The same...

Question
I know you probably have an unending flow of questions about the same thing, weight loss. But I think I need to hear something for my own, just for me, just like everyone else. So I'm almost 16, male. I haven't weighed myself, and don't plan to. Honestly, I'm going for health and looks. I don't consider it weight loss until I see it. I'm probably mid-200s. I wear 36 jeans, and am not really comfortable in anything other than XL shirts. I don't know if I'm obese or just overweight. I am around 6'2". I know I'm not normal weight. I've tried a lot. I've put myself on low calorie diets for weeks and weeks on a time, exercise, etc. I guess it's a self esteem thing, I want to be thin, or normal. I want to be able to swim without a shirt and wear skin-tight shirts. I have two brothers, one very athletic thin and buff, the other medically underweight. My mother had weight problems with her weight like all middle aged women. My father makes me feel horrible. I don't think I'm that overweight, and he's not why I want to lose it. But he's not subtle or anything. I try so hard, and nothing works. And of course after every diet failure, we eat ourselves into oblivion. But I never gain any weight either, at least not that I can see. I will not satisfied with being told to accept myself for who I am, or to simply diet or exercise. Nor do I particularly want to discuss with my family or doctor. I mean, you're a doctor, and internet doctor, that's the best kind! I'm not asking for a miracle. I'm willing to work, hard. I, like all the others really want this. I've heard that something like 90% of people who go on diets gain back the same or more amount of weight. This has disheartened me, even thought the 'statistic' is obviously an exaggeration. But I think I can do it, since I'm young, I can get healthy and hopefully stay that way. Please help me.

Answer
Hello,

Yes I do get questions about weight loss all the time! It's a huge problem for a lot of people, but everyone has their own answer to help them lose when they are ready.

I must clarify that I am not a doctor--I am a dietitian--and there is a severe limit on what we can do on the internet, being that I cannot see you, speak directly with you, or view any type of tests your doctor would be able to conduct in his office.

I also want to clarify the statistic that 90% of people gain back weight after dieting--that is no exaggeration at all. In fact, the number is probably higher. Because when people go on a diet they are often restricting their food intake unreasonably. It's a program they can't keep up for long, and as soon as they go back to their old ways the weight comes back on.

What you can do at your age, is try to establish new habits. You really didn't mention anything about how you usually eat. Where do you see a place you can reduce your portions or snacks or high-calorie beverages? There are some websites that are free and help you organize your day to track how many calories you eat and how many you are burning. Try Fitday.com or Myfooddiary.com. There are support groups here as well that let you chat with others in the same situation as you!

So, start your hard work today! The first and easiest step is to keep a food record of everything you eat and drink every day. It will help you see what you eat (which sometimes slips our mind at the end of a day) and figure out where to start cutting back. You don't have to go to the gym every day or cut back to 1200 calories. You can just start walking 30 minutes a day and eating 2000 calories and you're likely to see good results! The food guide pyramid site at mypyramid.gov will take you through a diet plan and calculate your estimated calorie needs and show you how to eat a balanced diet, so that's a good place to start as well.

Good luck, and let me know how it's going and if any questions come up I'm here to help you!

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