I am female, 16 years old and weigh 22 stone. It is a ridiculous amount of weight to gain and i know that to lose 11 stone will take years but i am willing to try. I would like to know some tips on how to keep your mind off snacking on sandwiches and carb foods and also fizzy/soft drinks like coke and sprite etc. Because these are my major downfalls. Also tips on how to stay on track of dieting and how to get back on track if you do happen to slip off for a minute or two. Usually if i do exercise for a couple of days or so i tend to get pains in my arms and legs and also get tired what sorts of foods should i be eating (examples of foods, portions, time of days to eat, ammount of times to eat and what is in them that makes them help would be good to know thank you) and of course i know water is the best drink and i will try very hard to stick to that.
Thanks so much.
Hope you have great answers that will help

Has2LoseWeight

PCOS is quite common actually its not very dangerous it just means that you have cysts in your ovarys that can increase your weight and in some circumstances cause obiesity plus you can get medication that can prevent any symptoms :/ not that i want to be on meds. (im not saying that it has with me but it might have done because i dont eat really bad and up to the age of like 12 i was part of so many sports groups i did gymnastics, football, trampolining, tennis, i went to sports centres in the holidays, netball, swimming all at school and out so it couldnt have just happened in four years so quickly so easily) cause i dont eat any bad other that crisps and fizzy drinks and honestly i havent eaten so many to gain like 11 stone :l but thanks for your help and concern.But lets hope i dont have it and can lose the weight through exercise and healthy eating and not the wrong ways. :/ like most people turn to. I'll keep you posted on any progress :P thanks again.

Unknown008

Ok, i see you're not like the lazy fattys... that's very good, and continue doing your sports when you have time, and swimming i think is the best to reduce weight. Again, good luck!

srcra

Hey 'Has2LoseWeight',

Couldn't help but reply when I saw someone had told you PCOS is rare and dangerous! It's not (as you know) - but the symptoms definitely improve with weight lose, as I have it and have recently lost weight and seen an improvement. You should be able to get an ultrasound scan to see the extent of the PCOS and see if there's any cause for concern.

Also, have you considered with your doctor the possibility of a thyroid disorder? An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) could be causing the weight gain. You've probably had thyroid function tests if PCOS is suspected as they tend to run them at the same time (in the UK anyway), so this might not be the case - but if you did it would explain why it's hard to lose the weight.

Finally, as for diet - I've always found that people tell you to change too much at the same time eg. drink 2 litres of water, exercise regularly etc. Though these are all good things, if you try and do too much too quickly you're more likely to give up. That's my experience anyway. The first week's always the hardest, but after that your stomach shrinks a bit and eating less becomes easier. I've found things like making yourself drink before a meal to fill you up more and snacking on dried fruit are helpful. If you have a weak moment try to do something else that you enjoy (easier said than done but you can try!). If you don't eat breakfast, I would really recommend it - they say that something like 90% of overweight people don't eat breakfast (don't quote me on the facts but it's something like that!), so there's a lot to be said for a good bowl of cereal in the morning! Little and often seems to be the way to lose weight.

Maybe take up swimming again? It wouldn't hurt your arms and legs so much (the water means it's very low impact), and I find it really rewarding because you start to be able to swim more lengths in less time surprisingly quickly! Plus after exercise you tend to stay on track easier cos you don't want to undo your good work with over-eating.

Hope that's some help!

Has2LoseWeight

I had a blood test done at the beggining of this year saying that i dont have any problems with thyroids or anything. But i have looked up PCOS and i believe (from knowing some of the symptoms that i may have it) But i am going for a Ultrasound test soon just have to wait for an appointment to be arranged from the hospital. And your absolutely right trying to change too many things is really hard and does put you off as you find it too hard. I drink lots of water and our fridge at home has always got tonnes of bottles of water but i just drink too many fizzy drinks too which is the problem. I absolutely love water but its hard to just stick to it alone. As for swimming me and my mum were going to go to a swimming pool that had a ladies night before but turns out they have gotten rid of it and i am just way too embarrassed to go swimming now. I plan to go if i lose a bit of weight first i know it sounds stupid but i dont think i have the confidence to go swimming again at the minute. I am 16 and cant bring myself to go swimming cos i think that people will laugh at me or i might see people i know there and get really embarassed so i know that swimming is out of my league at the minute. I just want to know different food options that will seriously fill me up but dont have as much calories or fats and salt etc (I already eat all wholegrain foods, and eat fruit and veg, Cereal is a bit of a problem though i recently tried it dried with some chopped strawberries and pears but surely there are other options that i could have different days too that are as good for you). Cos that is my problem not feeling full until i am too full. i have tried writing diaries of the food i have ate but it just doesnt help at all. Is dried fruit any better than normal fresh fruit? or is fresh fruit good cos i have strawberries and pears most of all. I feel that fruit fills me up for like a half hour to an hour and then i just get hungry, i dont know why.

Has2LoseWeight

Thanks for your advice. I did a diet before where i would just have say 2 wheatabix and some semi- skimmed milk (i have never ever drank any other type of milk like full fat, only semi-skimmed or semi skimmed goats milk which most people think is gross but tastes exactly the same ) and then done say an hour of like a workout video and then after had two small slices of brown soda bread and tuna mayonaise and about 2 hours later had a big bowl of mixed fruit and then walked my dog for an hour with my dad and finally had dinner later that night with one piece of fruit after. That worked really well for the time i done it but its really tiring haha i think thats what put me off it a bit cos i was so knackered but i atleast went to sleep so much earlier at night at say half eleven rather than 3 and 4 in the morning which is ridiculous.

Unknown008

There, there! i mentioned the PCOS like that 'cuz i never really heard of it, but from my research, this seemed rare (only 10% of America's it said) and dangerous (possible risks of cancer in the uterus, miscarriage, stroke, following the obesity). But thank you for telling that this is not as dangerous as it sounds.

Are you, Has2LoseWeight, considering to practice swimming again? Even once a week would help.

arora1998

I have the same problem but I have a way, Try something new like cooking or baking and make healthy meals for your self make sure they make a balanced diet,

1. it will take your mind of the fatty acids,
2. it will make you healthy.

i know it works im trying it at the moment i hoped ive lost some weight,

the news says if anyone is overweight the council will take them away from there parents untill they loose weight,

so bad for u, im not overweight

april k

Well, since you mention PCOS- it occurs to me that on "The Biggest Loser" in the US, there was a woman who couldn't lose weight even though she did everything right, she couldn't lose weight. Her trainer figured out that she had PCOS and adjusted her exercise and diet accordingly, which finally helped her lose lots of weight.

Often, PCOS is caused by Insulin Resistance, which means your body makes proper amounts (or too much Insulin) but it isn't recognized properly and so sugar in the blood can't get into the cells where it belongs. Insulin Resistance can cause PCOS, and also high blood pressure, diabetes, and other things.

So...if you are Insulin Resistant, you've got to really watch the amounts of carbohydrates you eat, and also make sure you eat enough protein. The 'whole grains' thing, especially with packages foods pack in a lot of carbs!! You're best off to stick with whole foods (which has been mentioned in other posts) and veggies. Also, you've got to make sure you're eating 3 times a day at least, or your body thinks it has to hold onto calories for survival.

There is more than just will power involved with this! And hopefully your parents will be supportive with dietary changes (it will surely help them as well!).

Exercise, of course if important, and the reason is, beyond burning calories, is that it helps your muscles become insulin sensitive, which helps blood sugar get where it belongs, which helps you lose weight.

There are 2 websites that I really like for learning more about PCOS and its implications: PCOS – Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and also http:/
/www.pcosupport.org/ the website for the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association.

Well, I hope this is helpful, and certainly, good luck-- and don't be too hard on yourself, you can figure this out!!

April K

Has2LoseWeight

Thanks. I've lost a stone since my first post on here so something is going right

Unknown008

Glad you did it in about 17 days! Don't give up!!!