 Fast Food Addiction! |
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=> How can I stop being so addictive about fast food?
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 Fast food is cheap, tasty, and....fast. Eating too much fast food, as you know, can make a person get too large. Here are some ideas to try and get you unhooked:
*Before you step into a fast food joint, write down what healthier items you will order. Choose the smallest sandwich (usually a regular hamburger) with a fruit side and diet drink or milk. If you don't, you may smell those French fries and change your mind. If going in is too tempting, ask a friend or parent to go for you or go through the drive thru.
*Try to avoid fast food places. This means not riding your bike past them. It also means avoiding the food court at the mall. Seeing or smelling the fast food may trigger some to overeat. Sometimes getting through the trigger is too hard. Try your hardest to avoid being around them.
*If you feel yourself wanting to eat fast food and you are not hungry, do this: tell your brain it is lying to you. You do not NEED the food. Find ways to keep your mind occupied for about 15 to 30 minutes. You can do this by reading a book, riding your bike, going on a walk, or calling a friend. You can even squeeze your hands together really tight.
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| I Am Treated Differently! |
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=> My Question is:why do the kids at school treat you me different then they do the skinny people? Because I aint no different.
=> Every one makes fun of me waht should i do?
=> I am almost 8 years old. The kids at school call me fat and it makes me mad and sad.What can I do when they say this?
=> My entire life i have been made fun of not just because i am tall but because i'm overweight..I have tried to ignore every one who tells me i'm ugly because i'm "fat" but the stress of it is wearing me down.
Why do people like to hurt overweight people just because they dont look like every one else?
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That sounds tough. I know many kids and teens who are too large complain about being teased at school. There is no good reason why other kids treat you differently. It is not fair. Here are some suggestions to help you out:
*Help your classmates get to know you inside instead of just your weight. Join a club or team after school. Here you can actually get to know people better. They will learn more about you. And, you will learn more about them!
*Watch to see who else is treated differently. Ask that person (or persons) to hang out with your after school or join a club with you. Over time, you can become friends. And, there is safety in numbers. Together you can stand up to the bully.
*Meet with your school counselor, a trusted adult, or your parent. Talk to them about how the teasing hurts your feelings. Do this to get the feelings out. Sometimes talking, drawing, or writing down your feelings helps.
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| How Do I Prevent Diabetes!?! |
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=> Dear Lucy,
I am 12 years old and afraid of getting diabeties because my dad has it and some other family member. My brothers are all overweight and so am I. What should I do?
=> If you could give me some advise I would be happy to here from you because I need to lose weight because I am borderline dibedic and if I don't start losing weight I'll get plain dibedices
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Having diabetes can be tough as you know. Diabetes is when a person cannot use food for energy. They need to take medicine so their body works the way it needs to. A person with diabetes needs to check her blood sugar a few times a day and has to eat at certain times of day. If a person with diabetes does not control something called blood sugar, then it can damgage her body. I am glad you are trying to prevent getting the disease!
The best way to stop yourself from getting diabetes is by getting to a healthier weight. Some studies suggest that if a person loses just 10 pounds, it can help prevent the disease by a lot. To get to a healthier weight, I suggest:
*Eat 3 meals a day...be sure to include breakfast!
*Eat a snack between meals if you feel physical hunger
*Snack on fruits and veggies instead of chips, candies, or pastries.
*Drink milk or soy milk at meals. Make sure the milk is low fat or fat free
*Drink only water or calorie free drinks between meals. Try to give up soda, juices, and juice drinks.
*Get your heart beating faster through exercise everyday. You can do this by playing outside, running, walking, dancing, biking, playing a sport, and jumping rope.
I hope this helps! |
| Too Embarrassed to Tell Mom |
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=> I have a very hard time telling my mom that I want to lose weight and diet. Beacause I feel embarrassed to talk to her about it. I also am to embarrassed to excercise with my family there. Do you have any tips on talking to my mom?
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It can be hard to tell a family member or friend we are trying to lose weight. Many kids and teens say they are afraid they are going to fail (again) and that is why they do not want to tell anyone. Others say they are embarrassed they are overweight and talking about it maybe too painful.
Sounds like you know it is important to tell your mom about your plan. I agree. She may be able to help support you. Consider writing down exactly what you would like to say to your mom. Tell her you want to eat healthier and feel stronger. Write down how you are planning to do it. After writing down your thoughts, ask your mom for a moment alone with her. Make sure you ask her when she is not busy. If she is, ask her when you two could have a moment and schedule it! Then, read her your letter. Or, just give it to her. You maybe surprised by her support! Good luck! |
| What's the Point!?! |
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=> I really need to lose weight. I am tired of being fat but I am not dedicated enough to be on a diet.I know thats the only way out of it though but I eat because I feel depressed and I feel depressed more because I'm fat. What's the point? Dieting takes to long!!!
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Sounds like you want to lose weight yet know that your emotional eating is too tough to change. Whoever said weight loss was easy was SO lying, right? Changing your eating, especially emotional eating, is going to be tough. We cannot deny that. Realizing you eat when you are depressed is the first step. The next step is trying to find other ways to deal with your saddness. You mentioned that your weight keeps you feeling down, I wonder if it would help to meet with a counselor. Talking with this person about your feelings with your body and struggles to lose weight, may help you feel better about you.
While working with a counselor, consider not "dieting" as you know it. Try to eat only when you feel physical hunger and stop when you are full (learn more about it by clicking here. This will be tough and it may not always work out like that. That's okay! This next step maybe the hardest, yet it will be the most important one! |
| How About Being a Vegetarian? |
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=> Does becoming a vegetarian help lose weight?
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Many kids and teens stop eating meat. They may do this because they do not want to harm an animal or they may think they will be healthier. Being vegetarian can be healthy yet it does not guarentee it. Some kids and teens begin to rely on cookies, chips, or pizza to fill up. This probably will not help them lose weight! Check out this link from a past Lucy Tip to learn about healthy and balanced vegetarian eating: vegetarianism. |
| Exercise Can Be Fun!?! |
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=> What are some fun ways of working out?
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It is VERY important to enjoy your physical activity. This will help you enjoy it! Here are some ideas to try out:
-dance to your favorite music. Some kids and teens make their own playlist on their iPod or burn a CD with their favorite songs. You can even just turn on the radio during commercials on TV and dance!
-try out Dance Dance Revolution, or DDR. You can play this game at many arcades or buy it for your Playstation. You can store your dance workouts and it even can show you how many calories you burned!
-jumping jacks or jumping rope.
-ride your bike.
-walk your dog.
-start a walking or running club in your neighborhood.
Which ever idea you choose, make sure you enjoy it. Remember, any activity that gets your heart pumping faster helps you lose weight. You can even clean your room (but that is not fun)!
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| Do Certain Foods Help a Person Lose Weight? |
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=> DO LEMONS AND WARM WATER MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT ? DOES VINGEAR AND WATER MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT ?
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We hear and read about many different foods that help "trick" a person's body to lose weight. Lemons, vinegar, and water all have been named as miracle foods to help our metabolisms. Are they indeed true? Does it sound too good to be true? Yup, and it is too good to be true. Eating or drinking something like lemons or vinegar will not change a person's metabolism like promised. It may just give you a stomachache! Drinking water can help a person stay hydrated. It will not burn more calories. Many people feel hunger when they are really thirsty, so I think it is good to drink 8 to 10 glasses of fluid (water, milk, etc) everyday.
Remember to take things you read about weight loss with a grain of salt. Check out this link to learn more about spotting a weight loss scam: fad diets. |
| I Can't Stop Eating Even When I Am Already Full! |
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=> whenever Theres alot of food available for me to eat I eat ALL of it even if im completely stuffed. How can i stop stuffing my face when theres so much delicious food to eat?
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Great question! Many kids and teens complain about this same thing. There may be some easy things to do to help.
First, many kids and teens have certain foods that I call "forbidden foods." These are foods that people call bad. When we put food in this bad group, it can make our brain want them even more! I encourage you to let yourself have certain "bad" foods in small quantities every once in awhile. Keep saying: "All food is good!"
Second, many kids and teens try really hard to lose weight. They try so hard that they do not eat enough early in the day. Even more, many kids and teens eat too little carbohydrate or proteins. Eating too little carbs and protein can make some people feel like they need to binge...even when they are not hungry. Make sure you get a good serving of carbs (grains, cereals, whole wheat bread, beans, etc) and protein (lean meats, dairy, soy, etc.) at breakfast and lunch. Including enough earlier in the day helps many people eat less later in the day.
Lastly, some kids and teens have an eating disorder called compulsive eating. Compulsive eating can be helped by doing the above and meeting with a counselor. Often there are emotions wrapped up in the eating. Further, some kids and teens will go on an anti-depressant under the care of a doctor. This helps many not feel the urge to eat when not hungry.
Good luck and hang in there! |
| I need help balancing! |
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=> I just wanted to ask you a question. I have sucessfully lost 147 pounds, just by eating moderately and I go to a gym for about an hour per day, 5 days a week. I do BodyPump, Spin and Step class. Anyway, I was wondering, I'm starting to get really concious about my calories and It worries me that i'm getting too concious. I really need some ideas for a balanced lunch, I have a good breakfast & supper but lunch has always been a problem. Any Ideas?
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You are such an inspiration to all the users on this site! I am glad you are thinking about being "balanced" instead of just counting calories. For a balanced lunch, try to find foods that fit into each one of these categories:
1.)whole grain
2.)protein
3.)veggies and or fruit
4.)one fat
5.)good source of calcium
The calories will vary with which foods you pick. That is okay. Remember that your body can tell you when you are getting enough. You can feel full. For more on using a hunger/fullness scale, click here.
A lunch that matches the above can be:
turky breast sandwich on whole wheat bread with a teaspoon of mayo and mustard
a small salad and/or apple
a cup of yogurt or cup of milk
I hope this helps! Best wishes! |
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