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I'm a 877 year old (reformed) demon who can furnish the brand of advice only a 877 year old (reformed) demon can dispense.

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Ok... im 13/f and i weigh 170lbs yes i know im fat... but ive been losing a lot of weight.. but all my friends are tiny and i feel so selfconcence(SP) around them and like i feel like they talk about my weight when im not around(but i know they dont) i just feel like really fat... is there anyway that i cant just be not selfconcense around them and i can just be me without feeling fat.... im already on a really good diet so you dont have to tell me to get on a diet.. i need mental help on this 1 ... :'(

You do NOT need to subject yourself to diets at the age of 13. You're still growing and things will change very rapidly as you approach your late teens. However, if you want to give yourself a little "push" and develop good habits for the rest of your life, perhaps you can learn how to eat well and engage in regular exercise? If you're realistic in your expectations, it's actually pretty easy to start and maintain.

Firstly, weight loss is a gradual process. There is no fast way to burn the fat. Furthermore, losing weight is only half of the battle, as you must also strive to KEEP it off. This is where adopting good eating habits and partaking in regular physical activity is important. There are plenty of diets out there that claim help you lose 6-10lbs a week (or something equally outrageous), but in truth, most people lose about 1-2lbs a week. Sometimes it may seem like you're losing more (and that's great for motivation!) but the added poundage is simply water.

Secondly, eating well can be hard, especially if you're at the mercy of your parents when it comes to food. If you come from a family that LOVES great tasting, but fat-filled cuisine, you can mitigate the effects of consuming too many calories in one sitting either by exercising even more WHILE eating the same quantity of food or you may cut down on the portions. Also, make sure you cut out or minimise the use of foods like butter. Try to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats.

Whatever you do, DO NOT starve yourself. For one thing, starvation "diets" are counter-productive. Your metabolism will automatically slow down if you provide it with less fuel over the course of a day (i.e. food). A slower metabolism means less fat burned, which equals less weight lost. You'll also want to stay away from greasy fastfood like McDonalds, KFC and the like. Not only are those varieties of food filled with fat, they're also extremely high sources of sodium, which, over time, can lead to many, many health related problems.

In addition, starvation may lead to fast results, but keep in mind that you can't keep yourself on the verge of starvation for the rest of your life. As soon as you BREAK from that cycle, you'll likely gorge yourself with food and gain back all those pounds you thought you had lost for good. Then the cycle begins all over again. You can't win like this.

Thirdly, exercise is a must. I'm happy to inform you that you don't need to do the equivalent of the Boston Marathon every day to lose weight. A mere 20-30 minutes of physical activity every day coupled with sensible eating habits is good enough to shed the fat and keep it off. You can either walk or jog or even bike. Make sure, however, that whatever you're engaged in is intense enough to result in *some* perspiration. Walking very, very slowly for half an hour won't help that much if your aim is slim down. I would also suggest resistance training, but at your age you needn't worry about it.

Fourthly, resist the temptation of being pushed into extreme diets. Bitchy teenage girls who think they're pretty and slim are NOT qualified nutritionists. In fact, the ones who feel the need to call others fat probably cry themselves to sleep every night thinking that they're not good enough or too "bulky" to be attractive. Unless you want to buy yourself a one way ticket to Anorexia-ville or Bulimia-burg, I'd STRONGLY suggest that you ignore media portrayals of the definition of "thin". Magazine photographs are edited in computer programmes, you know. Have you seen some of those actresses on real life television? If what they say about TV is true (that it adds 10 pounds) then I have to say that many actresses in Hollywood are probably walking, dessicated corpses.

Finally, ignore the peer pressure and don't always think that people talk about you behind your back. Your life is yours to lead and the only opinions that matter come from those who matter to YOU. It may be difficult at times to ignore hostile people, but if you keep your focus on the fact that the teen years are only *a* part of life and not, contrary to popular belief by many teens, a *major* portion of it, you'll find that your adolescence will be a great deal more enjoyable.

If you need anything else, feel free to ask another question.

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