From laurie, Age 21 - 05/14/04 - IP#: 62.64.215.xxx  Click here to reply  
Hey,
I was just doing some research and I happened to stumble across this site. It makes me quite sad to see some of the stuff that is written on here as most of you are all so young and you seem so sad! It's good to lose weight in order to be healthy and prevent problems later on in life, but if you're only doing it to make friends and get boyfriends then that's really bad. If these people that you want to be around don't see you for you as you are now, then they will never truly be your friends. Having a boyfriend is NOT the most important thing in the world, infact it doesn't even come close to being important!
If you want to lose weight then do it the right way - slowly is always better and and combined with a senisble diet you are more likely to keep it off for much longer as apposed to quick fix diets! You should't think about the short term effects - think of the long term and adopt a healthy lifestyle so you never have to diet in later life. If you are new to exercise then start of small - don't push youreself as you will do more damage than good. Go walking for a about a hour 5 times a week/go swimming/roller blading/biking - whatever you like to do - but enjoy it - you'll stick to it longer that way. Also don't deny yourself anything - just limit your intake of junk food. If you want some chocolate then have a piece - just don't have a whole bar! Really ask yourself if you're hungry before eating something, and if your not then don't do it! Also if you feel hngry, try having a drink of water - sometimes that's all you need and your hunger will go away. Choose diet soda drinks over full fat, and go for plenty of fresh fruit and veg. research has shown that eating 4-5 SMALL meals a day every 3 hours helps to stay slim. Also don't eat so much that you feel stuffed - it takes 10 mins for your body to really recognise you are full, so take a break halfway through meals to assess how much more you need! Cut down on the sugar and high calorie snacks and you'll be fine!
Most importantly, lose weight because YOU want to - not because of anyone else! Set yourself REALISTIC goals, and don't give up if you don't see immediate results, or you do better one week that another - there really is more important things in life that becoming homecoming queen or something - it may not seem like it now, but if you spend your younger years getting depressed over this kind of stuff, when you are older you'll be sad that you spent so much of your time over it! most of you will find that alot of your weight will fall off as you get older and grow in to yourself anyway! If you try and stick to the points I made earlier, then hopefully you will feel so much better about yourself and see results you like! If you still fell bad after this then try talking to your parents or school counseller! Also, I know the media plays a big part in making us believe that we should all be a size 0, but a) look at JLo! and b) 90% of the pictures you see in magazines are digitally touched up, and even the celebrities themselves don't look like they do in the pictures!
Just one more point, please be careful when you leave your email addresses on the site - you have no idea who's going to be reading your messages!
Be happy!
xx
Reply from Michelle, Age 17 - 05/24/04  - IP#: 24.83.221.xxx
i've noticed :) it's great and touching..and i'm glad to you took the initiative to actually say that on this board considering the fact that i haven't read anything like that here..		 
Reply from laurie, Age 21 - 05/15/04  - IP#: 62.64.203.xxx
Hey Cat and Suzu,
thanks for reading the message! (you're right though - apart form you 2 no-one took any notice! Oh well!) I'm glad it helped a little bit! Suzu, if you read this before you look at your email - I replied! And Cat, if yuo want to email me it's platinumstars@tiscali.co.uk
take care,
Laurie		 
Reply from Suzu, Age 16 - 05/14/04  - IP#: 24.42.124.xxx
...Sorry! i made a mistake, I meant your post for the 2nd sentence, not email.. heh		 
Reply from cat, Age 17 - 05/14/04  - IP#: 80.44.212.xxx
THANKYOU!!!!! im sure they all ignored ur message and are carrying on the way they are but u are very right in everything u say & I wish they could realize that & then they may begin 2 feel better in themselves & actually lose weight. its a slow process but in the end its worth it. im on the jouney myself and I know it will take me a long time. hopefully ill reach goal in about a year. the way I look at it and wish others on this board would is that it took me a long time to put all this weight on so I don't expect it to come off overnight		 
Reply from Suzu, Age 16 - 05/14/04  - IP#: 24.42.124.xxx
I would just like to give you a grand cheer! I'm not sure if anyone read your email or not, though I fully agree. I guess no matter what anyone else says it won't help. It depends on a persons maturity level, and frankly it will be some time before people will realize there is more to life then having a boyfriend or a girlfriend. No matter how many times its stated in this site or how many times someone tells them something, most people are trying to find the easy way out. I'm glad you came by, Thankyou. Yet as for email, truthfuly, this is why I only give my back-up email and never open emails from an unknown person...