Looking for help on loosing weight.

I feel like I am talking to my 16 yr old self...focus on you, treat food like fuel and don't use it to comfort yourself...don't zone out while watching tv and eat an entire batch of cookies...you KNOW how to eat right...just do it and you will thank yourself later..

I honestly think that if you drink a lot of water (like 96 oz a day), buy yourself a Fitbit ( so you can track how much you move a day) and stop eating sugar, you are going to see the pounds start to fall off. Sugar is evil and only wants to hurt you, carbs too so no French Fries or Bread...learn to love lean protein and vegetables.

I promise you it's a lot harder to do this when you are older. I have to lose 200+ lbs too (that's just to be overweight) but I am telling you with complete sincerity, I wish I had started at your age.

Good luck!

First, have you spoken with your parents? Where are they in all of this? Ask them to bring you to a dietician. You should also ask them to do lab work to check your thyroid and blood sugar level. My daughter is 14 and struggles too.

First let me say, I feel for you, I was overweight and left out as a teen as well... I have read all the responses...you have been given some very good advise.

You have taken the first step. You recognize where you are and have set a goal( to be healthy at a lower weight)...and you have cut your sugars! That is GREAT!

This has to be a concentrated effort, crossing your mind, is the beginning..so here are some other things you need to consider...see what of this you can use..because these are the things I STILL do, and I have had surgery 20 years ago! WLS is not an easy fix. Most Dr's will not do surgery on a teen, until they have demonstrated multiple attempts to lose. The good thing is you have not destroyed your metabolism with yo- yo dieting...keep it common sense, make the changes just one or two at a time. You CAN do this!

Now to finish your journey,

1) First you need to document where you are starting from...You need an accurate weight.If you have a day noted that you weighed and started making changes, be sure to include that information.

2) You need a notebook to write down your daily intake in... record it accurately,... Start this as soon as possible, so you can show your physician when you go for more supports.

Your Doctor needs to know you have made changes and are serious...this will show him/her where you are and help determine what calorie/carb/ protein level you should consume.

Your Dr should do some lab work...to make sure there is not an underlying health condition that is preventing wt. loss.. like hypothyroidism, for instance..

3)Weigh and measure every portion of food you consume.for above/food diary..get a food scale.being aware of how much you are eating and when, will help you adjust your meals for less hunger and better nutrition.

4) Read labels, look for artificial ingredients, and try to avoid them. learn to make at least one new food a week,(get help,.. a teacher, parent, the nutritionist at school) change will keep you from getting bored. Remember low fat foods have extra sugar added to them, to balance the flavor....use condiments ketchup mayo, bbq sauce VERY sparingly, a teaspoon for a serving, not a tablespoon.. Use lots of Mustard! and cayene pepper, hot sauce if you like it,..good for you,and low calorie.

5)Get a good multivitamin, and since you are male and overweight, your zinc levels should be monitored. low zinc levels will provide you with hormonal changes that make man boobs.Happened to my hubby, NOT good., but reversible with zinc.it is stored in your body, so it's not something to take daily. also need to take an Iodine source to promote the function of your thyroid.Our diets in the U.S. is deficient in both zinc and iodine, because of the production methods used today.get 15-20 minutes of sunshine daily for your vitamin D.

6)Avoid the artificial sweeteners, they sabotage weight loss. So that means, nothing that is bought pre-sweetened.. Use stevia., it's a natural sweetener and is even safe for diabetics. It does have a different taste than sugar, but two drops of the liquid ( I get now brand from swansons)is all needed to make that green tea taste sweet, when made from tea bags...not pre-canned/bottled.

Green tea bags are available in the aisle with the regular tea and coffee, get a peppermint or spearmint to brew with it to change up the flavor...you will need something for a treat, Make it a healthy choice.

If you think of this as a treat, it becomes one!.YOU are in control!

to brew your own green tea..You will need one green tea bag for a 10 ounce cup, (one of each green and peppermint,will make 16-20 ounces,) hea****er add tea bags and cover with saucer, let brew/steep for 15 min. then squeeze out tea bags, chill and enjoy.

7)Eat veggies, fresh ones, frozen ones,...string beans and tomatoes as many as you want.very low in calories and filling. I like a can of chilled tomatoes with just a few crackers,( 4 saltines are a serving)...Greens, kale, lettuce, cabbage slaw /with raisins, one tablespoon. stay light on the fruit, they will trigger blood sugar crashes in some people..so watch the serving size,on your fruits... a serving of apple is 1/2 apple, ONE banana, serving is 4" long...

Now for the dedication part... you have to add activity! You talked about not being able to do what the other kids your age do...let that be a motivation. You can be well on the way to healthy without weight loss surgery...first thing in the morning, you should do some kind of exercise...(You probably should not run, unless a Dr clears it first.),but you can walk/ or lie on bed and do leg lifts, start with five each leg..Change it up, so you don't get bored with what you are doing. ...start with 10 minutes just after you get up.. and 10 minutes just before bed...add 10 minutes every three or 4 days to each session, until you are up to at least 30 minutes morning and night... I like to do isometrics at night, it builds your muscle and will help maintain metabolism, and it can be done from the bed or couch.

to do isometrics... start with being aware of your position with feet on floor, sitting. tighten the muscles in your lower legs, and feet and hold them tight for a slow count of 5, relax them slowly and repeat x10, then move up to the next set of muscles, those in the upper thigh and buttocks...do the same, relax slowly x10, ...then move up your body with each corresponding set of muscles.all the way to your neck and head.. after three days lengthen the count to 10., and then increase the number of reps. This will help you build strength...and endurance..It will build it slow, you should see a change in your muscle in 3-4 weeks, if you do it each night.

I see you have gotten some fantastic advise from other members so I won't repeat the same things to you, but I wanted to just tell you to love yourself and make YOU your number one priority. I also want to send you a big giant hug! I was an overweight teenager and I know the pain it causes both physical and emotional. You are not alone in your struggle, don't ever give up!

First of all and very important you need to not focus on how much you need to lose. That makes it harder do it in 10 to 20 lbs at a time. Set small goals it is easier, then thinking of the big picture. Proud of you for making this choice. Soda dropping alone can be your first 10 to 20 lbs.Good luck . You can do this .Please keep us informed.

You've gotten good advice already so I just wanted to mention if money is an issue for joining WW or YMCA I think both of them can offer you a scholarship that pays for your joining so don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it! Try going with who ever goes grocery shopping so you can learn about foods and what they have in them. Maybe even help with the shopping and grocery list. Also no time like the present to learn to cook, I tell ya nothing will get you brownie points like being able to cook a healthy meal. The family will love iit and in the future the ladies will LOVE it!!

Keep lots of salad fixings around all ready to go, cut up lettuce and any veggies you like in salads and keep some cooked meats around to put in it too, that will help it be more filling. They make a great meal just don't ruin them with fattening salad dressing make a nice dressing with vinegar, olive oil, a little dijon mustard and salt & pepper. Yummy and not too many calories.

You are lucky because you can look up all kinds of things on the computer, back when I was a teen you had to drive to the library to find any information on nutrition and food or recipes. Now it's all at your finger tips! Look up high protein foods and low carbohydrate foods, those are what you want to eat mostly. You can also look for recipes with those items and learn how to cook them.

Most of all keep coming back here and we'll adopt you and help as much as we can. We are older but on the good side maybe we can help you avoid some of the silly stuff we tried when we were younger! I wish you the best and feel free to come here and ask us any questions you might have!