this is me...what is right and what is wrong?

Calories-777 Grams-727 Fat-9 Carbs159 Protein-26 Grade-A 2007-05-20 

 Thats what I have eaten so far today. I am going to a reunion so I may eat a little more. I am almost 16 (female) my hieght is 5'2 or 5'3. I wiegh 97 to 99 pounds. My waist size is 23 to 23 1/2. I know I eat alot od carbs, but everything that is low fat is loaded. Is this okay? I don't want to starve myself, but I do not want to gain wieght. I want to grow normaly, but now I am petite and not very devoloped... I do not like eating foods that have more then 50 fat calories per serving. To count calories they add the calories and fat cals together, right? Anyways, I can controll what I eat, but when I do eat a little to much I get fat and in the morning i am skinny again. I hate that!. Anyone have suggestions for me to lose a little bit of wieght and matian it, but still develope properly?also to be healthy and get all my nutrients. I have researched it on end, but I need your help. By the way i am a vegatarian. thanks so much!

Carbs will bloat you so that could be the reason for your feeling "fat." It's good to eat foods with some fat in them because that's what takes the hunger away and makes you satisfied. It also slows down your digestion and so you are not hungry as soon as you would be had you only eaten carbs. You do not need to lose any weight. Even if you were ultra petite/small boned, you should not lose any weight. Just concentrate on eating healthy foods and forget about everything else.

you're tiny.  you shouldn't be trying to compromise between development and weight loss: you don't need to lose, and you do need to develop.

eat!

    Eat more fat, fat got a very bad reputation in the 80s by the media but is vital to a healthy diet.  Eating low amounts of fat wrecks havoc on the body's ability to produce hormones and can really damage your body.  Thing researchers are figureing out now is that certain carbs promote fat gain(when calorie excess is produced) and that eating low fat diet can actually impair weight loss. 

   Just do not be afraid of eating healthy, real fats like olive oil, peanut butter(natural type) and even some cheese/milk for the calcium it contains.  To grow correctly a diet of 25-30% fat is needed.

   Put it on more way, humans will die without eating fats and protein but can actually lead healthy lives consumeing 0 carbs.(Not the best choice for a diet though)

i agree with terrier -- fat is extremely important, it makes you feel full, it makes your skin healthy, the list goes on... i totally forget the ratio of fat you should eat (is it 25%, don't quote me... i think it should be 50% carbs, 25 protein, and 25 fat, is that right?), but it would be really easy to look it up.

when i first started dieting, this is what did wrong.  cut out fat completely.  DON'T DO IT.  it makes you GAIN weight.  sure, fat has more calories, so just make sure you alot some room for it.  and also, make sure the fats you get are healthy fats, (eggs, olive oil, fish, etc), you'll lose weight, have better skin, and not feel hungry all the time.

and, fyi, you should be eating about 2000 cals a day, probably more since you are a teen.  make sure you're eating the right amount, or your body will go into starvation mode.

So far you've gotten great advice, but I do want to disagree with terrier08.  Because the human brain functions 100% on carbohydrates, NO, it is not possible for a human being to live a healthy life with 0 carb intake.  Just thought I would throw that in there.  Carbs are very good for us if we don't eat the refined kind.

If you are working out you probably need a lot more calories or you will gain weight instead of lose because you body will go into starvation mode.  Starving yourself will definitely hurt your development.   It is okay to gain weight you are a few pounds under anyway.  And as your body developes and grows "more feminine" the weight will even out in all the right places any way.  Working out is a good habit, but starving isn't... you need to make yourself eat more and keep the working out part for good habit in life, but eat around 2000 calories or more.. They can tell you how to gain weight and then maintain it on here too.  Trust me for you to gain weight would be a good thing and it is bound to happen as you develope and get bigger in certain feminine areas... but that is okay you are supposed to get bigger in those areas.  And as I said.. the weight will be proportionate to your body and will be in the spots it is supposed to be and you'll be healthier and happier too.  As other areas get bigger others will appear smaller and flatter like your stomach.  And you will love your new body.  Enjoy being a girl and having those curves!  Don't try to keep them from coming.  You will be healthier and get all your nutrients as you strive to gain weight to reach the proper weight, not try to lose.  You do not need to lose.  You could never be fat.  Not at 99 pounds.  Look up what your healthy weight range is, dear, you are below by atleast 10 -12 pounds.  This could account for you not developing yet.  You will gain as you develope and be the weight you are supposed to be.  Just make sure that you eat enough calories with all the activity you do at your age and you will be fine not to gain more than you should.. But you should gain now so eat more than that and THEN check into what your calorie needs would be with your activity level to maintain.  God Bless you to figure it all out and find your healthy weight and balance.

You need to double what you ate. Seriously. At your age. Until you hit 18, you should be having 700 calorie LUNCHES (biggest meal of the day)
Fat IS important but stick to good fats - nuts (raw), salmon, small amounts of bad fat is ok too. Needs to lubricate the joint
Also make sure you get enough calcium
You may not go into starvation mode but you may set yourself up for a slow metabolism if you dont eat more. if you feel you cant eat more its prolly cos you're filling up on lettuce and mushrooms etc instead of spinach (which is still low cal, but the darker the leaf, more nutrients)
If I were you, (which I am not, I'm 19) I'd concerntrate more on health. maybe have low-fat (rather than no fat) dairy.
Also the "fatness" is just normal eating food = bloat. So eat slower and have water. Chew well.
Also to stop this bloat, go to the gym, develope some abs to hold your tummy in. :)

Stay fit and healthy and you'll be right. You can get away with cake too, everyone caan, just not a daily thing (like my dad who weighs twice as much as me. He has cake twice a day. At least. Plus biscuits. Makes me sad. But if he can eat so much, you have much more room to play with)

Good luck. If you need any help feel free to PM me

Thanks so much for the GREAt advice! I just have a really bad fear of getting fat, cause like america is obese and stuff. Yes, I feared that I would not develop properly with my diet. Oh why can't I be really skinny and curvy too!!???lol, well thanks agian you ppl are great :) god bless!

You don't need to be on a diet. Talk to your parents and your doctor instsead of putting your health at risk. You are a growing child.

I think more than weight loss, calories of fat etc. you need to look more at your body image, your perception of yourself, as it seems like your fear of getting fat is making you eat way too little and obsess a bit over your food selections. You are at the low end of a healthy weight for your height, very petite, and basically you do not need to be expending so much mental energy worrying about this all the time.

If you get "fat" after eating too much but are "skinny" again in the morning, that has nothing to do with fat. Some foods like complex carbohydrates create some gas in your intestines and may make you feel a bit bloated, but that is not a reason not to eat those foods and really nothing to worry about. You are probably the only person who is aware of it.

Eat plenty of healthy food, exercise and get enough sleep, and do not worry so much that you perhaps do not have the "skinny and curvy" body that you see as ideal. It sounds to me like you would have a pretty nice figure.

You are all very right. Today I am going to gradually eat a little more. I can't really afford to go to the gym and I hate exercising with like leg lifts and crunches (although I do 120 crunches every night) I like to run around outside. and I push mow and clean the house alot. Is that adeqeute exercise? Does this sound alright for the day...

Breakfast- 4 mini rasian bagels, oatmeal

Lunch- Meatless Boca burger (with bread), crystal light lemonade, small banana

Snack or dinner(I don't like eating after 3pm)- hashbrown casserole,mandarin oranges, 2 rice cakes

I am so glad I came across this site you all are very smart. :)

thelordwillguideme, maybe you could visit your local dietician at your local hospital who would greatly help you with finding the nutrition goals that are right for you.  I am sure your parents would be willing to take you to someone who could give you educated advice on this subject. 

And my advice on your meals for the day, you should be eating 3 meals a day to get enough nutrition and 2 snacks, at your age, and really most ages.  So I would add on some yogurt, nuts, and perhaps an apple as snacks for the day.  And add another small item to your lunch like a vegtable of somekind.  Then another small meal such as a good salad or soup with somthing else small, like a sandwich or maybe the soup and the salad together.  You may feel strange or full eating this much food at first after eating so little before, but you will get used to it, and it is for your health, so try and make yourself if you have to in the beginning and the Lord will help you to continue it too.  And He will bless you and keep you. 

It sounds like you are getting good amounts of excercise too, so the increase in your food intake is probably wise for that too.  Walking is a great way to excercise and a fun activity to do with friends or family.   

PS  thelordwillguideme, I have a cousin who is a dietician too, who I could see if they would be able to give you advice too, if money is an issue to your parents as well.  Just let me know.  Keep up the good work!  Feel free to send me a message!  Enjoy this day the Lord has made for you! 

No, it doesn't sound even close to alright for the day. I see from another post you made that you very thin.  You are failing to allow for the normal growth you will experience as you grow in to a woman.

Unless you want to find yourself, at the age of about 25, infertile with brittle bones like an old lady's,

You need, every day: 

3 servings of whole grains (you have that covered if the bagels and bread are whole grain

5 servings of fruits and vegetables.  You have only 1, a banana

3 servings of dairy products or other high calcium foods - you have none

3 servings of protein - at least 3 oz of lean meat, poultry or fish, cheese, or tofu, or beans.  You have only one - a boca burger.

3 small servings of a good fat, such as olive oil (1 tsp), avocado (1/4 cup) or nuts (1 oz).  Fats should constitute 30% of your total calories.

This should total between 1200 & 1500 calories, depending on the foods you select.

The once thing that stands out in my mind when reading your post thelordwillguideme, is that your eating revolves around fear. Whenever your eating centers around negative emotions, whether overeating or undereating, it generally doesn't have a positive result. Fear is ultimately an irrational and dangerous emotion and very little good ever comes from feeding your fears (no pun intended).

I understand, as a teenager, there's alot to be afraid of and being fat was certainly one of my biggest. It actually got to the point where I was eating one meal a day (so my parent's wouldn't get suspicious of course). It was not healthy at all and eventually I destroyed my metabolism so badly, that now it is extremely difficult for me to lose weight.

I spent about a year with an eating disorder therapist who showed me just how irrational my assumptions were, and how unhealthy I had become. Both extremes are dangerous,and in the end, all the calorie advise on this site aren't going to make a difference. Find a person (a professional preferably) who will help you discover why you are so afraid of food and maybe you will be able to eat a meal without counting and perhaps enjoying yourself. I know my therapist banned counting for quite awhile, because it contributes to neurotic behavior in people who obsess about food. Counting only works when your thinking is healthy.

Also, I'm not sure you do this, but I imagine you probably do. There is no reason to weigh yourself more than once a week. Your bodyweight naturally fluctuates from things like water intake, or menstrual cycles. And your level of bloatedness is more effected by those things versus actual weight gain. Getting fat cannot occur over the course of a meal. It takes many many meals of consistent overeating.

Being vegetarian in and of itself makes it unlikely that you will ever become overweight, and if you've ever seen hardcore vegetarians (my aunt is vegan). All they do is eat, nuts, greens etc. They have to make up for the loss of protien. On the other hand, many people use vegetarianism as an excuse or justification for starvation type tendencies. Something to consider for yourself. Is it possible that you became a vegetarian in order to eat very small amounts of food without attracting attention?

These are all things to consider, and there's a lot of people here who can see where your choices will lead you and want to prevent it. Hopefully, we can give you the courage to get some help and learn how to eat healthfully, and joyfully. The way God intended it.