A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:Hey, I am overweight . I'm 14 years old and the scale says i'm 195 pounds. Thats wayyyyyy over average for 14 year old females. School has been out since May 22 and all my best friends are swimming and i'm the only one who isnt! And its all because they're in shape and I look horrible even in a one piece. And please don't answer with something like 'you need self-esteem' . I think i'm gorgeous..but its just the stomach and legs that look bad. Oh..school starts again in early August and i'll be a high school freshman! I need to get in shape..its summer. Any suggestions? I need to get this fat off ASAP. Please, no dumb answers. Thanks!
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (26 May 2008): Hi there,
There's been some great advice given already, and it's up to you to pick and choose which works for you. I think though, some aunts & uncles have lost sight of the fact you're 14. It's easier to re-plan your meals and exercise habits when you're the person who does the shopping and makes the meals, but when someone else is doing this it can be difficult to stick to a diet. So tell your parents/guardians about your concerns, and ask them to help and support you. Ask them to stick to a healthy eating regime too - if there's no snack foods in the cupboards you won't be able to eat them. Maybe you can do family activities at the weekends like cycling or hiking. Your family (however embarrassing it is to spend time with them!) are more likely to be forgiving if you lag behind than your friends would be. So bear everything everyone has said in mind, but let your family in on the plan too - the more support you have, the more likely you are to succeed.
A
female
reader, kittikat +, writes (26 May 2008):
 Remember that you are a teen and your metabolism is working splendifically (yah, it's a word I made up) right now...You really just need to kick it in gear...Yes, several nutritious meals a day will make an impact-it's a very important part I forgot to mention. Keep your body in metabo-mode and that will help. Look up "metabolism", seriously. Nutrition, health and body image is a science.
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A
female
reader, kittikat +, writes (26 May 2008):
Do you have any medical problems? My daughter does and she's 97 lbs at 9. Rock solid muscle and the bones of a 14 yr old... I worry about her health- but hers need to be cautiously approached, certain regimens won't work...If not, just be more active and eat better. Sounds easier than imaginable, I know...But, eat lots of veggies and quality fiber, drink water and damn girl, stay away from American Fast Food! You may eat a cheeseburger at McD's and think it's nothing, but it's a ton of calories and garbage for your body...I say rok out in your swimsuit...you're girls will love you for it, no matter what they look like to you, they're still insecure like you---seriously! If you can't do that, then try walking, jogging, running while on VACAY. The motivation to shock them all may just be enough to get you into action. The key is movement. You have to make your body do what it's meant to do. People move. In our society, we don't have to do that too much. Look back to the days of our ancestors- women in the fields, strong, kick-ass women who raised crops and still maintained the "house". They did it, why can't you? Walk a little, see how you feel...Run a little, see how you feel. Just know that we're all built different and you may never look like that girl you idolize in school...But a healthy, happy woman is much more desireable than a stressed out, worried woman. Be healthy, eat right and keep moving. Be safe and take care. Colleen
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A
female
reader, BedrockBMW +, writes (26 May 2008):
 You've already been given some good advice, but I wanted to chime in.
As someone already stated, eating healthy and exercising are disciplines and it takes a while to form a habit (approximately 3 to 4 weeks), so if you can get over the initial hurdle with willpower and discipline and will, you will be on the road to success.
First, I would suggest increasing the amount of fruits and veggies that you eat and cutting back on the amount of red meats, carbonated drinks (sodas/pop), and sweets that you eat.
Second, start eat more often but in smaller portions. I know, everyone says this, but it's actually true. You should be eating 5 or 6 times a day, but smaller meals.
My meal plan, based on advice from a nutrionists, consisted of oatmeal, egg whites, and an amount of chicken the size of a deck of cards for breakfast; a non-fat latte from Starbuck's for a morning snack; a turkey sandwich with olives and a pickle and any other veggies I wanted for lunch; a protein shake and a banana for another snack; and a sirlion steak the deck of cards, potatoes pan-fried in olive oil and, again, all the veggies I want for dinner. Of course, another snack in the evening of fruits (usually apple sauce because that's what I prefer).
I'm a potato-chip fiend, so following this meal plan week after week was hard for me. So my nutrionist said it was already to indulge, as long as I followed the meal plan 80% of the time. So bascially, if I was eating 42 meals a week, at the most 8 of those meals could be indulges. That's what keeps me sane.
After I got use to the meal and learned how to substitute different healthy meals and carbs for those on my meal plan to add variety, I was able to feel some changes.
And like someone else stated, get active! Make a promise to yourself that you will exercise for 30 minutes a day. Take a walk (walking is so under-rated), get a yoga DVD or watch FitTV, go dancing or dance in your room to your favs, swim with or without your friends, rollerblade, etc, or do the traditional thing and go to the gym. As long as you don't do the same exercises day after day, you will see results. Doing exercises day after day causes your body to get use to the movements and takes your body longer to see results.
That was long-winded but I hope it helps.
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A
male
reader, PeterPan +, writes (26 May 2008):
 Emivia has great advice -- follow it! But let me give you another tip; it something I noticed for myself.
First, you really need to take a critical look at all the foods that you are consuming and evaluate their value. For instance, do you drink tea with sugar? Cut the sugar in half or a 1/4 of what you normally use. What about milk? Are you drinking whole milk -- try 2% instead. Do eat bacon with your eggs in the morning? Have one strip instead of a few. Do you use butter on your toast? Try margarine instead. Soda is another huge contributor... try switching to Diet Coke over the regular ones (honestly, water is better for you as it has the ability to help your body purge the toxins in your system... and that includes the added advantage of helping your skin clear and moisturize). In general, start cutting back on the fats and the sugars (refined or processed ones -- fructose in fruits is easier for your body to process and eliminate).
So, if you start cutting back on those things, you will start to see a difference quickly. Add the exercise and you will see it even faster. Most of the time, diet and exercise are disciplines. If you master them, you'll be all set. Also, don't deprive yourself -- allow yourself a "cheat" meal now and then -- say once a week. Plus there are times that you can't really avoid picking up more fats than you'd want -- movie pop corn is a big offender. Just cut back on the butter. Another easy thing to do is to think about taking bike or walking to the places you want to go. If you do that, then it doesn't seem like exercise.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (26 May 2008): Don't try any crash diets or anything like that. It would just end up making you sick.
What you need is to get into a swimming costume swallow your pride and swim along beside your friends. They are in shape because they are exercising. You need to be more active. Stop eatting junk food and start eatting fruit and vegetables with a balance diet. Dry going for a job every morning and doing a few sit ups at night. Weight lose is a slow process. You will need time and patients.
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