Hey. I'm new here. I'm from the states.. I'm seventeen, 5'1", 220 lbs. and tired of being fat. I always tried to tell myself that I was fine as I am.. but I know that if I could just get into it, I could lose weight. I feel like I need this---> to ever "get into it," though... I went on a starvation kick last year, lost 15 pounds, snapped out of it, and gained it all back. I don't know how I can lose weight. I have a pretty big family (as in, six people), and it's really hard to eat healthily in a house full of cookies, soda, and chips. I don't exercise--hate it.. but I know I need to. It's also hard to know what exactly to do to lose weight, when I don't have forty dollars a month to spend on a diet/exercise plan. Please, if you guys have any tips on eating better or exercise, let me know. Thanks.
You are on the right path by looking for a Healthy way to lose weight! GOOD FOR YOU! Don't get misled by the TV commercials for " Instant" "Quick" etc, type of Diet Pills.
You didnt gain your extra weight all at once and you won't lose it and keep it off instantly either.
My suggestion would be to make choices-- 2 or 3 a week rather than trying to take on a whole new plan at once. Just like a course at school, you start at the beginning and at the end of the semester, you've learned a lot.
I belong to a challenge right here on the support thread- come take a look and stick around if you like. The challenge is called the "Labor Day Losers".
Good Morning Jasmine! First off welcome to this site! There is a lot of encouragement here! (I grew up and lived in Indiana my whole life until I married, where do you live?) If you would like a permanent place to "land" so to speak, I have a thread called Time for Serious Fun. I maintain this thread strictly being positive about weight loss. We try and make it fun not a drudge and help you to get over the hump of exercising too! We are all different ages, weight loss programs and lifestyles. We would welcome you there. I believe there is also one for teens if you look around within the site.
Unfortunately, there is no miracle for weight loss and exercise. It take determination and committment to work AND while you are working at it, you also have to work at why you overeat, what makes you overeat (stress, boredom, sadness, etc), what seems to be foods you can't handle without overeating.... and change those things. Otherwise, you will regain the weight. For example, if you always eat when watching tv, cut that out.
You do not need money to lose weight. I do not belong to any health club or diet program like WW. There is nothing wrong with them at all, I am just saying you don't have to have money to lose weight. If you are serious about wanting to get this weight off go to www.dietitian.com and on the upper left you will see a little calculator, click on it and answer the questions. It will tell you what amount of cal and fat to eat to lose either one or two lbs a week and even give you some exercise types to do and how long to do them. From there you can adapt to anything. Get yourself a spiral notebook and track everything you eat (I know it is a pain, but are you willing to make changes?) Pretty much everything has serving sizes on it nowadays and so you can eat anything you want. You don't have to stick to just "diet" foods. Let's say the calculator says you can take in 1600 and 400 fat cal. Ok, let's say you have oatmeal for breakfast, with milk. Let's say Oatmeal is 110 cal and 20 fat cal, subtract it from your 1600 and 400, then subtract whatever your milk serving is. I always try and eat light for breakfast like a piece of fruit, yogurt, even toast, then have a snack about 10, lunch at 12, another snack at 2 and then dinner. I know you can do this if you really want to lose the weight, but your head has to want it for it to be successful. For fast food amounts, go to www.olen.com and put in the info to get what cal and fat are in different fast foods, this sight should give you what different food amounts are calorie wise http://www.lhj.com/home/Food-Calorie-Counter.html like fruits, meats etc that don't come with calorie values on a box.
As to exercise, talk a girlfriend into going for a walk with you everyday for half hour. What I did when I started was to drive the car a half mile so I would know how far that was, then I would walk it twice a day. Find something that is fun to do and do it. Ride a bike, swim in a pool, play tennis, anything just to get you moving. If it is something you enjoy you will stick with it! If you know someone who wants to take off some weight, buddy up with her so you can keep track of each other. I own a condo and go to our pool every morning and do 45 minutes of aerobics in the water. It is FUN!
Now, just so you know that YOU can do this, I weighed 400+ lbs in January and have lost 90 since then. I have a lot to lose and I am willing to invest the time and effort into it. I am 49 and weight loss is significantly harder the older you get, so I know if you work hard, you can get to where you want to be! I know you can do this Jasmine! Please feel free to PM me if you have anymore questions or I can help in anyway.
Hi Jasmine,
I know how tough it can be to try to eat differently than the rest of the family, especially if you have to eat what someone else prepares.
Could you ask your mother, or whoever usually prepares the meals, if they would save back a serving of the vegetables before they add butter or margarine, and then you could season your own vegetables with whatever seasoning you like. I use a drizzling of oyster sauce a lot of times.
You could fix yourself a chef salad sometimes by using romaine or some of the darker green lettuces because they're more nutritious, and adding some carrots and small pieces of other vegetables, a sliced cooked egg, some shredded fat free cheese, maybe some smoked turkey, and a fat free dressing.
When the family sits down to eat, you may be showing the rest a good example by not having lots of starches, just have some of whatever meat you're having, lots of vegetables, maybe a small potato once in a while with fat free sour cream, or even a small amount of regular sour cream.
I think it's dangerous to cut out a whole food group, but that's just my personal opinion, based on medical facts.
I think if you stay away from saturated fats, as opposed to staying away from all fats, you're much healthier because your body does need SOME fats. Also, use complex carbohydrates, like bran cereals and whole wheat breads instead of white bread and macaroni, or use whole wheat spaghetti, but stay away from refined sugars like candy, sweet rolls, soda pop unless it's sugar free, and that type of stuff.
Also, be sure to drink LOTS of water every day. Don't gulp down a whole glass at once. Just start when you get up in the morning and sip on water all day. If you think it would improve the taste of it, add a slice of lemon to a glass. I personally have a bottle of water with me at all times. You will go to the bathroom a lot at first, but after a week or so, your body adjusts and you won't have to go so frequently. It helps your weight loss, and it also curbs your appetite. I've been told that if you have a half ounce of water for every pound of body weight, then you're drinking the right amount of water for your body. That amount would decrease as you lose weight.
Talk to a Dr and ask him/her how to go about losing this weight.
Find out how many calories you need to be eating a healthy diet, but still be able to lose weight. Maybe even have him/her run some blood tests to see if you might have an underactive thyroid, or check for pcos if your menstrual periods are irregular, and whatever tests the Dr deems necessary.
Then get yourself a calorie book, or go to a site on the internet called FitDay; http://www.fitday.com
and keep a diary there of everything you eat. It has the calorie and nutrition facts for all foods, and even has a place for you to enter nutrition facts from the containers of foods you have that are not on FitDay.
Keep track of your calories, and JUST AS IMPORTANT, you need to get exercise on a regular basis to help in the weight loss, but also to remain healthy. Start out small, maybe walking for a mile or two a day. You can even break it up into two or three sessions.
Do some resistance workouts, like learning how to work with hand weights, or some exercise bands, or run, (short distances at first, and only after asking your Dr if it's ok to run). I don't know if you have a part time job or not, but if you do, you might get yourself a bike if you don't already have one and start riding bike every day. There are lots of forms of exercise, just don't try to do it all at once. Add a little each week.
It's wonderful if you have your families support, but if for some reason you don't, then maybe a good friend, and of course we welcome you here always.
Please come back and let us know how you are doing. I will watch for your posts, and if you would like to post on a thread I am on regularly, you are more than welcome. I know you're seventeen, and the thread I post on is called 'over fifty and getting healthy', but, any age is welcome there. We just want you to get healthy.
Good luck to you and hopefully we'll see you again soon.
You've started off right.....for sure! I found the forum to be my best source of weightloss. When discouraged, I come & talk & usually forget to eat what I was tempted to!
Wow. Thanks.. I will definitely check out some of those sites you recommended, and the threads. I actually started a food diary last night.. i plan on planning my meals for the next day, and then writing down if I cheated or not.. hopefully to shame myself into eating right. I just got back from japan, which is the main reason I feel like I need to lose.. because there, they are all so incredibly tiny.. it's amazing. But as soon as I got home, I realized that American lifestyle really circulates around food, and americans are much less likely to go on a bike ride than sit in front of the telly popping cheese puffs.. and I truly believe that widespread obesity in America is because everything is just easier here. Eh.. anyway.. thanks all of you for your advice. I'll be checking in soon!
Hi Jasmine,
I see you're off to a good start. That's wonderful that you've got the American way figured out. You are soooo right about our lack of exercise and all the wrong foods. Something tells me that you're going to do really well in your journey.
You have a good attitude and are willing to make changes.
Were you in Japan for something related to school, or on vacation? I've had relatives who visited there, and they said they were treated with so very much kindness while there. They fell in love with the country and the people.
I'll be watching for your posts. I just know you're going to do just fine, and I'm looking forward to watching you shrink and get healthier.
Good luck to you. See you soon.
Hi Jasmine, how are you doing today? You're probably outdoors, where I should be right now, and I WILL be in a little while. I hope you are having as good weather where you are as we're having here.
You have wonderful aspirations for college. Will you use the language in a job, such as interpreter or something like that, or as a teacher? I think that's exciting to reach for, seeing as I have trouble with my own language sometimes.
I have a granddaughter who was just in Japan a couple of months ago, but she's younger than you.
What city in japan did you visit?
Well, I hope you have a wonderful day, and don't forget to drink that water!
newbie.. advice, please.
to ever "get into it," though... I went on a starvation kick last year, lost 15 pounds, snapped out of it, and gained it all back. I don't know how I can lose weight. I have a pretty big family (as in, six people), and it's really hard to eat healthily in a house full of cookies, soda, and chips. I don't exercise--hate it.. but I know I need to. It's also hard to know what exactly to do to lose weight, when I don't have forty dollars a month to spend on a diet/exercise plan. Please, if you guys have any tips on eating better or exercise, let me know. Thanks. 
Jasmine!
