Have gained weight and lost my nice figure.

spaggle · 12-25-2005, 01:21 PM

Hi, Recently I have gained weight. I am 17 years of age and female, I am around 5 foot 5. At the start of Last summer i was 24 inches around my tummy, now I am almost 30 inches. I am drinking alot more than I used to, mainly beer, ranging from around 14 pints a week. This normally is in a couple of heavy night of drinking within the week. I am also enjoying food more than I used to. The summer before last I was close to being anorexic with a waist of 21-22 inches. I used to be a very active person doing gymnastics and such, but now my only form of exercise appears to be jumping around at parties. I enjoy my drink, and do not want to stop completely. Rather than having full meals I mainly snack on junk food such as chocolate and cheese.
I really am wanting to gain my figure back, I have also been having trouble sleeping on days that I do not drink, or days I am thinking about things, but then again when I was close to being anorexic I had major sleeping problems only getting around 2 hrs sleep per night. Recently i've been getting between 4 and 7.
I know you may say to me cut down majorly on the drink, but im not sure how easy that will be, and soon I will be going to uni where going out drinking will be a regular occurance, what is the lowest fat drink? also, you may say eat full meals, but i also found after my near to anorexia stage that was what made me gain alot of weight. O yes also when i was 22 inches I was a vegetarian. It was this summer that I gave that up and started eating meat again.
Please please please offer me advice to help me through this. It is making me slighlty depressed, and its not a great thing to be...especially on christmas day.
Thanks in advance
Spaggle

spaggle · 12-25-2005, 01:55 PM

I havent been to a counsellor no. But may consider it for my depression. Im not sure the alcoholism is due to depression, its just to be more confident and have the feeling of having more fun.
I will be going to Univerisity as a degree is definatley something I want. I will nto have a problem with drugs at Uni, as I have tackled that peer pressure already.
I have cut down n drinking slightly lately, as i began to realise I had a problem. Once I realised the craving for alcohol was purely psychological, I no longer craved it, the only times I have problems with alcohol is when I start drinking, as I seem to drink to get drunk. So therefore don't stop until I have achieved that. One thing I am proud of however is I have never passed out due to alcohol, and generally do know when to stop before its too late.
I may not sound all that mature as im talking about the amount I drink even though I am only 17, however I have dealt with alot of peer pressure in my life and have defeated it. The one thing you have to understand is I dont drink for other people, I drink for me. But am already in the process of cutting down, and not drinking alone.
I think sometimes I get scared that what I see when im sober isnt reality and so i look for another way to view it. That may not make sense to some, but it's kind of like why people to marijuana, to be more at peace and t see things in a new light. This may seem strange also, but I hate seeing people I love (like my family) drunk in bars, or generally anyone drunk in clubs because they act in such an idiotic way, which scares me. I don't think I act like my sister does when she's drunk, she's mean about people and is very superfical. Im just more confident within my own body, although sometimes paranoid.
I think the overall issue here is about me being happy within my own body, and having the courage to show my true personatlity without alcohol, withiut worrying about what I look like. Truth is I want to be young and innocent again, I don't want to be aware of all the rubbish and hate in the world, but when I drink, I forget about most of that, and just have a good time again.
I just wish I could feel great without it. I'm not sure im up for seeing a counsellor tbh, as my sister and dad have gone through that and both been suicidal....so i dunno, its a bit weird. I guess thats where my head got screwed over quite a bit, being young when my sisters holding a knife to her wrists, and then when im older, me waking up to find my parents room empty with life insurance papers srawled all over the bed, wondering what was happenign a ran downstairs, to find my dad with lots of pills on the table crying his eyes out, and then running off. Then my grampy died. That was all last year. However I dont know if all of that is just me making an excuse for things. Because since all of that happened...I don't really feel anything anymore apart from lonliness and selfhate. And like I keep saying the only way that temporarily goes is when i drink.
I need to write things like this more often, it may put me in a weird mood...but it helps me get it all out and understand myself more.

ocrob · 12-25-2005, 03:00 PM

Hello,

I will not address the alchoholic portion of the post because I have no idea, if you are one or not. Most young people in college drink way too much. I will say that I drink too much and have found that it really does increase depression. As far as what to drink, you could drink vodka with something diet or sparkling water, but then you will probably end up drinking twice as much and getting way too drunk. See if you can drink light beer.

The key to not gaining weight is to burn as many calories as you take in. Try to eat five small meals a day and a lot of vegetables and you have to exercise. I lost 16 pounds in ten weeks and was never hungry and still drank, but I ate right and exercised. If you want some meal ideas, feel free to e-mail me.

ocrob

spaggle · 12-25-2005, 04:13 PM

hi, thankyou for your reply, i agree. college students like me drink way too much. Here in England I drink the same amount as alot of teenagers in my year. But i guess only some people notice that it is alot. I dont even know if im an alcoholic, i mean, im probably just discovering new things as i havent been heavily drinking for that long at all.
As for meals, yeah i guess 5 small meals sound better than huge meals that i just cant handle.
I would quite like to hear your ideas of what to eat. I thought maybe 1)breakfast cereal 2) 1 slice of cheese on toast 3)healthy yoghurt snack + apple 4) mini pizza, i dunno something like that. thats only 4 ,meals but sounds quite right to me.
Ive also decided as well as taking my car to uni i will take my bike, and from today im going to cycle either once before i go to bed or once in the morn before breakfast. Maybe even both! That way it also would wake me up in the morning, maybe make me feel more fresh and alive.
And to the other poster, no one in my family has alcohol problems, so i don't think its something that runs in the family, but yes, depression does i think.
I tend t worry about stuff too much and over exaggerrate things, so im probably over thinking some things. but im definatley going to cut down on alcohol, junk food, and increase on the good ol' exercise!
Thanks y'all

PocoDiablo · 12-25-2005, 05:17 PM

A few things to keep in mind from my perspective, keeping things "light" here:

1. Your body can handle about 1000 calories per meal. If you eat more than that, anything over 1,000 calories is converted to fat. Solution: Eat smaller meals, but more frequently. Don't eat one or two large meals per day, eat 5-6 smaller meals & snacks through out the day.

2. Beer and soda are fattening. Obviously.

3. Studies show that people who sleep more are thinner. I forget why, but I would guess it's because (1) you're not eating (2) you're consuming energy as your body heals itself.

4. Water can help fill you up before a meal so you eat less. It's low calorie, too.

5. Depression typically causes people to eat more. Then when you eat more and get weigt you get depressed. Then you eat more, etc. It's a cycle, so pay attention.

6. If you starve yourself, your body will go into what is know as "starvation" mode. The next time you start eating, your body will try to store more of what you eat as fat. So starving yourself is VERY bad and will cause you to gain MORE weight when you start eating again. The solution is to eat at least 3 times a day, eat reasonable meals, etc.

Basically, moderation is the key.

Finally, if you want to lose some pounds, consider weight training (lifting) in moderation. If you work out several times a week you'll drop pounds. In addition, running can be incredibly effective, but it WILL damage your knees if you're average.

So, basically, relax, eat more often, don't over-do it, and get more sleep. That's my advice.

From the life-time thin guy... - PocoDiablo.

PocoDiablo · 12-26-2005, 04:21 PM

My understanding of the 1,000 calorie thing is something like this:

From [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Quote:

With some allowances provided for very large athletes the human body can only return (from the liver to muscle tissue) about 4.1-4.6 carbohydrate calories per minute, or about 250-280 calories per hour. When an athlete consumes more than 280 calories per hour from carbohydrates during an event, the excess remains undigested in the stomach, or passes unused into the bowel, where, in the unmincing words of Dr. Bill Misner, "they accumulate in gastric or intestinal channels in 100-degree temperatures and putrefy in time."

Basically, only so much food can be processed in a certain amount of time. Excess is stored as fat. Hence why if we eat high calorie or sugary meals we get fat. We are eating too much for our body to handle.

ocrob · 12-28-2005, 09:11 PM

Well, when I was doing good I found that five meals of about 250-300 calories worked well. You can eat a breat of chicken and veggies and be totally full. The more protein you eat your body will increase its metabolism. I don't know the ratio for women, but they say men should have 1 gram of protien per pound. It is very hard to eat 180 grams of protien, but it helps burn fat and gain muscle. You have to excercise and burn the excess calories. It takes a loss of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. If you body needs 1700 calories to sustain, then having 1200 calories per day will allow you to lose one pound in a week. If you exercise and burn 500 calories per work out then you can lose two pounds per week. It really is a pretty exact science. I lost 16 pounds in ten weeks and it was pretty easy. Just don't starve yourself because then you body goes into starvation mode and retains fat. It is good to eat protein before going to bed. I am just talking about what I know for men, but have done much research.

12-25-2005, 01:21 PM	#1
spaggle Offline Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the third rock from the sun i.e earth Posts: 174	Have gained weight and lost my nice figure. Hi, Recently I have gained weight. I am 17 years of age and female, I am around 5 foot 5. At the start of Last summer i was 24 inches around my tummy, now I am almost 30 inches. I am drinking alot more than I used to, mainly beer, ranging from around 14 pints a week. This normally is in a couple of heavy night of drinking within the week. I am also enjoying food more than I used to. The summer before last I was close to being anorexic with a waist of 21-22 inches. I used to be a very active person doing gymnastics and such, but now my only form of exercise appears to be jumping around at parties. I enjoy my drink, and do not want to stop completely. Rather than having full meals I mainly snack on junk food such as chocolate and cheese. I really am wanting to gain my figure back, I have also been having trouble sleeping on days that I do not drink, or days I am thinking about things, but then again when I was close to being anorexic I had major sleeping problems only getting around 2 hrs sleep per night. Recently i've been getting between 4 and 7. I know you may say to me cut down majorly on the drink, but im not sure how easy that will be, and soon I will be going to uni where going out drinking will be a regular occurance, what is the lowest fat drink? also, you may say eat full meals, but i also found after my near to anorexia stage that was what made me gain alot of weight. O yes also when i was 22 inches I was a vegetarian. It was this summer that I gave that up and started eating meat again. Please please please offer me advice to help me through this. It is making me slighlty depressed, and its not a great thing to be...especially on christmas day. Thanks in advance Spaggle

12-25-2005, 05:17 PM	#5
PocoDiablo Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Springfield, VA Gender: Male Age: 40 Posts: 2,423	A few things to keep in mind from my perspective, keeping things "light" here: 1. Your body can handle about 1000 calories per meal. If you eat more than that, anything over 1,000 calories is converted to fat. Solution: Eat smaller meals, but more frequently. Don't eat one or two large meals per day, eat 5-6 smaller meals & snacks through out the day. 2. Beer and soda are fattening. Obviously. 3. Studies show that people who sleep more are thinner. I forget why, but I would guess it's because (1) you're not eating (2) you're consuming energy as your body heals itself. 4. Water can help fill you up before a meal so you eat less. It's low calorie, too. 5. Depression typically causes people to eat more. Then when you eat more and get weigt you get depressed. Then you eat more, etc. It's a cycle, so pay attention. 6. If you starve yourself, your body will go into what is know as "starvation" mode. The next time you start eating, your body will try to store more of what you eat as fat. So starving yourself is VERY bad and will cause you to gain MORE weight when you start eating again. The solution is to eat at least 3 times a day, eat reasonable meals, etc. Basically, moderation is the key. Finally, if you want to lose some pounds, consider weight training (lifting) in moderation. If you work out several times a week you'll drop pounds. In addition, running can be incredibly effective, but it WILL damage your knees if you're average. So, basically, relax, eat more often, don't over-do it, and get more sleep. That's my advice. From the life-time thin guy... - PocoDiablo. __________________ Advice given is only as good as the details you provide, and even then it's just an opinion. No one knows the situation as well as you do, so trust your gut.

12-25-2005, 01:55 PM	#2
spaggle Offline Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the third rock from the sun i.e earth Posts: 174	I havent been to a counsellor no. But may consider it for my depression. Im not sure the alcoholism is due to depression, its just to be more confident and have the feeling of having more fun. I will be going to Univerisity as a degree is definatley something I want. I will nto have a problem with drugs at Uni, as I have tackled that peer pressure already. I have cut down n drinking slightly lately, as i began to realise I had a problem. Once I realised the craving for alcohol was purely psychological, I no longer craved it, the only times I have problems with alcohol is when I start drinking, as I seem to drink to get drunk. So therefore don't stop until I have achieved that. One thing I am proud of however is I have never passed out due to alcohol, and generally do know when to stop before its too late. I may not sound all that mature as im talking about the amount I drink even though I am only 17, however I have dealt with alot of peer pressure in my life and have defeated it. The one thing you have to understand is I dont drink for other people, I drink for me. But am already in the process of cutting down, and not drinking alone. I think sometimes I get scared that what I see when im sober isnt reality and so i look for another way to view it. That may not make sense to some, but it's kind of like why people to marijuana, to be more at peace and t see things in a new light. This may seem strange also, but I hate seeing people I love (like my family) drunk in bars, or generally anyone drunk in clubs because they act in such an idiotic way, which scares me. I don't think I act like my sister does when she's drunk, she's mean about people and is very superfical. Im just more confident within my own body, although sometimes paranoid. I think the overall issue here is about me being happy within my own body, and having the courage to show my true personatlity without alcohol, withiut worrying about what I look like. Truth is I want to be young and innocent again, I don't want to be aware of all the rubbish and hate in the world, but when I drink, I forget about most of that, and just have a good time again. I just wish I could feel great without it. I'm not sure im up for seeing a counsellor tbh, as my sister and dad have gone through that and both been suicidal....so i dunno, its a bit weird. I guess thats where my head got screwed over quite a bit, being young when my sisters holding a knife to her wrists, and then when im older, me waking up to find my parents room empty with life insurance papers srawled all over the bed, wondering what was happenign a ran downstairs, to find my dad with lots of pills on the table crying his eyes out, and then running off. Then my grampy died. That was all last year. However I dont know if all of that is just me making an excuse for things. Because since all of that happened...I don't really feel anything anymore apart from lonliness and selfhate. And like I keep saying the only way that temporarily goes is when i drink. I need to write things like this more often, it may put me in a weird mood...but it helps me get it all out and understand myself more.

12-25-2005, 03:00 PM	#3
ocrob Offline Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Dana Point, Ca. Gender: Male Posts: 875	Hello, I will not address the alchoholic portion of the post because I have no idea, if you are one or not. Most young people in college drink way too much. I will say that I drink too much and have found that it really does increase depression. As far as what to drink, you could drink vodka with something diet or sparkling water, but then you will probably end up drinking twice as much and getting way too drunk. See if you can drink light beer. The key to not gaining weight is to burn as many calories as you take in. Try to eat five small meals a day and a lot of vegetables and you have to exercise. I lost 16 pounds in ten weeks and was never hungry and still drank, but I ate right and exercised. If you want some meal ideas, feel free to e-mail me. ocrob

12-25-2005, 04:13 PM	#4
spaggle Offline Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the third rock from the sun i.e earth Posts: 174	hi, thankyou for your reply, i agree. college students like me drink way too much. Here in England I drink the same amount as alot of teenagers in my year. But i guess only some people notice that it is alot. I dont even know if im an alcoholic, i mean, im probably just discovering new things as i havent been heavily drinking for that long at all. As for meals, yeah i guess 5 small meals sound better than huge meals that i just cant handle. I would quite like to hear your ideas of what to eat. I thought maybe 1)breakfast cereal 2) 1 slice of cheese on toast 3)healthy yoghurt snack + apple 4) mini pizza, i dunno something like that. thats only 4 ,meals but sounds quite right to me. Ive also decided as well as taking my car to uni i will take my bike, and from today im going to cycle either once before i go to bed or once in the morn before breakfast. Maybe even both! That way it also would wake me up in the morning, maybe make me feel more fresh and alive. And to the other poster, no one in my family has alcohol problems, so i don't think its something that runs in the family, but yes, depression does i think. I tend t worry about stuff too much and over exaggerrate things, so im probably over thinking some things. but im definatley going to cut down on alcohol, junk food, and increase on the good ol' exercise! Thanks y'all

12-28-2005, 09:11 PM	#7
ocrob Offline Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Dana Point, Ca. Gender: Male Posts: 875	Well, when I was doing good I found that five meals of about 250-300 calories worked well. You can eat a breat of chicken and veggies and be totally full. The more protein you eat your body will increase its metabolism. I don't know the ratio for women, but they say men should have 1 gram of protien per pound. It is very hard to eat 180 grams of protien, but it helps burn fat and gain muscle. You have to excercise and burn the excess calories. It takes a loss of 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. If you body needs 1700 calories to sustain, then having 1200 calories per day will allow you to lose one pound in a week. If you exercise and burn 500 calories per work out then you can lose two pounds per week. It really is a pretty exact science. I lost 16 pounds in ten weeks and it was pretty easy. Just don't starve yourself because then you body goes into starvation mode and retains fat. It is good to eat protein before going to bed. I am just talking about what I know for men, but have done much research.