The_MoUsY_spell_checker's Advice Column

I am a small person and it is kinda hard to put on weight. Many people think it is a good thing but I don't like being skinny. I am trying to put on weight but now that I do have a little bit more meat on me I want to tone it without losing it. I tried getting together little stretching or workout routines but its really hard to keep up with it. I start to slack off or forget to workout. My question is, what would be the best thing to do: Yoga, stretching, weight lifting etc. Another thought is what if i join a gym? Do you think I would be moer into getting fit. My main concern is my body image, i want to be "sexy" or "hot" or "fit" whatever you want to call it. I want to have a nice frame when im older not just now. I want to always love who i am and keep up with my image i am just finding it hard to find a routine that fits my day. I am young, plan on going to school work 4 days a week and still like to go out and enjoy my life. What do you think I should do. And what would be the best way to get the tight but, nice stomach and nice legs and women want???

P.S. Do you think it would be a good idea to try and involve my bf in going to the gym with me???

Pick something you like. That's the most important. You have to be able to keep up with it for it to work. Exercise is exercise. Any kind will do. Try different types of exercise and see what you like the best.

If you think you want to try going to the gym, go ahead. Having a workout partner, whether it's your boyfriend, a friend, or a family member, can provide extra motivation. If you think that your boyfriend is interested, go ahead and ask him.

How far do you live from your school (or work)? If you live close enough to walk, you should. Otherwise, if you don't live close enough to walk but close enough to ride a bike there, consider doing that. You'll have toned legs really quickly. Exercise that is part of your daily routine is good because you can't avoid it. (Of course, this only works if you actually live the right distance from school/work.)
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so with my clothes on, i look like skinny and fit.
but then when i look at my stomach, its like fat.
i don't eat very healthy or run very often during athletics.
its just the shape of my stomach. like if it was all even i would look skinny.
you can like see my hipbones sticking out i don't know why....?
but then it kinda goes in a little bit, then when it gets to the middle lt like goes out.
and it looks like i'm sucking in even though i'm not.
i don't know why it does this. but its embarresing.
and i have this like red line accros my stomach.
its from like sitting down and i guess from like...rolls? i don't really have rolls.
how do i get it to look normal?
not with running because i can't run.

Yes, one can have a fat stomach even when the rest of the body is skinny. It's not abnormal.

Avoid sitting down right after meals. That really helps.

Exercises for the stomach area can be useful too (although not sitting down right after meals seems to be more important). Try some of the exercises on this site: http://www.flat-stomach-exercises.com/index.html
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My eleven year old sister bought prenatal vitamins for her hair. She wants to know how many she should take. It said on the bottle that four of those pills equals to the full dose. Also she wants to know if she buys biotin and folic acid bottles if it would work the same and if she could use a multi vitamin with it.

If your sister is taking the vitamins to make her hair grow better, regular multivitamins will do.


Check the bottle to see the specific quantity of vitamins in each pill, because if the vitamins are sold as prenatal vitamins, the instructions on the bottle are probably aimed at pregnant women, and at 11 years old, your sister will need a lower dosage.

Here's a page with a comprehensive table of recommended daily intake of vitamins, taking into account age and sex. http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/21/372/0.pdf
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my friend wanted to suck my blood because he claims hes a vampire. so i thought, cool! why not? well, when the time came for me to slit my wrist, i dug a little to deep and went a little fast, because it CUT MY WRIST, WIDE OPEN. i had used a razor and it made a very fine, half-inch-wide cut on my arm. i freaked out, and had to show my parents. but to keep them from thinking i needed help, i told them it was blodlust. but now the think im losing my faith in God, and my moms mad cuz she knows i wasnt raised this way. i was raised in a christian environment. and i know that. im not losing my faith, im still a christian. but i do have a fasination with dark stuff. eg: im emo/goth. i wear all black and really thick eye liner and i dyed my hair black. ive been severely depressed for about 3 years. i used to cut, and they found out. i also enjoy twilight and other vampire stories. i like scary movies that have to do with demons and vampires and stuff that really would not please my parents. i dont know why i like that stuff, but its a lot better than romance novels and chick flicks, in my opinion.

but my dad is sort of in shock about the whole bit on my wrist, and for today, at least, they have locked me up in the house and i cant leave unless its to let out my neighbor's dogs. i dont think what i did was a very big deal, and i dont think they care about my well-being at all. i think they just dont wanna look like bad parents because their oldest daughter slit her wrist so some guy could suck her blood.

they think i need help and i know there is nothing wrong with me. so now they barely let me out of their sight and im sick to death of it!! all i can do is schoolwork and get on my computer or read and im totally done.

what do i do? how do i convince them that nothing is wrong?? why cant they just let go?

im 16/f, btw.

Fascination in vampires, scary movies and other dark stuff is one thing, but slitting your wrists is another.

I doubt that their real issue is with your fascination with "dark" stuff.

They have a reason to be concerned with your safety when you're slitting your wrists. In the worst case scenario, you could bleed to death if you're not careful. If they think you need help, it's because you're cutting yourself again.

So your friend claims to be a vampire? Well, let him find other sources of blood. Friends don't let friends cut themselves (for any reason).

Your parents will eventually let you out again. Just let them calm down first before you talk to them about going out, and make sure they can trust you not to hurt yourself again.
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15/f
my ipod video recently broke and i'm looking to get a new ipod. i can't decide between the new nano or an itouch. i'm not really attracted to either, but those are basically my only options. what i don't like about the touch is that there arent any buttons that you can easily access..

so what's your opinion..? are there any flaws of the itouch or new nano that i should be aware of..? what do you recommend?

You should think about what features of the iPod you intend to use.

If you think you'll actually use wireless internet on your iPod, then obviously get the iPod touch.

Otherwise, do you think you'll watch videos on your iPod? The iPod touch has a bigger screen, and that would obviously be useful if you're going to watch videos.

If not, I would recommend the nano because it's cheaper and smaller in size. The 4th generation has a 16 GB model, and that's still cheaper than the 8GB iPod touch, whereas the 16 GB iPod touch would cost more than a classic.

If you get the iPod touch, make sure to get something to protect the screen, or you'll end up with fingerprints all over it.
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I'm catholic, I even attended a catholic school [K-2grade] I'm 13 now and I don't really believe in God. Actually I'm not that sure anymore. I would like to believe in him but I just don't. So I was wondering if there is like any proof in God. Like how do people know he did exist. Because right now I'm on the lines of believing in evolution because its the only one they have actual proof on and it makes sense. Also, I'd like to add how none of the stories are actually possibe. Like the story about that guy getting swallowed by the whale its impossibe, which leads me to believe God doesn't exist and he's jus a bunch of stories and myths.

It is not uncommon for teenagers to start doubting their religion.

Do note that even if you accept science (such as evolution), you can still believe in God. Many scientists are religious.

Have a look at the Vatican's site. There might be information that you want. http://gsearch.vatican.va/search?q=evidence&x=0&y=0

Keep in mind that even if you find proof for God, someone will probably point out reasons why the proof is invalid. The idea is to have faith in God.

Have you asked your pastor about the Bible? Don't be afraid to ask if you haven't already done so. After all, the pastor is likely to be familiar with it.

If the pastor's answer is unsatisfactory, remember that there is a difference between wanting to believe and actually believing. Why do you want to believe? There is nothing wrong with not believing.
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Hello.

I am engaged to a great guy, I love him to death. I never had sex until I did it with my fiance. He has had sex with two other people before me. Recently he started talking to the girl he first had sex with. He says they are friends and I know that. I don't understand why this is killing me. It bothers the hell out of me that he would randomly start talking to this girl again. All I can think of is that maybe because he has had other people and I haven't.

Someone please help me figure out my feelings.

Thank You.

Look, don't be alarmed. People who were together don't just disappear from each other's lives. If you're worried, just ask how he suddenly started talking to her again.

It shouldn't be an issue if he has been with other people and you haven't. After all, even really experienced people had a first time too. If you really think it's to do with sex, ask him about it. You're engaged. You should be able to talk about things, including your sex life.

Also, I would disagree with the other columnist's comment that "If the two of you are going to be married, his only friend of the opposite sex should be you". Obviously, your fiancé should be commited to you and you only, but even people of the opposite sex can be just friends.
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i always hear this phrase. i know that it means that like a guy wants to get with a girl, but already has like a girlfriend. i just don't really understand why people say "have his cake and eat it too", to me it doesn't really make sense?

It was originally the other way around. That is, "You can't eat your cake and have it too", meaning that once you've eaten the cake, you no longer have it, and therefore implying you can't have it both ways.

The current version is a variation that somehow became more common. If you think about it, it doesn't really make sense, but that's an idiom for you. Don't take it too literally.
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if you have sex before you even start your period will you get pregnant?

It is possible. A period the time of the menstrual cycle when the lining of the uterus is shed. Since this happens after the egg is released, if one were to have sex during the ovulation period before one's first period, it is possible to get pregnant.
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This is pure curiosity really, but how many Advicenators out there have recommended their friends to come to this website for advice? How did you go about doing that?

I think it would be neat to have my friends on Advicenators too so we could talk about some of the questions we saw and what we think about them. I mean, I don't plan on telling them which questions are mine, but it would be super neat to be sitting at the lunchroom and be able to say, "Yeah, did you see that one Advicenator question about... hahaha!" I am cool with them looking at my advice column so I'd tell them my name, of course, but I would probably keep my questions to myself.

What is the best approach on having a friend come to this website though? Should I just go up to my best friend and say, "Hey, I found this cool website, will you join it with me?" or what? I don't want to sound stupid but I really do want my friends to sign up!

Any advice on how to get my friends to become Advicenators too? Please and thank you!

Find an interesting question and start discussing it with your friends. Making Advicenators-related jokes might work too. For example, if anyone makes a reference to "cherry popping", make sure to say something along the lines of "There is no fruit salad in your crotch!". (Apologies to the person who originally said that.)

Linking to Advicenators from other sites is also a good idea. For example, if you're on Facebook, status messages such as "is an Advicenator" would be cool. I always mention on Facebook if I'm the featured columnist of the day, or if it's my anniversary.

If you don't mind spending some money, an Advicenators t-shirt (or other merchandise) would certainly get attention too. http://shop.cafepress.com/advicenators
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Well I just got side swept bangs a few months ago, and it's grown out so now I think my hair is really boring. my hair is naturally wavy and i was thinking of straightening it but i'm not sure.
does anyone know any good hairstyles that doesn't require styling all the time? its best to keep it simple and not messy (i have school and we have to tie our hair in ponytails, plus apparently we're not allowed to have perms and stuff like that)
thanks!

Clipping your ponytail to the back of your head with a barrette can work really well. Depending on the length of your hair, you might be able to get it to stick up.

If you don't want to be too dramatic, just braid your hair. Since your hair has grown out, braids should hold well and therefore not require too much styling. Once you get used to it, it shouldn't take too long to braid your hair in the morning.
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I see gas prices dropping left and right, especially since the economy started to go into a crisis with the DOW and all losing so many points recently. Where I live, gas prices are about $2.79, forty minutes away I heard it's $2.49, and into Ohio I heard that it fell to $1.99 today. I can't remember the last time gas was under $2.00 per gallon!

So, gas prices are lowering and making things a little bit easier, but why are grocery prices rising still? I would assume that since transportation (the gas the vehicles use is what I'm going by) is cheaper for shipping then prices of groceries would fall along with the gas prices.

Is there a good reason why gas is lowering but food is still going up? I don't understand why gas prices are lowering anyway! Can someone please explain what is going on now?!

Now that there is an economic crisis, production levels are lower, so the supply is reduced, and this puts upwards pressure on the price. Now, the demand for groceries is inelastic because one needs to eat no matter what, and so the grocery prices rise.

On the other hand, the demand for gas is elastic. If people can't afford it, they'll just have to resort to alternatives such as walking, cycling, or public transport. The economic crisis is causing people to lose money, so many people are less able to afford gas, so the demand decreases, and the price also decreases.
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Hi I have some short clips and I would like to display them some how and was wondering if I could upload it to a digital photo frame???

Check the instruction manual of your digital photo frame and see if it supports clips. The manual should also tell you how to add the clips. If you haven't bought the photo frame yet, look at the manufacturer's site for specs.

Most of them support videos in the .avi format. If your clips are in other formats, you can convert them using Zamzar http://zamzar.com/ or use other file type converting software.
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i want my hair to grow really fast, what should i eat? i am too broke to buy products and i am not a fan of those things. lol. thanks.

Like the previous columnist has pointed out, the growth rate of one's hair depends on the individual.

However, I would like to add that hair growth does slow down when one is sick or undernourished, so it is important that you are healthy if you want your hair to grow quickly.

Things to especially watch out for are your vitamin levels. I would recommend getting the vitamins from dietary sources rather than supplements if possible. So, make sure you eat your fruit and vegetables.
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I just tried to tag one of my photos on myspace and now it says "Stack overflow at line: 0"

The message keeps coming up (I use internet explorer) and I can't tag the photo on firefox either. What do I do?

This sounds like a problem with a site itself.

Report the problem to the Myspace staff to make sure they know about it.

Click the "Contact" link at the bottom of any Myspace page (or if you can't find that, here's the URL: http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=misc.contact) and choose "Site Error" in the drop-down box.

That should give you some FAQ links and ask you if they answer your question. Click "No, Email Customer Service". This should take you to a page where you can type your email. Tell them about the problem and wait. (Chances are that someone else will have notice the problem and notified Myspace, so it shouldn't take long.)
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oh my gosh i hate the world right now, i'm so fusterated with itunes!!! so a new version came out, and so i tried to update it, and i mean, how hard is it to just click a few buttons and wait for it to download? well, it said it finished dowloading, so i tried opening it and it says you have to restart your computer for it to take effect, so i mean, that's fine, most downloads do that, so i restart my computer and try opening itunes again and then it says i have to restart my computer again!!!!!!! so every time i try to open my itunes, this 'Windows Installation' message says it's configuring iTunes with Windows or whatever, and then a message saying (not exact words): "In order for iTunes to take full effect, you will have to restart your system. Click Yes to restart it now, or No if you plan to manually restart it later."

so has anyone had the same problem? and will i ever have my iTunes back?????

First of all, go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs to uninstall it. This should clean up any file corruptions that might be causing the problem.

After that, go to Apple's iTunes page http://apple.com/itunes to download the installation file and reinstall iTunes.
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I was friends with this girl name Alison online for 3 years.We were pen-pals and I called her and she called me.She and I both wrote each other letters to each other's houses. We had plans to meet in real life but I changed my mind.We are no longer talking to each other.I have blocked her yahoo email address.How do I stop trying to be friends with Kathy and Alison when they both does not want to be my friend.I have a bad feeling that Kathy is going to do something bad to me.I have a feeling she might call the cops on me for trying to talk to her online out of the blue.I am not stalking her in real life or harassing her online.What are some signs of a person harassing or stalking a person online or in real life?

Stalking and harassment can be defined quite vaguely, but if you are worried about being stalked online, avoid publishing information about yourself online, and block people who send you unwanted emails.

If Alison is a pen-pal whom you haven't met in real life, just stop writing to her if you no longer get along with each other. Find something else to do.

You said that you have a feeling that Kathy might call the cops on you. That's a sign you should leave her alone and let things cool down. Any letters, emails, or even phone calls can be used as evidence if she really intends to call the cops on you for harassment.

You did not mention who Kathy actually is. Is she also a pen-pal, or is she part of your everyday life that you cannot avoid?

If she's a pen-pal,it might be best that you just stop writing to her altogether.

If she is someone you cannot cut off altogether (say, someone you work with), avoid saying anything that might further anger her if you do see her, and try your best to be polite if you do have to talk to her. Hopefully, any anger that she might have for you will eventually wear off.

As for making yourself feel better and moving on, I would imagine that writing to your pen-pals take a lot of time? Find something else to do. If you like to write, have a go at writing short stories or blogging about your interests. Online forums can be interesting too. Going out to meet new friends can also be good for getting over people who are no longer your friends.
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if you're a girl should you shave your butt if it has hair on it and you can see it?is it normal it?

Some people naturally have more body hair than others. It's nothing to worry about in terms of health.

There's no saying whether you "should" shave your hair or not. If you don't like having hair there, go ahead and remove it, either by shaving or other methods such as waxing.

Waxing can hurt more than shaving (shaving only hurts if you accidentally cut yourself), but hair takes longer to grow back.

Yes, do be aware that if you remove the hair, it will eventually grow back (unless you opt for a permanent removal method such as electrolysis, but those procedures are more invasive and also more expensive), so you'll have to keep doing it. Having stubble can be uncomfortable.

Obviously, be careful if you're shaving your butt, since it might be difficult to reach behind yourself / see exactly what you're doing.
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I am a waitress and have really long hair, so i have to wear my hair in a pony tail at work. Basic pony tails are boring, so i was wondering what are some cute, more interesting pony tail styles and how do i do them. I tried the pony tail with a poof in front, but haven't be able to get it to look decent and stay. Anyone know an easy way to do that? Thanks.

Braiding your hair is a fairly simple way to make your hair look more interesting. It also has the added advantage of keeping your hair together.

Putting it up in a bun might work too. If your hair is long enough, you can have some of it up in a bun and still have some of it down.

You can also pin your ponytail to the back of your head with a barrette so that your hair points up. This can look really cool.

(Of course, a combination of any of the above can work too. This depends on exactly how long your hair is, and what kind of style you want.)
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Hello =]. I am 14/f and im underweight. im like a little less than 100 =[. i used to be like 105/110, but then i started high school cross country and like every week i lose a little bit more weight. Im really concerned. Like i've always been skinny but I DONT WANT TO BE UNDER 90. I eat A LOT but not really filling foods. Im a vegetarian, and i eat a lot of salad and fruits and veggies and i like potatoes and eggs, and french toast and french fries and such haha but i dont eat those as often. What can i do to gain a little bit of weight and mantain it? also what are some yummy foods that a vegetarian would like to try. Hehe thanksyou =]

To gain weight, you need to eat food that is high in protein. Eggs, nuts and grains are good. Also make sure that you get enough calories. If you're gradually losing weight, you can eat a bit more. Complex carbohydrates are good for energy, which you'll especially need if you're running cross country.

Weight training is a good way to help you gain weight healthily. Of course, you need to be careful not to hurt yourself. Build up your strength gradually.

If you have access to a gym, make good use of it. Otherwise, go to a sports equipment shop and buy yourself some dumbbells. Try lifting them and see what you can manage. As a very rough guide, around 2 kg at the most should be enough, and if you think that's too heavy, start on something lighter. If you can't get dumbbells, just buy two one-litre bottles of water and use those as weights for a start.
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