~ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ~

Here is where we answer your questions about your weight and reaching your weight goal. Our site provides general health information only and cannot give medical advice.
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 Diet Apps - Why Don't They Work

=> I'm 15 and I'm 155 and I tried loads of diet apps but it's like I'm eating too much carbs when I try to only eat fruits and veggies what's the problem!?

 Most diet apps focus on calorie counting and exercise. Among other things, they allow you to track your weight, your exercise and meal amounts, make food shopping lists, and monitor your progress. same old results Some have audio "coaches" that motivate you during exercise, others measure your body fat or workout intensity and some even use GPS to track your running routes or create virtual exercise groups. So, why aren't we losing weight?

Failure to lose weight might be simply because we are taking in more calories than we are putting out despite routine exercise and calorie counting. We may still be taking in more food than we think even though we might track our meals. Did you add the candy bar you ate after school or the bowl of chips you ate while watching TV? It isn't always WHAT you eat but HOW MUCH you eat.


Take a look at a new approach to weight loss and weight maintenance in the following links. You might find new ideas and new skills that will help you.
STEP ONE - Eliminate Problem Foods
STEP TWO - Eliminate Snacking
STEP THREE - Reduce Food Amounts at Meals

Try a new way of thinking for different results!


 Body Image - How's My Self Esteem

=> I am not necessarily overweight at all, but for some reason I worry about it far too often. I excercise very often (going to the gym each weekend and grappling class 4 times a week for 1 hour), eat healthy (though I do enjoy small sweets occasionally, like twice or thrice a week), and even stand up at every chance I get instead of sitting down. I notice, though, that other girls look a lot more fit, even if I know they are the lazier type. I am 4' 10, 13 years old, and weigh around 98 lbs. I excercise and eat healthy, and have for my whole life. Its not like I want to look like a model, but how come I don't look strong and fit, from my point of view at least?

 girl camping
You might think that you don't look as strong or fit as you should be or that you aren't as fit as other girls your age, but it might be that you are experiencing what is called low self esteem or lack confidence in yourself. It is common to feel this way, so don't worry.

Check out a few of the ideas on SELF ESTEEM to learn more about what you can do right away to improve your own self confidence. You'll start feeling better about who you are and feel more confident about yourself and it will show! Start thinking positive and believe in YOU!

P.S. Wear a smile and hold your head up high! It looks good on you!


 Stretch Marks and Loose Skin With Weight Loss

=> I'm 14 and a guy and I'm 6ft and 242 and have stretch marks how do I lose weight and if I grow will I have excessive skin if I grow to 6'6 will I have excessive skim

=> I am currently 17 now, I weigh in about 213 pounds but let's just say to make sure 220 pound and I begin going to the gym on May 5th 2017 and my goal is to look lean, and if this matters my height is a perfect 6ft and if I am wrong maybe 6'1ft but the real question is will I get loose skin?

  Too rapid of weight gain or loss can contribue to saggy skin and stretch marks. But, there are things you can do to minimize both.

Saggy Skin. Skin takes time to resume its former level of tautness after weight loss. The good news: Losing weight at a healthy rate can minimize developing saggy skin and, younger people have more elastic skin, which "springs back" more easily.

Stretch marks can occur with rapid growth or weight gain when the body expands faster than the skin can grow. They appear most often on the stomach, under arms, sides of the body, thighs, buttocks and hips. Stretch marks may not completely disappear but they do tend to fade over time. Losing weight will also help. The amount of time skin has been "stretched" by weight gain may influence it's ability to retract after weight loss. Nutrition can also play a role in how your skin responds.

Here are a few things you might try to help your skin return to it's previous condition:

1. Continue to exercise. Adding some weight training to your routine will help tone the muscles beneath the skin, which may make the skin appear more firm.

2. Drink lots of water. Water is an essential part of maintaining skin elasticity.

3. Eat enough protein. The ingredients that help keep skin elastic are collagen and elastin. Foods such as cottage cheese, milk, beans, seeds, nuts, and fish all contain collagen and elastin forming components, as well as oil that are needed to help maintain healthy skin.

4. Take Care of Your Skin. Daily exfoliation can help to remove dead skin cells and increase skin circulation, thus improving skin tone. Stay away from harsh chemicals and too much sun exposure. They can decrease your skin's elasticity.

5. Above all, be patient. It takes time after reaching a healthy weight for skin to retain it's tautness. But, with weight loss, your skin tone will improve.

Check out the TIPS AREA of this website for great ideas on losing weight.



 Losing Weight Without Exercise

=> I'm 14 and weigh 11 stone 4 pounds. I'm 5 foot 5 And I would like to be 9 stone in the space of 6 months so that's 32 pounds I think. Recently I've had an injury so I can't do my sports that I enjoy doing. I've been very unmotivated but I've really wanted to make a change. Apart from exercise what do you think would be a good way to lose weight as a teen who is very stressed with school life and work already ??

=> I'm a 14 year old girl and I weigh about 180 pounds and I'm 5'2. I want to lose weight because I hate the way I look. Most of the weight is around my mid section. I've tried exercise and eating right but it doesn't seem to work for me. How can I lose weight so I can feel better and look better? It hurts me to look into the mirror and I really want to do something about it but nothing's working.

=> im 18 year old girl and i weight 185 and I'm 4'11 i wanna lose at least 20 pounds before school start but i never know where to start and when i exercise sometimes i give up which is bad i just need help thank you.

=> What do I do if I'm 13 years old, 5'3" (160m) and 132lbs (60kg) and I want to lose weight but my little brothers like junk food? They aren't overweight and I don't want to force them to not eat junk food. My mom has already told me I should lose weight And the other problem is my parents almost never buy fruits. "It's too expensive" they say. I love fruits. I would eat them all the time if I could. Another question is what do I do if I really don't like vegetables? Is there a trick I can do to hide the taste? If it helps, I have a sweet tooth. Please help?

=> I am a 14-year-old girl and I'm almost 270 I have stretch marks and back fat rolls. I have tried to diet and I don't eat junk food all the time, I eat salads and tons of meats and veggies. I'm homeschooled and I don't want to go to my new school and everyone makes fun of me I have tons of allergies so it's very hard to loose weight by food. For me, exercise just doesn't work. I would like to lose about 50 pounds by the end of the year, but 10-15 pounds in a month or two would work. Do you have any suggestions??

 old habits new habits

Why can't I lose weight? There are hundreds of reasons we can list: I can't exercise, I live around junk food, I can't eat or don't like certain foods, I eat healthy but just don't lose weight and on and on.

ALERT: It might be that we need to re-assess the reasons blocking our weight loss and find ideas to turn the obstacles into success.

Basically, we gain weight when when we eat more calories than we burn. It's that simple. We need to eat less food amounts and move more. Remember, you control what and how much you eat. It might be that the methods to lose weight that we've tried in the past just haven't worked. Don't give up! Instead, take a fresh approach.

Take a look at some new ideas to try.

1. Eliminate Problem Foods. It might be that you have certain problem foods you need to stop eating.
2. Eliminate Snacking. It might be that you are snacking too much or on the wrong foods.
3. Reduce Food Amounts at Meals. It might be that you are eating too large amounts of food.

If you don't like certain foods, like vegetables, try substitutes or add other non calorie flavors to the food. For example, substitute a vegetable you don't like for one you do like or try vegetable drinks like V-8 juice. You can also "disguise" a food by adding lemon juice or other spices to it to change the flavor. Try a small amount and see if you can change your mind. It's remarkable what disguising a food can do to the taste.

It's also important to START DOING DISTRACTING FUN ACTIVITIES EVERY DAY! This gets your mind off of eating. You'll be amazed at how well this works.


 Exercise - How to Have Fun With Exercise

=> How can I have fun while i exercise?

=> How often should I excersise?

=> My question is that I'm 11 and I weight 50 kg also I have lots of belly fat that I don't want what shall I do to not have belly fat

 Exercise should be FUN! The best idea is to remove the word EXERCISE from your vocabulary!! girl rowing That's right, gone! Instead, think of FUN ACTIVITIES AND DISTRACTIONS that you like to do. Here's a beginning list of fun activities and distractions.

Make a list of your own fun activities and distractions. Include things you like to do with others, things you can do indoors, activities you like to do outdoors. List your hobbies and interests like photography, crafting, playing an instrument, visiting a museum, walking the dog, reading a book, planting a garden. You can even put things down that you don't really like to do but need to do now and then like clean my room or take out the garbage. See how many things you can list. Then, plan to DO ONE OR TWO EVERY DAY! Mix it up, that way you won't get bored. You might even start to HAVE FUN!

Fun idea: Put each idea on a slip of paper and put the slips in a jar. Draw out one or two slips with the ideas on them and GO DO THEM!

When you feel the urge to eat, go to your jar instead and draw out an activity to do. You'll be amazed at how well it works. You forget all about eating. Instead, you focus on the fun you are having with a fun activity. When you aren't so focused on eating, VOILA! You'll begin to lose weight and you'll feel better about yourself too!


 Losing Weight For Wrestling Coach

=> I need to lose 15 pounds because my wrestling coach wants me down a weight class for next season. I have 2.5 months to do this (10 weeks at the very most). I was wondering if you had any suggestions on what I should do? I'm a 14 year old girl, average weight for my height, and do at least 75 minutes of activity everyday. I eat fairly healthy but I do have desserts all the time and snack constantly. I barely skip meals also. Please help me, thank you.

 Although you didn't mention what your current weight or height is, you (and a parent) might want to check with your physician to make sure that there would be no harmful effects from losing 15 pounds just to wrestle a lower weight class. ouch

You indicated that you eat desserts and snack constantly. Therein might be your answer! Snacks can add a lot of calories (increase our weight) pretty quickly even though we might not be aware of it. Try reducing or eliminating snacking to see if that doesn't shed some weight. Chances are, that one step will make a difference.


 3 Steps to Losing Weight

=> Hello I am Danielle, I am 17 years old and my weight is 230. I am a female and my height is 5'3. I need to lose 70 pounds before this June. Is this possible without over working myself? I really need some help. If this is possible can you tell me exactly how to do so?

=> Im 13 years old and 300 lbs. Im not just overweight I'm obese. Its really hard being this size. Is there a easier way to lose weight for someone my size?

=> i am 15 years old and weigh about 190 lbs i am 5'11'' and i need to lose about 40 lbs any suggestions? please help

=> I'm FAT that's all i have to say to myself in the mirror and that I'm ugly. I'm thirteen and weigh about 165. I have stretch marks and a fat double chin. I wear my mothers clothes, I wanna weigh around 110 pounds in around a month or two. If that's even possible? Help.

=> im 15, 5' 8", and 185lb. have gained about 20 pounds since the end of soccer in November. I have stayed very active, running or working out almost every day, and eating even healthier than before. However, I am gaining a lot of fat, and it is pretty visible too. Is this just a part of my growth, or is there a problem? also, how can i try to loose this fat? - Thanks

=> How can I lose wait easily with only exercising?

=> I am 15 and I weigh 160 pounds. I'm also 5"5 am I to big? and how do I speed up my metabolism?

=> I'm 13 years old and my height is 5'3 whilst my weight is 127 I want to get in track and field for high school any tips on how to get into running and I would like to get muscular

 Losing weight requires that YOU EAT LESS CALORIES THAN YOUR BODY BURNS UP. In other words, you will need to eat less, be more active, or a combination of both. It's that simple. What is not so simple is resisting the high fat, high sugar foods, the large portion sizes, second helpings, and frequent "junk food" snacks and soft drinks that you are used to.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

We've put together an organized 3 WAY APPROACH TO WEIGHT LOSS to help you be successful with your weight loss. It is designed to be a step by step manual for you to follow. These are all things that YOU CAN DO AND THAT YOU CAN CONTROL. Here are the steps:

STEP ONE - Eliminate Problem Foods
STEP TWO - Eliminate Snacking
STEP THREE - Reduce Food Amounts at Meals

THREE TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU:

1. KEEP A FOOD DIARY. Write down EVERYTHING and HOW MUCH that you eat and drink each day for all snacks and meals. We frequently eat a lot more than we realize and keeping a food diary can help us see that. Review your food diary EVERY DAY. You will begin to see where you need to cut down. Even cutting down small amounts can help. For example, cutting out one 16 ounce soda a day will result in about 25 pounds of weight loss a year!

2. KEEP AN ACTIVITY DIARY. Write down all the activities and how long you do them EVERY DAY. Try to increase the kinds of healthy activity you do EVERY DAY! For example, walk up the stairs instead of taking elevators, walk to school, walk up hills instead of walking on flat areas, or ride a bike. Sometimes eating about the same but increasing ones activity level breaks the cycle and can get you on your way to losing weight.

3. START DOING DISTRACTING FUN ACTIVITIES EVERY DAY. Distracting fun activities can get your mind off of food and help burn calories. Make it fun and mix it up!


 How Do I Lose Weight

=> I am 12 and I weigh over 170 pounds and I want to lose weight by time school starts

=> I'm 14 and I weigh 150 pounds and I'm around 5'3 or 5'5 What do I do to lose weight

=> I'm 18 years old i want to lose my weight i'm 60 kg my tall is 160cm i need a healty diet to lose 5 kg or 6 kg per month

=> I am 14 years old my weight is very gain what can I do for healthy weight loss and stay fit

=> I'm 12years old and 5'3 I always been judged about my weight since 4th grade now I'm 12 and I'm 188. can U just help be to lose weight please

=> I am 13, 170 pounds and need help loosing it how do I do that in the least amount of time possible? All of my friends are skinny and don't have to deal with it... I would like to be that way also to feel beautiful and confident again.

=> I'm 15, 5foot11 and 201lbs. I've always been slightly overweight my life But the last time I went to the doctors he told me I'd crept above 200lbs for the first time- which he said also qualified me as obese. Any tips?

=> I'm 16, 5 foot 6 and 178lbs. I recently put on 40lbs of that weight in the last 2 years. How can I stop this weight gain??

=> I am only 12 and weigh 151 lbs. which is considered obese. What should i do?

=> im 11 years old I need help too lose weight so far I weigh 42kg or 92lbs with a height of 139cm or 4'7feet when I sit down I have 1 big belly roll at the bottom of my belly and 2 medium belly rolls at the top of my belly PLEASE HELP ME

 
So you want to lose weight? That's great! But, before you start, it's a good idea to ask yourself a few questions to determine your readiness. Let's get started.

Write out your answer to each of these questions:

1. WHY DO I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT? Do I want to lose weight because I am tired of feeling fat, because I want to wear cool clothes or feel better about myself? Getting in touch with why you want to lose weight helps you to stay focused during your weight loss journey.

2. HOW DID I BECOME MY CURRENT WEIGHT? Think back on when you started to gain weight. Was it gradual over time, more sudden due to some type of stress or depression? You might be able to identify various factors like, "I started eating larger amounts when I was stressed," "I ate even though I wasn't hungry just because I liked the taste of certain foods," "I was bored and food comforted me." Whatever the reason, it helps to identify your food eating patterns.

3. HOW COMMITTED AND MOTIVATED AM I TO CHANGE MY CURRENT LIFESTYLE?
- Am I READY TO CHANGE MY OLD HABITS?
- Am I WILLING TO STOP EATING LARGE AMOUNTS OF ALL FOODS?
- Am I WILLING TO STOP EATING JUNK FOOD AND DRINKING SODA? If you aren't willing to change old habits, your weight loss efforts won't be very successful. You must be willing to try to change your habits.

4. HOW WILLING AM I DO DO SOME KIND OF FUN ACTIVITY EVERYDAY? Fun activities aren't necessarily exercise. Rather, DISTRACTIONS help you to avoid eating when you aren't really even hungry.

5. WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT DO I HAVE?
- Will my parents buy healthy food and keep junk food out of the house? I can do it
- Will my parents and friends help support and encourage me to avoid eating when I eat when I'm not even hungry?

Once you've answered these questions, check out
How Do I Lose Weight - A Step By Step Approach to help you evaluate your eating and exercise habits and help you keep a food and exercise diary. Then you can set some short term goals that are realistic and attainable. There are lots of ideas for fun activities to do and ideas on how to increase your motivation in the TIPS AREA of this site. Check it out!

YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN BUST THOSE OLD HABITS!


 What Is a Healthy Weight For Me

=> I am 13 years old and I weigh 158.4. I'm 5'2. Am I overweight? I don't look like I'm that much. I go to dance. I've danced for 5 1/2 years. Ballet tap jazz and lyrical. But I'm not muscular. I have a little but of stomach and my thighs are a kinda big not huge but kinda big. Should I be worried about my weight?

=> I am 11 years old and 100lbs I have been called fat constantly I eat healthy and exersise also all my friends are tiny

=> i am 14 year old and i have a height of 5'6 and weigh 128lbs am i too overweight? i feel very fat and my classmates tease me and call me fat

=> My high is 5'3 and my weight is 70. Is that okay for my body to gain that weight?

=> I'm 14 and 63kg, however I'm rather short around 151, Im physically fit however when I look at other girls and see the difference between them and me I worry that I'm fatter than them or its just genetics? Should i lose weight or wait and see if I just grow taller

=> If im 5'2 and weigh 170 and im 13 is that over weight and how can I lose weight properly

  "Am I Overweight?" CHECK YOUR WEIGHT on the weight calculator on this site to see if you are in the healthy weight range. Your BMI (Body Mass Index) is a number that shows how your weight compares to your height (BMI = weight / height2). If your BMI is in the 85th to 94th percentile, you are considered overweight. If your BMI is in the 95th to 100th percentile, your are considered obese.

If your BMI is in the overweight or obese range and you want to lose weight, it's a good idea to check with your health care provider to make sure you don't have any other health conditions that would interfere with a weight loss program. It is usually safe to lose 1-2 pounds a week. Take a look at the Healthy Weight School, How To Lose Weight and the weight loss tips area for lots of ideas and ways to help you lose weight. Everyone is unique, and everyone "wears their weight" differently, so don't compare yourself to others.

You can get lots of support from all the kids on the site in the chatroom and from other kids on the pre-teen and teen bulletin boards. And, don't forget, every Wednesday "Lucy" is in the chat room to answer questions too!


 Weight Loss and Your Physical Appearance

=> Im 13 and 260 lbs. Ive been overweight my whole entire life. I really want to lose weight but I'm scared of many things that I'm not sure of. Maybe could you answer them? First. I want to lose weight. Of course. but i don't want saggy skin. will i get saggy skin even being at this young age? Second. I have stretch marks, will they fade within time or no? last. uhh.. this is embarrassing but.. my breasts seem to sag. as i lose weight will they.. firm up.. or sag more? i really hope you can answer these questions. Thank you.

=> I am 12 and a half and I have lost 29 pounds I used to be 169 pounds but now I am 140 pounds so I have a question when will I lose my buffalo back BTW I am 5'3 and still growing oh and also what is the healthy weight for me??

 Congratulations on wanting to lose weight, that's the first step. Too rapid of weight gain or loss can contribute to saggy skin and stretch marks. But, there are things you can do to minimize both.

Saggy Skin. Skin takes time to resume its former level of tautness after fast weight loss. Losing weight at a healthy rate can minimize developing saggy skin. Younger people have more elastic skin, which has an easier time of "springing" back.

Stretch marks can occur with rapid growth or weight gain when the body expands faster than the skin can grow. They appear most often on the stomach, under arms, sides of the body, thighs, buttocks and hips. Stretch marks may not completely disappear but they do tend to fade over time. Losing weight will also help. The amount of time skin has been "stretched" by weight gain may influence it's ability to retract after weight loss. Nutrition can also play a role in how your skin responds.

A hump behind the shoulders sometimes referred to as "Buffalo Back" can form for several reasons. Some common reasons are: extreme obesity, a side effect of a prescription medicine, osteoporosis, long-term steroid use and Cushing's syndrome (a rare condition where the body has too much cortisol hormone). You should see your healthcare provider to diagnose the cause of the hump behind your shoulder. They can perform tests to determine the cause. If your hump is the result of obesity, a diet and exercise plan may help you lose weight and the hump.


Here are a few things you might try to help your skin return to it's previous condition:

1. Continue to exercise. Adding some weight training to your routine will help tone the muscles beneath the skin, which may make the skin appear more firm.

2. Drink lots of water. Water is an essential part of maintaining skin elasticity.

3. Eat enough protein. The ingredients that help keep skin elastic are collagen and elastin. Foods such as cottage cheese, milk, beans, seeds, nuts, and fish all contain collagen and elastin forming components, as well as oils that are needed help maintain healthy skin.

4. Take Care of Your Skin. Daily exfoliation can help to remove dead skin cells and increase skin circulation, thus improving skin tone. Stay away from harsh chemicals and too much sun exposure. They can decrease your skin's elasticity.

5. Above all, be patient. Waiting 1-2 years after reaching a healthy weight is often encouraged before considering more drastic measures such as surgery. Surgery has health risks of it's own and can also lead to scarring.

Fast weight gain can be a sign of emotional eating or a food addiction. Check out the tips on Say Goodbye to Problem Foods and "How Do I Lose Weight?" to help get your eating under control. Keep working towards your weight loss goals, you can do it!


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