Hi there, I guess you started already....didn't you? You came here right? I am sure you know what you need to do, diet and do physical activity. Do you have a buddy that you could start walking with? That would help you get motivated. It is what has helped me so much. A friend to support you, I think is a great way to start. Just start out slow and just keep going every single day. I just wake up and the first thing I do is eat a light breakfast and go for my walk. I make that a priority. Big Hugs and if you need a friend I am always here. Hugs Denise

Well, my first piece of advice is to tell you that someone- that special someone- should and will love you and want you for you- doesn't matter if you are 900 pounds or 90.
Second, if you want to start working on this, I'd suggest keeping a food journal. don't change anything- just observe what you eat. That alone will start changing what/how you eat because you will be more observant. I would also suggest upping your water intake a lot- I drink 1 gallon a day- which is a lot, but spread out over the day isn't much at all! It really helps with weight loss!

Good luck! *Hugs*

you made the first step, you came here looking for help. the thing is, the only one that can help you, is you. keep a food journal, get physical, get up and move around, even if its going outside and walking around the yard. find you someone you can confide in, get in the right state of mind.. i am worth it, and i'm going to lose this weight that has me bound... you can do this, and we are here to help you along the way... if you slip and fall off the wagon, get online and post in your journal... theres going to be days thats a whole lot easier than others.. drink lots of water, skip the desserts.. little things you do can make a big difference... but remember one thing sweetie.. theres going to be people that bring you down to make themselves feel better, they are everywhere, and its not just about weight.. its about making you look back to make themselves look good. hang in there... you can do this.

wow,, start with loveing your self first,,,your young take that neltive energy
and turne it into a positive ,,you can, and you will make it happen for you. i felt the same way but i knew i had to make the first change in my life if this is what i wont,,,

Lots of good advice here. Please stop beating yourself up. Take that first step journalizing what you eat. Start planning what you are going to eat the day before. Do you eat breakfast? You know you have to .. to kick start your motabolism. A high fiber cereal and skim milk with some fresh fruit thrown in is a good way to start the day. Allow yourself 2 snacks and don't skip meals, but make sure you keep the portion size down. Start thinking of healthy things that you can eat. If you eat at the right times and the right type of food you will notice a difference before too long.. add in some exercise .. and keep journaling.. when you do your journal write down your moods for that day also.. it will help with letting you know if you eat when you are upset.. or skip meals when you shouldn't.

Above all, yes you took the first step when you stopped by this room.

Keep coming back.. there is lots of support here.

And a big hug to you!! Julia

Hi! I'm glad you came here because we can help you on your journey! But remember, it is your journey and we can't exercise for you or make healthy eating decision for you. You've already gotten all the advice I was going to give for right now.. write down what you eat, try to find easy things you can cut back on, make a star chart and give yourself a sticker every day you get some exercise. But I just wanted to add my support because you can never get too much of that! Good luck and let me know what I can do to help!

I'm sorry to hear that people pass you by and laugh. I know it has to be extremely difficult being in high school and feeling so isolated from your peers. I would def suggest engaging in activities that lift your spirit. If any of those activities, such as video games, are done indoors try to find the outside version of those games. Find ways to exercise without having to go to a gym. You can go to the battung cages, golf. It's def a start. Make yourself happy.

Hi! Glad you found this site. It is very helpful. There are tons of previos posts you can read through for lots of advice. YOU are in charge, YOU are not ugly, YOU can do this. Do you drink pop? My oldest daughter just cut out pop and lost 50 lbs. in a year by that one change. Start cutting portions, ditch the sugar and exercise would be a great start! Honey, I am almost 55 years old and just figured out this is for LIFE or the weight comes back. So I am off that roller coaster of gaining and losing the same 30 lbs. And it is for our HEALTH. Good luck and you will do it!!

Ah, the teenage years...I hated mine too.

First, conrads for finding DS, most people on here are very supportive and will help you on your journey.

Next, any medical conditions that you know about that could be keeping the weight on you?
I would rule those out first.

Being overweight dosen't necessarily come from eating bad, there are many factors that could be running havoic with your system.

If you determine that there is nothing wrong with your system, analyze what you are putting into your system. High sugar foods, and my lovely friend aspertame are wretched and can just do horrible things to you.

Get a plan of attack on how you control what you take into your system. I'm not saying live on salads and vegies but, keep an eye on what is going in there; can you burn it off just as quick as it is going in.

Water. Water is your friend. Never has an ounce of caloric intake; well unless you stick all that crystal light stuff in it.

Also, allow yourself to be "you". Being a teenager is horrid, you try to fit in, and have this distorted view that in order to be accepted you have to look like everyone else. Loving yourself comes with time and age. I will pose a question to you, in 5 years do you think that the "beautiful people" will still be beautiful in your eyes?
ON an average most people at the age of 16-18 do not stay at that weight for the majority of their lives. Wake up call, they will be tipping the scales too by the time they are 21 or 22. SO, people in glass houses should not throw stones.

Lastly. You should lose weight for you and no-one else. Maybe you do carry your weight well (with your comment about people telling you, that you are fine)but if you are uncomfortable you are the only one who can control where you go with it.

Welcome. If you have questions, please don't hesitate send me an email :-)

Thank you to everyone who commented. Im truely thankful for having people like you around to do this kind of thing for me. As for me... I've been trying to walk on our treadmill and have been trying not to eat as much in a day. I really hope all of your suggestions help.. and any more will be truely appriciated. *hugs to all* Thanks.

Congrats at your first step. Weight concerns will always be a part of our daily lives. I agree with a food journal. If you are interested in the amount of calories consumed you could journal your food at www.fitday.com . Also start listening to your emotional side. When you are experiencing mental feelings to eat HALT yourself. Ask if you are H (hungry), A (angry), L (lonrly), or T (tired). When you can decide this then it will be easier to make a good food and eatring decsion. IT won't be easy but it does work. Also Instead of eating quickly, slow down and chew every bite about 22 times. Enjoy the taste and satifaction, don't worry about finishing the plate. Slowing down allows time for your stomach to talk to your brain and regeister fullness. You can do this and together we all celebrate and cry... That is what makes this board so fabulose. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL... start by telling yourself 5 positive things that you like about yourself daily. The rest will come.

There are sites on the internet about how to become a normal eater. Some have a one time fee of 25 dollars others are free.

They teach you how to do a lot of inner work, concering self-esteem, self-care, self-respect and other aspects.

While dealing with your emotional part of your eating dilemna, you learn to eat only when hungry and thus you lose weight naturally without obsessing on it. By learning not to consume yourself with eating, weight, body image, food obessive thoughts.

Is it easy, not at all, it is a daily struggle because we have been spending so much time worrying about our weight issues that now we have to refocus our thinking on something else, something healthy. However, it will eventually get us where we want and without the obsession about our weight.

It makes sense to me because we are a weight obsessive world that constantly talks about getting healthy but then when we hear the statistics, we learn we are becoming a fatter nation then ever. So I asked how is that possible and I believe that it is for the reason that our obsession with fat is what is keeping many of us fat and causing us to become fatter. Obsession is one of the main problems and we need to get our minds on something constructive and let the weight melt off.

Your thinking is what is playing a big part in your struggle with your weight issues, I believe. You need to realize that, putting yourself down and being angry at yourself for gaining the weight is part of the problem.

You gained the weight probably because you used food as a coping mechanism and not just for fuel like it is meant to be for. What is important, is you need to forgive yourself and understand that it was all you knew to do and that now you have the opportunity to find other ways for coping with your emotional stuff and leave food for it's only purpose FUEL!!

FORGIVE YOURSELF AND THINK YOU ARE WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND NOW IT IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO FACE YOUR ISSUES HEAD ON AND STOP USING FOOD!

WARNING: It is painful and overwhelming, as a result, of all the emotions that you previously stuffed down with food. They are now resurfacing which means you really have to deal with them but I feel it is worth it because the other way that we have been doing it is more torturous since it keeps us stuck in the vicious cycle of gaining and losing.

So many people think, I just want to get this weight off and then I will have higher self-esteem and I will be happy. IT IS NOT TRUE, YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE SELF-ESTEEM NOW BECAUSE THE TWO ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.

Most likely we will gain and lose and keep doing that because the inner problems are never addressed just the physical and that is probably the underlying reason why we are a yo yo dieting nation because we keep working on the physical and ignore the psychological and other apects.

Good luck!

i say first of all try getting healthy if you do that the weight will come off.dont cut your food too low that will make you stop loosing weight because your body isnt getting what it needed,so it will hold on to fat. you are doing good you started walking i say do that for awhile than add some else to it .if you start out trying to do it all it will be to much. you can do this .

I'm gonna give tough love cause feeding to your pity party isn't gonna help you.


I used to think like you. Had people say the same thing "you're not fat, you're just chubby" till on May 16th my doctor straight up said

"you're 250, your BMI is 42 and these are all your health risks if you don't take action"

I was shocked cause I carry my weight well and you'd never think I was 250, most thought I was 200, well I started counting calories and working out and lost 50 pounds in 4 months and going strong.

Sorry to break it to you, but that whole "I'm ugly" is gotta go. You change your body, but the face always stays so you better start accepting it

ok, i may not be much help, but here goes. as far as being loved like the skinny chicks, i can tell you from first hand experience that you don't have to be skinny to be loved. Example A: my bona-fied chubby chaser boyfriend. He says those twiggy girls on tv need to eat pie, and while he encourages healthy eating for my general well-being, he says i better not get too skinny! lol. As for excercise, the best advice i can give you is FIND AN ACTIVITY YOU LIKE! if something is a total pain in the arse, it's less likely you will stick with it. i take belly dancing classes and i swim. i love the dance and adore the water, so it is a lot easier for me to stick with what i am doing. anyway, i am done rambling. feel free to drop me a line if you wanna talk or whatever.
sassy