 How do I get started in losing weight? |
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=> I need some advice on choosing the right foods and exercising. Can you help?
=> I wake up, and head to my shower. I take off my clothes, and sigh. I look down, and I just see alot of fat. Everyday. I tried to work out, but I can only do a few pushups, and then I quit. a few situps and then I quit. I really don't know what to do. I'm 13 and I weigh about 140lbs. that's too much. Please help me, I'm tired of being fat.... :(
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 Weight loss is best achieved through both diet changes and exercise. You can get a general idea of what foods contain a lot of calories by visiting our Food Bar on the home page. Once there, you can drag your mouse over different types of food such as yogurt, grapes, cookies, pizza, and others to see how many miles you would need to walk to work off those calories. For example, it takes about ten miles of walking to work off a double scoop ice cream cone. Thus, you can see that it would be hard to lose weight by increasing your exercise but not changing your eating habits. High calorie foods are okay as an occasional treat for most people, but if you find yourself eating certain high-pleasure foods daily such as donuts, pizza, chocolate bars, cake, cheeseburgers, milkshakes, etc., then you will have to make some lifestyle changes and start cutting out any of the high-pleasure foods that you frequently eat. This may take some extra willpower since you may be addicted to these foods and your body may feel like it is going through withdrawal symptoms for several weeks after you cut out a high pleasure food. Take it in small steps by picking one or two foods at a time to cut out of your diet. Check out Lucy’s Healthy Eating Tips page for more information on dealing with food addictions and choosing healthy foods.
Choosing the best exercises is best answered by you. Any activity that gets your heart pumping faster will work. Pick activities that you enjoy so that you’ll be more likely to do them most days of the week. Some people do well going to the gym and using the swimming pool or StairMaster regularly. Other people may prefer using exercise videos at home to guide them through aerobic movements. For many people, exercise is most fun when it doesn’t seem like exercise in itself, but just an activity such as jumping on the trampoline, walking the dog, gardening, or throwing snowballs or Frisbees. Some people do best with exercise when they have a friend or group engaged in the same activity such as playing tag, taking a hike together, or sledding. Visit Lucy’s Physical Activity Tips for more ideas.
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| I can't resist sweets! |
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=> im over wqait and i wont to get thiner how do i get thiner with out eating sweets bcs i cant stop eating sweets
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Sweets are high pleasure foods and if you find that you just can’t stop eating them, you may be addicted to them. When you reach for sweets, ask yourself if you are truly hungry because your stomach is growling, or if instead you are experiencing a craving, which is a desire for food simply to make you feel better because you are bored, had a bad day, or you are experiencing some other negative feelings. Eating extra sweets will temporarily make you feel better if you are addicted, but of course makes problems worse by causing weight gain. See if you can relate to the kids on this Comfort Eating board.
If there are certain sweets that you repeatedly reach for, try to pick one of those foods and eliminate it completely from your diet. You will have intense cravings for several weeks but over time these should go away. Then pick another sweet food that you seem to be addicted to and repeat the process. Getting rid of the temptations by removing these foods from your house should help. Let your parents know which foods you need help on eliminating. |
| How Do I Lose Weight? |
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=> How come all my friends can eat and eat but just stay skinny and how come when i eat and eat i just keep getting fatter and fatter?
Its really making me upset and i feel like crying because when i am out shopping with my friends they all get really nice clothes and i cant fit into them! Please help me lose weight!
=> After reading all the personal stories I want to do something about my self
=> Dear Lucy!!! im so sad becaus eim beyond fat!!!
i weight 160!! i really want to lose that weight but then i cant!! can u please help me lose weight i try everything its just that i cant lose my belly fat!! help!!
=> what do i do from being over weight
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On our Healthy Weight School web page, you will see a section titled How Do I Lose Weight. Overeating is like a bad habit for some people. Many people use food above and beyond simply satisfying hunger pains. They eat extra food for entertainment, out of boredom, or to comfort themselves in order to numb unpleasant feelings. Try to identify situations and reasons why you may be eating more than you need. Check out our weight control tips. Then set some doable goals in small steps and track your progress in the eCare Area.
For the most part, people in the healthy weight range eat in moderation and get regular exercise. There may be a few kids who have a higher metabolism than average and burn off calories more easily, although medical research has not proven this. Kids who are skinny just eat less or exercise more. They are able to resist cravings for food by doing distracting activities like sports or hobbies, and keeping junk food out of their house. Skinny kids also find other ways to deal with stress and sadness without using food for comfort, such as laughing and jokes, pets, hobbies, volunteer work, calling a friend, counseling, dancing, clubs, and non-competitive sports.
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| Set up your own Weight Chart |
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=> why don't you set up a calender for kids over weight for losing weight
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On the homepage, click on the eCare Area, and there you will find a place to sign up for your very own Weight Chart. You can select your weight goal and how many pounds you’d like to lose (maximum 2 pounds per week). Be sure to update your weight chart every week so that you can see your progress. Maintaining a weight chart is a great tool in helping to keep you motivated! |
| How do I get out of this vicious circle? |
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=> I'm 10 and I'm 283 lbs. I can't even walk that well anymore. The doctor says that my weight is life threatening. Everyday I become more and more unhealthy because I sit on the couch watching tv and eating kfc, mcdonalds, twinkies, cake, ice cream, and 1 pound chocolate bars filled with caramel. I can't help my eating issue. I'm homeschooled because I cannot walk with the other kids or run or play. I also have very low self asteme. I'm scared I'm going to die. I am literally gaining more weight each day. Please help and give me some tips.
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Your weight problem is a classic example of the "vicious circle" effect. Once someone gains excessive weight, this can easily lead to depression, social isolation, and lower self esteem. These negative feelings increase the desire to seek comfort in food. But this ultimately leads to more depression as your weight increases, which in turn makes it more difficult for you to move around and burn off calories. A strained relationship with your parents may also contribute to the vicious circle.
Your goal is to break this cycle by finding comfort in things other than food. Visit our Healthy Weight School. Ask your parents to help reduce temptations by getting rid of junk foods in the house. Also encourage your parents to visit the Parents Area of this site. Offer to go to the grocery store with them to help select some fruits and vegetables to take the place of the fast food. Keep your hands and mind busy when you are experiencing cravings. For example, some kids will squeeze their hands really tight during a craving until it passes. Other tricks like drinking a glass or two of water may work for you.
Write down some ideas for hobbies or pleasurable activities that can replace your emotional eating. Consider joining a club, signing up on our bulletin boards or chat to find social support. Once you get to the point where you feel comfortable walking around the block a few times, you might even consider a paper route to keep you motivated. Lucy's newspaper boy is also home-schooled and has a regular paper route that keeps him walking most days of the week. Signing up for your very own weight chart is another way to keep you motivated. We want you to succeed! |
| My parents don't seem interested in helping me to lose weight. |
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=> ok i have a big question i dont know how to get started and every time i try i tell my mom and she starts laughing what should i do ?
=> can u help me lose weight i have a huge sweet tooth and my mom doesn't think im big cause she is 2 but can u give me some tips
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Many parents recognize that childhood obesity is a national problem, but for various reasons some of them may not see or want to acknowledge that this is a problem with their own kids. When your parents don't seem interested in helping you lose weight, you can do several things.
Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) to see how much you are overweight. Then show your BMI results to your mom (and/or dad). Ask your school nurse or doctor to look at your BMI with you and your parents and discuss the best weight loss strategy. Sometimes your parents just need an adult in the medical profession to talk to them about your health situation before they become convinced that they should support your desire to attain a healthy weight level.
There is also a Parents Area dedicated solely to parents here.
We even have a chat room for parents of overweight children. Show your parents how to use it if they are computer challenged. Soon we will have an RN available every Tuesday evening 7pm Eastern time to chat with parents. |
| I can't find vegetables that I like. |
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=> Im 16 years old and 167 pounds I'm 5'7 seven, I want to start loosing weight and i know i need to eat a lot of vegetables but i cant seem to find any that I like, can you help me?
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Sure! Check out wikipedia's list of culinary vegetables and note some of the vegetables that you haven't tried yet. There are bound to be a few. For example, bok choy and chard are mild tasting vegetables that most people like and are readily available in cooler months. In fact you've probably eaten lots of bok choy before if you've eaten at Chinese restaurants.
Here are some tips in finding vegetables that you might like:
Find a one or two new vegetables you want to try out.
Search online for some simple recipes that include these vegetables and print them out.
Ask to go to the grocery store with your parents and help find these vegetables that you would like to try.
Some ideas for finding recipes with vegetables that may improve their taste to you:
* Soups
* Marinade vegetables for use in dishes like kebabs. (Lucy's adds chicken or beef cubes to her favorite vegetable kebab recipe)
* Healthy toppings - chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, low calorie salad dressings, herbs and spices
Don't worry if you have some vegetables that you intensely dislike. Sometimes you grow out of your dislikes as you get older and sometimes not. Lucy couldn't stand Brussels sprouts or green beans as a kid. Now she is happy to eat dishes with green beans, but she still refuses Brussels sprouts! |
| How do I deal with bullying? |
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=> I have to go through alot every day being called fat every day by different people.I try to lose weight and gradully it's working but i don't know how to stand up with the bullying until i get the weight off!
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You are not alone! Most kids get teased but many overweight children receive more bullying than their classmates. First remember that it is NOT your fault. People who bully are insecure and use bullying to try and make themselves feel better. There are several ways for you to deal with bullying.
> Talk with a trusted adult, such as a school counselor, teacher, your parents, or maybe a close sister or brother, about what you are experiencing. Talking with someone will allow you to vent your frustration while also finding support for your situation.
> Use our bulletin board or chat rooms on this site to link up with other children going through the same experiences.
> If you notice other kids who are also being bullied, ask those kids to join you during lunch, going to the park after school, or other activities. Not only will you be able to relate to each other in your experiences, but you may form new friendships!
> If you know a friend of the person teasing or bullying you, try to talk to that friend and let them know that the bullying is not appreciated. The friend may then be able to convince the person bullying to stop.
> Write down one positive thing about yourself everyday. These positive feelings will help in dealing with the bullying when it happens.
> Consider joining an after school sport or a club like Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts where people can get to know you better as a person, beyond just on how you look.
Good luck and congratulations on losing some weight already! |
| How fast can I lose weight? |
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=> Could Give Me Any Tips To Lose Weight Quickly? Is It Possible To Lose 2 stone, by Febuary 2009? I'm 13 years old and 253 lb.
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It's common to want to see weight loss results quickly, but this is not realistic or safe. You did not gain your extra weight within days or weeks, nor should you expect to lose it in the same amount of time.
Here are the reasons you don't want to lose weight too quickly:
- the pounds you do lose will be more likely due to water loss, which will not only make you dehydrated, but more likely to gain the weight back again
- rapid weight loss can cause fatigue or extreme tiredness
- extreme restrictions in caloric intake can increase your risk of not receiving enough minerals and vitamins, otherwise known as malnutrition
- losing weight too quickly will take a toll on your body resulting in dry skin, dull hair, and a gaunt complexion.
It is also easy to become discouraged in trying to lose weight when one sets unrealistic goals. Losing 1-2 pounds (or 1/2 to 1 kg) per week is a more realistic goal if you are severely overweight or have stopped growing. Calculate your BMI and healthy weight range, visit the "What Is Safe Weight Loss?" page, and then meet with your doctor to find the rate of weight loss most appropriate for you. |
| I don't like to exercise. |
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=> i dont like to exercise but how do i work to lose weigt
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Exercise may be viewed by some as boring or a chore that they can't get motivated to do on a regular basis. Often exercise invokes images of push-ups or jumping jacks that the gym teacher may lead us through, or we do on our own time. For some this may work just fine. But other kids need different options to get them interested in exercise.
If you find it helps to exercise with others, then some competitive school sports might appeal to you such as basketball, volleyball, or soccer. Or maybe you don't like competition but still would like to socialize while working out. Communities or local gyms will offer regular times to do aerobics (sometimes even in a pool) and spin classes (stationary bike cycling) often led by very motivational leaders with fun music. Most people who attend these classes want to lose weight just like you!
Other activities that don't require any school, gym, or pool to get you moving include walks and bicycle rides in town or on trails, rollerblading on paved trails, volunteering to walk dogs at the local pet shelter, and even geocaching which often require little or long walks to find a treasure box!
For an added incentive, you might even consider jobs that include a little exercise so that you get paid at the same time! These jobs could include shoveling snow, mowing lawns, vacuuming the house, or a newspaper route that is a reasonable length to walk within an hour or less per day.
Visit our Exercise page for more ideas and reasons why exercise is an important component of any weight loss plan. |
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