Parents...

My parents know I am trying to lose weight, and they are supportive-ish. But, if I've had enough calories for the day (like I have today) and don't want dinner I know they will berate me or make me feel guilty for not eating dinner with them. Or if I go the gym and eat a light supper because I ate a large amount when I came home from school, my mother will question me.

Any suggestions? Would eating less earlier so I can eat more later in the evening with them work? How do you placate your parents' concerns?

are you sure you're eating enough calories? that's SUPER important.

it makes parents uncomfortable sometimes if you don't eat at the same times as they do, so maybe keep that in mind when planning your meals as well. meaning it might be better to save calories so that you can eat dinner with your parents. just so they don't get worried.

I make sure to eat enough calories, but my parents still are a bit weird about my weight loss especially if they don't see me eating.

maybe try talking to them about it? if you let them know how it makes you feel, they might not criticize you as much. my parents never really bother me about it, since i'm at boarding school.

your parent probably know you best. what are your current stats. it's likely that you may not need to lose weight at all and they are looking out for your best interest. how old are you? don't starve during the day just to put on a show for your parents, your body won't thank you.

So in your bio you say you are about to sign with a local modeling agency and they want you to drop 10 lbs if you want a serious career.

"My goal is to be at 130 pounds by my seventeenth birthday on November 18."

I expect you are tall, so are you 5'11"?

What bothers me the most is that you mention you have never tried to lose weight until the request was made by the modeling agency.

So while you are losing slowly (4 lbs so far) and if you are 5'11" then 130 lbs is not technically underweight, but I think I can see why your parents might be anxious about your dieting.

I don't think it's about placating the parents, I think they have actually picked up on the fact that it isn't a good idea for you and I think you may even know that yourself.

You are in school (which requires energy); your bones, brains and hormones still have a huge amount of development to go through in the next 8 years; and you are specifically entering an industry that is renowned for turning a blind eye to serious eating disorders in models because supposedly that's what the public wants to see.

30-40% of all women who go on a diet develop obsessive issues with food. Of those, a further 30-40% develop full-blown eating disorders. We know it is neurologically pre-determined that some women flip into starvation or bingeing and purging when they begin dieting but we cannot say ahead of time which women will be unlucky.

So, dieting should be treated as something to be done to solve serious health issues that come with being genuinely overweight. It shouldn't be treated with the same who cares attitude as getting a new haircut that's for sure!

Anyhow, think about it. 

hedgren-

I do not want to be an unhealthy skinny stick, and I pray I will never develop an eating disorder. My dad told me the other day he was "just teasing" and that if he ever thought I was actually doing something I shouldn't he wouldn't tease, he would be active. I'm glad he told me that, it makes his little comments make more sense. Anyways, I've been blessed with great parents who will vigilantly notice if I start to go down that path.

I am 5'11, so I checked out that 130 pounds is still not technically underweight (with an online bmi calculator)

Thanks for the concern and wisdom.  I will think about it!

In addition to explaining what you're doing to your parents, why not actually talk to them about why and how you're doing it?  Let them give their input.  Ask them what worries them.  Develop a plan together, and report to them on it.  Show them your calorie consumption each day so they know what you're eating.  Sit together and plan out dinners so that you know what's coming and can eat with them.

Original Post by scrawnychubbchubb:

hedgren-

I do not want to be an unhealthy skinny stick, and I pray I will never develop an eating disorder. My dad told me the other day he was "just teasing" and that if he ever thought I was actually doing something I shouldn't he wouldn't tease, he would be active. I'm glad he told me that, it makes his little comments make more sense. Anyways, I've been blessed with great parents who will vigilantly notice if I start to go down that path.

I am 5'11, so I checked out that 130 pounds is still not technically underweight (with an online bmi calculator)

Thanks for the concern and wisdom.  I will think about it!

I'm glad to hear that your parents are part of it and it's true you are healthy and that's exactly why I commented on how dieting is really meant for the overweight.

I'm actually just frustrated with an industry that is so self-absorbed and consumed with its own misguided sense of "profound destiny" (I mean it's clothes and makeup people, not curing cancer!) that it would actually recommend a healthy, growing and fabulous 17 year old diet down if she wants to be "serious about her career".

But my issues aside, you sound like you have a great head on your shoulders and some good support so I am wishing you the absolute best for you and all your future goals!