First time -- teenager

nopofosho941

Hello,

My name is Tyler and I am teenage male who feels insecure about himself. I have tried dieting for several years, but fast food, soda, and energy drinks consume most of my life. Always being on the go, and never home to make a decent meal, I look for the quickest eating solution.

I am looking to meet new people, possibly teenagers who have the same goals as I do, or possibly someone who could be of encouragement. I want to be able to lose weight by Prom... which is in May. I often think about the Twilight series, and how all the girls go crazy of Edward and Jacob, and one day hope I will have all the girls drooling over me, like them to do. haha. But in all seriousness, I want to feel beter about myself and stay healthy.

Feel free to find me on facebook: Tyler Gibson, or search by my email tyler.theodore@sprint.blackberry.net

or email me at tyler.theodore@ymail.com.

Thanks everyone and good luck! We can do it

DrBorkBork

Hey, Tyler. It's been nearly a decade since I've been a teen, but I definitely struggled with my weight during those years. You say you're on the go alot... can you cook at all? Like, you know how, right? If yes, I have a really quick & easy recipe for you that's super delicious, only took me 10 mins to prep. It will feed a family of 4 (or 2 wraps can make a hungry teen boy's eyes bulge at how full he is!)

Dr. Bork Bork's Totally Rad Cheeseburger Wraps
(you can feed your family for less than $15 with this recipe)

(This is what I paid)
4 Boca All American Grilled Patties ($3.00)
4 Tomatoes ($1)
1 Sweet Onion (50c)
1 Pickle (probably not a whole lot if you already have pickles in the fridge)
1/2 bag shredded lettuce ($1.50)
1 small block velveeta ($2.50)
1 bag flat out flat bread ($2.50)
I'm assuming here that you probably have ketchup & mustard in your fridge, too!

Slice onion & cook until golden brown & soft & juicy (I did this with a George Foreman grill). Grill the Boca patties, mash when done to resemble ground beast, and divide evenly. Dice the 2 tomatoes. Dice pickle. Cut block velveeta (as much as you think your family will need), nuke slowly in microwave until melted & creamy.
Plate 1 flat out flat bread for each person. Spread velveeta on 1/2 the flatbread for each person. Add ground boca, onions, tomatoes, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and lettuce. Go crazy on the veggies!
Fold flatbread like giant taco & relish it's candy-like sweetness. A cheeseburger never tasted so gosh darn good! Enjoy everything that falls out on to your plate as an equally sweet salad. You won't need dressing, the ketchup & mustard do that quite nicely.

Total damage: $11, and 464 calories per wrap.

I have no reason to go to a fast food burger joint ever again!

Another thing I recommend for being on the go is a liquid meal replacement like Boost, Slim Fast, or Ensure. My favorite is chocolate Ensure. It's great if you only have 2 seconds for a meal before you need to be somewhere, cuz you can just grab it from the fridge, open it, slam it down, and GO GO GO!
Another thing I did in high school was carry fruit in my backpack. I got ravenously hungry in the mornings before lunch and afternoons after lunch. I would usually carry apples & bananas, still my favorites today. Apples are fat burners. They take more energy to digest than consume! Pretty neat.

I know it's hard in high school, especially if you have open campus for lunch, with fast food temptations within walking distance, but I know you can stick with your goals! You're probably way cuter than Edward to start with anyway

kaytbognar

Hey Tyler, and welcome! I remember high school and my teen years of college, and the looming temptation of the food court and the Mcdonalds just five minutes away. It's part of what got me here!

What's your game plan, sir? Are you looking to just recalibrate your diet, or will you be including an exercise regimen as well? Do you have any buddies you can get on your train with you?

Take comfort in the fact that, if the ladies aren't drooling over you yet, at least you're not a creepy guy who doesn't get much sun and hangs out in girl's bedrooms without their knowledge...definitely not the character traits most girls are looking for in a fella

iplayoutside19

Don't feel too bad about being insecure, I think most of the kids your age are insecure....in fact a lot of adults are insecure. And despite what anyone tells you everyone is insecure sometimes.

You cannot out exersise a bad diet, so you're on the right track with wanting to eat better. Log your food on MFP and get a good mathimatical feel for where you need to be.

I was a busy teenager way back in the day too. What keeps you on the move? Are you involved in any sports?

kingon8

hi tyler i am not a teenager, but i am 24, i agree with the other post, i think the best thing you can do is to take food.. healthy food with you when you're on the go, and try to eat small 300-400 cal every 2-3 hours, then you wont gorge when its dinner or anytime, when you eat at home try to cut your normal meal down. if you are used to drinking lots of sugary pop and energy drinks then try to switch to different teas or flavored waters, gradually, believe it ro not you will be able to give pop up eventually. i was raised a pepsi girl and havent drank pop in months now. your taste buds will adjust, and the same goes for eating good stuff the more you choose the good over the bad the easier it will be each time, and eventually you'll look at labels and realize the junk is not worth it!! if you have to have sweets try popcorn or dark chocolate. even if it takes time you can do it. do you run or play sports? i have never been athletic or even had endurance, but i started the c25k and i can run 30 minutes now and it by far has helped me out of anything i have done. you can burn like 230 calories for 25 minutes of jogging in place, rather than 1 hour and 1/2 walking for the same result. just google it. it starts out very easy. good luck!!!!!

ali258

Congratulations on taking an interest in your health now! You can do fast food and watch calories, it just takes a little planning. I'm betting since you're a teen guy, you get a pretty good amount of calories per day. If you take about 10 minutes before you go to a fast food place and look at the nutritional information online, you can figure out what things you can eat and the easiest places to go. Most fast food is full of sodium, but at least watching calories is a really good start.

Some general tricks and tips to cut calories are to order things without cheese, without mayo or sauces (except mustard and ketchup or any low calorie sauces the restaurant may have), nothing "crispy" or fried, and be careful with things like salads because many of them are loaded with cheese and dressing which makes them worse than the other menu choices (unless you can take off the cheese and eat a little dressing on the side). You should also get diet soda or water instead of regular soda.

Good luck! You can reach your goals. You just have to stick with it and you will see results.

-Alison

jam0525

Hi Tyler,

I'm the mom of two teenagers and they have kept me on the go for years coaching their soccer teams and running them around. I couldn't understand why I didn't loose weight. The first month I was on MFP all I did was track what I ate and that told the whole story.

Track what you eat no matter how good or bad the day is looking. After about a month you will be able to see what's eating up your calories.

Some basic guidelines that are in all diets no matter which one you end up trying:

Eat breakfast within 2-3 hours of getting up. This help stop your body from thinking it's starving.

Eat 3 meals a day, but don't eat right before bed.

Don't eat too little- I use my base metabolic rate as a guideline on that and I eat that much rounded upward. EG: BMR is 1265, so 1300 calories a day is my goal. This also helps the body know it's not going to starve.

Checkout the food and nutrition forums - there are a lot of easy, quick and healthy recipes. You are probably living at home and not the one in charge of the kitchen. But, the cook should like these recepies too.

Hang in there- weightloss takes time. It took a long time to get there and it will take a long time to get off.

Good luck and check in and let us know how you are doing. The support here is great.

Jeannie

FlowerTaming

Hey Tyler!

Welcome to mfp, I'm not really a regular around the forums since I'm only generally around here to track what I've eaten and how many calories I've burned etc.

I thought I'd welcome you after seeing your thread since I'm a teen trying to lose weight too, I'm 16, I'm not overweight, I just used to be way skinnier than I currently am, and I'd like to end up being able to wear bikinis on the beach again.

juliep63

Hi Tyler,

I just wanted to say: good for you. I wish I'd had your motivation when I was a teenager. It probably would have made my life a lot easier now. Just remember - it's a lifestyle, not a diet.

Also, while I hope you reach your goals, I also hope that you find a girl who likes you for you, not just the package.

Good luck on your journey!

jacqueline0821

Welcome! I am 22 years old and struggled with my weight when I was a teenager and lost a lot of it then. I ended up gaining much of it back when I got to college but that is another story.
I would recommend carrying healthy snacks with you every where you go. I found that having pieces of fruit in my purse was very helpful. Some other snacks would be carrots, apple slices, string cheese, and always have a bottle of water with you.
Try to set up a exercise regimen, make a calendar with which days you can get a workout in and what you are planning on doing.
When I was in high school I began walking 1 mile everyday and eatting a lot more vegetables and fruits. I went from weighing about 140 down to 110.
You can do it!! Just keep strong and ask for help when you need it.
Send me a message if you ever have questions.

marsgirlly

Hi Tyler - here's an actual teenager replying to your post!

I started MFP last year at 17, and it worked so well for me I lost 10 pounds with what seemed like minimal effort. Seeing what you're eating and realizing just how bad it is for you opens up your eyes to a world of possibility!

Unfortunately, now that I'm in college, that stereotypical "freshman 15" has come to bite me in the butt. I have rediscovered MFP and am already feeling better from the effort I am putting in

I'm not going to pretend like losing weight is easy, but with the right mindset and motivation you'll do so well!

Good luck on your journey

AnneElise

Hey Tyler!

Good for you for trying to be healthy! I am 22 but I teach high school history and see what most kids are eating during the day. A little advise from me is to pack your lunch! Don't eat at school/buy drinks. Take your food from home so you can eat healthy and know what you are eating!

Nattycole

Hey Tyler,

I'm a teenager too. I'm 15. And I've stuggled with my weight for about a year and a half. I have a horrible sweet tooth and that's what held me back. I use to be adverage weight, than I started binging, ate lots of junk food, very large portions at meals. I thought I was invincible that I would never gain weight. I had a very rude awakening when I went to California a year and a half ago. I thought I was still a size 5/6... I was actually a size 9/10. I had gained 20lbs. in 4 months. I was devistated. I tried so hard to loose the weight. I do really well for a while than when I get offered junk food I go overboard and end-up eating way too much. I just want to be able to fit into my old clothes and have the confidents I use to have. Be able to wear a bathing suit again. But I keep screwing-up and having to start all over. I want this cycle to end.