Well, I'm back... I'm sad...

I joined this site back in mid 2007, but could not retrieve my account...

I feel sad. I thought I was 5'5, because EVEYWHERE I ahve measured, I have come up at 5'5, except for yesterday at the doctor, at 5'4, somehow. I weigh 144lbs at home with no cloths on after eating little, but they weighed me with everything but shoes on after breakfast, and I weighed 156! They told me my BMI is 26.4 and I NEED to lose weight. I had problems with self esteem over my weight in the past and lost weight quickly on a starvation diet then gained it all back very quickly... I started crying in the doctors office... I worry about all those diseases I can get, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure (though they tested both of those and said they were fine) and I think of my dad who had to be hospitalized for xchest pains caused by his weight and I knew somebody at school who had to get surgery for their weight (5'2 and 250llbs) and I just couldn't stop crying. Oh and I'm 16, I put a different age and pretty much a different everything on my profile... I know you are supposed to eat 1,200 calories a day but I feel too upset to do that. I ate probably around 1,000 yesterday and I forced myself to eat 250 so far today but I have no will to eat. I didn't think I was fat... I wear medium sized shirts and a size 8 pants. I just feel horrible. Sorry for ranting... please help me...

I know you feel awful, but try being the same height and seeing 185 on the scale at one point. Ouch . Or actually having those health problems. That's what i try to think about. The good news is that you can do something about it, so getting pro-active is the key.

You see, as big as it looks now, it is really only that big cause you are letting it win right now. If you stay miserable and do harm to your body, you will still be struggling till you're my age. or you can kick it to the curb the healthy way now and look fabulous.You will learn invaluable information if you allow this site to inform you, instead of simply comforting you. I feel like the best time to look awesome is when all the skinny chicks from highscool are fat , and you are at your reunion looking great. (I really look forward to that.) It is better to learn young and maintain when you are older than vice versa in my opinion. I wish I had been on here at your age.

The sooner you get up and put a plan together and start getting results, the sooner you will feel better. Just thinking about it burns no calories. So good luck getting started, my dear. ANd I am sure you look cute the way you are anyways

Try to be grateful that you caught your weight when you only have about 15 pounds to go. Hearing it/ seeing it for the first time is a brutal wake up call. But it really does make you feel better inside and out when you beat the problem.

Thank you. :) You helped out. But what scale should I follow, the one that says 156 or the one that says 144? I put 144 in to make me feel better about myself, andf that means I AM at a healthy weight, is it was 156, that means I would be overweight. Which one is accurate?

Hi Allykins,

I too am 5'4" and weighed 146.6 when I started calorie counting back in January.  I am currently down to 134-135.  I wouldn't have considered myself "fat" either before I started counting calories, but I could see my weight creeping up so I decided to do something about it.

Please eat more than 1000 calories...undereating is as bad as overeating when you are trying to lose weight.  The trick is to find the right balance.  Please use the tools on cc and figure out what you should be eating and try to stick to it.  I have been anywhere from 1400 to 1700 calories a day and have managed to slowly lose weight.  I don't exercise alot, (lately not at all)  I used to use my Wii Active 3 or 4 times a week for a 1/2 hour.

I guess my point is that I am losing weight and I'm not really putting alot of effort into it, so if I can do it so can you....keep your chin up...you are not "fat".

Original Post by allykins:

Thank you. :) You helped out. But what scale should I follow, the one that says 156 or the one that says 144? I put 144 in to make me feel better about myself, andf that means I AM at a healthy weight, is it was 156, that means I would be overweight. Which one is accurate?

 Use your accurate weight so that you can get an accurate measure. That way you can have a true goal you are aiming for. It feels nice to hide from the #'s.... but they don't lie.

Original Post by cellotlhicks:

Original Post by allykins:

Thank you. :) You helped out. But what scale should I follow, the one that says 156 or the one that says 144? I put 144 in to make me feel better about myself, andf that means I AM at a healthy weight, is it was 156, that means I would be overweight. Which one is accurate?

 Use your accurate weight so that you can get an accurate measure. That way you can have a true goal you are aiming for. It feels nice to hide from the #'s.... but they don't lie.

 

I felt the lower one was more accurate though because I had no cloths on and I hadn't eaten. I thought a TWELVE pound difference between the doctors scale and my home scale is a little innacurate... could I put 150, the middle number? :(

I have weighed with and without clothes, before and after eating ,wet, dry...you get the point. The truth is  it usually doesn't make more than a pound difference at most. Unless I was wearing a coat, steel toed boots and overalls.Try weighing yourself again tomowrrow, on an accurate scale on a flat surface and go with that, if it makes you feel better.

I'm 5'4" also, and I wish I weighed in the 140-150s range when I was 16...  I was 190lbs then.  I definitely had self-esteem problems and tried eating next to nothing, but it just made me feel worse, led to binging, and I gained even more.  Starvation is not the answer!  I promise, you'll just make yourself miserable.  

Oh, and my doctor says that dr's office scales add about ten pounds, so don't be too discouraged that you got a different number there than you did at home :)  I've found the most accurate way to gauge your health is with a measuring tape.  Track your progress by inches instead of pounds.  We're all obsessed with the scale, but it only tells you so much.  And it changes from day to day, depending on food, water, time of the month, etc.  Also, I think health depends on how you feel.  I'm currently at the highest possible BMI that is in the "healthy" range, but I feel so much better than I did at 190.  Why?  Because I decided I was happy with myself, and it made it so much easier to lose the weight.  The happiness didn't come from the weight loss, I had to change my own mind first.  I know it's cliched, and I used to HATE it when people would tell me that, but it's true.  

You said you wear size 8 pants?  That's pretty good - in the single digits, which I'm not even after dropping to 145lbs.  Focus on the positive instead of the negative. You're still young, and you're not far from (or are at) a healthy weight.  At least you've decided to do something about it now before it becomes a health problem like the ones you've mentioned. 

Now please go eat something! :)

You're going to want to be able to track your weight loss, and since you're not going to be going to the doctor every week, you need to be able to weigh yourself on your own scale.  First, try weighing something with a known weight, like a dumbell, to test if your scale is accurate.  Even if it's not, it's not the end of the world.  Find something reasonably heavy (most bathroom scales, the digital ones anyway, are only good for weighing things over 15 or 20 lbs) that can easily sit on the scale by itself and hold it while you stand on the scale.  Then weigh the object itself and subtract that weight from the first weight.  That's how much you weigh. 

Also, get someone to measure your height.  Do it old school with a mark on the wall and a tape measure.  I seriously doubt you've shrunk.  That happened to my sister once.  She's 5'4" and has been for many years (she's 36).  She went to the doctor and they measured her at 5'2".  She didn't shrink.  Their measuring stick was set wrong.  And sadly, at doctors' offices, I seriously doubt scale calibration is high on their list of priorities, and most of those scales are really old.

If you find that you actually are at a healthy weight and you're comfortable at your current size, I see no reason for you to try to lose any.  But focusing on eating healthily and excercising regularly is a good idea for anyone, regardless of your weight.  If you decide you do want to lose weight, do it healthily.  The bare minimum number of calories a 16 year old girl should be eating is 1500.

Your BMI is just a little over normal.  As a teenager, if you start eating within your healthy range and make a point of getting some exercise every day, you'll probably drop the weight fast.  What do you like to do?  Run, swim, walk the dog?  Eat enough food and have some fun, and I bet by the end of summer you'll have a lower BMI.  C'mon, you can do it--and you'll feel better after you start.

Is anyone else appalled by this doctor's horrible insensitivity?  Losing weight (especially by starving - Don't do it!) should be far from your mind.  Please ask your parents to speak with him/her.

You are a still growing, developing young women.  5'4" today could be 5'8" next summer.  Just focus on eating wholesome foods (and some treats!) to satisfy your young appetite and stay active.

Original Post by rufus_k:

Is anyone else appalled by this doctor's horrible insensitivity?  

Seriously.   I meant to say that in my post.  What the hell is wrong with that doctor?  I mean whether you're 5'4" or 5'5", if you're wearing size 8 pants at that height, I can't even imagine you look fat, let alone overweight enough to put you at risk of any health problems.  What did he do?  Just take a look at a slightly high BMI and say, "Too high.  You need to lose weight now!" without even looking at you?  While I understand the reaction for someone who is obese, it is completely inappropriate when dealing with a 16 year old girl who may be slightly overweight.  Is it his mission in life to cause low self esteem and eating disorders or something?  allykins, I feel indignant on your behalf.

Note: I realize the doctor may be female, but it made it easier to write to just pick a gender.

Original Post by dolphinclick:

Original Post by rufus_k:

Is anyone else appalled by this doctor's horrible insensitivity?  

Seriously.   I meant to say that in my post.  What the hell is wrong with that doctor?  I mean whether you're 5'4" or 5'5", if you're wearing size 8 pants at that height, I can't even imagine you look fat, let alone overweight enough to put you at risk of any health problems.  What did he do?  Just take a look at a slightly high BMI and say, "Too high.  You need to lose weight now!" without even looking at you?  While I understand the reaction for someone who is obese, it is completely inappropriate when dealing with a 16 year old girl who may be slightly overweight.  Is it his mission in life to cause low self esteem and eating disorders or something?  allykins, I feel indignant on your behalf.

Note: I realize the doctor may be female, but it made it easier to write to just pick a gender.

I completely agree. Doctors should be more sensitive on this subject. Young girls are still trying to grow into thier bodies and don't need to feel even worse after they leave their physician. And it sounds like he (or she) didn't even give you good advice to help you get started.I'm glad you are here. And I hope you are feeling better now.

I was 209 at 5'4 back when I visited as a 14 year old.

That was one awkward and embarrassing physical. They also brought my mom in afterward and showed her all kinds of statistics about just how fat I was.

So it could be worse. The doctors see people like you or worse than you all the time, they don't have much of a judging eye even if they seem like it.

buy a few big bags of sugar or flour, with an accurate weight on the packaging. put these on your scales at home, on a level flt surface. this should tell you how much your scales are out by.

but may i point out, that even if you took the doctors measurements and weight, a bmi of 26.4 is not so huge.  as the folk before have said, eat more, 1000 calories will do you damage especially when you are still developing, so choose some healthy foods to add more calories.

there is such a push for doctors to stop 'childhood obeseity', that yours obviously forgot to use any bedside manners at all. Also remember, doctors are human too, they make mistakes and can be muppets too, just like the rest of us.

good luck with that positiv thinking, you will get there XX