Body Image

[Ali.Cat]

I've been thinking about my weight alot. I want to lose weight but my grandma and my mom say I'm to young to worry about this stuff and I'm still growing. I've been tracking how much I eat for about 2 weeks now and slowly trying to cut back and only eat certain foods when I do eat. I'm trying to be healthy about it but I still think I'm over eating and idk what I should do.

[Christoph.er]

Im no diet expert, but im pretty sure that its more about WHAT you eat than HOW MUCH you eat.
Best option would be consult with a diet expert or smth like that, but you can check internet to find what products you should eat more to lose some weight. But because you are still growing, its not recommended to try and loes large amount of weight, because your body needs that energy, that is stored there.

[BlackParadePixie]

Exercise and staying active are FAR more important than how much you eat. Granted, you shouldn't be eating McDonalds and ice cream all day every day...but if your overall diet is made up of mostly healthy foods, then you really shouldn't have much to worry about.
Your body NEEDS food to function, to grow. A balanced diet, along with exercise, will provide your body with the necessary vitamins and nutrients it needs to operate at peak efficiency. Now yes, sometimes your body needs different things at times...more protein, more vitamin C, more calcium, etc - which is why it is good to talk to a nutritionist if you think you might be lacking in some areas or another.
Obsessing over WHAT you are eating, or HOW MUCH you are eating will only lead to you missing out on certain things your body needs.

[Sailor Mars]

You’re only 14, so your body is still very much developing and going to have remnants of baby fat and things like that. You shouldn’t really be worrying about it. Of course, like previously stated, what you eat matters, and you should be getting into healthy habits and activities early on, but there’s no reason to obsess over your weight unless you’re like, morbidly obese and overweight, which I highly doubt you are. “Diets” and the like can easily develop into eating disorders if you aren’t careful.

[Ali.Cat]

I know I'm not really doing it the right way and I keep telling myself that but it's always what ends up happening. I obsess over what I'm eating or not eating.

[BlackParadePixie]

I know I'm not really doing it the right way and I keep telling myself that but it's always what ends up happening. I obsess over what I'm eating or not eating.

What sort of things do you normally eat?

[Ali.Cat]

What sort of things do you normally eat?

I try to eat lots of fruit and some yogurt. Veggies. Mostly chicken when I eat meat.

[Sailor Mars]

I know I'm not really doing it the right way and I keep telling myself that but it's always what ends up happening. I obsess over what I'm eating or not eating.

It’s very important that you start having a healthy relationship with the food you eat, and a more open minded mentality. Even star athletes and olympians eat sweets and drink alcohol. The quality of food is important more than the quantity, and if you’re an active kid then just... be a kid. You’re only 14, you have your entire life to obsess over food and dieting. Now isn’t that time. If you see yourself starting to have more problems and that relationship between you and what you eat become more and more restrictive, I highly recommend talking to your parents about seeing a doctor and/or a therapist who specializes in eating disorders.

[BlackParadePixie]

I try to eat lots of fruit and some yogurt. Veggies. Mostly chicken when I eat meat.
All of those things are super healthy! You shouldn't be afraid to eat any of those things. Breads and other red meats are also perfectly fine, in moderation. It is perfectly ok to be eating things from all the food groups every single day as long as you are remaining active as well.

[Ali.Cat]

I am active. I started running at night to help with my weight to. My grandma noticed I've been eating less but she just made me sit with her and eat a full meal. It kind of made me want to be sick. I don't know how to change my brain to stop being this way about food.

[BlackParadePixie]

I am active. I started running at night to help with my weight to. My grandma noticed I've been eating less but she just made me sit with her and eat a full meal. It kind of made me want to be sick. I don't know how to change my brain to stop being this way about food.
I used to be the same way. I went to see a nutritionist and she told me all the same things I have said to you. And what changed my view is that I listened to her and believed what she said, because...well she was a doctor, and I just accepted that she knew more than I did and knew what she was talking about.

Also I got older and my body changed...I filled out more and as I matured, areas that use to just look like gross fat areas became more toned and shapely as I matured, ate right and exercised.

[Ali.Cat]

I just want to look in the mirror and not feel gross anymore.

[Sevven]

Never too young to eat healthy :)
If you want to cut out junk and sugar and stuff that’s mostly carbs or mostly fat then it can’t hurt to do so
And if you trim down, bonus!

[Ali.Cat]

Never too young to eat healthy :)
If you want to cut out junk and sugar and stuff that’s mostly carbs or mostly fat then it can’t hurt to do so
And if you trim down, bonus!

That's what I was thinking

[Second Chance]

I've been thinking about my weight alot. I want to lose weight but my grandma and my mom say I'm to young to worry about this stuff and I'm still growing. I've been tracking how much I eat for about 2 weeks now and slowly trying to cut back and only eat certain foods when I do eat. I'm trying to be healthy about it but I still think I'm over eating and idk what I should do.

I am active. I started running at night to help with my weight to. My grandma noticed I've been eating less but she just made me sit with her and eat a full meal. It kind of made me want to be sick. I don't know how to change my brain to stop being this way about food.

I am in total agreement with everyone above particularly Sailor Mars that you need to be really careful here because I am afraid you might be on the edge of developing an eating disorder. Especially when you had mentioned that you do not like what you are seeing in the mirror is very concerning. Believe me, you do not want to go down the road of an eating disorder or not eating properly because you will pay the price later on in life mentally and physically. I think gut health has a big impact on mental health, and if you are not eating properly, then that will mess with your mind.

Listen, short of your being God there is no way you will be perfect, and every single one of us has something about ourselves that is not ideal. If you try to sculpt the "perfect" body or be the "perfect" person, then you are deluding yourself. So many images we see of women are unrealistic, and I believe expectations of women's physical looks are not always the best. Even if you look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame that should not define your worth as a person. You can and will hear from people that you look fine and that you are normal, but you need to believe that. If you cannot understand that, then what the others have said about getting help is critical right now before it gets to be too late.

After having seen the effects of eating disorders and body image problems I feel strongly that the minute the problem manifests itself that the person has to get help. Otherwise, you will end up living life in a bad position when in fact had you talked things out you would have been fine. In puberty everyone feels awkward about their bodies, but like mentioned above you are still a work in progress and are not growing. No teenager looks perfect, and you have to understand even if you do not look good now, then you will end up fine when you are done growing. No amount of diets and physical alterations are going to change that.

Finally, remember that bodies come and go, and what counts most is what is on the inside. Trust me, if your inside goes bad either mentally or physically, then life will become painful. That is why deal with your issues now and talk things out no matter what because if you do, then you will be fine. Everyone was like you, but things worked out in the end especially for those who have gotten help when they most needed it.

[Sevven]

I am in total agreement with everyone above particularly Sailor Mars that you need to be really careful here because I am afraid you might be on the edge of developing an eating disorder. Especially when you had mentioned that you do not like what you are seeing in the mirror is very concerning. Believe me, you do not want to go down the road of an eating disorder or not eating properly because you will pay the price later on in life mentally and physically. I think gut health has a big impact on mental health, and if you are not eating properly, then that will mess with your mind.

Listen, short of your being God there is no way you will be perfect, and every single one of us has something about ourselves that is not ideal. If you try to sculpt the "perfect" body or be the "perfect" person, then you are deluding yourself. So many images we see of women are unrealistic, and I believe expectations of women's physical looks are not always the best. Even if you look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame that should not define your worth as a person. You can and will hear from people that you look fine and that you are normal, but you need to believe that. If you cannot understand that, then what the others have said about getting help is critical right now before it gets to be too late.

After having seen the effects of eating disorders and body image problems I feel strongly that the minute the problem manifests itself that the person has to get help. Otherwise, you will end up living life in a bad position when in fact had you talked things out you would have been fine. In puberty everyone feels awkward about their bodies, but like mentioned above you are still a work in progress and are not growing. No teenager looks perfect, and you have to understand even if you do not look good now, then you will end up fine when you are done growing. No amount of diets and physical alterations are going to change that.

Finally, remember that bodies come and go, and what counts most is what is on the inside. Trust me, if your inside goes bad either mentally or physically, then life will become painful. That is why deal with your issues now and talk things out no matter what because if you do, then you will be fine. Everyone was like you, but things worked out in the end especially for those who have gotten help when they most needed it.

Yeah if only