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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > Nutrition > Weight & self esteem
Posted on: 11/03/2006
Question
Hello. I am 13 and currently about 5'0 or 5'1 tall, and I have a problem with my weight. Since I am exercising my weight keeps going up and down. but my estmation is that I am probably around 129 or 130 or 128 lbs. I have been exercising everyday and take a break on Saturday. I have some questions about this process.
First of all I want to know if it is a good idea to take breaks on weekends and since we go to resturants I gain some lbs from that.
Second of all, my exercising consists of jump rope for 25 or 20 min. and then I do some weight lifting for about 10 min., I want to know if this is not enough or too much.
Third of all, I don't know how should I diet. I eat meat and vegatables everyday, I want to stop eating meat but my parents tell me meat is good for my growth so I do eat meat, can you please tell me how should I really diet?
And finally, I am always putting myself down which leads to tears and bad self esteem. I want to know how to build up my strenght mentally so I won't always judge myself so harshly on the streets and inside the house.
I know I have gone past the limit of 250 words but can you please help me?? I really want to loose weight to build up my self esteem and live a good life, thank you.
Answer
Hi! Did you know that we now have more overweight people in the world than starving underweight. We humans do have a tough time with weight. Regarding exercise, ideally we would all exercise every day to be healthy. We fall into a trap, however, it we are too rigid about exercise. For example, people who say the must run 5 miles a day no matter how they feel, even if they are in pain or have a cold or have a chance to do something fun with friends, can do themselves harm. You might think of varying your exercise some. Jumping rope can be hard on the knees. How about doing something with friend on the weekend like dancing, tennis, pick-up soccer or what ever. Maybe joining a team or class would actually be fun as well as good exercise.
It sounds like you have become thoughtful about what you eat, which is a good thing. You might suggest to your parents that the whole family have vegetarian meals a few times a week. Having chili without meat or spaghetti with tofu meatballs are a couple of ideas. Reduce you meat portions to the size of a deck of cards. Keep on with the fruits, vegetables, nonfat milk and dairy products and carbs preferable whole grain if possible. I'm sure you have the idea of keeping sweets and junk food for occasional special occasions.
I heard an ancient story yesterday about a person who while crossing a bridge saw her/his reflection in the water and thought, THAT IS MY REFLECTION BUT MY REFLECTION IS NOT ME. You are you, not just an image. We live in a culture with so much focus on how you look, what stuff you have, what grades you get, whether you weigh 128 or 130 lbs. What about being a person who is kind, wise, fun loving, able to relax, intelligent and all those inner things that do make you feel good about yourself. I invite you to talk about this with your friends and family as the concerns you raise are really important. Best Wishes