hey! i'm 18. 5'2". i started a couple of weeks ago at 115.5 and am now down to 112-113 so i think i'm doing alright :) i stopped eating meat (i don't think thats necessary though to lose weight) but i did cut way back on my sodium intake. I try and stay just over 1,000 mg of sodium every day.  I increased my fiber A TON. I was eating like 10g of fiber and i've upped it to 25+.  

Another thing that will help is eating snack size meals every 2-3 hours. this isn't always possible, so plan accordingly.

and every once in a while eat only fruit for breakfast. this jump-starts your metabolism..

most of all, just make sure you are consuming less calories than you are burning. and don't think that burning 300 cals from your jog is all that you burn during the day. you burn a heck of a lot more than that naturally.

I try and stay at 1200-1400/day. doing this will get me to 105 by the beginning of september.

hope i helped! sorry it was so long!

hi alyssa! How did you cut your sodium intake? And to increase your fiber you ate more.. fruits? vegetables? 

Yeah, it's not always possible to eat the 2-3 snack size meals everyday, but.. so that does work out? Sometimes people say to do that, or sometimes they say to avoid eating between foods.

Ok, some days I'll eat only fruit for breakfast. What I normally eat is some fruit, cereal, and low-fat yoghurt. But it varies.

I've been learning about that while I explored this site, that we naturally burn many calories, aside from the ones we burn exercising. The bad thing now is that it's summer, so there are not many activities to do around..

I'll try and stay that way, too, because after using one of the tools I discovered that if I eat max. 1400 calories a day, I'll lose that 10 pounds by mid-September. (I'll work on my patience hahahaa..)

Thank you! It's okay if it's long, and even better, because I get more info!

One big way to cut sodium is not adding salt to foods and not putting cheese or dressing on a salad. Ok the dressing part is tough, but if you put some dressing on the side and then dip your fork in that first, then dig into the salad you use waaay less dressing, like not even a full tsp! And yes, more fruits and veggies help with fiber. plus they are super low in cals so eat as much of them as you want. or you could invest in fiber one chewy bars. one bar has 140 cals so its great for an afternoon snack and it has a whopping 9g of fiber! plus they are delish. 

Eating tiny meals all day long really helps me from making bad food choices. When I haven't eaten in a while i start to think "ooh maybe i'll treat myself" which undoubtedly results in a binge. If you know you won't be eating for a while, figure out what you are going to eat and tell yourself over and over that you are going to eat that and just that. 

And allow yourself a candy bar or a small bowl of ice cream every day. As long as it fits into your cals its not cheating. If you have any other questions or are just bored and have AIM my screen name is alyssag77. good luck!

The last thing you want to do is diet if you are only 13 years old. You are healthy and happy. If you start losing weight, you are depriving your body of the nutrients it needs to grow and develop. You are at a healthy weight, so leave it alone. Thinner is not better for YOU.

hey!

i just want to tell you that you are at an extremelly critical time for your body because it is strengthening your bones, which ca only be done at this age and for a few more years before the muscle mass starts to wane. Also, you dont want to have a low body fat percentage because you need enough to get your period. I just dont want you to ruin anything. as long as you are vigilant and take the dieting thing lightly (dont obsess), youll be fine. good luck and please be safe--take it from someone who didnt know this at our age and learned the hard way.

Alyssa2012, thanks again. I'll use your advice, it's good! I don't have AIM, but if I need anything I'll send you a message in the Community Mailbox of this page. haha I love ice cream, by the way. So now I know sometimes I can eat it, as long as it fits my daily average of cals.

no_audience, well, thanks anyway. I'm eating perfectly normal, this is a light diet. I watch how much I eat, and avoid things that are not good for me, so I'm getting all the nutrients I need.

Thank you, frustrated 11. I'm sorry you learned the hard way when you were my age. I'll follow what you said. Don't worry, I won't get obsessed. I won't let myself have an eating disorder or anything. I will be safe, and I just want to lose some pounds in a completely healthy way.

Hey!

I'd just like to say that alyssa's comment on eating 1200-1400 is WRONG. (not trying to sound bitchy, just saying) its way way way too little for someone 13

your 13 hun, eat fruits and veggies, cut back on junk, and just go outside and play

your fine the way you are :)

Original Post by runnabe15:

Hey!

I'd just like to say that alyssa's comment on eating 1200-1400 is WRONG. (not trying to sound bitchy, just saying) its way way way too little for someone 13

your 13 hun, eat fruits and veggies, cut back on junk, and just go outside and play

your fine the way you are :)

Did I tell her to eat 1200-1400 cals? No. (not trying to sound bitchy). Her burn meter will tell her how many calories to eat.

The burn meter would be wildly inaccurate for her and I can promise that she'll be stuck with stunted growth if she follows it.

runnabe15, hi! Alyssa's right, she didn't tell me to eat that. But thanks anyway, really. Yeah, I eat healthy, avoid junk food, and know I'm fine the way I am. I enjoy life like any other teenager =D , this is just a light diet.

wistfulxthinkning, yeah the burn meter in this page will not work for me, and I know it. Because of my age, I am using a burn meter in another website. It's http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html , if anyone needs it. I found that webpage in another forum here.

I still don't undestand everything, so some help would be great. My BMI is 20.8 , and in that webpage, it said my Daily Energy Requirements if I'm currently (because in summer I don't have much activity like all year long, but currently I am working on a Stationary Bicycle, and I stretch, and do some housework) Low Activity is 2130 calories. That means what? That I naturally burn 2130 calories per day (without counting the ones I burn exercising) ? Or does it mean something else? (If I'm wrong, don't give me for stupid, I'm just new)

Low activity counts in the exercise you would do on the bike, stretching and housework. Ideally you want a deficit of 500 calories, so, say you go by low activity and take 500 from 2130. You're left with about 1650 calories.

However, I agree with most others here in that you're only 13, and really ought to be enjoying yourself. Focus on balance of healthy eating (which includes treating yourself on occasion), exercise and enjoying yourself - not on calories and numbers - and you won't have to worry. s:

thanks, lalabanana!

Yeah, I am here just because I'm starting, so I wanted to be informed about what I'm doing, but after knowing the information and how this works, I'll just enjoy myself and watch what I eat, and I won't think much about it, because I'm taking this lightly. And in a few weeks, I hope I surprise myself by losing weight.

Original Post by no_audience:

The last thing you want to do is diet if you are only 13 years old. You are healthy and happy. If you start losing weight, you are depriving your body of the nutrients it needs to grow and develop. You are at a healthy weight, so leave it alone. Thinner is not better for YOU.

Amen!!! I know it starts out about getting healthy, but trust me, it will never be enough. Take it from someone who learned the hard way. I am ALL FOR teens eating healthy and exercising. Trust me, I am! Eating healthy and exercising is great and has so many benefits. I hope you realize that you are beautiful and healthy at this weight. xoxo