how can I go skinny with out hurting myself

To loose weight, safely and relatively quickly, cut off about 500 calories per day. Average calorie consumption for a female is 2,000, so move it to 1,500. By doing this alone, you’ll loose about 2 lbs per week. As for excersise? You need to build muscle and do fat-burning aerobics. You should aim for 30 mins 6 times a week, but since you’re probably not in great shape now, you’ll need to work up to that. Do the classic body-building excersises, like bicep curls and crunches. These cause the body to gain muscle, which not only gives you a leaner look, but burns calories like 10 times faster than fat. Do not worry, you will not bulk up like a man, because, being a woman, you do not have enough testosterone for it. It’s also good to talk to your doctor before begginning any kind of diet/fitness plan, so he/she can give you realistic goals to work towards. There are plenty of sites where you type in your weight, height, age etc etc and it’ll give you a proper weight. And you really shouldn’t go out of your way to get skinny, there’s nothing wrong with being skinny, but there is if that’s not how you naturally are. Remember, your goal is healthy, not skinny. And another thing, you should stay away from fad diets like Atkins and things you see in magazines, because they just take extra time and money, and usually don’t work. Just keep it real, eat healthy ( meaning low-cals, not a lot of trans, saturated or hydrogenated fats), work-out and stay positive and you will loose weight. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t see results right away, these things take time.