[female18-]

Im overweight right now and have been for about the last 3 years. Im not huge but im definately over weight. I feel like everytime I see my mom she tells me to lose weight.

I didnt take much notice of it but the last few months Ive felt really self conscious and down about it. I keep debating whether to do something about it or not.

Im scared to start a diet because it seems like im one of those people who's an "all or nothing" type..if that makes sense, like if I keep the home tidy its spotless or if I leave it messy its completely trashed - as an example. So if I start to diet I think im going to go from this eating anything whenever I want, to the other extreme of eating pretty much nothing.

Ive dieted a couple of times this year but it only lasts a few days because I really starve myself and then feel awful and start eating again whatever I want whenever I want it. I wish I could be "normal" and eat healthy and right to be a good weight, but it seems all I can be is overweight or underweight.

I dont know what to do anymore, it feels like make or break time, do I choose to stay overweight or start to diet and most likely end up underweight? Im scared If I do it, I'll end up giving myself Anorexia....or some form of it anyway. I doubt I'll have the body image in the mirror thing thats part of it, but I'll probably end up obsessed with calories, weighing myself, exercising and sick from not eating enough.

Advice?

 

[sphinxie]

Maybe go gung ho about eating healthy, rather than dieting to lose weight?

 

[accountclosed3]

or, how about just eating as you do, and adding movement to your life?

 

[momtoalexsarah]

I lost the wt(50lb) by eating heathy, it was a radical change but i was able to stick with it. Lots of vegtables(as many raw as possible) whole grains(as unrefined as possible) and lean ORGANIC meats and dairy. (organic is very important in the meats and dairy as the hormones in the animals meat will work against you)

If you find that you are hungry reach for some cut up vegies or a peice of fruit instead of cookies/chips ect.
I find that a year later if I want sweets that a nice ripe bannana will fill the void instead of a chocolate bar. If I want something salty then some vegi sticks and homemade onion and yogurt dip will hit the spot.
Drink lots of water or homemade Ice tea if you don't like plain water.

 

[Changed]

Yes, adding lots of exercise isn't going to hurt you but starving yourself will. Certainly worth a shot!

 

[lalaland42]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jörð Yes, adding lots of exercise isn't going to hurt you but starving yourself will. Certainly worth a shot!

I disagree with this. You can actually create a form of bulimia from compulsive exercising since it is really a different way of purging.

OP: Your previous posts worry me. I would seek counseling to deal with your body image issues before I decided on any weight loss type endeavor. Eating right and exercising a healthy amount is a good way to lose weight but I would worry at this point that you have the ability to judge what is healthy. If you have access to a nutritionist (hey mom, quit criticizing and pay for a couple sessions), that person could help you come up with a healthy life plan as far as diet/exercise go.

For frame of reference:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=720818

 

[Changed]

I suppose it's possible but I think it's highly unlikely that someone struggling with their weight and eating is getting even close to the recommended exercise daily.

So I guess to clarify, everything in moderation.

 

[lalaland42]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jörð I suppose it's possible but I think it's highly unlikely that someone struggling with their weight and eating is getting even close to the recommended exercise daily. So I guess to clarify, everything in moderation.

Except that bulimics tend to be average weight, not underweight. Since bulimics tend to binge and purge, there is no steady diet exactly. I would almost say bulimia is the definition of struggling with their eating and being terrified of their weight.

Especially with kids, it is hard to keep up with "a lot of exercise" in a week. Also, what is a lot to you and to her are two different things. I just wanted to point out that if the OP tries to exercise 2 hours a day, every day, her results will be similar to when she was eating 300 calories a day. She will fail, be more miserable and quit. Just the fact that she was eating 300 calories a day to me means that her judgment, on this issue, is not entirely trustworthy.

OP: I don't mean to be harsh. I had similar issues when I was your age and I'm afraid that I killed my metabolism. I also believe that I caused other permanent issues and I don't want you to fall into this trap.

Do you exercise now at all? -Other than kid-chasing, that is? If not, try adding some exercise into your routine (like 30 minutes a day, 3x per week to start). Heck, try the couch to 5k. That is 3 days a week, 30 minute days. And when you get to week 7, it kicks your rear.

 

[female18-]

I walk for 2 and a half hours a day for the weekdays. Weekends 1 and half hours.

Raw food sounds like a good idea, i'll look into that. Is there anyway to stop those headaches during dieting? Even painkillers dont always help.

 

[Changed]

I must say, honestly you don't sound like an overweight person interested in getting to a healthier weight as much as you sound like someone with an eating disorder.

Walking 2.5 hours a day, you really shouldn't need to diet.

 

[emmasmommy]

The only reason you would have a headache from dieting is from not eating enough food (or from sugar withdrawls, but that goes away on it's own in a couple of days). You really don't have to starve yourself to lose some weight. If you are walking that much every day, you do need to eat. The only thing that will make a headache go away is to eat something, even just a piece of fruit. Your body needs the food.

 

[female18-]

Sometimes eating something makes the headache go away but sometimes it doesnt. I think it might be because of how I sit to type at the computer, my head is turned far to th right and im looking to the right all the time, I usually get this bad headache mainly in my forehead area above my right eye then it spreads allover but stays worse above me right eye.

The reason I walk 2 and a half hours a day is because I have no choice. We dont have a car, so I walk ds to pre school, walk myself home, walk back to the pre school to pick him up, walk us both back home, walk our dog for 1 hour a day, most days walk to my parents house to see them, walk back home again.

I just never know what to eat so I eat junk thats easy and quick, I honestly have no idea what to buy at the grocery store ...its like im stuck because of this perfectionist part of me that when I do something, it has to be totally perfect or its not good enough and I leave it or make it go in the opposite direction. For example if I clean the house I do it to perfection as much as I can it has to be almost spotless, but if I dont have time or cant be bothered to do it, then I leave it until it gets such a mess. So eating has to be the same, either all junk food crap or totally all healthy and good foods. Its difficult to know whats healthy and how to give my body what it needs, I feel clueless.

I never have any energy either...thats a major problem. Ive been tested foir anaemia and thyroid problems, all tests came back ok so it must be because im not eating right?

Help me pleaseee

 

[cjr]

It sounds like you are lacking B vitamins and a good healthy diet. Visit the Nutrition and good eating forum. You will learn a lot there. I think your mom is giving you some bad self esteam issues and you need to let her know that it's not ok. My mom did the same thing and I struggled with my weight my whole life. When I stopped listening to her and started listening to my body, my health and weight improved dramatically.

It's really very easy to eat healthy. Don't consider it a diet, just a good eating plan for the rest of your life. Choose whole foods. Whole fruits and veggies. Whole grains, but limit these to just a couple servings (1 slice of bread is a serving) a day. Eat protien with your carbohydrates as it will keep you feeling full longer. Moderation is key. Don't deprive yourself of the occasional treat, just make sure it's a healthier alternative treat (a brownie made with whole wheat flours, less sugar/fat then a regular brownie and no icing...for example). Drink lots of water or tea. If you have a serving of whole grain pasta (1/2c) and you are still hungry then have a salad or a peice of fruit, don't have a second helping of the same food. Eat 6 times a day, small meals. This will help boost your metabolism.

It will feel weird at first, but after a week or two you will start to feel great and have a lot more energy.

You don't need to diet, just change the food you are eating.

Don't obsess over food.

 

[accountclosed3]

first, it is important to note that you are not clueless. it seems to me that because you can define these terms and use them in your post, you know what is healthy and what is not.

what is not helpful for you is this combinations of helplessness that you've got your brain stuck in. between the helplessness of feeling clueless and the helplessness of battling perfectionism, you've basicly freaked out.

so, recognize that you already know a great deal about what is healthy for you. and then recognize that perfectionism isn't as important or insurmountable as you're making it (btw, as you describe your house, so most of us are).

beyond this, the hardest thing is figuring out how to make healthy foods convenient. most people complain about healthy foods being hard to work with because it requires more prep time. i have found that this isn't necessarily true.

i find that by keeping things simple and buying exactly what i need, it's no problem for me to have convenient food. i buy fresh fruits and veggies, frozen fruits and veggies, dairy products (yogurt, cheese, butter), eggs, and bread (sprouted grain bread). my prepared foods include pasta (whole grain), pasta sauce (no preservatives, few ingredients), canned beans (i find them easier to work with), and vegetable broth (i make a lot of soup).

from this, food takes usually less than 20 minutes for me to prepare.

breakfast consists of either 2 eggs and toast OR yogurt with fresh berries and nuts.

lunch is usually a salad with a lot of fresh veggies, some cheese, and olive oil and sea salt.

snack is usually fresh fruit (1 apple, for example)

dinner is typically a soup made with veggie broth, frozen veggies, beans and sometimes a grain like rice or barley. i usually have this only or with a salad.

late snack is usually steamed veggies or veggies with dip (i usually make hummus which is a quick dip to make--chick peas, garlic, onion powder, olive oil)

everything on my list is very simple to make and purchase. i do make cookies for mself and have them occassionally. i also buy soda water and have that occassionally. i drink a lot of tea and water.

i think that yuo know more than you think that you know.

besides, eating this way saves us lots of money. real food costs less than processed, usually.