Desperately in need of motivation & support

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cajach
cajach Posts: 22 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi, I just turned 18, 5'3 and 144lb. I just came back from prom dress shopping with my mum to no avail. On the way home I was in such a foul mood because all the dresses I tried just didn't look nice on and I was genuinely going to start crying on the train home because I just couldn't stop thinking of how horrible my body looked in the fitting room mirrors. I have been battling with weight issues for my whole life and I've been trying to lose weight for many years now, my heaviest being 150 lb and lightest being 130 lb. But my weight just keeps fluctuating and when I'm good with counting my calories, I find that the weight comes off at a reasonable rate but then I just get days/weeks where I fall off the wagon and start eating crap, telling myself if I have this day off I will get back on track tomorrow so you can imagine how deflated I feel :-( This has also affected my confidence a lot because I always feel like crap in clothes and seeing pictures of myself is really disheartening. Also, I'm under loads of stress now because my prom is only one month away and in that month I also have lots of important exams. Advice much appreciated, thank you

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  • cajach
    cajach Posts: 22 Member
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    No one? :(
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
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    You probably look a hundred times better than you think you look. I was a skinny 18 year old and really believed at the time that I was the ugliest person on the planet.

    You can do this. Do it slowly. Patience is very important. Just take one day at a time.

    I suggest that you read this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • sugarlemonpie
    sugarlemonpie Posts: 311 Member
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    I've been there. I've shed many of tears coming home and not having anything to wear, to the point where I just don't go anywhere because I didn't feel acceptable.

    Here's the thing. Your body is going to go through many changes during your entire lifetime. You're still young and now is the time to make great habits! You have a lot to look forward to, so don't let this get you down.

    I have been able to overcome temptation to fall off my healthy lifestyle wagon every day for the last 2 months. Make a motivation board on Pinterest and print off some photos and hang them in your room on a cork board as a visual reminder of what you want to achieve. Put an alarm on your phone for when you get home from school to log your calories. Make yourself wake up early to go work out before school (or whenever works for you). But mostly, love yourself for who you are and forgive yourself. There's only one you and you are beautiful! :) It has helped me mentally by looking at foods on a menu or at home and saying "this is bad for my health and now isn't the time to eat this" as opposed to "this will make me look fat", as weight is temporary and health is long term. You can indulge once in a while, but log it and know how you're doing! Plan for it. If I want donuts for breakfast once a month, okay! But I know I will be getting something healthy for lunch and dinner to compensate and help not go over calories.
  • Fatandfifty3
    Fatandfifty3 Posts: 419 Member
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    At 144lbs at your height is not that bad to be honest kid. Maybe you have unrealistic expectations of what you should look like. You probably do look way better in your prom dress than you think you do. Just keep everything in proportion. So you don't look like the super models do. Take heart from the fact in real life neither do they! Photoshop has a lot to answer for when it comes to young womens evaluations of themselves. Look in the mirror and say ' I am beautiful.' You are.
  • nursejessb
    nursejessb Posts: 16
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    Been there as well. At 18 I was a US size 16, but it was tight and I should have been buying 18's. I don't know how much I weighed at that time because I refused to step foot on a scale. I have no photos of myself from the ages of 14 to 23 because I was horrified with my body and destroyed them. I was 22-years-old before I finally decided to take my health seriously and clean up my diet. I started exercising at that time too. I'm 28 now and am a size 6, my new goal is building muscle and increasing endurance. It takes time, but you can change your life. There will be good days and bad (sometimes the bad times last awhile. Don't get discouraged, come here for support), but you are worth it.

    Also, stress can cause our bodies to hang onto extra weight, so look into eating healthy foods (fresh fruits and veggies & lean meats) and cutting down on heavily processed foods.
  • cajach
    cajach Posts: 22 Member
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    Thank you for all your replies :-) I know 144 lb for my height isn't the worst but my body is also pretty disproportionate. I know people who have a higher BMI than me but have a lovely proportional hourglass shape whereas I have these skinny little legs and all my fat is stored on top, it's pretty horrible :( I'm going to try really hard to stay on track with my calories from now on and try to eat healthier foods x

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