Hello, I am obviously new here... so... hello again! [My name is Teresa] I hope I can make some real progress happen by joining this website, both for myself and all of you. This is going to be one helluva first impression (whiny, typical teenager, etc etc etc).

As you can tell by the title, I've been on a weight loss battle since I was 8 years old, simple math tells you I am 16 years old. Yes, since I was 8 years old, I've been worrying about my weight. I probably should give it rest, since I was probably doomed to be overweight. Its like I can try all I want but nothing will be lost.

I figured this summer I would lose some weight just so I wouldn't feel as crappy during my last year of high school as I've felt throughout all my years in school. I am having a tough time, given I feel enormous guilt when discussing these things with my mother or my friends. Discussing delicate things such as my weight is only easy with complete strangers!! (great logic)

Anyways, since about May I've been finding workout videos on the internet and doing them from time to time, I've done Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred but stopped halfway through the second level because I felt so worn out, probably because I decreased my caloric intake. I started up doing other workouts sporadically, but I feel so fatigued when doing them and I get dizzy and all that fun stuff! Again, possibly by the amount of calories I've cut back, but that's all apart of this whole game.

But not only have I been doing that, but I've been going on about 45-70 minute walks every night since about March? Maybe April? I know I've missed a few days due to the weather, I get really angry when its humid and rainy and I'm walking through it. Plus, I've been trying to get at least 10 minute runs into the end of my walks but since I have asthma its difficult for me to keep the full 10 minutes going without panting and nearing passing out. So no intense running until I figure out what I can do about that.

Just last night I decided to start bumping it up to 2 hours, and I've decided to start talking walks at midnight as well. Totaling it up to 4 hours and maybe some workout routines earlier in the day.

I am just so desperate to lose weight, but given the fact I live with my skinny mother, who has had no weight problems in her life and can eat whatever she wants and still be relatively skinny (the only fat she has on her body is in her stomach, and that is due simply to age and her drinking). So she buys all the crappy food for herself and I'm left to test my willpower and turn it down; which I should already have managed to do by this point, but events in my life have left me with a body full of fat and a mind filled with horrible thoughts.

Eh, okay, I'll stop there, I've already written a novel, so I might as well cut to the chase, I am just wondering, what normally keeps everyone here going? What things do you tell yourself, or videos you watch, or people... or... just anything that kind of keeps you to keep going. I really feel like the majority of my lack of strength during workout videos is all because I just don't have enough willpower to keep myself going, giving up is way too easy and way too tempting, and I fall for it every time.

---- I'm sorry if this has already been talked about in the past, and its annoying when someone else brings it up yet again without bothering to look first. Maybe my """story""" per se is just a bit different? ...Maybe...?

You should peek it at the success stories forum lots of inspiration there. Remember too 80% of weightloss happens in the kitchen.

Oh being a teenager and weight loss S-U-C-K-S!

First, just walking for 12 hours a day won't cut it for weight loss. If you need to drop a few pounds, maybe walking for about 45 minutes combined with some heavy duty strength training is your best option. I said it before and I'll say it again- Cassey Ho from blogilates.com is my savior. Her videos are peppy, upbeat, and HARD. Even though I'm shaking and swearing at her 5 minutes in, I always feel great when it's done. On the first of every month she has workout calendars, and you can even enter in on certain days for some pretty sweet prizes. Check it out!

Second, the asthma thing I totally understand, but you're going to get more bang for your buck if you run. If you like running, check out couch 2 5k. I just put myself in the mindset that I WILL NOT let my asthma affect my work outs, even though it's severe. If I feel like I'm about to puke up a lung, I scale it back. If I'm running and I feel myself about to wheeze, I slow myself into a sllloooowwww run, where I'm basically doing a hoppy run. It's all about persistence. Out of shape people can't lace up some Nikes and expect to be able to run for 10 minutes straight. Walk a minute, slowly jog a minute.

Last I guess would be to talk to your mom. I'm 20 and I live with my parents while I go to school, so I totally get it. But especially if you're younger- you're mom is there to make sure you have a healthy, happy life. Express that you have a weight problem and need her support fixing it, and you would appreciate if she limits the junk food. Take a more proactive approach with grocery shopping. Help your mom plan healthy meals and cook them, and start research lower carb alternatives, like cauliflower rice and such. Boost up on protein.


Don't fall for the lack of willpower. You only lose weight once you are ready. I have tried and failed many times, mostly because I'm so comfortable being fat, eating fat, feeling fat, etc. that it's a scary thought to be thin again. I had to really want it in order to push those negatives aside and focus on myself.

You can do it

I highly recommend Cook This, Not That: 350 Calorie Meals. That book changed the way I think about healthy living. Really, what works is this: exercising and eating in a way that you can sustain for your whole life.

Don't push yourself too much with the exercise. You can successfully lose without anything extreme. I lost over 40 pounds and the only exercise I did for 40 of that was fast walking for less than an hour about 5 times a week. That helped me drop weight because it was more than I had been doing and I was consistent with it. (I did it for over a year and would've continued but my schedule changed, making it better for me to do more intense exercise in less time.) If you exhaust your will on exercise, you may not have enough will power left over to look at your diet and find the changes that will help you drop weight.

Do you have a good idea of what you eat? If you're like most people, what makes it hard to keep calories down is eating too much sugar and simple carbs. Those create hunger, and that can be crazy hard to resist. Eating a moderate carb diet, and making 90% of your carbs the healthy kind--veg, fruit, some whole grain--can make weight loss waaaaay easier.

You're spending too much time on exercise. Eventually you'll resent it and snap. I suggest you focus on limiting your calories to about 1,500/day plus MODERATE exercise (about 3 hours per week) instead. Do that consistently and you'll lose weight.

F.

There's all sorts of good advice here. More generally, what's important is to have a *plan* and stick to it while making adjustments where needed, without giving up on the plan. The more time you put into researching and understanding the decisions you should make, the less you'll feel like you can just drop weight loss on a dime when you're presented with unhealthy food.

Figure out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) online and determine your preferred calorie intake from there. Focus on getting protein, veggies and fruit for at least 2 out of 3 meals of the day. It is your choice what to do about carbs. Read up, there are plenty of resources on this site and others. I recommend googling "simple vs complex carbs" and "glycemic index" to understand better some of the dimensions of different kinds of carbs and why people choose the diets they do. Either way, focus on making your dietary plan, whatever it may be, fit your caloric restrictions and whatever other restrictions you impose. Oh, and get plenty of fiber. Apples are good for that! I eat an apple a day.

Get your mom involved! Moms are awesome. You show her all the work you're doing and go over some potential plans with her, and she may help you out in the kitchen. Show her you're excited to make those changes in your life and ask. So much animosity is based on the fact that people don't ask for help. The worst she can do is say no.

Work in exercise gradually. Halo104 has the right ideas with respect to exercising with asthma. As someone who just sucks at running, asthma or no, :P if I'm out of breath and I can't keep my pace, I literally take it down to just putting one foot in front of the other, but as if I'm running. Speed-walkers may outpace me, but I don't care. That's not what I'm here to do. I'm here to run.

What keeps me going? Weaving my plan into my daily life. Embracing it as part of me, and embracing the fact that I'm not following the herd. I'm going off and doing positive things for myself on my own, and that I can come back to this community at any time with my problems and read those of others, and give and get support at any time. Embracing the suck. Embracing the fact that I'm in a place where one mistake doesn't mean the plan is over or ruined. The thrill of counting the number of times I get back on the horse. This is an adventure! You know the destination, but getting back on-plan after each obstacle in my way feels like battle scars. It feels like I am succeeding every time I come back from failing. And it shows on the scale. It's the only way to succeed, is through failures.

Be present with yourself, and if you start serving up excuses, politely tell yourself to get OVER yourself! You're worth more than your excuses! I said this in the beginning, but make a plan. I created a journal just for this and I meticulously update it every day, with my weigh-in, my exercise, and what I put in my mouth. I work out my problems in there, and I record my mistakes. But I don't beat myself up. I give myself compliments and tell myself how much better I'm feeling and doing by putting my butt into gear and caring about my body. Your body and your mind WILL thank you if you nourish them both. Good luck.

I agree with freelancemomma! 1500 calories a day and half an hour workouts. Exercise alone will not get you to goal. You might lose 10-15 lbs with exercise alone, but if you want to lose a lot more, you're going to have to try and eat healthfully. Chicken, fish, greek yogurt, salad, quinoa, cottage cheese, lean beef, leafy greens, broccoli. Stuff like that. Good luck.

Hello Teresa! Let me just say, it IS possible to lose weight as a teenager even when numerous previous attempts have failed! I'm currently 15, almost 16. I've struggled with my weight since I was about 8 as well. Starting out, I had about the same amount of weight to lose as you do. I'm more than halfway there now, looking great, and at a healthy weight, less than 3 1/2 months later.
I'd love to post my whole story, but I'm a little short on time right now. If you want I'll be back later and can write up a summary of my experiences.