Teen weight loss advice?

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neverstopsrunning
neverstopsrunning Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone, I'm new to MLP - seriously, like I-just-joined-five-minutes-ago new. I joined MLP for two reasons: one, there seems to be few active teenage weight loss forums that I could find, and two, I've been beating myself up about my weight.

I am about 5'6 and I've been fluctuating anywhere between 148-153 pound for the past five years. I wear a size 6-8 in a dress but a size 9 in juniors jeans.

I always have been very athletic and involved in sports; everything from basketball, Irish dance, soccer, etc. Even now, I do cross country and outdoor & indoor track year long.
I began realizing my body was more muscular and developed than a lot of girls in middle school and I felt uncomfortable in my own skin, and I slipped into an eating disorder that really screwed with me. I recovered, and I joined Weight Watchers for a few months to learn about healthy eating.
Soon I stopped with that and tried living the most healthy lifestyle I could (I even tried going pescatarian for a few months). I don't eat red meat, I eat lean proteins, I eat more than enough fruits and veggies, greek yogurt, skim milk, whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, couscous, no soda, no candy, you name it. I run six days a week and workout vigorously. The problem is is that I still hate the number on the scale (which I check daily more than anyone should), and I have been working my *kitten* off to make it go down. It doesn't seem to budge, though. Everyone tells me I look 130 lbs max but I know that I weigh 150 lbs and it bothers me more than anything. I try to tell myself that it's all muscle but I'm starting to get frustrated with it, and I worry I'll go crazy and relapse if I can't lose at least five pounds for good.

I apologize for this being so long, but I guess I'm looking for support and advice on exercise or general diet for losing weight. I apologize because I know there are many people on this site with much larger goals than ten pounds, but I don't know where else to turn at this plateau and I appreciate any advice that's given. :)

Replies

  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    At 5'6, you should be aiming for a goal weight of 100-130lbs. The most important thing to do if you want to lower the number on the scale is keep track of what you eat. Eating healthy food is great, but eating too much healthy food will keep your weight at an unhealthy level.

    This is bull. At 5'6" healthy BMI puts you between 113-159. That being said, the BMI is not a great way of determining what weight is appropriate for you. In fact weight itself is not a great measure. It varies significantly for so many reasons. Here's a story which demonstrates what I mean:

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    OP, you are at the top end of a healthy BMI, and the clothing sizes you are fitting sounds (to me) like you really don't need to lose anything. If there are areas of your body that you are displeased with, consider using your muscles to your advantage.

    If you are under the age of 18, this website is not for you. It doesn't take into consideration the needs of a still growing and developing teenage body. Your nutritional needs are different from that of an adult who has finished growing. I strongly suggest that you see your doctor and ask for a referral to a registered dietician for some more specific help in setting realistic goals and to develop an appropriate plan to get there.

    Best of luck to you. :flowerforyou:
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    At 5'6, you should be aiming for a goal weight of 100-130lbs. The most important thing to do if you want to lower the number on the scale is keep track of what you eat. Eating healthy food is great, but eating too much healthy food will keep your weight at an unhealthy level.

    Wrong. 100lbs on a 5'6 woman is very underweight (BMI 16.1). Please don't go giving blatantly incorrect advice to teenagers, or anyone for that matter.

    OP, you should be aiming for 115 at the aboslute lowest up to 154 to remain in your healthy weight range. So you're within a healthy BMI.
  • langlinaisemily
    langlinaisemily Posts: 9
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    I'm in the same predicament. I am a cheerleader and dancer. I have VERY muscular legs. I am at 142.5 pounds right now and I would love to be in the 120s. A year ago I lost a ton of weight after a break up and got down to 130 and was very pleased. I ended up back at 135/136 and decided to do a stupid military diet a few months ago and since then have gained all the weight back plus some and my body has changed. I started eating healthy and running 6 days a week and nothing had changed. Friend me and we can give each other suggestions.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    At 5'6, you should be aiming for a goal weight of 100-130lbs. The most important thing to do if you want to lower the number on the scale is keep track of what you eat. Eating healthy food is great, but eating too much healthy food will keep your weight at an unhealthy level.
    Nope. 100 pounds is not a healthy goal for someone that height, and eating too much healthy weight will NOT keep your weight at an unhealthy level. A person can choose to eat what they want.

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