[bluneighborhood]

hello, my name is j, i'm 13, i weigh around 180 pounds, and i want to lose 50 pounds.

i've been struggling with my weight for the longest time. i've always been overweight. when i was a younger child, i obviously didn't worry too much about my weight. but, when i turned nine-ish, my weight started to really get to me.

i tried to lose weight on my own. but, since i was young and naive, it wasn't successful.

as i got older, i tried everything. i exercised more, i tried eating less, and nothing would work. eventually, i tried turning to starvation. i was so scared of gaining any weight that the thought of eating disgusted me. i could barely look at my body in the mirror. there was no results, and i became hopeless.

but, it's been a year, and i'm trying again in a much healthier way. i am here looking for support and some friends going through the journey with me. do you have any diet tips for girls my age?

[wefrogy]

hi and welcome! do you have the support of your family? would your parents buy healthier foods and less junk food. For your age I wouldn't restrict calories or such too much, but cut out soda's, chips, sweets and eating more veggies would be a great start. And drink lots of water. a few things to remember are 1) if you restrict your body too much by not eating (starving) your body will store what you eat as fat because it doesn't know when you will feed it again, that's why that doesn't work. 2) you did not put weight on overnight so it will not come off over night. most of us gradually put on weight over years and carry that weight for years then when we diet we want to see results on the scale fast and when it does happen we get discouraged and give up. 3) get active. I don't know how you are, but I have a 13 y/o daughter and she spends a lot of time in her room laying in bed on her phone and computer. what you put in your body as food is a big part of losing or gaining weight, but exercising and being active plays a role in it too. There are many strength training exercises you can do without equipment like squats, calf raises, push ups (even if you have to start with wall push ups), crunches. Exercises like these will target specific areas. dancing can be a good cardio if you put on a few songs and just move to increase your heart rate. there are lots of great apps you can put on your phone and you tube videos for exercising and zumba etc. Maybe see if one of your friend will join you in walking, bike riding or something like that to help keep you motivated. Best wishes to you!

[bluneighborhood]

Thank you! <3

And yes, my family does know, and they support me. I actually really love exercising; I think it's fun and makes me feel empowered. But, the problem is eating healthier. I really love junk food ( especially soda and chips ) and it's so tempting to eat it. But, I'm trying my hardest!

[alystical]

I remember being around 9 and my weight starting to sky rocket. I wish I had all the information I do now, then. With the right attitude and learning to love yourself, you can do anything! But as the previous poster said, it didn't come on overnight, so it won't come off overnight Be patient and don't expect too much of yourself. wefrogy has great exercise tips! Just moving in general will be good for you and being conscious of eating healthier foods. So instead of chips and soda, think carrots with hummus or a chilled clementine! Sports are a great way to stay active too, or maybe if your parents would let you join a gym that has classes targeted for teens. You can always message me for support, I remember how difficult it was being that age and being overweight, but I know you can do it!!!

[SenseAndSensibility]

I wish I was as smart and motivated as you at your age! It sounds like food over activity is what you want to tackle. I'd commit these next week's to discovering new foods. It's hard to resist treats, but your food should still be fun and tasty without the junk food! You don't want to live a life that makes you feel deprived or guilty.

Soda was a big one for my hubby to stop too. I suggest this for everyone, don't know how you feel about it, but tea can be a great alternative to soda when you want something flavoured but without all the extra junk soda has in it. You can also make tea iced, and you can even make your own "tea pop" by getting soda water and adding it to your cold tea! (When making iced tea or tea pop, you want to use about a third of the water you would normally use when making a cup or pot of tea. Once it's steeped for the amount time in the little amount of hot water, pour it over ice, or refrigerate it too cool it down and then top it off with soda water. Because you steeped the tea in less water, it doesn't taste so watered down. )

There's lots of herbal teas with no caffeine if that's a worry, and soda water is cheap so with a supportive family it shouldn't be too much of an extra expense.

I agree about finding yummy healthy alternative snacks. Hummus is great, salsa can be too! You can also look into baking some veggies to turn them into healthy "fries". Carrots and zucchini are great for this, and all it takes is an oven, cutting them to the desired shape (you can do sticks or chips) and just adding a dab of oil. Spread them on a pan and pop them in the oven. You can add whatever seasonings you like too. Virtually any veggie tastes better baked! They're a great alternative to chips.

Everyone is right about not worrying about restricting. You are still growing after all, you're body is going to need things and do things differently then the adults here that have stopped growing. But you can do this. Cheer yourself on and don't best yourself up. A day of cake or the occasional soda won't kill you and it's not worth your happiness to hate yourself over. But certainly celebrate every time you pick fruit over chips, or water over soda!