No matter what I do I keep gaining weight .. what should I do?

    • No matter what I do I keep gaining weight .. what should I do?

      I'm a sophomore in high school and since starting high school I've had a really hard time with gaining weight. I've always been a little bit bigger, but have never really been considered overweight and was skinny as a kid. During the past two years I've gained about 50 pounds (mostly in my belly and legs). Both of my parents and my sister have issues with being overweight and my mom is southern, so she loves cooking big meals but I've always been the one in the family that has was athletic and healthy. For the past four months or so I've been working out more and trying to eat smaller portions, but I've still been gaining weight. My parents think it's just because I'm growing, but I checked online and my bmi says that I'm overweight for my height and age. I hate how my clothes fit now and I hate taking pictures because of how I look. I don't know what to do because I don't really have control of the food in my house and since my family doesn't really care about eating healthy food its hard to find good options. I don't want to keep gaining weight and I don't know where to start losing it since despite everything I've tried I've gained weight. Any tips would be great or foods I should start eating or workouts I could do at home that target fat areas? thank you
    • It's normal for your body to change during your teenage years and you may be genetically predisposed to have more weight around your abdomen and thighs. I know it may feel unusual (as you're used to being slimmer as a child) but your body will adjust as you become a woman. It's normal for a lot of ladies to have more weight above the knee and below the waist.

      Sometimes working out just replaces our fat with muscle. We may look slightly slimmer but our weight may not change.

      The BMI (and similar type) charts are often very unrealistic. In order to be a "normal" weight (according to some of them), we'd have to be super skinny!
      I feel we should focus on being generally healthy; eating the right kinds of foods (when we can ;) ), exercise, drinking the right amount of water, getting enough sleep, etc. and whatever weight we are, that's normal for us and that's OK.
      I feel society puts too much emphasis on our weight (and it doesn't help if people make fun of how we look. But if that happens, it's because the person criticizing us probably has low self-esteem and doesn't like themselves!)

      Walking and swimming are good exercises as they burn calories without building up muscle (like lifting weights at a gym, for example) and they're easier on our joints than running. You can walk with a friend or a dog and have good company, too.

      Are you able to eat differently (have healthier options) at the school cafeteria?

      Having a well-balanced diet (from the four major food groups) and not too much fat and sugar should be fine. Dieting (to loose weight) often doesn't work because when we go off the diet, the weight usually comes back (and then some!)
      A diet needs to be something we're comfortable having all the time (and most of them aren't).

      I would also suggest getting new clothes, some of which can be made with "stretchy" material that molds to your body (and maybe something light and loose to cover any curves you don't want showing). :)

      The bottom line is: whatever you look like, that's fine.
      It's more important to focus on improving ourselves as a person, not so much what we look like.
      It's more important to be healthy and to be with people who don't judge, but accept us for the beautiful person we are, whatever our size is. ;)