Hellooo all.
I just wanted to let everyone know that I have not forgotten anyone. I'm at Job Corps right now. I've been here for about 3 weeks, and in that 3 weeks I've manage to lose 8 lbs. I'm really excited about it. I've been doing really well, I've been counting my calories. I'm not going to lie and say that there aren't some days that I haven't managed to over eat, but at the same time I don't give up, and hte next day I'm back in to the routine that I'm suppose to be in. I don't really like Job Corps, I don't know if it's the place or the people, but I'm sticking it out. I've been walking everyday. I've played basketball, volleyball, and tennis. Three things I've never even attempted ot do before. They were all fun, except basketball, I don't care for it. I'm going to try to start jogging Monday. My friend Ashlee that I met here is trying to lose a little weight, too. Of course I have to lose a lot more than she does. Oh, well. We can support each other.

I have another friend named Cynthia who wants to lose weight. She has convinced herself that only eating salads every single day and nothing more will help her achieve that. I tried to tell her what I was doing, but she claimed that she never lost any weight this way. I then asked her how many calories she was taking in and she told me only 300 hundred everyday. I tried to explain to her that she was basically starving herself, but she wouldn't hear me out.

I came here because I still need all the support that I needed before. It's not easy, and there's days that I want to give up. And I have roommates and friends who say that I'm beautiful and should accept myself the way I am. And that's just a way for me to think that overeating is okay, because I should be happy with myself. I'm not happy this way. I want to be healthy, and I won't lie I WANT to be smaller. Nothing is going to stop me, not even myself.

I hope everyone is doing well!

You can accept yourself and love yourself....and still want to improve yourself! Congrats on already losing 8 lbs. Keep it up!!

Hey Starburst!!!

So glad to see you! Job Corps is hard work--but it is an experience that when you look back, you won't regret, even if it is hard sometimes.

Congratulations on your 8 pounds GONE!

Your friend eating 300 cals a day won't be able to keep up with that. Good for you for trying to help her--maybe if you set a good example, she'll catch on.

Just STAY AWARE of what you are eating. After awhile, you'll have a good sense of what and how much to eat. Keep on going!

I forget--how much weight did you have to lose? Well, no matter how much, stay healthy--eat the right things--keep with balance.


Jay

When I was 17, I tried to survive on 300 cals/day, but it made me very weak. After I started passing out, I stopped. At least I had enough sense to stop then. Your friend may be on her way to being seriously anorexic. If I were you, I would tell a nurse or a counselor or whoever it is that deals with that stuff. You could end up saving her life.

I don't know what Job Corps is, but congratulations on your loss! (And this is probably the only place where i can say such a sentence without looking like a jerk, hehe.)

I totally agree, 300 calories is WAY too low, and your friend is likely setting herself up for many problems or at least hard times with that. I too hope that maybe you'll be able to set a good example to her. (Of course, if she's done that often, maybe her body just can't lose any more with higher calories unless she 'works' on her metabolism first. This I don't know.)

Glad to hear you're doing well. Congrats on the 8 pound loss - you're obviously doing something right, so keep it up!

As for your friend, she either has, or is heading for, an eating disorder. You won't be able to change her mind for her, I don't think, but just try leading by example.

As for the "accept yourself the way you are" friends, they are saboteurs, though probably very well-intentioned. There's a big difference between accepting yourself and accepting your weight, because you are NOT your weight. I don't know you, but you're probably a great person with all kinds of super qualities - of COURSE you should love and accept yourself. But your weight is a transient state of being - like having a bad haircut or a rash. And it is an unhealthy state that is making you unhappy. So by all means work toward changing it - that won't mean that you don't accept yourself. Quite the opposite - it means that you love and care for yourself enough to want to take care of your body and be healthy. Good luck!