You just have to take it one day at a time, and don't give up! It takes a while to lose weight, but in the end, it's worth it. Trust me, if losing weight was easy, we'd all be thin. You're going to have to be committed to this goal.
DO NOT starve yourself by going on a crash diet. It doesn't work, believe me! Sure, you lose weight, but you also lose hair and your ability to have kids in the future. Then once you do actually eat something, it turns directly to FAT because your body is trying desperately to store excess calories & food for energy because it thinks that its starving - And you end up gaining everything you lost, and then some!
Try eating more fruits and veggies in place of other fatty meals, like junk food, cookies, or high calorie meals. Like most people (I'm guilty sometimes!), you've probably brainwashed yourself into thinking that fast food tastes better than healthy food, but that's not entirely true! Try eating MorningStar Garden Burgers, grapes, clemintines, apples chunks in vanilla yogurt (good for sweet cravings!), blueberries, hummus (it sounds gross but it's really not, you can make low-calorie wraps with whole-grain wraps), granola, low-fat yogurt, low-fat string cheese, light brand whole wheat bread, 100 - calorie popcorn / kettle corn bags, steamed broccoli with a buttery garlic sauce, microwavable veggies etc. I also snack on South Beach Diet oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, sugar-free puddings, sugar-free popsicles for chocolate cravings. Check out www.hungry-girl.com for awesome recipes!
And eat SLOWLY. Take one bite at a time, chew completely, then take another bite. If you eat slower, you'll become fuller quicker, and you won't overeat. Drink a glass of water before each meal - You'll feel fuller faster and won't overindulge. Try to spread your meals out so that you're eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day - It keeps your metabolism up to speed. Try bringing a sandwich or a bag or fruits with you to eat at work or in your locker between classes.
Incorporate more exercise into your daily life. Take the dog for a 20 minute walk, do jumping jacks while watching TV, do laps around the block, or the house for that matter. Don't let yourself sit down for too long. If you can, get a gym membership. I use an elliptical for 30 minutes 5-6 times a week and it works great for me.
And don't eat out of boredom! It's a nasty habit to break, TRUST ME. Whenever you feel like eating, watch a movie with no commercial breaks so you don't have time to get up, call a friend, read a book or magazine, or get out of the house, away from the food.
And don't "DIET". Because the moment you go off your "diet", you'll regain the all the weight you lost quickly, believe me. Instead, make "healthy living choices."
I recently lost weight, about 20 lbs, and what really helped for me was planning my meals. I planned when and what I was going to eat, and made sure the calorie count was 1400. But never go under 1200! Whatever you do, don't let yourself stray from your plan. Write it all down or type it out and leave it up on your computer so you don't forget, that's what I do.
You'll never get to your "ideal" body by eating crap food and sitting around, no matter how much you want it to happen. It takes dedication to get the body you want! Make it like a game. How much weight can I lose? Prove it to yourself you DO have the willpower to get what you want.
But allow yourself a cheat day every now and then. Life is too short! If you restrict your body of all the "good foods", you will one day EXPLODE and eat everything in sight. Trust me!
One more thing: Once you do become thinner, DON'T think you can eat whatever you want now! You'll regain all the weight back, which is absolutely mortifying, especially after all the hard work to lose it.
Good luck! Hope that helps (:
OH, and sitting up straight burns more calories than slouching. Try it!
Any more questions, email me (: