Losing it!
 

Not my mind. Weight. Those of you who I have on Facebook may have seen some of my updated. For quite a long time now I've been self conscious about my image. I've never been overweight but I was very close. I've tried telling myself to cut down but it always falls through. But recently I discovered a very good website which a huge database of all food and it's nutritional content as well as calories. Since that and having my braces put on I've lost 16 pounds.

But through all the times I've tried I know it isn't always easy or fun. Do any of you guys diet at all? Anyone got some nice figures of achievements you wanna share?

Good for you, young man.:)

Eh Im overweight but Im a happy guy as long as I have a roof over my head & food in my stomach.

I try watch what I eat...

I'm about 205lbs - the same weight I was 5-10 years ago wen I was training alot...Unfortuanally that weight is in slightly different places :-)

I think just cutting out softdrinks, sweets, biscuits etc is a bit help. I find it hard to drop all the carbs though..

I'm very overweight in my eyes and would love to go on a diet but have no idea where to start.

How much is overweight to you? Im 6'3, 290lbs xD

This is the site I use.

http://www.thedailyplate.com/

you write in your height, weight etc. and how much you'd like to lose or gain each week. It then gives you a calorie allowance. Also, for each item you add in it has fat content etc. and adds to your daily percentage. Has helped me a LOT.

And I think the way you said in your eyes sums up what this is all about. Whilst others might say you don't need to lose weight, it's about self confidence. If you think you're overweight then it affects how you act socially and what you wear, all things like that. It's all about you at the end of the day.

What height and weight are you FC?

I also depends alot on how you carry the weight too.

I'm 5ft 4 (a little under actually) and currently 8st10. Was 9st12 at my heaviest (and I was a bit shorter then too).

get active - 90% of diets are nonsense. i lift every other day but my real weight loss comes from hiking in the mountains. with a big pack and steep incline you can bur tons of calories, improve cardio and build muscles!

I go to the gym every Sunday as well as some quite hard physical work at Fire Cadets on Thursdays.

I'm with you. :D

Unless you are unhealthily overweight (which you aren't FC) you shouldn't be dieting at your age.

Zero is right, just being more active is the way to go

i am blessed with the best metabolism ever. i can eat whatever i want and stay the same weight.

Congrats Ferret - nothing feels better than getting rid of unwanted pounds.

I used to be somewhat overweight; not dangerously so, but far from where I should have been. Lost about 35-40 pounds last year, then built about 10-15 back in muscle. Never been in better shape in my life.

I don't bother with the whole "diet" thing, just try to eat with common sense. Avoid too much fat/grease, and go for lots of protein, fibre and vitamins. Mostly I just try to keep active though...I'm at the gym almost everyday. I tend to do more cardio than weights/resistance but I try for at least 30 minutes of each a day, alternating muscle groups.

Re-reading what I just typed makes me sound like some kind of body builder...far from it. Still eat more crap than I should and I've got the metabolism of a sloth, so even a couple days away from the gym takes its toll. Given how often I'm there I probably should be in way better shape then I actually am...but hey, I'm content to be a work in progress.

Way better than a diet and easier to maintain..

Essentially that's what I'm doing. The site allows me to keep check on the nutritional content of my food. Make sure I don't go over my fat content (59g per day apparently), try to keep my protein and fibre as high as possible whilst at the same time not going overboard on calories.

that sounds good.

The only trouble is I'm not sure if I'm going to struggle to stop. I mean, whilst I'm keeping my nutrition levels up I'm still losing weight because my overall calories that I'm allowing myself are a tiny bit lower than my body wants and to be honest, I'm still struggling to meet that quota. I think when I reach my target weight sustaining it will be the problem. Although considering that I've essentially "graduated" high school now I'll have a lot more free time, time which I could spend down the gym.

Scouse is right; you should be very cautious about dieting at your age. Assuming you're about 17 or 18 years old, you still might have some growing to do (men can continue up to the age of 25 sometimes) and you need your protein, carbs, and calcium.

According to the Health Check Systems Weight Chart, a 5' 4" man with a small frame should weigh anywhere from 132-138 lbs. so you actually could be underweight.

Sorry, I'm sounding like a mom; just want you to take care of yourself.;)

Well actually I'm 16 (high school is from 11-16 in England) and I really like to think I have more growing to do. What are the main nutrients needed for growing taller?

Carbohydrates and protein are the really important ones. Calcium and adequate vitamin A are important as well.

My son will be 16 in a couple of months, and his doctor stressed the importance of enough calcium because she thought he still had growing to do (he's already 6 feet tall).

When I was younger, I found exercise to be far more effective for losing weight than any diet. Just eat all kinds of food in moderation, and you should be fine.