OK this is really embarrassing so...

I’m a 14 year old girl (5'3") and I weigh... about 180... give or take a few pounds...
For the last few years I’ve been getting made fun of by kids at school, my mom says some rude stuff sometimes, and my grandparents tell me I’m going to die of a heart attack…So I’ve decided to do something about of it…

In the last few days I’ve gone completely vegan and I’m taking vitamins…but I want to lose a lot of weight…I mean I feel like a pig :(

So what are some exercises I can try to lose weight in the love handles thighs underarm area and belly?

Thank you so much and pleas be nice,
Sami

I'm not sure about going vegan, but you have the right idea- definitely watch what you eat, that doesn't mean starve yourself, or eat only fat-free foods. Just tweak your diet, eat several snacks in a day instead of 3 big meals- not eating will slow your metabolism.

As far as working out goes- go to a gym and try out all the machines, study up on different ways to lift weights, exercising, in my opinion, is refreshing. Don't go overboard, set a certain amount of lifts with the weights, a certain speed and routine on the eliptical or treadmill, etc. Be sure to keep yourself hydrated! I found out how important that is the hard way!

You can start this new deal, but you have to keep at it or it won't work. If your parents or kids at school can't encourage you, find a good friend who can- one who will maybe accompany you at the gym! Best wishes, and best of luck to you Sami!

Jaime

Losing weight fast is never the answer, it will come back and you generally end up weighing more than you did the first time.

Radical changes are harder to maintain than gradual ones. If you truly want to be a vegan then by all means do so but make sure you are getting a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates. Your body needs all of them to function properly.

Small changes are easier to make. Do you drink soda or energy drinks? Check out how many calories are in them. A single can of Coke has 140 calories, one of the 20oz bottles has 240 calories, that's a meal's worth of calories. Switching to drinking water and only having soda as a special treat will help you stay hydrated and lose weight.

Watch your portion sizes and choose healthy snacks. Pay attention to calorie counts on packages.

You cannot "spot reduce" fat, the human body doesn't work that way. Exercise to burn more calories than you are taking in and the fat will come off.

You need to do this for you and only you, that's the only way you'll be able to make the lifestyle changes that will help you lose the weight and keep it off. Good luck!
Ber

Hey sami! I went vegan when I was 14, and I'm still kicking myself for it. I was tired all the time. I did it for ethical reasons, but if you're running yourself down because of it, it's not a good option. I think that very few people really understand what it takes for a vegan to get proper nutrition. At 14, it's unlikely that you will be an expert at getting that chemistry right, and you're still growing. Your brain is too. If you want to go vegan, wait until you're in your 20's.

You don't need to be vegan (or even vegetarian) to lose weight. You just need to start looking at food and your lifestyle differently.

I was vegetarian for most of my teen years, but I've gone back to eating meat. Physically, I feel much, much better now than I did before.

I just wrote out a bunch of my own suggestions for healthy weight loss in another thread to a 17 year old. If you want to take a look at them, you can follow this link:
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/weight-loss/im-17-overweight-287873.html