Sounds good. My goal is to drop to 200lb by June 25. I've let my weight gradually creep up to ~240 over my undergraduate years, and I'd like to get that under control, especially since I'll be out in California for my master's degree. Ideally I'd drop all the way down to 190, but I think those last ten pounds will be too stubborn to group with the first 40. As a secondary goal, I'm also working toward a 9:00-9:30 1.5 mile run time at the end of February. As recently as November 2013 I used to go on 10 mile runs several times per week (when I weighed about 220), but I've fallen out of that habit as I lived in a very nice running city at the time.
From now until May 26 is 20 weeks, which means I could average 2lb per week. I think better for me would be to shoot for 3lb per week. My resting metabolism is somewhere between 2300 and 2700 calories per day, depending on calculation method. If it turns out that that estimate is a little optimistic, I think it would make it to 2500kCal/day when considering that I live in a fifth floor room with no elevator, and that I walk several miles to classes each day. Anyway, I can average the 1500 kCal/day deficit needed to lose 3lb/week primarily by eating only 1500kCal/day plus 500kCal/day in exercise, along with 1000kCal days when I am not able to exercise. On exercise days, this is a manageable 300/600/600 split. The trickiest thing is that I have no control over what my meals are, nor when they are. The only form of control I have is that I have a small fridge in my room where I typically keep milk and yogurt (free for me). This has typically been one of my problems, as I eat way too much cereal. So, as a baseline to cut all kinds of waste calories, I'll be done with desserts/sweets of all kinds until I weigh no more than 215, and no more processed grain/corn-based foods. Also, no more cereal, which I tend to treat as a dessert. The void of sweetness left by those things will be filled by fruit, which I also have easy access to, even if it is a limited selection.
My exercise will be primarily treadmill and lifting, along with some stationary biking. I like to swim more than anything else, but I need to get prepared for my running goal, plus the pool at my school has limited, crowded hours.
Good luck to everyone else! I hope to stop by frequently.