From Jaymie, Age 16 - 05/27/10 - IP#: 171.112.7.xxx  Click here to reply  
Ht. 5'6", Start: 242 lb, Today: 242 lb (BMI %tile: 98) - Im fat and i hate myself. Im 16, a size 20 and I weigh 242lbs at 5'6.
My belly is constantly being squeezed by too tight tops, and my pants wount zip up. My friends tease me constantly and slap my belly.
Reply from jessica, Age 18 - 05/27/10  - IP#: 108.10.100.xxx
get some new friends!!! friends shouldnt make fun of a sensitive subject like weight!!!
 
Reply from Ally13, Age 22 - 05/27/10  - IP#: 74.92.246.xxx
Honey, don't hate yourself. You may not like how you look, but your physical appearance isn't what you're all about. I get where you're coming from though...it's discouraging being overweight, which can cause a ton of pessimistic emotions to invade your life.
The first thing you need to do though is change your mentality. I never believed it until very recently, but the mentality you have towards yourself, food and weight loss in general LARGELY affects whether you will or will not lose the excess weight, and even more importantly, whether you will keep it off or not. It's not a diet, it's a new lifestyle (so allow for some indulgent moments too - the world doesn't come to an end when you eat a brownie =D).
Your friends need to realize that it affects you when they talk about your weight. If, after you've spoken to them about it, they don't stop, you might think about getting yourself new friends. True ones will respect your feelings enough to quit teasing you if you've asked them to stop (if you haven't, then you can't really expect them to know how it makes you feel).
Once you start surrounding yourself by people who will be a support system for you during your weight loss, you need to focus on the weight loss itself. Start with baby steps and slowly work your way up. For instance, if you drink juices, soda, etc., try to replace them with water. Or, if that's too hard, tell yourself that for every glass of soda you drink, you have to drink a glass of water for the same amount. Also, start working fruits and veggies into your diet - summer's full of awesome fruits! Focus on eating lean meats: think more chicken and fish rather than ground beef, steaks, etc.
And lastly, get active! Whatever it takes, however short or long it is, activity revs your metabolism, which is crucial to weight loss. Walk around the block a few times, take the stairs instead of the elevators, take up a sport, or start lessons for something like tennis, swimming, etc.
I've totally been where you're at right now, and it's a really tough position to be in, but I promise you, changing just a few habits can totally transform both how you look and how you feel about yourself. Good luck and we're here for you!