Hey, guys. I kind of need a lot of help. I am a 15 year old girl, and I weigh too much. I am not obese, but I am overweight. I weigh 150-160 pounds and I am about 5'6". I do kind of have a lot of arm muscle for a girl my age, but not really enough to so some hardcore workout. My biggest problems are, my mother does all the food shopping and cooking because I am still young and she picks what she wants, and makes me eat whatever she makes. However, she does not look to buy the right kind of foods that I need to lose weight. I know you guys will probably tell me to explain things to her, but really, she wont care. My other huge problem is, I do no have access to any equipment, not even weights or anything to work out with. Like I said, I am only 15. I can't find someone to give me a job, and my family cannot afford equipment. Am I completely screwed? Please help, I really want to look better.
Help!
- Thread starter Bam988
- Start date
Does your mum force-feed you? If not, then the most basic solution is simple: eat less. I don't like using those two words for fear that you'll interpret it to mean something drastic. I don't mean for you to skip meals or starve yourself. But reduce the amount you consume by up to 20%. This may not be appropriate at dinner (depending on your mother's attitude), but certainly there are going to be other meals during the day that you can reduce on. Not adding sauces is an easy way to reduce the calories in a meal. Likewise, if your only fruit option is juice, mix your drink half-and-half juice and water. The flavour's a bit weaker, but it's just as filling with half the calories.
Next level of the solution: Learn to cook. There are probably units of study at your school on food and health studies, cooking, and fitness. Take advantage of this if you possibly can. Unless your mum's a control freak, she'll probably be more than happy for someone else to do the cooking. If you can make that an option, it'll certainly help.
Additional factors: How long would it take to walk home from school? What activities are available during lunch breaks? Walking to and from school can help things to an extent. Likewise, playing sports during your lunch break can be a great way to burn energy (yes, I know, you're a 15 year old girl and it's not typically cool to do anything that could threaten the longevity of your fingernails, but if there's any games you can play during the lunch break, it would be a good idea). What sorts of activities are your friends into? Do you have any friends or know anyone on a school sporting team? Is there anyone on any of the sports teams you'd like to know? Does the school have a gym? If it's possible, I'd look at what sports activities are available at school or outside of school.
Next level of the solution: Learn to cook. There are probably units of study at your school on food and health studies, cooking, and fitness. Take advantage of this if you possibly can. Unless your mum's a control freak, she'll probably be more than happy for someone else to do the cooking. If you can make that an option, it'll certainly help.
Additional factors: How long would it take to walk home from school? What activities are available during lunch breaks? Walking to and from school can help things to an extent. Likewise, playing sports during your lunch break can be a great way to burn energy (yes, I know, you're a 15 year old girl and it's not typically cool to do anything that could threaten the longevity of your fingernails, but if there's any games you can play during the lunch break, it would be a good idea). What sorts of activities are your friends into? Do you have any friends or know anyone on a school sporting team? Is there anyone on any of the sports teams you'd like to know? Does the school have a gym? If it's possible, I'd look at what sports activities are available at school or outside of school.
Hi Bam,
I was exactly the same and I found this works... I when i was young i had the same problem with bad food but after i started excercising right i lost 23 lbs in 4 months. 207 lbs down to 184 lbs. My advice, just start to excercise in the house while your mother is "around" so she can see you are making an active effort. After a few weeks make some comments about food. I barraged my mother with so many facts but never told her to specifically buy anything. Hopefully your mother might start to surprise you with some of the foods you have been telling her about. For example "cooking with olive oil rather than vegetable oil can help lower colesterol". and tinned tuna sandwiches is not very expensive and is a great way to prepare your muscles to burn fat (along with strengthening muscles).
A good thing to target, i found, is thigh muscle and glutes. This should be done by doing a maximum of 12 reps of all excercises, regular squats (for thighs) and sumo squats (legs apart and feet pointed out)(for glutes). building these two big muscle groups for strenght will turn them into fat burners. but I found the key to motivation is "feeling" better so core excercises will help alot and you dont need machines for some of these:
(scroll down a little)
I know building muscle might seem like its going to make you look bigger, and it might but only a little... and only for a little while, but believe me, after a few weeks you will start to loose weight.
Creating STRONG muscle (so holding heavy objects while doing squats and other excercises), drinking 8 to 12 glasses of water a day, eating a full breakfast and doing regular cardio (walking, cycling or jogging), all will help increase your metabolism.
Try starting-off doing those excercises once every three days, eat protein (meat and vegies) straight after a workout. then after a month do the excercises every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. you might not loose weight right away BUT you will condition your muscles to continue to burn more fat even if you get a little lazy a bit later on (like everyone actually does).
This form of excercise can take a toll on your joints, ligaments and tendons so be sure to listen to your body and take it easy if you start to hurt. The MAIN thing you need to know is, if you don't see improvement in time where you think you should, PERSIST! eventually and enevitibly you will.
Its what I did and I had and still have terrific results!
I hope this helps and best of luck! Let me know how it goes.
I was exactly the same and I found this works... I when i was young i had the same problem with bad food but after i started excercising right i lost 23 lbs in 4 months. 207 lbs down to 184 lbs. My advice, just start to excercise in the house while your mother is "around" so she can see you are making an active effort. After a few weeks make some comments about food. I barraged my mother with so many facts but never told her to specifically buy anything. Hopefully your mother might start to surprise you with some of the foods you have been telling her about. For example "cooking with olive oil rather than vegetable oil can help lower colesterol". and tinned tuna sandwiches is not very expensive and is a great way to prepare your muscles to burn fat (along with strengthening muscles).
A good thing to target, i found, is thigh muscle and glutes. This should be done by doing a maximum of 12 reps of all excercises, regular squats (for thighs) and sumo squats (legs apart and feet pointed out)(for glutes). building these two big muscle groups for strenght will turn them into fat burners. but I found the key to motivation is "feeling" better so core excercises will help alot and you dont need machines for some of these:
(scroll down a little)
I know building muscle might seem like its going to make you look bigger, and it might but only a little... and only for a little while, but believe me, after a few weeks you will start to loose weight.
Creating STRONG muscle (so holding heavy objects while doing squats and other excercises), drinking 8 to 12 glasses of water a day, eating a full breakfast and doing regular cardio (walking, cycling or jogging), all will help increase your metabolism.
Try starting-off doing those excercises once every three days, eat protein (meat and vegies) straight after a workout. then after a month do the excercises every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. you might not loose weight right away BUT you will condition your muscles to continue to burn more fat even if you get a little lazy a bit later on (like everyone actually does).
This form of excercise can take a toll on your joints, ligaments and tendons so be sure to listen to your body and take it easy if you start to hurt. The MAIN thing you need to know is, if you don't see improvement in time where you think you should, PERSIST! eventually and enevitibly you will.
Its what I did and I had and still have terrific results!
I hope this helps and best of luck! Let me know how it goes.
