[chiffonade]

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 :)

Your weight loss goals should have less to do with insurance charts and more to do with how you feel and the quality of food you eat.

Do you exercise? Are you interested in exercise? If you are, start slow. Nothing thwarts an exercise commitment like an unrealistic goal. "I'll work out six days a week!" is not the place to start. Maybe walking briskly either alone, with your dog or with a friend; and doing it regularly.

Your level of fitness/exercise will have a direct relationship with how you metabolize food and the amount of food you can healthfully consume. Someone like Michael Phelps who burns food like a jet engine can certainly consume a zillion more calories than someone who sits at a desk eight hours a day and takes no intentional exercise. Eat the amount of food you need to run your body. We wouldn't try to shove another $20 worth of gas into a full tank, would we? (That little squeeze to round out the dollar doesn't count!) Expend slightly more than the calories you take in, and I guarantee* you will lose weight. (*Unless you have extenuating health circumstances.)

Who am I? I'm 49. I work out 5x/week. I did not begin with 5x/week. I worked up to it. My arms are shapely and I love being strong. I've been told I don't look my age but that's subjective and it's not important. I eat to honor my body. And no, I'm not above an occasional dessert :D. I'm classically trained in the culinary arts and dude, I cannot live on sprouts. If you go to my myspace page, you will see me with a wedding cake I baked.

Hang in there and stick with it! The first step in weight loss is making up your mind that you are willing to make the changes you need to achieve your goals. The best "diet" plan is one you'll follow. The best outcome is the best, healthiest you.

[xlady_lambertx]

Hey I'm 16 and weigh about 17 stone I've been dieting like mad ( always keep with in my limits and am under supervision by my doc) but I do everything she tells me and haven't lost any weight I would love a gastric band but I can't get one on the nhs due to my age.. nothing I do seems to help if you do loose weight please tell me how?

[chiffonade]

Hey im 16 and weigh about 17 stone ive been dieting like mad ( always keep with in my limits and am under supervision by my doc) but i do everything she tells me and havent lost any weight i would love a gastric band but i can't get one on the nhs due to my age.. nothing i do seems to help if u do loose weight please tell me how?

Do you journal? It sounds to me like you might be (unintentionally) consuming a lot more calories unconsciously than you think. Try writing down for one or two days, every morsel that crosses your lips.

Are you exercising?

[xlady_lambertx]

I keep a weight diary everything that I eat goes into it docs have found nothing on my blood tests it just don't make sense

[chiffonade]

i keep a weight diary everything that i eat goes into it docs have found nothing on my blood tests it just dnt make sense

I'll ask again - are you exercising? If you are not, you're only doing half of what you need to do to lose weight and keep healthy.

I know it takes time. I know it's inconvenient. I used to make every excuse under the sun but realized that if I wanted to enjoy my food, stay healthy and not feel guilty every time something verboten passed my lips, I was going to have to sweat.

The very idea of not exercising gives me the willies now.

There has to be a reason you aren't losing weight.

[xlady_lambertx]

I jog every morning after I wake up for a hour.. then come home and have a shower.. I eat weetabix and fruit for breakfast and have semi skimmed milk with it my docs are looking into what's going on they think I might have a hormone in balance or something but it is very frustrating and confusing

[chiffonade]

i jog every morning after i wake up for a hour.. then come home and have a shower.. i eat weetabix and fruit for breakfast and have semi skimmed milk with it my docs r looking into whats going on they think i might have a hormone in balance or somthing but it is very frustrating and confusing

When I wasn't able to spring back to the weight I thought was "ideal" for me, I had a thyroid test. It seems to be the first thing women do when we can't lose those pounds, especially after our 30's. We generally find out our thyroids are fine ("Dang it!") and we can't blame our weight gain on something. In your case, this might actually be the problem! If you are eating right and running for an hour a day, your thyroid might certainly be the problem.

When was the last time you had bloodwork?

[xlady_lambertx]

I have a test on Monday but there also looking into other stuff

[chiffonade]

I had tried a million times (well... almost) to lose weight. Here's something I was able to identify when I was successful that wasn't present during those failed attempts.

I had to be ready. I had to have made that decision that this time was going to be different and I wanted to lose weight enough to change my mindset about food.

I see people all the time who say, "Yeah, I'm going on a diet...Tomorrow." Then, they order their next bacon cheeseburger deluxe with extra fries and cheesecake for dessert. The idea of a cheeseburger deluxe has to flip a switch in you that says, "No, this isn't going to be beneficial for me in my weight loss goals," and that should spur you to maybe have the roast turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with mustard.

I could easily polish off a stack of french toast or pancakes or waffles. I stop myself at ONE. Why? Because I know once that single pancake, french toast or waffle hits my stomach, I'll be satiated but not want to roll away from the b'fast table. I had to tell myself, "One will do it," and make myself believe it.

I also don't wait until I'm ravenous to eat. I will wind up gorging if I wait until I feel like there's a hole in my stomach.

A weight group leader used to say, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." That is extremely true. Give some thought to when/where you plan to take meals. Don't let hunger spring up on you and you're nowhere near food or with people who will want junk. It's tough to say no to fried food when everyone wants to go to McDonald's. But if you want to lose weight, you've got to be the maverick and say, "You know, I'm in the mood for (a healthier food), do you mind if we go (where you can get that healthier food)?" Peer Pressure sucks but if everyone insists on going to a place where the deep fryer is the most often used piece of kitchen equipment, you'll have to find SOMETHING on the menu that will not undo a whole week of better eating.

It's not always easy - but you'll feel a lot better for having taken the initiative for your own health.

[Has2LoseWeight]

I have lost weight and gained again so quickly and that is the major problem. But I have recently lost a bit of weight and kept it off because I made little changes. I haven't really changed much of what I am eating but the amount that I have eaten. All this week and last week I have made sure that I have three proper meals and I have really tried hard not to snack on big things in between. I haven't bother doing the whole writing a journal because I have tried and I find that that just doesn't work for me because I write it down and just looking at it sort of makes me feel low about myself if I have a bad day. To feel motivated I just make sure that I am keeping track of food in my head through out the day which makes me feel a whole lot better at the end of the day. Also I didn't think before that it actually worked but it does, Drinking lots of water throughout the day or even sometimes dilute (but not too much as it does have quite a bit of sugar) makes me more full by the time I feel hungry. Then there after I just walked with my dog for longer which is really fun and I didn't get as tired. One thing to remember though is that showering everyday does also help a bit with weight loss as you get rid of all the sweat and will refresh you if you do feel tired at all. These are easy for me to follow as they aren't complicated at all and I don't have to completely stop what I normally do and change any plans.

[chiffonade]

I have lost weight and gained again so quickly and that is the major problem. But I have recently lost a bit of weight and kept it off because I made little changes. I haven't really changed much of what I am eating but the amount that I have eaten. All this week and last week I have made sure that I have three proper meals and I have really tried hard not to snack on big things in between.

It's those little changes that add up but you've got to consider them permanent. People regain weight because they look at the changes as "something I'll do to lose weight, then go back to normal eating." The new habits must become the new "normal" or it's a waste of time.

I have to snack between meals because if my blood sugar takes a huge dip, I'm headed for bad food. When I start to get those pangs, I grab some fruit or a handful of a good cereal. It doesn't pay to starve myself because when mealtime rolls around, I'll need a shovel and not a fork.

I haven't bother doing the whole writing a journal because I have tried and I find that that just doesn't work for me because I write it down and just looking at it sort of makes me feel low about myself if I have a bad day.

I have to do this for the first few days because I'm SHOCKED at what finds its way to my mouth despite my best efforts to "remember" what I've eaten. I admit that I can't do it for very long, maybe 2-3 weeks before my life gets in the way and I have to omit the journaling. (It does take time.) As I cut down on what goes in my mouth, I find it easier to actually remember what I ate. It's all a matter of embracing better habits as my way of life and not a temporary fix.

Also I didn't think before that it actually worked but it does, Drinking lots of water throughout the day or even sometimes dilute (but not too much as it does have quite a bit of sugar) makes me more full by the time I feel hungry.

Keeping yourself hydrated is sooo important. Water has no calories and takes up stomach space, not to mention keeps your skin supple and digestive system humming. Did you know that people sometimes mistake thirst for hunger and will eat instead of drink something?

Then there after I just walked with my dog for longer which is really fun and I didn't get as tired.

Fitness creeps up on a person! Eventually I realized I was doing more strenuous activities without getting fatigued and it was such a pleasant realization.

One thing to remember though is that showering everyday does also help a bit with weight loss as you get rid of all the sweat and will refresh you if you do feel tired at all.

Also as a person sweats as result of increasing physical activity, showering controls breakouts on the back and other areas of the body because pores can't breath until the skin is cleaned. I'm careful to use a brush on my back in the shower because sports bras (that contain elastic) can trap sweat and clog pores, especially if you wear the same style of sports bra every time you workout.

These are easy for me to follow as they aren't complicated at all and I don't have to completely stop what I normally do and change any plans.

When I made these changes fit into my life, I found I welcomed them vs. being resentful of them. One sure way to fail is to try doing a 180 on everything. If the changes are so radical that the dieter doesn't even recognize his or her own life anymore, slipping back into old habits feels "comfortable" and "familiar." Make the changes subtle enough to fit into YOUR life and you're more likely to maintain them as a lifestyle instead of seeing them as temporary with plans to go back to unhealthy habits.

[Unknown008]

Also i didnt think before that it actually worked but it does, Drinking lots of water throughout the day or even sometimes dilute (but not too much as it does have quite a bit of sugar) makes me more full by the time i feel hungry.

Funny, I do this each time I'm hungry if its bedtime, and never realised that...

It's really good what you are doing, keep it up:)!

[Has2LoseWeight]

Thanks :) its hard but I am trying harder ha.

[chiffonade]

Thanks its hard but i am trying harder ha.

Keep it up! I'm sure you'll reach your goals! :D

[Camborio]

I also have PCOS and struggle with weight gain... it is because with PCOS your body becomes insulin resistant. My endrocrinologist suggested that I go on Metformin to try and combat the insulin resistance, also the more protein and less carbs you eat the better. Try to excersise 30 to 60 min per day, as you lose weight the symptoms of PCOS are also aleaveated.

[Has2LoseWeight]

I have been given metformin recently but I see no change

[Unknown008]

Hey! How are you? You are still having these problems?? Metformin? Have to check...

Ok... seems like a last resort to me. According to wikipedia, this is still experimental. :( Hope that you will be able to cope with it well. Good luck, and keep us informed :).

[kraussnumber2]

Hey!
I just wanted to lend you some support! I don't really know anything about weight loss and I really need to lose weight too. I would say I need to lose about 40 pounds...
But I also wanted to say that I am very angry with the other people who posted on here about things such as...
"how could you let this happen" and "you are morbidely obese" etc...
SHE IS 16 PEOPLE! While it is partially her fault and possibly caused by pcos it is also majorly her parents fault! Parents need to teach their children about nutrition and proper eating habits. She does not buy the groceries in the house! And besides that... she is trying... I don't believe she said that likes the point she is at so why make her feel worse? Why be mean to her! She is asking for advice not someone criticizing her for letting herself get to this point! And again... she is still a child and her parents should be on top of this... they should have done something before it got this far! So Please lay off!

Stay strong hun and keep working at it! Have you gotten any better results? I hope you know that you are beautiful no matter what and can love the skin your in... even if you want some improvements.

[Unknown008]

Yes, it's sad, but people can say what they like, well, almost everything. Those who go beyond limits, though are usually banned within some time, or permanently.

kraussnumber2, good luck to you too for your weight losing...

For my part, since I did swimming from about 10, I never really gained weight, lol! I'm trying to... in fact, I'm on the limit of underweight. Luckily, I'm gaining some little by little, although the huge amount of food I take.

[kraussnumber2]

By the way... how many pounds is a stone?

I heard once that it was about 14 pounds... is that accurate?