BellaOnline Forums Beauty and Self Body Image I need to change this.

Ok so I have never really been "thin." But have always maintained a decent weight, however recently I have gained about 20 pounds, and I feel disgusting. If this pattern keeps going I don�t know what I�m going to do. I am currently attending an advanced college prep, all girls high school. With all the stress from the curriculum and the drama involved with an all girl�s school, I know I have to change this soon or it�s going to be all downhill for me. What should I do?

Well if it is the stress that is making you gain weight then you need to work on your stress coping skills. meditation, exersize, yoga tai chi are great for reducing stress.

look at how you eat when you are stressed out do you eat more? what do you eat? Why? try to find alternative to over eating when you are stressed. and find healthy food to snack on when you are stressed. If you dont over eat when you are stressed then find a way to deal with the stress. find an outlet like meditation writing acting....whatever helps to get the stress out.

If it is not stress that is making you gain weight try to find the cause. it could be medical Thyriod or other hormone imbalences can make you gain weight. See your Dr about it.

Your life will not go down hill just because you gain or lose weight! your life is still your life and it is what you make of it! Dont let your weight control you or how you live your life. As long as you are healthy and happy you are PERFECT!!!

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a good place to start would be to exercise but to be honest.. there's nothing wrong with putting on some pounds as long as you are generally healthy. changing your perception of yourself i think is more important than changing the actual physical appearance of your body. look at actress nikki blonsky... she's overweight but since her new found stardom she's been a sparkling beauty and truly inspiring role model!

absolutely love nikki blonsky. she's got a new movie coming out on lifetime. It's about an overweight high school outcast finding out she's nominated for homecoming court haha. i think it airs saturday at 9. can't wait!

also... don't get so caught up in the whole weight issue thing. i think nikki is a great example of a young girl who has a healthy perception of herself

You should take an honest count of when you're eating and what. This will help you determine what types of activities make you "stress-eat". Try keeping healthier foods on hand to munch on when you "stress-eat". . apples, grapes, kiwi, oranges, grapefruits....all of these are a great source of vitamins and will help you curb your appetite when you are stressed out. Also pay attention to what you're body is craving when you're stressed. If you're craving carbs, you're body doesn't have enough fuel and wants a quick fix. If you're craving salty...you may be dehydrated. Keep water on hand ALWAYS. You should take a daily mulit vitamin too...nothing fancy. Any pharmacy generic is probably okay...verify it with your dr's office though

hope this helps

Watch what your eating and excercise.

There's nothing wrong with feeling good about yourself even tho you might gain a few pounds but obviously you don't feel good about yourself at this moment.

A few years ago I found that about 20 pounds has creeped up on me! I followed many of the suggestions here. I started a food list and wrote down everything I ate for one week, adding up calories. I discovered I was consuming way more than I thought.

I added 20 minutes a day to my walking routine and picked up the pace too.

I substituted lower calorie, low fat snacks and foods for what I was currently eating. we started following the low glycemic index list for foods to eat, meaning we cut out processed foods, white bread, white potatoes, white rice, etc and switched to all whole grain and home made products without chemicals and preservatives.

There are lots of healthy ways to find the correct weight for you. I don't like the word "diet". I think your body will find it's own healthy weight when you get the nutrition and exercise you need.

Buddies, i want to put on some weight.Any Advice?

I would advise the same for gaining weight as for losing, actually. Eat healthy foods, full of nutrients. You just get to eat more of it!

Avoid empty calories in pursuit of gaining weight tho. that puts on unhealthy fat and not lean, healthy muscle.