Hey there!
My name is Alyssa, I am an 18 year old second year student at the University of Guelph and I am on here because I recently purchased a fitbit (obviously) and am looking for some other uni students to talk to! Ever since I was about 4, I have been overweight due to a variety of physical illnesses/disorders. I'm on a whole bunch of medication that have the typical side effect of gaining weight. I'd like to lose weight because I know that if I continue down this road I will end up 250 pounds like the rest of my family (who also have heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure etc...).
I try my best to preach body positivity and healthy living. I eat right most of the time (though I have a tendency to eat high calorie, salty foods when I am anxious or feeling depressed). My problem is that I do not exercise enough. I'm just looking for a few people who might want to support each other virtually or in person if you live in the Guelph area!
Looking forward to starting on this new lifestyle, it's been a long time coming. 
Best Answer
Fitbit Product Experts Alumni are retired members of the Fitbit Product Expert Program. Learn more
Welcome to the forums! Here is an article to help you add friends:
Find Friends
https://help.fitbit.com/customer/portal/articles/275564
Also search groups here for your interests you can find people that way as well
Best Answer
Allow yourself to have any food regardless good or bad food. Anything you'd fancy. Don't restrict a certain food, it leads eventually to crave so much for to at a certain point going to eat it anyway but eating much more from it.
Eat everything but in moderation. It's about changing food habits, one thing at a time so the body can adjust and easier to change habits over time.
When wanting something to eat out the planned meal now, allow yourself to have it at the next opportunity when going to eat something (plan it in the plan).
Eat what you desire, when eating something else first but actually *really* wanting to have that certain food, it leads to eating that certain food eventually and eating more calories in the long run.
When desired, try aiming to eat nutritient rich food (don't change your food habits to dramatically, but making smaller changes over time):
Fruits such as banana's, apples..
Whole Grains (bread)
Protein (yoghurt, eggs, cheese, lean meat (chicken/fish..)
These foods contain plenty of nutritients which the body needs while being low in calories, keep feeling satisfied for longer. These foods are easier for the body to process, improve digestion, boost immunity..
Aim to have 50% raw (cooked) vegetables at dinner.
Try eating those foods first before eating other food which lack in nutritients (pizza, prepackaged food which contains ingredients not being able to read).
Eating nutritient lacking food first which are higher in calories, the body still craves to have more cause of asking to eat more food to ensure it gets the nutritients it requires, automatically cutting back on 'extra unneeded' calories when eating the nutritient rich food first.
It's ok to have some pizza, piece of chocolate, prepackaged foods, a piece of cake, your favourite food. Eat everything in moderation.
Protein is used to repair muscles, don't go for a to large deficit, rather have a lower calorie deficit otherwise the body starts using muscle as energy for survival instead of wanting to use body fat.
It can take longer for weight loss, but it ensures that most weight loss would come from body fat, and allows the body to adjust to changing food habits and the weight loss. It also limits the possibility that the body is going to fight back by when being at a natural weight range, and regardless how much food is eaten, it can go back to a higher weight, adding in a few pounds more since there's been a shortage of food and does want to survive.
When being at a healthier weight and body fat range, it's possible that the body can be at it's happy weight range, this weight can be higher than your desired goal but being in a healthy weight range.
No matter if overeating a bit, or undereating when being at the natural weight range. When only eating to nourish the body, and only when hungry (eat anything you'd like but stop eating more when satisfied) the body will stay at it's natural weight range. It defends this range regardless of having eaten a bit under or more, it always reverts back to the weight where its the most happy at (without counting calories and not restricting or forbidding any food). It does this by sending appetite / hunger signals, lowering or increasing metabolism, sending out a craving for a certain food,..
The weight range is determined by genetics, activity, food choices.
Try honoring your body, when feeling satisfied but not stuffed and not being hungry, try not to eat more. Regardless if allowed to eat x hundred calories more.
Calories to eat are a guidance, when your body has all nutritients it needs, it can be perfectly happy with less.
Try listening to your wonderful body what it needs (can be tricky at first) rather than the mind.. your mind would like a pizza, but would it nourish the body now or would the body be more satisfied with a salad, piece of fruit or something else instead?
Looking at a certain food you'd like first, but then actually getting a feeling to 'not really want to eat that now' since the other food looks more appealing at the moment and the body actually wanting to have that other food instead.
When some food taste bad, don't eat more of it (even if it would be a healthier food option), it's a sign that your body doesn't like that certain food. While for others it may taste great, the body doesn't like it and gives a signal to not wanting any of that food instead have something else.
When possible and desired eat smaller portions throughout the day instead of having 3 larger meals, when being truly hungry and having 3 larger meals, it can lead to overeating cause of being so hungry and making less 'healthy' food choices.
When eating smaller portions throughout the day, the body keeps feeling satisfied and not to hungry at for example dinner, choosing to take less food overall at dinner 'cause of not feeling so hungry, leading to eating less calories overall. 
Make peace with yourself, your body and food.
Try eating with your non dominant hand, to automaticly eat slower and enjoy the food while sitting down at the table. Notice the taste, notice what you are eating (try not to eat to quickly). Recognize the love that got into the food before being available to yourself (don't need to do always) but think about that banana for example has been available by nature, growed by a farmer in another country, it got taken aboard on a ship to get to here, taken from aboard, delivered by a truck driver to a store nearby, the people from the store put on the shelves.. and you or a beloved one got the food from the store to your home so you can enjoy that piece of fruit now to nourish your body.
Thanks to everyone involved including nature, that piece of fruit got to you. It's amazing how much 
got into it. 
Make smaller steps at a day, keep believing, don't give up when hitting a plateau (weight remains the same for a while..) (can be due a increase in muscles when exercising for example, but body fat can have been lower) so keep a eye that body fat decreases rather than weight itself. It means getting leaner and that's a great sign.
Enjoy!
Best Answer
Community Moderator Alumni are previous members of the Moderation Team, which ensures conversations are friendly, factual, and on-topic. Moderators are here to answer questions, escalate bugs, and make sure your voice is heard by the larger Fitbit team. Learn more
Best Answer