible because they demand massive mental shifts and lifestyle overhauls overnight.
You can't just crush everything at once.

The best way? Most people who actually stick to a routine aren't doing structured workouts every single day—it's usually about 3 or 4 times a week, supplemented by just getting outside or doing something solo the rest of the time.

Don't be such a drill sergeant to yourself.

I don't know what the OP is like, but personally, I'm the type to cram my entire schedule into my head ahead of time. Then, if I miss even one thing, I spiral into a total depression. It does things to my brain that I won't even get into right now. 😢

It's better to take it slow—one task at a time. You actually get stuff done, you feel good about it, and your brain doesn't short-circuit.

shadowcobra32 said:Look, I’ll be the first to admit it: I am a total spoiled brat. An only child through and through—everything has always been handed to me on a silver platter, haha! And honestly? I absolutely love it when someone takes my hand and leads the way. 😢I am sorry! My bad. I totally messed that up.

Seriously, after reading through all these replies, you still find a way to squeeze that in? Just look at how many posts people are churning out here. Unbelievable.

Just go on Google and search for it: diet, aerobic vs. anaerobic training, depression... seriously, you can find anything you ever wanted to know right there.

So, I’ve been noticing this pattern with pretty much everyone I know who has tried various diets...
It seems like everybody approaches a diet as if it were some sort of temporary sentence they have to serve just to hit a specific number on the scale.
But honestly, what happens once the "sentence" is over? 😕
Are you just going to go right back to slouching on the couch and stuffing yourself with junk food until the weight creeps back up?

I mean, look... if your goal is just to drop weight quickly only to pack it all back on a few months later, then sure, maybe that's a fine strategy for you.

Personally, that’s just not how I’d handle it.
My plan would be to start eating like someone who actually maintains a healthy weight for their height. I’m not an expert when it comes to tracking calories—though I assume that’s something anyone can figure out—but the idea is to stop starving myself and wrecking my digestion, while still maintaining enough of a deficit compared to my old habits to let those extra 60 pounds slowly melt away. Since I have no desire to turn into a walking skeleton, I’d also shift my lifestyle toward some kind of regular exercise—maybe something like yoga or light jogging, depending on the mood—but at an intensity I could actually sustain forever. It shouldn't be one of those things where I say, "Oh, I'll hit the gym every single day for the next five months and then immediately revert back to being a total couch potato." 😬

Anyway, I was just sitting here thinking about it and felt like rambling a bit.

Kimberly Wright said:I don't really get how all this calorie counting works, but I guess you actually have to do the math.

Metric BMR formula Quote : Women

Metric BMR formula Quote : Women: BMR = 655 + ( 9.6 x weight in lbs ) + ( 2.54 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in lbs ) + ( 5 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

Harris Benedict Formula

To figure out your total daily caloric burn, just take your BMR and multiply it by your activity level from this list:
1. Sedentary (basically sitting on the couch all day): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. Lightly active (hitting the gym or light sports 1-3 days a week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. Moderately active (working out 3-5 days a week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. Very active (intense workouts 6-7 days a week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. Extra active (heavy lifting/training plus a physically demanding job): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

😁

shadowcobra32 said:I’ll be the first to admit it—I am a total spoiled brat! Being an only child, I definitely grew up getting exactly what I wanted, whenever I wanted it. ;P And honestly? I still love it when someone takes my hand and leads the way! 😢I am so sorry! My bad, totally slipped my mind.

Honestly, having an attitude like that is just going to hold you back in life.

Check this out:

So, I was just falling down a rabbit hole reading this deep dive on how to actually build some decent muscle, and honestly? It’s kind of a game-changer if you’ve been spinning your wheels at the gym without seeing any results. We all want that physique, right? But let me tell you, it isn't just about hitting the bench press until you can't move your arms. There is actual science behind it! The big takeaway for me was the whole caloric surplus thing. If you aren't eating more than you burn, your body basically looks at those heavy lifting sessions and goes, "Cool story, bro, but I don't have the extra fuel to build anything new." You've gotta give your body the building blocks—protein, sure, but also carbs and fats—to actually turn that effort into mass. It's like trying to build a house during a shortage; you just can't get the walls up without the supplies! Also, we really need to talk about progressive overload. This sounds super intimidating and technical, but it's basically just the art of not being lazy. You can't just lift the same ten-pound dumbbells for six months and expect to look like an action star. You have to keep pushing—more weight, more reps, or less rest. It’s uncomfortable, yeah, and I usually end up feeling like a total noodle after a good session, but that’s where the magic happens. And please, for the love of everything, don't skip recovery! I used to think I was being a total beast by pulling all-nighters and then hitting the gym at 5 AM, but I was actually just sabotaging myself. Muscle doesn't grow while you're grinding through a set; it grows while you're sleeping and chilling. Anyway, I'm definitely going to try being a bit more intentional with my meal prep this week. Wish me luck—I'll probably be eating my weight in chicken breast by Friday!

Kimberly Wright said:here’s what I’ve noticed about everyone I know who tries those fad diets...
they all treat dieting like some kind of prison sentence they just have to endure to hit a specific number on the scale
but seriously, what happens after? 😕
are you just gonna go right back to being a couch potato and stuffing your face with junk?

that’s why if it were me, I’d just have chocolate every single day. Not a massive amount, just one square. People don't get fat from sweetened coffee or a bar of chocolate or movie popcorn. If you pace that one bar out over a week, you basically save enough money on Coke to pay for your gym membership, sauna sessions, and massages😬.

And honestly, people say green tea tastes gross just because they haven't had it brewed properly. Go check out a decent tea shop—they've got everything from black and green to white and matcha that actually feels filling. You'll see. Tea is easily the best thing ever, even better than chocolate. They have a great website, too.

@Kimberly Wright/">@@Kimberly Wright, if you want to put it that way, 👍
Look, I get the urge to just strip it all off and move on. You start realizing how much baggage you're actually carrying—it’s a lot—and your brain just wants to dump the whole mess right this second. But honestly? Facing the cold, hard facts and actually dealing with things like a normal human being—slowly—is a hell of a lot harder.

I apologize for barging in like this. I know some people are going to call me out for posting this, but honestly, the title of this thread—"Help us lose weight"—really bothers me. Why is it phrased in the plural instead of the singular? There are endless discussions about weight loss online, countless websites, and an overwhelming amount of advice available. Yet, most of these threads feel less like "I have a goal, I want to get in shape, here is my plan, please tell me if I'm on the right track," and more like "Show me how to lose weight because I can't be bothered to research everything myself."

Morgan Torres said:Sorry for jumping in here—I know I’m probably going to get called out again for saying this. naime, the title of this thread is basically "help me, I'm feeling sick." Why the plural? And why not just say "I"? There are so many weight loss threads out there, so many websites, so much advice... yet it always comes down to "tell me how to lose weight because I can't be bothered to research everything myself," instead of something like, "I have a goal, I want to get in shape, here is my specific plan, please just let me know if I'm doing this right."

And what exactly would you "know-it-alls" like you even do then?👍

Joseph Clark73 said:So, what exactly would you "experts" suggest we do then?👍

It wouldn’t be wise to try and play philosopher here. 😛

Kimberly Wright said:so, here is something I’ve noticed about pretty much everyone I know who has tried all those different fad diets...
everyone seems to look at dieting like it's just some miserable sentence they have to serve, you know? Like they're just suffering through it so they can hit some specific number on the scale at the end.
but honestly, what happens after that? 😕
are you just gonna go right back to being a total couch potato and stuffing your face with nothing but junk food?

I mean, okay... if your goal is to drop weight just to pack it all right back on later, then sure, maybe that's a fine plan.

But personally, I wouldn't do it that way.
What I would do is start eating like someone who is actually at a healthy weight for their height. I don't really get into the whole calorie counting thing, but I guess it's pretty easy enough to figure out. That way, I wouldn't be starving myself or totally wrecking my digestion, but there would still definitely be a deficit compared to how much I was eating before—which is what put me 65 pounds over where I want to be—so the weight would just slowly start melting off. And since I really don't want to turn into a walking pile of muscle atrophy, I’d change my habits and pick up some kind of sport (you could dream big here!) but at an intensity that actually fits my life—forever. Not like, "oh, I'm going to hit the gym every single day for five months and then immediately turn back into a literal log" type of deal. 😬

Anyway, I guess I'm just rambling a bit here because it just popped into my head.

Bingo. 👍

-Stipe

shadowcobra32 said:she actually went ahead and made a profile just to spill her darkest secrets that are eating her alive day after day. naime, she's 22 years old, about 5'4", and weighs... hmm... 200 lbs...😢

hold up, "darkest secrets"? honestly, I respect the hustle if you're actually trying to pass those off as secrets🙏

how on earth are you planning to hide all that weight🤷

Maybe try wearing some looser clothes in darker shades? It might help.

-briskjackal5

briskjackal5 said:She just sticks to baggy clothes in darker colors.

-Stipe

Stipe, I was being sarcastic, okay?

Her biggest dark secret is that she’s actually pushing 200 pounds, even though everyone thinks she’s like, a tiny 110.🤣?

But seriously though. Losing weight is easy if you actually try—just move more, eat less, and stick to greens.🙂

Kimberly Wright said:so here’s what I’ve noticed about everyone I know who’s tried all those different fad diets...
everyone treats a diet like some kind of temporary prison sentence they just have to endure so they can hit a specific number on the scale
but seriously, what happens after that? 😕
are you just gonna roll back into your house looking like a sack of potatoes and start stuffing yourself with junk again?

look, if your goal is to drop weight and then just pack it all right back on a few months later, then sure, maybe it’s a great plan for you.

but that’s not how I’d play it.
I’d just start eating like someone who actually weighs what they should for their height. I don't really get into the whole calorie counting thing, though I guess it’s pretty easy enough to figure out. That way, you aren't starving yourself or absolutely wrecking your digestion, but there’d still be a deficit compared to how much I was eating before—which is what put me thirty pounds over in the first place—so the weight would eventually just start melting off. And since I don't want to end up looking like a walking skeleton, I’d change my habits and pick up some kind of sport (you could go any which way with that one, really), but at an intensity that actually fits my life, you know? For good. Not like, "oh, I'm going to hit the gym every single day for five months and then immediately turn back into a total couch potato." 😬

anyway, just rambling a bit here because the thought popped into my head.

what's the point of counting calories anyway? It's basically just another version of dieting, so you're right back where you started.
It would be much better if she just ate half as much as she used to.
All that calorie tracking is just going to leave her feeling hungry and obsessed with food 24/7.

Karen Wilson20 said:Why bother counting calories? It’s basically just another way of dieting—same old story, same end result.
She'd be better off just cutting her portions in half.
Tracking every single calorie would just leave her starving and obsessed with food 24/7.

Honestly, tracking isn't a bad idea at first. When someone's eating habits are totally out of whack, they usually have zero clue what a normal portion actually looks like—sounds weird, but it's true.
Down the road, the body kind of figures itself out and starts signaling what it actually needs.

Karen Wilson20 said:Why bother counting calories? It’s basically just another way of dieting, so you end up right back where you started.
It would be much more effective if she just ate half of what she normally does.
Counting calories would probably just leave her feeling hungrier and constantly obsessed with food.

I see what you mean—why stress over calorie counts... honestly, I'm probably the last person on Earth who would ever go through the hassle of tracking calories.

But in her specific situation, I actually think it could be a beneficial move, mostly because she hasn't quite grasped what a normal portion size looks like for someone who is, say, thirty pounds lighter than she is now.
Tracking things might give her a sense of how much she can actually eat, while also providing that psychological feeling of being in control of her own body.
It’s really just about building that mental blueprint of what an appropriate amount of food looks like, rather than her current state where she drinks a glass of water and immediately worries that she's somehow going to "overindulge."

quietpilot87 said:It’s actually not a bad idea to start with some rough estimates, because when someone is dealing with disordered eating habits, they usually don't have a clear sense of what their actual needs are or even what constitutes a "normal" amount, which sounds a bit strange if you think about it, but it really is the case.
Eventually, the body just starts signaling for what it truly requires.

yeah. basically, that's just my way of putting it. 😁