Question for the younger teens...

It seems like there are a lot of 13/14 year old teens on here, and I have to say that the idea of hardcore dieting at that age scares the crap out of me because your body is already going through so much change then....
So I just have to ask... why exactly are you watching what you eat? Are you dieting, or just trying to make healthier choices? What are your reasons for wanting to lose weight?

I really don't want to offend anybody by these questions. I'm just curious as to your take on it, since it's something I never thought about during that part of my life. Anyways, share away! :D

hi :]

im 14... I am watching what i eat because i want to be thin. And I used to rescrict my calories ALL THE TIME even when i was a size 0. Once on a diet, always on a diet. So thats why i eat healthy. Now im actually trying to lose a few pounds. Which leads to your next question. My reasons for wanting to lose weight are pretty much the same as any other adult, just to the max becuase theres WAY more pressure to be thin. Kids are cruel and its no fun to be fat. Everyone wants to look good, especially as teens because the way you see yourself is entirley based on what your peers think of you. Its the time in your life where you put all of your focus into your social life because you dont have to worry about all of the responsibilities that adults do. I started a thread on what people thought about their weight when they were in highschool and almost EVERYONE thought they were fat when most of them werent. Its amazing to go shopping for clothes and actually like how you look in them. Its all about self-esteem.

I'm 15. I started getting obsessed with diets a year ago. At one point I was pratically living off brocolli. However now I try to eat a healthy diet with treats. I actively make sure I eat enough. My reason for dieting was that I had a warped self-perception. People viewed me as thin but silly me thought I was huge. Nowadays I have to watch what I eat because otherwise I might binge.

that is a great question, because I also was wondering how come there were so many teens worried about their weight, I suppose when you grow up you forget how mean were the other kids when you were at school but reading about this kind of make me remember and understand the wish for been thin and how much it hurts to been treated as the fat one.

when I was a teenager I remember all this thin girls around me, the most popular ones and I was always left behind, because of my own mental issues with my body and because the other kids prefered been with the teen popular ones and I have to say that life has thought me that things do get better, and looking back I wish I wouldn´t waisted so much time thinking about my weight and I wish I would have enjoyed those times better instead of obsessing with something I could have dealed later in life.

of the thin popular girls back in school I have to say almost all of them got fat, and I got thin, I guess it shouldn´t make me happy and it doesn´t but what happened is that they thought they could eat whatever they wanted and their metabolism changed, they stop growing and they got fat, on the contrary I always watched what I ate and follow the instructions of a nutritionist, and I got thiner instead of fat thanks to my growing body.

that is why I think there are moe important things to worry than your weight at this moment and of diets, all you guys have to do is eat healthy and not eat junk food and you will get thin eventually as your body grows.

I respect the fact that you are willing to take care of your bodies and really care about what you eat, that is very smart, just don´t obsses over it, you will see how life changes with time and don´t think all that skinny people you see right now will stay that way forever, at the end the one who works hard is the one who wins.

your not offending me :) i'm 14. i'm a recovering anorexic- i'm currently in eighth grade. i became anorexic when i was in 6th grade. because of that i totally screwed my metabolism, so now i gain weight in an instant if i go over my calorie limit.

it totally sucks i know, because i can never be a normal kid that gets excited at the prospect of ice cream.

i try to eat 1200 cals a day, but lately that's been hard, so i'll probalby up it to 1400 or 1500, which is actually kind of hilarious to me because i used to be disgusted at the thought of eating 1000 cals a day (i ate 100)

my how times have changed.

I'm not a young teen (turning 16 pretty soon), but like what most of the posters have said already...in highschool, image = everything. If you aren't pretty and skinny, you're not popular, period. And unfortunately, I'm sure that's the case for many other highschools in North America.

*Sigh*...the pros and cons of being a teen! 

Lighterrose.  I read all I can from what experts say about metabolism... not what some body building site says, what obesity specialists and researchers say. I have not read anything that says you can screw up your metabolism permanently. They all say you can slightly slow your RMR if you diet severely,  but this is temporary. Your RMR rebounds within weeks, or maybe a couple months, after you resume normal eating.

When you say you gain weight in an instant...  you can't get around the science... you still have to overeat by 3500 calories to gain a pound. On a day that you over eat, you may eat salty foods that cause you to retain fluid, or you may still have bulk in your system... so these things make the scale go up. But you didn't actually gain fat. It always corrrects.

You just need to figure out how many calories you can eat to maintain your goal weight. That might be around 1500, probably more because you are young and still growing. 

Great forum! I'm 15 and looking to lose another 7-13 lbs to weight between 135 and 130, and 5'9".

I used to be very thin growing up, but the last two years I put on weight. As a dancer, my weight is important, and I often say that I am less influenced by the starlets in magazines, and more by the girl at the barre next to me. Right now, I look in the mirror, and I see an average weight girl. I know I'm not overweight, but I also know I'm not as healthy as I could be. I have some extra baggage to get rid of and some toning to achieve. I know I will probably never be a size zero again, but I would be very comfortable in a 4 or even a loose 6.  I just look at my body and I know I can do better. And I am doing better now. I run 2-3 miles every other day, and I eat really healthy, and I love it.

I LOVE healthy foods. Seriously. I have a sweet tooth, but I can curb it. If you put a bowl of potato chips and a plate of cut up veggies in front of me, I will choose the veggies because I genuinely want them. If I eat the chips, I'll feel bloated and just gross, but the veggies taste great and leave me feeling great. Right now I eat 1400 cals on my non-running days where I do less intense strength training, and 1600 on my running days. Although I'm wondering if I should up it- see my thread "do cc tools work for teens?". I eat a ton of fruits and vegtables, whole grains, and lean proteins. I also let myself have a treat a few times a week, such as low fat ice cream. So while I am cutting calories, I am mainly focusing on eating and being healthier overall.   

good luck everyone!

Hey, I am 13 and the reason I "deit" is because I want to be healthier. I am so tired of running a mile in gym and being completly out of breath and have everyone seem fine. Plus looking good in a swimsuit is just a bonus! I also diet for another part of health... my mental health. I don't want to have such low confidence and always feel like the fat one of the group.I want to feel good about my appearance for once. that is way i want to lose weight.
P.s. I am 138 now and my first goal is 130 and i will go from there. I am 5'3

I will be 14 in a month, and I joined this website a few days ago, and I love it! I am currently 108lbs and my goal is 98lbs (5'3''). I definately wouldn't consider myself to be 'dieting', I am trying to become healthier. Of course, one of the main reasons I am doing this is for vanity purposes, I am fed up of seeing models and celebrities looking absolutely gorgeous and toned, which would make any teenage girl feel like crap. One of my main final goals is, when I go shopping, not to get depressed when I try clothes on. I would love to be able to wear clingy tops without worrying about tummy bulge. I am eating 1300 calories a day, and I find that this is actually sufficent to keep myself satisfied. I am by no means depriving myself of all junk food, if they fit into my calorie limit, I eat them. For example, yesterday I ate a 170 calorie packet of crisps and a Rice Krispie cereal bar.

You haven't offended me, I actually thought your thread was very interesting. I don't know how old you are, but I think society has definately changed a lot in the last few decades. For example, before Marilyn Monroe was considered the epitome of beauty, and she was (as far as I know) a size 12. Nowadays the so called beauties of the celebrity world are rarely over a size 8 (UK.) I think it is also no boost for a teenage girl's confidence to read articles describing such celebrities as Jessica Alba as 'curvy.' Anybody who has seen Honey, will agree, if Alba has a 'curvy' figure, all average sized girls of the world may as well wear labels reading 'obese'! It does make me sad though, the world's obsession with body size. My little sister who is only 10, has hang-ups about her weight already, even though she is by no means fat. I am sure ten year olds in my mother's generation didn't have such worries.........

My heart pours-out to you young girls (and maybe even boys).  I have been in your shoes, please know that.  When you are the age you are, you are still struggling to find your own identity, and tend to lack confidence and follow the pack.  At 28, I am in a much better place now. From 13-15 I was 78lbs, and 5'6". This is not healthy or beautiful. It is terrifying.

shinzers: At 5?3?, and 108lbs, you are much healthier now than you would be at 98lbs.  Becoming 98lbs will not make you healthier. These celebrities you see are also a falsified image.  It?s photoshop, working its wonders on their faces and bodies!  Additionally, while the Marilyn Monroe sizing may be accurate (not sure, but I heard 10 or 12), ?sizes? were so different then, and are even much different now then they were 10 years ago when I graduated high school. I wore a size 6/8 in high school.  That is a 2/4 now.  I think if you can realize that you are just wonderful the way you are now, you?ll be better off all around.  Plus, your little sister watches your every move. There is just one more reason she may be more attentive to ?dieting? and weight loss.

i'm 15 and i'm eat a healthier diet now but last year was hell cuz all i ate was protein and veggies. it all started when my mom and cousin said i looked kind of fat when i was 107 pounds and 5'2.....but i eat what i want now, just in moderation!

i'm 18 and certainly have to applaud some of the younger dieters on here. they seem to have a mature attitude toward weight loss or weight gain seeing as some unfortunatly are trying to recover from EDs. however there are some on here that seem to be using this site as if it were myspace.i just roll my eyes at my computer screen and try to refrain from typing rude comments. anyway...i'm glad that people here are trying to make a difference no matter what age. some of the people on this site are young but maybe that's what is needed to change america. its sad but a lot of obese adolescents are blissfully unaware of what they are eating and how their bodies are expanding.

I'm not dieting, I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm just trying to maintain my health and try my best in school. When i feel my best, I would do my best. Childhood is too short for diet, I would diet later on, when I'm done building my future.

^ditto. i'm not trying to lose weight, but to look better and more toned up. and i have to agree tumultuos, highschool is more fun if you look good. sad, but true. and unfortunately, i'm shallow. i'm not one of those people who can give up image and say, "love me for who i am inside." that just doesn't happen at school.

shiptona- thanks for  the info. but really- i gain weight soo quickly if i dont watch it. i stopped counting cals for maybe 4 or 5 months, and i gained 15 lbs (i went from 105 lbs to 120...not happy) i realize some of that is from eating normally again, but still. i dont want that to happen again!

I hope one day these girls can realize that we can create our own realities. If you let others create your reality, you're selling yourself short.

I grew up bigger, and I was never in short supply of friends. I usually had a boy that I flirted with (and went on a few dates) and I was basically always happy. I realized that even though I wasn't popular, that didn't mean I should let others determine for me that I shouldn't be happy. So while I wasn't part of the "in" crowd, that didn't mean I didn't have a crowd. And honestly, I think my friends were cooler than the superficial people anyway.

Being healthy is one thing. Loving who you are is a big part of overall health.

well said hgielrehtaeh!

Thank God when I was in junior high and high school, grunge was popular so all the "cool kids" wore baggy jeans and flannels!  It was in to present a messy and careless self image. 

Gotta give it to you guys today dealing with skank nation in the media.  Good thing we now have High School Musical to steer things the other way.  ;)

Ditto to hgielrehtaeh! I remember being the "fat kid" at school but there were other people who wanted to be my friends "anyway", and they were more important to be than being one of the "it girls". I'm not saying my weight and my health didn't bother me, and when I dieted it was so I could keep myself from entering the world of Lane Bryant-sized clothing (I was only one size away from XXL clothing) and also to feel healthier and be able to run the mile in gym class. I wish I had learned then, though, some of what I know now: diets are evil. Yes, evil. This site helps me to keep in mind that healthy eating is far more important than restrictive eating, and that weight loss can be done in healthy ways if you follow the guidelines and don't restrict yourself into anorexia.

Good luck to all you teens who are trying to do things the healthy way, and don't feel as if you have to be impossibly thin to be happy, confident, or liked. Healthy and strong are far more attractive, anyway.

Hullo ^_^ I'm 13, and not offended.
I suppose I've always just felt uncomfortable with myself since I went through puberty MUCH earlier than my peers, who are all still very very thin. I just didn't like being the biggest one out of my group of friends; no one ever forced me to do this. 
I guess I'm my own worst critic XD