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I Eat Too Much!!

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
hi guys,
now, im crazy about sport and im a national swimmer. but i find myself eating so so much, especially unhealthy stuff for energy!
im slim i suppose but isn't it going to block my arteries or something?
i've tried dieting but its useless!
help me!?!

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you are fit, healthy and slim, how do you come to the conclusion that you are: "eating too much"?

    Energy in, balanced by Energy out, is a good way to be.

    As long as you're not eating huge amounts of animal fats, or mainlining with Mars Bars, your veins should be fine.

    I wonder if your concerns about what you eat are related to other issues that worry you?

    Jed
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    well every teenage girl worries about her body, her size and what she eats.
    a lot of my close friends have gone on diets recently and most are not really eating at all. i suppose when im with them i just feel a little fat and im just worried if other people think that as well...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the important part is that you are active and that you are able to see yourself as slim.

    As an active swimmer, you are definitely going to need more calories than your non active counterparts.

    As a teenage girl it can be very difficult, not only in comparing your body to your friends, but comparing everything else as well, including what you eat. Don't gauge how much you should eat by your friends. You'll need the energy for your athletics :)

    I can relate a little bit. My two good friends are these steryotypical tiny petite little Asian women. Compared to them, I'm a gargantuan Amazonian woman who spends a lot of time at the gym. When we go out, they'll eat what is normal to them, which to me isn't much, and I'll mow down everything in sight. Even in my late 20s it is kind of hard not to compare and think that I should be able to eat that little too. But of course, that isn't the case.

    Also, as a teenager, as hard as it might sound, diets really shouldn't be on you or your friends minds, unless you really are overweight and unhealthy. Even then, I'd double check with a doctor and a nutritionist to make sure you aren't missing out on what you need. A growing body needs its nutrients!

    As for eating healthier (not less) try and take baby steps. I could live off cupcakes and beer and am also trying to make the transistion to being healthier. It sucks :p It is fucking hard, but baby steps. Some of the things I am trying is, when craving something sweet, eat fruit first. When craving chocolate, buy some good quality dark chocolate and have a small piece of that to try and satisfy the craving. Have a side salad with your meals. You get your good veggies, and it takes up some room in your stomache so you might not go for seconds of your meal.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hi

    First of all, as my name said the main thing is you are active, and that you have a positive body image.
    Chances are you are absolutly fine to stay eating as you are, different people need different amounts of food, however trying to eat healthily (not diet!) is never going to be a bad thing.

    Nina x
  • **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    Hey there Lottiewop,
    Welcome :)

    Just going to move this thread over to health and wellbeing as the food forum is more of a focus on enjoyment of food and cooking etc. No worries for posting here as I know it can take a while to familiarise yourself with all the sections.

    Happy posting!

    H
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    lottiewop wrote: »
    well every teenage girl worries about her body, her size and what she eats.
    a lot of my close friends have gone on diets recently and most are not really eating at all. i suppose when im with them i just feel a little fat and im just worried if other people think that as well...



    Hmm ... not sure about "every teenage girl worrying about body image", but it is true that a lot of young people are becoming almost obsessive about body size - of both genders.

    The roots of this go back about 5 years when some politicians started a campaign based on worries about funding for the NHS, and in particular, the cost of treating diabetes in related to the growth of obesity, which became a peg to hang all sorts of worries on re NHS funding.

    Certain media channels were given a brief to work on the issues of obesity, and so Fat Fascism was launched in the UK.

    Since then there have been umpteen TV programs about fat people. TV companies these days appear to struggle with coming up with anything worth watching, and seem to remanufacture dross at an alarming rate.

    Other people jumping on the fat bandwagon were a number of millionaires who invested in national gym chains, and no end of weight-watching and slimming companies. Plus, the odd TV celebrity chef! Who ironically, has made millions out of selling cookery books packed with calorific and high fat recipes.

    What started off as common-sense has been turned into a big fat and out of control rolling media snowball.

    Fat is the new Black, i.e. if you want a socially acceptable peg to hang your prejudices on, then Fat Fascism is the way to go.

    Unfortunately, a lot of young people have internalised this media propaganda and are paranoid about carrying anything that might be seen as so much as a few grams of fat.

    Ironically, the damage a lot of people are likely to be doing to their health by not eating properly will probably produce more health problems than being overweight, which in turn, will add to the cost of funding the NHS.

    If there are as many dangerously overweight people as the media would have us believe, then we should be seeing people living shorter lives, whereas the reality is that most people are living much longer these days.

    As many athletes discover, over exercising can cause permanent damage to the body, such as early wear on joints, scaring of the heart, etc.

    However, the profit motive has taken over, and slimming and keep fit is now big business, and common sense has gone out of the proverbial window.

    Jed
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Nice post Jed but a bit off topic! ;)

    One interesting thing I was listening to on the radio a few weeks back is that athletes are increasingly being pressured to focus on their diets and this is opening the backdoor for 'acceptable' anorexia. This is characterised by any obsessing over every single calorie you eat and a really warped perspective of your own bodyweight. So it's something you need to remember that you need a healthy attitude to food.

    As for diet I think in general if you can take things that are less processed or refined and have less added salt and saturated fats you will be on the way to having a healthier and more wholesome diet. Are you in control of your own purchasing / cooking?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thank you its a good idea, but no, i am only 16 and my parents cook, apart from lunch, which recently i choose not to eat when i am at school.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    lottiewop wrote: »
    apart from lunch, which recently i choose not to eat when i am at school.

    Lottie, you need to eat! If you're really worried about your food intake, there's been some really good advice here but skipping meals is never the answer.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I just don't see the point in lunch, if im not hungry than, why bother eating it?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's part of a healthy diet. You know with dogs you put more food out than they can eat - they will eat it all up then sick it? That's because they just work off their hunger impulses and eat what's in front of them.

    Humans fortunately do not work like this and we have brains to think and plan about what we are eating and what the sensible amount to eat is. If you think skipping lunch is what's best for you then nobody can stop you, but feeling fatigued and having difficulty concentrating in the afternoons will be a direct result, as well as generally feeling a bit sicklier.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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