Need to lose weight fast!

I am 23 years old, 5'6",  roughly 230 pounds. I have always been a little overweight, but my standard weight was generally around 170. I gained 60 pounds a year and a half ago while going through a period of depression. Now, I really want to lose the weight. My goal weight is 140. I know I need to eat right and exercise and I do have a gym membership which I use. My problems are the following: I am a poor college student and eating "right" is expensive. Does anyone have some tips on inexpensive, healhty food? I also need to expidite the process. I am getting married in a little less than a year and would ideally like to be at 140 within the next 8-9 months, for purchasing my dress. I do not have the option of joing a Jenny Craig or other weight loss plan, because as I said before, I am poor; also, there is nothing like that in my town. Any tips on how to speed up the weight loss process. My 3rd question has to do with excessive skin. I have never been as heavy as I am now and the most weight I've ever lost is 30 pounds. If I lose 80-90 pounds in the next 8 months or so, does any one know from experience if I will then have excessive skin? Is there anything I can do to avoid this?

[Rahnee]

I lost 55 lbs in 3 months with the Atkins, I also got 2 ulcers but that was unrelated (I think). From the research I've done in nursing school the South Beach is a healthier version of the Atkins, lower fat meats and more veggies. My grandmother lost a ton of weight really quick just by not eating anything white. No white bread, potatoes, rice, suger, pretty much stopped eating processes starches which is the premiss behind the Atkins and South Beach. I've also lost a lot of weight by drinking the carb control meal replacement shakes by EAS (cheap at walmart). I replace 1 to 2 meals a day depending on my schedule. Muscle and Fitness magazine gave them the highest rating and the taste doesn't make me gag, they even have Mocha flavor. If you drink lots of water your skin should be elastic enough to not bag when you lose the weight, mine never did except my baby pouch from my 2 children. Also a normal meal for a person shouldn't be bigger than your fist, and 5 small meals a day are better than 3 bigger ones because it keeps your blood suger stable and keeps your metabolism running at top speed.  Good luck with the wedding, go ahead and cheat with the cake, it's a special day.

[OneScaredBuckeye]

Stay away from sodium.  It makes you retain water and raises blood pressure as well.  Also, drink lots and lots of water every day (at least two to three litres of plain water).  Water doesn't "wash out" fat, but If you get even a little dehydrated, your body will try to hold onto the fat.  By the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.  I drink a litre of water in the morning, another in the afternoon, and another in the evening.  I also drink lemonade, but no caffeine.  Low sodium, non-cream based soups are filling and don't provide many calories.  They are also inexpensive.  I know fresh fruits and vegetables can be expensive, but nothing is better for your health.

As for exercise, it's important to do at least forty to sixty minutes a day.  Walking is the safest and best, I think, though I use a bike most of the time.  I found that interval training can speed up weight loss.  I cycle five or ten minutes in my normal aerobic range, then speed it up for a minute.  Then I drop back to normal, for another five or ten minutes, then speed up again.  If I hit a weight plateau, this helps to start the weight loss again.

At your age, your skin should be fine.  I've read that lots of fruits and vegetables can prevent saggy skin and of course you want to exercise (aerobic and light weight training for toning) to build attractive muscle, too.  (Just toning.)

I know how important it is to you to be smaller for your wedding, but please try to lose weight (and keep it off) for your health.  You're young and just starting a new married life soon.  You don't want to compromise a wonderful future with health related weight problems and I'm sure your loved ones want you around for eighty more years, at least!  Good luck to you, and I agree, enjoy the cake (but then go back to the healthy eating :)).

[hava]

To lose weight without spending any money or using the gym:
Do the following breathing exercise twice a day everyday.Keep monitoring your weight.Drink plenty of water.The weight loss will occur in an orderly manner - adjustment of other parts of the body(eg skin etc).Keep doing the breathing once a day after you have reached your weight target.Only if you try you will benefit.
Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for upto 20 minutes twice a day.(Max 60 min/day) Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Anulom Vilom - Deep Breath-in through left nostril keeping right nostril closed
then - Breath-out through right nostril keeping left nostril closed
then -Deep Breath-in through right nostril keeping left nostril closed
then - Breath-out through left nostril keeping right nostril closed
and repeat this cycle for upto 20  minutes twice a day(maximum 60 min/day).
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You will improve your concentration and sleep better from day 2.