Posts by azdreamer

I would approach teh subject very gently so that they are not tempted to get defensive. Talk to them in a situation when you are alone, with no parents around, so they will feel free to open up, but don't make the conversation ALL about anorexia. Maybe tell them about this cool website you have found that has helped you to lose weight (i'm just assuming you are trying to lose weight) in a HEALTHY way. Watch how each of the girls reacts to the word healthy, and maybe ask them what they think is a healthy eating habit for somebody their age. Ask casually so they don't feel like they are being grilled, especially if one of them is guilty of looking up pro-ana websites, you have to be careful not to shut them down because of that guilt. Without condemning them, bring up in conversation your reasons why you think those websites are a destructive influence. That may move them to tell you if something is up.

I do agree with you. I feel better eating small amounts of high-calorie but also high-nutrient food, such as nuts, beans, filling fruits like bananas, etc. The way you are eating is fine, but just make sure it's healthy too. :)

Affection between family members is definitely on the decline. I notice it and I'm sure many people do. I don't know if you're a Bible reader, but did you know that a lack of affection was actually prophesied in the Bible for the period of time that we are living in? Seeing this forum reminded me of the scripture because the topic is almost word-for-word what the Bible says at 2 Timothy 3:2,3-- "For men (this includes children too) will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection"!!! There it is, almost exactly what you posted! I just thought I would share that thought with you since you are a loving and concerned parent, that this was a trend predicted in the Bible, but it also says that things will get better in the future. Right now just keep taking good care of your kids like you obviously do and protecting them from those influences! 

15 years, 143 lbs., 5'4", dress size 8, hourgalss.

I definitely agree.

I went on a weekend trip to Arizona with my family-- just four days!-- and I had lost two pounds when I came home. My guess (someone correct me if I'm wrong) is that when it's hot, your metabolism slows down because your body does not have to work as hard to produce heat as it does when it's cold.

Also, in the wintertime I tend to comfort myself with lots of chocolate because there's not much else to do, whereas in the summer I am always outside so I barely even think about food. It's really nice outside today, so at the moment I have 750 calories left for the day, but when it's colder I usually have 500 left at this time of day!

So yeah, I've noticed it too. Less body heat production, more activity, less emotional/boredom eating. That's my theory.

I concur

I'm pretty sure the 1500 cal minimum only applies to minors under 18, because by that age your body has basically stopped developing. I still think 1200 is a little low, though, unless you're particularly small. But that's just me.

I agree it can be hard to drink water when you're not thirsty, but it's absolutely imperative to your weight loss and your health. So try these suggestions:

Drink one or two cups first thing in the morning before you have breakfast.

Drink a cup before every meal-- if you wait till after, you might feel full from eating which makes water really unappetizing.

Make it more fun to drink by using a straw or a water bottle.

And, like no_audience said, eat your fruits and veggies and drink other fluids. You have to remember how important this is for your body!

Option A sounds about right. If you keep your activity at sedentary but add in your workouts, your burn meter should give you a close-to-accurate number. You don't have to worry about eating the calories back as long as your deficit (between what you eat and what you burn) is not more than 1,000 calories.

I agree. I'm not satisfied with what I eat unless I know exactly what's in it and what it's going to do for my body.

My ultimate diet snack is puffed rice, vanilla yogurt and unsweetend cocoa powder all mixed together. YUM! Also unsweetened carob. It tastes soooo good just by itself. Somebody mentioned No Pudge brownies, and I just wanted to say-- DITTO! They are AWESOME! One of those with some vanilla yogurt on top is just exquisite. I am OBSESSED with yogurt. It's a miracle food.  

That's amazing to me-- I'm fifteen years old and very healthy and I still have not gotten even close to a mile straight! Of course, I have some slight breathing disorder and I live in Colorado where the air is quite thin (that makes cardio hard for me, especially uphill, which is most of my route) but you've given me new inspiration to go a little longer. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to hit it too! Thanks for the encouragement, and keep on going!

Yes, I had that problem, and I still do, but I'm learning to control it. What I do is drink something instead of eating. Swiss Miss has a fat free hot chocolate-- 70 calories, I believe-- that is pretty satisfying. Once I have something like that, I don't feel the urge to stuff my face anymore.

I would also suggest eating a smaller lunch (if you know you're going to get hungry later on in the day anyway, why waste the calories trying to fill up on just one meal?) and have a snack in between lunch and dinner if you don't already. Keep you calorie intake at a balanced level throughout the day instead of eating a lot at one meal, almost nothing at another, and then binging at night. I hope this helps. 

Hey, I feel for you. I get exactly the same kind of pains. It's almost worse than cramps because it stays there all day.

What I try to do is-- don't freak out!-- excersize. I know it's the last thing a PMSing woman generally wants to do, but for the backaches, it really does help. You don't have to do a full workout, but if you can bear a couple minutes jogging on a treadmill, that will ease the pressure. Also try some stretches that arch the lower part of your back, like a backbend, or this one where you lie down on the floor with your knees bent and your feet curled under you. Believe it or not, it feels good.

If you can't bring yourself to excersize or stretch, you can always lie on the couch with your feet up on the back of it, and your upper body hanging off the edge. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I hope these work for you next month!

Here's what seems to work for me:

Push-ups. Those work more of the muscles on the back of your arms than weights do.

Bicycle crunches. That's where you put your hands behind your head, bend your knees and touch your right elbow to your left knee, then your left elbow to your right knee. Those work your obliques, which will help shrink the "inner-tube."

Leg extensions. These work your upper thighs, in the back. You get on your hands and knees, and extend your leg straight out behind you.

I hope these work for you if you haven't tried them already.