LM's advice column | Page 96

home view feedback ask questions add as friend advicenators

Gender:

Female

Location:

Massachusetts

Occupation:

restaurant host and freelance writer.

Age:

22

Member Since:

December 22, 2005

Answers:

2495

Last Update:

August 4, 2014

Visitors:

140781

Favorite Columnists

solidadvice4teens

Main Categories:

about

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love" - Albus Dumbledore

Hi, I'm Laura. I'm a senior in college & I'm slowly deciding what I want to do with my life. I love Harry Potter, coffee, writing, and sleeping (amongst other things). I'll never claim to know everything, but I'm confident in my ability to help people with their problems. Feel free to send me an inbox question; I'll get back to you!

A few thoughts I've gathered from my teenage years (and being on this site for most of them!):
1. If you Google song lyrics, the song will come up 99% of the time.
2. Dress to fit your body type, and buy the size that fits. If you're a size 6, squeezing into a 4 won't make you look skinnier. It makes you look fat when you aren't.
3. You will never regret waiting to lose your virginity.
4. There is such a thing as a stupid question, but we're all allowed to ask them.

BU 2014 :)

wicked awesome conversations

^my forum, liven it up a little?

advice

Hey. I take a shower every night. I know this is going to sound gross but the problem is my hair is practically greasy by the next night and it's really bothering me. I've tried numerous shampoos and I can't find the right one for greasy hair. I've also asked people at the store that work there and the shampoos they gave me never worked either =(. Any good shampoos for greasy hair or any tips? Thanks so much in advance! =)

Have you tried Suave Daily Clarifying? It's only $1.47 or so at WalMart, so it's worth a shot. Whatever shampoo you use, use extra on your roots and rub it in really well, massaging your scalp with your fingertips.

A good trick for greasy hair is to mix a couple ounces of lemon juice with a pint of warm water, and pour it into your hair after you shampoo (when you're still in the shower). Then rinse it out after a few minutes. Do this a few times a week and you should see an improvement. This rinse lightens hair a little, and enhances highlights. It also leaves your hair smelling fresh and clean.

Using volumizing hair products, like Matrix Amplify, will lift your roots and make them look less oily. Also, flippig your head upsidedown, spraying with hairspray, and teasing your roots a little gives you tons of volume.

:)

i need that calculator for school, but i cant afford it my mom said. and is there any like online calculator that works exactly the same that i can use for my homework?

My school has entire classroom sets of graphing calculators. I'm sure your school has at least a couple for students who forget them or can't afford them. If your mom talks to your math teacher and/or principal, I'm sure they can work something out for you. It's essential to your education, after all.

I looked online for prices. You can get the basic TI83+ for $99.99 at Staples.com. Maybe if your mom set aside a few dollars when she could, you could save up enough money to eventually get your own.

hope I helped!
:)

what kinds of hair cuts make you look skinnier? thanks!

I don't know about skinnier, but every face shape looks best with a different haircut.

This article explains the concept well and suggests cuts for every face shape:
-http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=HAIRCUTS-FASH-07-04-06

:)

hi, i'm a fourteen year old female
& i'd like to know what's a healthy amout of calories i should eat in a day
not really to lose weight, but be more healthy
thanks :]

You haven't given us enough information to answer your question.

This site will calculate your daily calorie needs for you:
-http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/tdcn.html

That site is great in general. It has healthy eating and exercise tips as well.

:)

I've been fat my whole life- exept for a 1-week period when I was 11. My weight makes me feel sad, unwanted, unloved, depressed, worthless, and basically a failure as a person. I'm 14 now. I've considered suicide so many times.

I'm actually a shapely person (meaning i'm close to a bottomheavy hourglass- not a pear or apple) so I feel liek I look "fine" most of the time... but ultimately i feel like a complete fatass.

The thing is- I can't stick to a diet and keep the weight off for more than about 3 weeks. I was 160 in september- but I gained it back without even trying.

I've been all the way up to 183.

I take 4 dance classes and I work out on my elliptical trainer/treadmill as often as I can (usually about 2-4 times per week). I really don't even eat that much at all.

I DO NOT eat junk food or candy-type things.

why am I fat? is it because I'm negative and depressed?

ps: i'm pretty (facial features, skin/hair) but i don't feel pretty because i'm fat.

Hi. I can completely relate to your situation. At my highest point, (and lowest, if you think about it), I was 5'1" and 195 lbs.

So how did I break out of this rut? I stopped being negative (at least as much as I could; it's still difficult) and growing four inches didn't hurt. Ultimately, it was an attitude change. I'm still not happy with my weight, but it's improving. Think what you DO like about yourself and what your body can do. It can dance, walk, sing, talk, laugh, etc.

Now, get into a "my body is healthy, I have two legs, two arms, and I'm happy" mindset. Suicide is NOT the answer. If you continue to feel depressed and down on yourself all the time, please get treatment. I've seen depression take its toll and I don't want it to happen to anyone else.

So. Dance and running on the elliptical are good. Try to run 5 times a week for at least 20 minutes at a time. It may seem like a lot now, but soon it'll get a lot easier. Also try including other exercises, like crunches, situps, pushups, pilates, et cetera. Walking is great too- and easier on your joints than running. Walk with a friend; it's a LOT more fun.

Follow a healthy eating plan. Go here:
-http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/tdcn.html
It'll tell you daily calorie needs and such. To lose weight, cut out 200-300 calories a day (out of what you'd have to eat to maintain your weight) Don't go under 1500. Otherwise, your body thinks it's starving, and holds onto more energy than it needs to. Which translates to more fat storage and less weight loss.

I know this works. Why? I've lost 35lbs so far. I'll also tell you where I went wrong.
1. Don't go overboard cutting calories. I pretty much stopped eating a couple months ago. My mindset was, Oh I've lost 10 lbs by cutting 300 calories, I'll double that. Then I cut even more. It doesn't work like that; you need to give your body fuel.
2. Don't obsess over the scale. Weigh yourself twice a week, tops. At the same time everyday, wearing the same clothes. Not exact, but don't weigh yourself early morning in PJ's one day and in three sweaters after dinner the next time, you know?
3. Don't get discouraged if you gain a few pounds back. Especially being a girl, your weight fluctuates constantly. It's normal; it's expected to happen. Plus, you can lose inches, but gain a pound or two- go by how your clothes fit & the size of your waist/hips/arms/thighs too, not just what the scale says.

Good luck with everything! If you want more ideas/help/whatever, ask me to my inbox or IM me.
:)

I have a bad habit of biting my nails. Someone once told me there was something you could put on your nails to stop you from bitting them.

Whats the name of that product?
Are there other things I can do to stop myself from bitting my nails such as homemade ideas?

Give yourself a manicure. Your nails will be so pretty, you won't want to wreck them. If you don't have the time, rub some remover on your fingertips. The taste will discourage you.

Manicures will leave your hands looking soooooo soft and pretty. Plus, you'll keep your hands busy for about an hour or so- no biting!

1. Exfoliate. I use sugar and almond oil. Scrub your hands with the mixture for about a minute, then rinse off and wash your hands.
2. Groom your nails and make them all about the same shape and size.
3. Now's the time for polish. But don't make it one quick coat of color. Go the whole nine yards and do a basecoat, two coats of color, and a topcoat. You can speed up the drying process with a blowdryer on cool.

Other things you can do include wearing gloves, chewing gum instead of your nails, and figuring out what's making you bite your nails in the first place. Nervous habit, worrying about something, or just plain ol' boredom. Whatever it is, try to eliminate the cause.

I hope I helped you.
:)

Are there any excersises that can help you get rid of muffin tops?

I'll repeat what we've been saying on here since the beginning of time.
You.Cannot.Lose.Weight.In.Just.One.Area.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just start exercising on a regular basis. Run a mile a day, walk around town, run up and down a flight of stairs for 20 minutes. Anything that gets you moving. Also do crunches, situps, pushups, etc. Exercise your whole body regularly, and you'll see results over time.

:)

ok so im trying to loose 20-30 pounds but im like always hungry! and it seems that the only food that makes me full is junk food. so i was wondering if anyone knows of some HEALTHY food that fills you up. thank you :]

Well, if you need a junk food fix, try nachos with baked corn chips & lots of beans and salsa. Beans fill you up. Unfortunately they can also fill you with gas so watch out for that ;)

Here's some other, even healthier ideas:
- peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat. Even better if you use something like Polaner All-Fruit instead of jelly. (Less sugar)
- a big, fresh salad with grilled & marinated teriyaki/lemon pepper/honey mustard chicken. The veggies fill you up, and the chicken tastes so good, you forget it's good for you. Plus, you'll feel good knowing you just ate a niec big plate of vegetables.
- Cereal with lowfat or skin milk. Especially the really "hearty" ones, like shredded wheat or granola.

As a general guideline, any food with lots of fiber and a moderate amount of fat -don't cut fat out of your diet entirely; you need some for your body to be healthy- will keep you fuller longer.

Also, eating small meals throughout the day, splitting up meals [i.e. eat half a sandwich, wait 20-30 minutes, and eat the other half], and eating slowly can all help you stay fuller longer. Plus, by eating more often, you'll keep your blood sugar stable & you won't "crash" by midafternoon.

Lastly, combine healthy eating with a moderate amount of exercise. You'll look and feel so much better. Hooray, endorphins!

good luck! If you want more tips or meal ideas, ask me to my inbox.
:)

What exactly did Ozzy Osbourne contribute to Black Sabbath? He always gets alot of credit and people see him as the center of the band...but it kind of seems like all he did was do drugs,drink,and sing their songs.

I think that's the whole point.
By doing all the crazy things he did, he got him (and his band) in the spotlight.

Plus, he has a pretty good voice. And sometimes, it's the singer who makes a band great.

hiiii all [=

i think i might make smoothies for everyone for a party im having at my house. for fruit i have strawberrys, bananas, and mangoes. anyone have any suggestion for what sounds the best together?

P.S. I would like to avoid making strawberry-banana smoothies. thanks. =D

Well since you want to avoid strawberry-banana, your only other options are strawberry-banana-mango, banana-mango, and strawberry-mango.

Unless, of course, you decide to incorporate other fruits as well. I like strawberries, blueberries, frozen cantaloupe, and raspberries, personally.

Flavored/plain yogurt added to a smoothie gives it more texture and flavor too.

I think I have hair on my nose! One girl even asked do I shave it! How do I get rid of it? It's only in like the bottom across the nose.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r155/wind_miko/nose.jpg

Looks like blackheads to me.
Relax, they're normal.
You can use a blackhead scrub and/or cleanser to clear your pores.
And some people squeeze them out, but I find that doesn't work very well.

hey im the one who asked that question about deleted my music library AND my itunes library, well the thing is after i click the "show hidden folders and files" thingy, and my ipo icon is supposed to show up - it doesnt show up :( is there any way to fix that or go around it?

thank you soo much!

It should show up. Restart the computer a couple times and give the computer plenty of time to recognize your iPod once you connect it & make sure you're using a working USB port.

If you're still having problems, ask me another question =)

ok so like im the kind of person where i dont always care what i look like just as long as im comfy. i mean sometimes i dress up a little. other wise its jeans and a tshirt or tank top and jacket or sweat shirt. like my hairs either in a pony tail or down with a clip. and i wear eye make up. so i honestly dont really care what i look like. but i know guys do. and i mean im pretty. a little. im not ugly but im not gawgeous. so like i dont know is this bad or? and is it a major turn off for guys?

Dress how you want. Wear makeup when you want to, how you want to, in colors you like that compliment your eye color. Style your hair however you want. Basically, be yourself, and not who teenvogue tells you to be this month. Guys, no matter now naive they can be, can usually tell when a girl is being fake. If you're confident in how you look, it shows. And who doesn't like confidence? Besides, if you change yourself to get a guy's attention, you
A) won't be comfortable, and
b) they won't like YOU. They'll like the girl you're pretending to be.

what are some relatively easy something corporate and jacks mannequin guitar tabs? my guitar teacher wants me to tell him the names of a couple of my favorite songs, but i dont know the level of the songs they play as to how easy they are. they dont have to be EXTREMELY easy, just relatively easy songs for a begginer.

thanks!

Play any song that you know by heart that you'd feel comfortable playing. That way, you can learn it yourself (playing it "by ear"- aka listening to it first)

"Punk Rock Princess" and "This Broken Heart" seem relatively easy. But since I gave up playing guitar after a couple months, I wouldn't know for certain.

hope I helped ya!
:)
p.s. you've got good taste in music ;)

Who was the magna carta directed to ?
can someone explain to me in simple english what it was?
thanks

The Magna Carta consisted of a bunch of documents (well, scrolls...) that basically forced King John to sign away a lot of his power. It had relatively little impact on life when it was first signed during the Middle Ages, but eventually led to more democratic governments and more equal power.

You're lucky I agree with you that it's confusing. But really, do your own homework and do a google search for awhile. It's much faster than asking on here.

It's also a great discussion starter, if you've got a history teacher that loves to talk. Ask him to explain it in simple english; it's actually quite an interesting topic when you go more in-depth.

Google (aka the site that everyone knows about but nobody actually uses anymore):

EDIT: I don't think I can explain it in plainer english.. the first paragraph of my answer IS my explanation. I added the search link because a simple Google search yields tons of sites that explain the concept many ways.

im not a huge girlie girl. i just like looking nice from time to time..so i like hco and a&f (hollister and abercrombie & fitch) but i have like 36cs for boobs and i was wondering..is it possible to wear their tank tops? like is there a certain way i can wear their tank tops without my boobs like busting out? haha thanks so much

I sometimes have that same problem with tank tops & low necklines in general.

I usually get tanks& tops a little longer than I'd want to wear them, so I can pull them up higher and sort of cover more of my cleavage. I'm sure this disappoints a few guys. But it makes me feel more confident, because I'm not constantly worrying about having my top fall down. And it passes "parental inspection" too, haha.

Also, certain bras are designed to give you a more conservative look. Like, a Wonderbra isn't going to do much in the "minimizing the appearance of your boobs" department, you know? Try on a few different styles and find what works for you.

:)

how many credits do you have to have to graduate ? i dont know if its different in each state or what . but i live in newnan georgia . some people say its 24 , but then some say its 28 .

someone helppp !

I need sixty-six, bare minimum, to graduate.

I suggest checking either your student handbook or checking with a guidance coulselor or teacher at your school.

my hair isnt normal =/
one side of it is straight and fine, and the other side is fuzzy. But my hair has alot of split ends. I recently got about 3 inches cut off of it to try to help get rid of split ends. But the thing is, they keep comming back! I dont rip through my hair with a brush or anything!

What are some shampoos/conditioners/other hair care products that will restore my hair and keep it that way and where can i get them?

And since i got my hair cut off, is there any way that i can make it grow faster. Like any vitamins or hair care things i can use on it to make it grow faster? where can i get them at?

Pantene Pro-V Smooth and Sleek is incredible. It balances, it shines, it de-frizzes, and won't leave you bankrupt. Use both the shampoo and conditioner daily.

Use a shine serum when you're styling your hair. I can personally recommend John Freida Frizz Ease and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny. The Super Skinny is my favorite hair product- it's expensive, but close to the price of FrizzEase, ounce for ounce. I use it in my hair when it's damp (it reduces drying time) and before I style/straighten/curl my hair as well.

A great (and very low-cost) treatment is oilve oil. Heat a small amount in the microwave and pur it on your hair, avoiding your roots. Leave it on for 20 minutes or so (your hair won't fall out if you leave it in longer though, so don't worry!) and wash it out completely & condition as usual.

As for making it grow faster, there's not much you can do. By taking care of it, you'll keep the ends from breaking off, which will make your hair stay long.

hope I helped!
:)

i asked the question about hair poking through my panties, and everyone said "trim it." but i already do? so what's something else i could do?

You can also shave it, wax it, or laser it. The last two are rather painful (more or less painful, depending on the person) and lasers are very expensive.

If you do decide to shave, use plenty of shaving gel and a sharp razor. Rinse the blade often and go slowly. Apply some baby oil afterwards to help reduce chafing/irritation/red dots/etc.

my girlfriend has to take birthcontrol pills to get preiod. she hasn't taken them in awhile.can she get pregnet with unprotected sex.

Since she's been off them, yes, it's possible for her to get pregnant.

Even with her on birth control, there's the chance that you could give/get STDs, so always use protection.

<<< Previous Advice Column

Next Advice Column >>>