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Oh gosh..I'm really freaked out. No..I'm not a bubbly cheerleader trying to keep a nice figure. But I'm really hurt that my jeans don't fit right anymore. The bad part is, I'm only a Senior in high school, but all of my hustle and bustle has kept me eating fast food and candy bars. What should I do? anyone with a similar problem?

By Jenniferelaine (Jenniferelaine) on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 06:46 pm: Edit

Erm..stop eating fast food and candy?

By Princesanegrita (Princesanegrita) on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 06:48 pm: Edit

The problem is..I need convencience food

By Jenniferelaine (Jenniferelaine) on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 07:02 pm: Edit

No you don't..pack lunches, dinners and whatnot. My junior year I would leave my house at 7am and not return some nights until 8pm. I didn't touch junk food or fast food. Still don't, there's a reason they call it junk. Tastes bad and isn't good for you. Edit: I go back on that..I do like to go to delis.. spinach tortillias.

Convenience food doesn't have to be junk. I lived off cereal (I kept boxes in my car, ate it dry and/or bought pints of milk at gas stations). Whole fruits don't spoil. Wheat Thins and Triscuits are also godsends..Maybe a teacher at school has a fridge where you can keep stuff?

Substitute the candy bars for granola and/or breakfast bars, meal bar thingys. They taste pretty good.

Unless you live in the boonies, you probably have a grocery store nearby where you can hop in and get pre-cut veggies or pre-made salads. Skip the cream dressings. You can also get sandwhiches at the deli, and these are better than fast-food sandwhiches (whole wheat bread).

Even if this is impossible, which it shouldn't be, it's possible to get decent food at fast-food. That's if you know what you're looking for.

By Laceycheer (Laceycheer) on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 11:13 pm: Edit

also... start a regimen consistantly working out. I really have to monitor my weight constantly, because I am on the varsity weitlifting team... I must stay in a 120-129 range, but since I train constantly, I gain weight in muscle mass... so i have to lose fat alot. Personally, I run about 3 miles a day... however, i started slow, walking for 30 minutes in the evening... it really reduces stress, and you would be amazed how walking can make a difference... as far as calorie burn goes, there isnt a big difference between power walking and flat out running. Also... eat right! I agree with Jen.. i live on cereal too i bring it along and eat it at cheerleading practice... I try to eat 5 small meals a day, which, if you eat good stuff, is alot healthier than 3 larger meals a day.... I also take these pills... I *cringe* when I say this because i am afraid that someone is going to take that the wrong way, but they have absolutel no detrimental effects... they are suppliments of Apple Cider Vinegar, which studies show increase your metabolism... I made sure to check with my coach that they are okay... and he studied Nutrician in college, he assures me that in no way are they harmful.

By Nycneedhelp (Nycneedhelp) on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 11:36 pm: Edit

This is why I run track...

By Jenniferelaine (Jenniferelaine) on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 11:37 pm: Edit

But if you are artifically increasing your metabolism when you're young (even if it's with "health food"), it will mess up your metabolism when you are older.

By Justin185 (Justin185) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 08:23 pm: Edit

This is weird. I gained 13 pounds between August 2001 and May 2003. Between May 2003 and September 2003 I gained a little over 20 lbs. I have been at 215-220 lbs for the past few months. I have been eating a lot of fast food during the semester since I commute to my college and do not have a meal plan. However, I gained the weight over the summer when my diet was reasonable and had very little fast food in it. I think for me it was natural weight gain...kind of like a growth spurt. I am now the same weight as my twin brother after a lifetime of being outweighed by 15 pounds or more.

By Compewter (Compewter) on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 08:43 pm: Edit

Don't deprive yourself of a main food group (the chocolate plus other snack foods). Be happy and eat what you like. If you don't you'll just end up miserable. But yeah, cut out fast foods and cafe foods, those are dirty. Try learning how to cook, and make stuff at home. It is 100 times as healthy. But chocolate I recommend.

Generally I go with what my body tells me to eat (which includes all the snacks, and I'm a chocolate addict) and I'm pretty healthy. I think I could gain some pounds. [140 lb male at 5'7, or maybe 5'8 ;) ].

Oh and if you don't like your weight run for 40 min. 3 times a week. Or you could try something else, like cross country skiing which is nice for burning fat.

By Jimjunior (Jimjunior) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 03:23 am: Edit

My way of going at it is to stay really active and eat whatever I want. I am constantly swimming, playing tennis or playing basketball. I eat McDonald's all the time, and love candy. However, I am willing to leave food on my plate if I am full. I am neither fat nor skinny 6'0" 175.

Swimming will keep an individual as trim as anything. In the past 4 years I have seen many guys and girls really get healthy and lose weight by showing up and putting in the hours on a regular basis

By Puppy (Puppy) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 06:49 pm: Edit

swimming is really good for you. I swim check out my hot bod (click on name). I love ribs, McDonalds, fine dining, asian food, candy, and i eat so much! today ive had 4 mcdonalds cheesburgers a large fry a mcflurry coke and panera bowl of soup + large sub and thats not all the little snacks plus im getting dinner now. When you eat a lot it beefs you up so it looks like you have more muscle. If i stopped swimming i might get fat. Even w/ all the swimming im noticing a wisp of abdominal salience. That's because im drunk 24/7! so join a sports team and it should work out. BTW if you're black i think i saw something on Dateline x-day that says that non whites have lower metabolisms and gain more weight.

By Enlightenment (Enlightenment) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 07:51 pm: Edit

Excercising is where you really lose that excess fat. Girls gain a lot of the fat on their butt and their legs, while guys gain fat on their bellies. Which is why, if you eat junk food, and you sit studying all the time, that will really gain you a lot of weight. Walking is REALLY great to lose fat, and plus, it's a stress-relief method. Especially, if you want to have a really nice butt, walk down hill and up hill if you have those (just a tip..). I do excercise everyday, and I'm usually under the roof, so I stick to DDR (Dance dance revolution) on PS2. It's fun and at the same time I'm burning off calories (it actually records the amount of calories I burn off).

Anyway.. the thing is, junk food can be really tasty, and there's always a desire to want to eat them. However.. the way that I try to avoid that is I think, for example: "If I eat this candybar, which is worth maybe 100cal -200cal, I would enjoy a moment of pleasure and delight from it. However, if I do eat this candybar, I'll be gaining those calories, and what I consume into my mouth just comes out the other end later" That moment of pleasure isn't really worth it if you have to spend days to burn off the fat you gain from eating junk food. That's how I think of it.. and that's how I've been able to keep my weight about the same and even lose some kgs as well.

By Puppy (Puppy) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 08:06 pm: Edit

wow enlightenment are you japanese, if not asian? I stereotypically think that the majority of people playing those dance games are cause i think its big thing there.

By Enlightenment (Enlightenment) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 08:09 pm: Edit

I'm Chinese I was pretty big on PS2 games and I got DDR for excercising purposes. (I like how I can play and burn calories at the same time) And yeah, stereotypically speaking, the majority of people who play DDR are Asian, mostly because DDR originated from Japan.

By Chim_Chim (Chim_Chim) on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 11:02 pm: Edit

Burn more calories than you take in = lose weight
Consume more calories than you burn = gain weight