I'm 18 and have osteoarthritis AND 3 herniated disks. I HAVE to lose weight, any tips???

I'm not horridly overweight, just moderately, and I was just told that I need to lose weight, or I'm going to be in a wheelchair by the time I'm 25 or 30.
I've got osteoarthritis in my spine, 3 bulging disks, Fibromyalgia, and this extra weight is making it a hell of a lot worse.

I need to lose 20-30 pounds, and I want to lose at least 15 of it pretty soon.
I'm 5'2", 170-178lbs, large frame (according to the whole wrist/finger ratio) and the "healthy" weight for someone my height is supposedly 120.
If you saw me, you'd know that I would look deathly ill at 120, so my goal weight will eventiually be 145.
For now I'm just hoping to get down under 160!
My goal by the first week of september is to have lost 10 pounds.

What tips can you give me on how to not only LOSE the weight (safely, no pills or crash diets), but keep it OFF and keep in shape?

Thanks!
Sheena

Thank you all so much!
BTW, I didn't mean I wanted to lose 10 pounds in a week, I meant that BETWEEN now and the first week of september I wanted to lose it.
lol

After I had Open Heart Surgery I could not do any exercise due to an extremely weak heart from years of disease and then from the surgery. During the illness I gained 115 lbs. and due to lack of ability to do any exercise I was completely out of shape and unable to do any exercise. Due to a multitude of medications I was unable to take any diet pills. BUT...I lost 60 lbs in 6 months by eating less of my regular diet. Once the weight started coming off I was slowly able to start walking more and I mean around the backyard once a day or climb the basement stairs twice in a day. I will say eating protein (eggs, bacon,cheese) for breakfast seemed to help control my hunger so that I did not want to snack during the day and I have always been a big water drinker. I am a definite believer in eating a regular diet but less of it - something that you can live with for the rest of your life. I am not a person that will stay on a special diet forever. I have now kept the weight off for a year and a half and have hit the 70 lb mark. I can out walk my husband and sometimes I feel when I take my ChowChow for a walk I am dragging him home. You have to find what works for you. But start with eating less of your regular diet. You may feel hungry at first. Just remember.....You learned how to feel over full when you gained the weight....Now you have to learn how to feel hungry, it won't hurt you. If you feel hungry, don't go to the kitchen - go do something with your hands, pull some weeds, fold some clothes, answer some Yahoo questions - the hunger will go away and another pound will come off.

Good Luck!

You my dear seriously need a nutritionist. all your ailments can be gone before you get into a wheelchair.
If you are in the USA, I can help you with a diet plan and suppliments that I know will get you on the right path to health and fitness....
I have a couple friends diagnosed with fibermyalgia and they are now off all meds and symptom free. once you take care of that problem the rest will take care of itself....
contact me

Sheena, because of your health issues you really should consult with your doctor. He may be able to recommend a nutritionist for you. At the very least, maybe a diet where your meals are planned out for you for maybe a week or two. And, dear, losing 10 pounds in one week is not a healthy way to lose weight. I believe 2-3 pounds a week is what is recommended. Best of luck in conquering what so many others are trying to conquer. Don't give up if you have a day where you eat things you shouldn't - just tell yourself you will do better the next day & then do it. Peace & I hope you have relief from all your suffering.

smaller portions
3 meals a day with small snacks in between
lots of water
omit coffee and caffeine from your diet
omit sugar except in fruit
eat protein with each meal
lessen your intake of pasta, potatoes, corn, bread (change to whole wheat and have only a small portion)
stick to chicken, fish, turkey, pork
go for a walk every day(lengthen it daily)
don't eat after 7 pm.
don't eat junk food of any kind
eat more veggies than fruit(less sugar)
plan your meals and make sure you have everything available
weigh yourself once a week, at the same time, no more than that....
get a new hair doo and pamper yourself a little....
leave the tv turned off and find other activities out of the house.. even visiting....
cut down your salt
keep your bowels moving daily with bran or psyllium husks(health food store) sprinkle on cereal.
low fat or 1% milk only, low fat cheese and sour cream

Hello, I'm sorry to here about all the health issues.
I understand your predicament and I would like to give you some tips to losing the weight.
- Don't drink soda! Soda is very unhealthy. If you stop drinking it all together, it will help a lot.
- No more Ice cream.
- No fast food. ( McD's, BK, Taco Bell...etc)
- Drink 8 glasses of water a day. This will flush out your system and make you feel so much better.
- Eat lots of fruit and vegetables.

- Okay, now the hard part comes. You will need to keep a strict exercises routine. When you wake up in the morning, Go for a brisk walk. Make sure you don't eat anything before your walk, this will make it so your body will burn the calories that are stored up.
- Then at the end of the day, after dinner, take another walk. It should be at least 30 minutes long.

I hope this information was helpful to you. This work out routine helped me lose 20 pounds in only 2 months. It is the safest way to lose the pounds.
Good luck!