[sparklistlight_68]

Hi, I'm new here as you can see. I want to lose weight but I don't know where to start. I wanted to lose weight for a long time but every time I go on a diet it fails because I don't have will-power. My diets last for like 2 weeks and it's back to the junk food. My mom buys all the food in the house. I'm 15 years old by the way and I do have body-image issues. I do know for a fact that I am overweight and when people ask how much I weigh I get pretty embarassed(sp?). I think if I lost weight I'll feel more confident about myself.

[PrcStar17]

I know this probably doesn't help much but I have to say it. It doesn't matter how much you weigh, it's how healthy you are. I understand that body image is a big deal when you're young. (I just got over that... I'm still young myself.) For now, don't do anything drastic. I suggest going to a doctor that you like and talking to them about your concerns. Try to find out your BMI (Body Mass Index). You can find calculators online for that. Make sure you're happy with yourself BEFORE you lose weight. This is really important because you need to know that no matter what weight you are, you'll always like yourself and it doesn't matter what people think. (I could say that until I'm blue in the face but lots of people still don't beleive it.) Another thing is, make sure you are losing weight for yourself, and yourself ONLY. Any other reason is not a good reason. You should only try to lose weight if you are concerned about your health and want to do it to feel better.

Please, be careful and don't do anything drastic. Talk to a doctor before you start anything.

Hope I helped a little!

[MorticiaAddams]

Dont go on another diet.
Just make more healthy choices when your eating.
The Food Pyramid is the most excellent guide to use on what to eat.
Instead of having pop, Have water, instead of snacking on a bag of chips go for a small single serving size of healthy pop corn or a small bowl of fruit.
Instead of Regular eggs for breakfast have Egg beaters or egg whites.
And in all get out and go for walks and rollerskate or go for long wlks in the mall with some friends. And make sure your eating enough when you do eat. Alot of issues come up when we dont eat enough.
I dont know what your weight is but a doctor can tell you in great detail on how your weight is and give you alot better advise. A checkup is always a good place to start.

[chick_in_the_hat]

I agree with the posts above ....a doctor or nutrtionist can be a big help. Other fairly simple options are healthy weight loss plans like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or simply counting calories. The organized plans are easier (if you need to learn about how to make good choices of what to eat) - but obviously they aren't free. I personally count calories, the best advice I can give about that is you want to make sure you don't go below 1200 calories a day. Losing the weight slowly is better for you and will give you a better chance of being able to keep it off.

Last but absolutley not least, exercise,exercise, exercise. It's good for you physically as well as mentally. Start slow and build up a little more time or intensity each day. Crank up the mp3 player and take a nice walk...

Keep in mind that you deserve to be healthy - and you are beautiful no matter what size you are.

[Heather]

Since you live with your family and don't have as much control over all the food, is it possible to talk with them and see if they are willing to help you make some changes? That gets tricky because it probably won't work if someone else controls what you eat, but having a supportive atmosphere at home can be helpful.

I agree with the posters above, make small changes. Start walking and moving more. Get your body used to that. But above all be healthy. This board is a great place to learn a lot of info, but you should probably talk to a doctor too...

Good luck and keep posting! Ask lots of questions!