Help Me Get On Track

MissB105 wrote: »

I have always eaten really fatty, sugary foods and didn't exercise much at all. Surprisingly, I didn't get very fat. I am currently 110 lbs (50kg) and I aim to lose 11 lbs (5kg). It doesn't sound like much but I have a lot of belly fat, some hip fat and my thighs are quite chubby. I have a bit of fat everywhere but I just want to lose as much as possible.

I have started eating really healthy and only have healthy foods in my house. My exercise attitude is shabby. I have two dogs so I walk them both, one at a time and jumping jacks are a favourite. I just need help understanding it all. Add me by all means. I add everyone.
My ultimate goal is to have a body I feel comfortable wearing a bikini in by this winter (summer in the southern hemisphere) not that I would.

Um am I reading this right? Your 50 kilo and you want to loose 5 kilo. Maybe you need to tone up with some form of exercise instead of loosing 5k. How tall are you ect!

Unless you're really short, dropping your weight down to under 100lbs seems rather extreme and dangerous to me. If you're just wanting to lose weight to look good in a bikini, you're better off adding weight training instead. Get everything firmed and toned, and the number on the scale won't mean as much.

MissB105 wrote: »

Haha I am 160cm so I am really really short. Sorry for not clarifying.

We have different ideas of what really really short is. Aiming for 45kg at 160cm puts you at an underweight BMI. Your current BMI is 20. If you're not happy with how you look, I suggest considering recomposition rather than losing more weight.

This illustrates why the scale isn't everything:

Exercise. And before you ask what exercise, you are only in your teens, so the sky is the limit. Ok, probably you are too old to become a professional ballet dancer or an join the olympic gymnastics team, but you get the idea Find out what sounds like fun, and do it. Any sports you have been into as a kid? Or one you never had the time to try so far? Something your friends are doing and you would like to join them? A pool you could join? A gym with interesting classes nearby? Martial arts? Lifting weights? Pilates? Yoga? Dancing?

MissB105 wrote: »

oh_happy_day wrote: »

MissB105 wrote: »

Haha I am 160cm so I am really really short. Sorry for not clarifying.

We have different ideas of what really really short is. Aiming for 45kg at 160cm puts you at an underweight BMI. Your current BMI is 20. If you're not happy with how you look, I suggest considering recomposition rather than losing more weight.

This illustrates why the scale isn't everything:

Thank you for this. So I have a half tire around my belly and that is what I want to get rid of. What are your tips?

You need to read and absorb this:

{edited}

aggelikik wrote: »

Orphia wrote: »

MissB105 wrote: »

oh_happy_day wrote: »

MissB105 wrote: »

Haha I am 160cm so I am really really short. Sorry for not clarifying.

We have different ideas of what really really short is. Aiming for 45kg at 160cm puts you at an underweight BMI. Your current BMI is 20. If you're not happy with how you look, I suggest considering recomposition rather than losing more weight.

This illustrates why the scale isn't everything:

Thank you for this. So I have a half tire around my belly and that is what I want to get rid of. What are your tips?

You need to read and absorb this:

Considering her age, weight and goal (wear a bikini), most probably she just needs to spend more time telling herself she looks gorgeous, because chances are, she already is at where most people here do not even dream of getting at

Thinking more, you're 100% right!

Ignore that link, OP! Off to edit now.

Orphia wrote: »

A far more appropriate link:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Body_image_issues_for_women?OpenDocument

Suggestions for improving your body image include:

• Reflect on your experiences and try to unravel the development of your body image from childhood.
• Talk about feelings and experiences with other women who have similar concerns.
• Make a pact with yourself to treat your body with respect, which includes giving it enough food and rest.
• Give yourself a break from women’s magazines and the mass media for a while.
• Try some form of physical activity purely for the fun of it, not as a means of weight loss.
• Stop weighing yourself.
• Change your goal from weight loss to improving your health.
• Get informed by reading up on body image issues.

All of this. And look at some of the recomposition threads (I'm on my phone so it's hard to link). Let go of what the scale says, eat more and start lifting some weights. That lean, toned look that it sounds like you're after takes muscle! There's plenty out there on how to build muscle, look at programs like Strong Curves, new rules of lifting for women etc.

Learning to track what you eat now is a valuable skill. Not for losing weight, I agree you don't need to lose weight, but learning what actual portions are now will help you keep from gaining weight by eating too much in the future. If you really feel you need to track your food, set your goal to maintenance, not losing weight. That will make sure you don't drop too low but still let you learn to see portions correctly. And if you go over from time to time, you're still fine. Don't stress of the amount of calories you're eating, just use it to learn what proper portions are and apply it to your normal life. You don't have to cut out any foods at all, and unless you're consistently going over for weeks at a time, you don't need to worry about it. If you're going out with friends to eat, enjoy whatever you want. Have dessert if you feel like it. It's not going to hurt you to do that from time to time, espically if you've got a good balanced diet normally.

One thing you really should do, espically for the future, is don't cut your food, up your activity level. The more active you are, the more you can eat, including 'junk' food. That was what caused me to gain weight, actually. I could eat just about anything I wanted and not gain anything. Until I stopped working at the restaurant and went to a full time desk job. I didn't add any kind of exercise to compensate, so because I kept eating like I was, I gained weight. If you keep active, with whatever activity you like doing, you should be fine.

As for exercise, the only thing I know of to tone the stomach is situps, but I know there's other things. Although, see if you can find a belly dancing class to join. That will do wonders for your core muscles and stomach area!