Book Skimps on Nutritional Guidance

hiya i am 13 and 98 pounds am i under weight?

Lizzie, you didn't say how tall you are.

Hi I'm Maddy, I'm 15, 5'0 and around 125-135 lbs, is this over weight and is it healthy? I'm not too worried i just really want to know some exercises and what foods i should take interest in. Thanx

hi im 13 and 5ft. i weigh 95 pounds when i look at my self i think im fat but my friends tell me im not i dont know if they r being nice or what but lol am i fat??

is it ok if i weigh 180 and 5'3" and 12 years old if it is not tell me how to lose weigh to my right size

Im 13 turning 14 soon, 5"5, And 110 is that a good weight for me?

im 13, almost 14
i weigh about 104 lbs
and im either 5' 4.5", or 5' 5"
and im going nuts! i swear, omg
my brothers, his friends and my sisters always call me "fattie"
and my one sister goes back and forth calling me skinny then fat
then there are my friends
one of them is a normal size,
she weighs 125 and is 5" 6'
and the other is like a frickn' stick figure, she weighs 92 and is 5" 7'
the normal one is now blueimic bc she thinks shes fat, when shes not
and they both call me thin but i dont know if they are just being nice or whatever ...
i try to go on a diet, but i always scare myself out of it bc i dont want to turn out anorexic if i really am thin
but when i look in the mirror i get messed up results
one day i can look and say
"wow, im thin"
then in an hour, or the next day i can look again and say
"i hate my friends, they're liars! im huuuuge!"
ugh, so basically i coul'dve said this in one short sentence

i dont know who to believe
friends vs. family
i keep taking these B.M.I. tests and this one said that my "ideal weight" is 97 lbs
should i loser weight? or just ignore my family?

im 13, almost 14
i weigh about 104 lbs
and im either 5' 4.5", or 5' 5"
and im going nuts! i swear, omg
my brothers, his friends and my sisters always call me "fattie"
and my one sister goes back and forth calling me skinny then fat
then there are my friends
one of them is a normal size,
she weighs 125 and is 5" 6'
and the other is like a frickn' stick figure, she weighs 92 and is 5" 7'
the normal one is now blueimic bc she thinks shes fat, when shes not
and they both call me thin but i dont know if they are just being nice or whatever ...
i try to go on a diet, but i always scare myself out of it bc i dont want to turn out anorexic if i really am thin
but when i look in the mirror i get messed up results
one day i can look and say
"wow, im thin"
then in an hour, or the next day i can look again and say
"i hate my friends, they're liars! im huuuuge!"
ugh, so basically i coul'dve said this in one short sentence

i dont know who to believe
friends vs. family
i keep taking these B.M.I. tests and this one said that my "ideal weight" is 97 lbs
should i loser weight? or just ignore my family?

Hi I'm Crystal and I'm almost 14yrs old I weigh about 125.I'm also 5'5''ft tall.Do you think I'm fat?My friends don't because I have abs and I'm tall.

To these 13-15 year old girls; do not worry yet about your "weight", but rather how *YOU* **FEEL**.

I am 5'4; 23 years old, and 224lbs. Yes. I am fat... BUT I'm am also quite muscular, and very thick. I have good curves, wear a size womans 14 (which is about average really). My fiance is absolutely hot, and loves me for who I am.... AND HOW I LOOK!

I started out just like you! I was in 7th grade, 5'3" and I weighed 125lbs. I thought I was fat, some girls made fun of me and called me fat. So, I gave up and stopped caring, and just started eating. I gained 20lbs every summer for 3 years. I wish I hadn't. Looking back now I realize that I wasn't, fat at all. I do have a bubble butt (if I lost a little weight, my butt would look JUST like Jennifer Lopez'), but in 7th grade I could also be in the top 3 in my gym class (and was the only girl in gym in the top 10) for both sit-ups as well as (male) push-ups. When we did pyramids in school for a class competion I was with the guys on the bottom...

Ladies, remember these things:

1)Muscle weighs more than fat. So, you could be 5'3 140 lbs and be the same size as somebody who is 'fat'... at 5'3 and only 125 lbs.

2)Muscle BURNS more calories than anything else...

I HIGHLY suggest that you read the information available on www.f-heit.com, but do not reccomend that you take the weight loss pill (it doesn't work as well as that diet does alone!). Eat lots of protein, eat every 3-4 hours while you're awake, but eat SMALLER portions, and as many veggies as you like... quit fast food, and if you drink soda DO NOT DRINK DIET!! Aspartame has been shown to cause not only cancer, but also inhibits weight loss, and may encourage weight gain...

Build your muscles... do push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups... push yourself to be stronger! Woman have to work hard to get that super bulked up look (like REALLY HARD) so don't worry about that. Drink water! Most of the weight that we do lose is lost in our urination... NOT through fecal matter... PLUS the more water you drink, the less water your body stores for later...

Yes, your body IS a crazy thing, and it doesn't always make sense! If it did, there probably wouldn't be that many 1000's of diets out there!

Good luck!

I have the same problem as that Chrissy girl. I'm 5'6, 5'7, 16 years old, and I'm 124 lbs. I think I'm perfectly normal except my weight goes up and down so I'm constantly changing my mind (probably because I excercise irregularly). I used to be underweight when I was 14 but my doctor told me to gain weight so I stopped excercising which didn't do much good because I enjoyed what I ate. Somehow my body became out of proportion from experiencing puberty (ack) and my upper body is really bony while my lower body is not so much. I only wish everything would distribute evenly. I don't know if my body type is just different but it was never like that before. So people go back and forth calling me fat and then skinny and sometime I get an occasional slender. But I think it depends which part of my body one is referring to, hm? And to Dying4Eternity: I personally think we should be worried about our weight now so we can learn to control it and see what kind of healthy lifestyle we can live in the future. For me, I don't think I can let my weight go out of my sight because it's always a concern. And how you feel when ur a teenage girl has greatly to do with ur body. Except for me it's kind of reverse. The negativity I get pushes me to take care of myself more while the postive comments I get make me slack off. And I'm a very pessimisstic person so I always linger on the negative comments rather than the positive.

Is it normal for a 14-year-old that is 5'4" to weight about 140? if not can u tell me what kind of stuff will make my stomach thinner and my thighs smaller?

OK EVERYONE LISTEN. Most of you are normal, some are underweight, and some of you really do need to go on a diet for your own health, not appearance. A lot of you are still just hitting puberty, or not even there yet, and trust me, your body is going to go through TONS of changes. Until you really notice rolls and things hanging out, don't worry. I used to freak out about my weight and size even though I was tiny, and then I realized I'm growing and my body is changing. I'm 15 and I went from 112 lbs. to 129 lbs. in one month! I freaked out, but then calmed down because I was still the same size (0-3), and it's not like the weight came on from me doing anything out of the ordinary because I eat extremely healthy and exercise. A couple months later, doing nothing out of the ordinary, I'm back down to 117 and I'm 5'6" tall. So please, stop freaking out. Also, keep in mind that a healthy weight for someone is 100 lbs. at 5ft., and 5 more pounds for every inch after that. Therefore, at 5'2, someone should weigh around 110, at 5'8 they should weigh around 140, etc.

hey. I am 13 years old and im almost 5'4 and i weigh like 95 pounds. I dont think im 'fat' because I have pretty long legs, and i have a good stomach. However, i hate my thighs. I hate wearing bathing suits because they are huge! Is there anyway to make them smaller? I used to play smaller and I heard that hen you use ur legs more your muscle gets bigger creating HUGE THIGHS!! So exercising legs i guess isnt that great of an idea...but i dont know what to do. one of my friends is like 5'0 and shes like 80 pounds and shes soo skinny! I hate being around her because I get so self-conscious, however my friends tell me that im almost the same as her but im not! I think im getting fat. I'm a vegeterian so at least im on a healthy diet but i dont do much exercise. Is there any advice?

hi im ella and im almost 14
im 5'4 tall but i only weigh
98 pounds? am i underweight?

all you fattasses who are starving yourselves are making yourself fatter!!!! If you want to loose weight eat many small meals a day (healthy ones)!!!! Like 6-10 trust me i am a 15 year old dude who weighs 140. And guess what almost none of it is fat it is all muscle!!!! So eat every 1-2 hours and only eat like 1 sandwich or something no twinkies. Stay away from suger and fat, calories are accually good for you if you eat them alot in small portions. Alot of you are probably saying o he doesnt know what he is talking about, well guess what fatty i am the one who reads muscle mags and lifts weights everyday so shutup and listen to the advise i just gave you. O yea and if you do cardio (like the treadmill)do it in the morning to it burns the fat directly of your body. My brother is 13 5 4 and weighs 155, sure he is still chubby but he used to weigh 185!!! and he was like an inche shorter too. So listen to me if i can help him i can help all you fattasses reading this.

I would appreciate if you would refrain from the deragatory remarks and the use "fattasses." First thing you should do is focus on grammar and spelling. Expand your vocabulary and find a better, more compasionate way of expressing yourself. No one who has a weight problem and struggling with very real weight problems does NOT want to be given diet advice from a 15 year-old "dude" who has no idea what it is like to have a weight problem. When you give birth, go through thyroid problems and survive cancer - then and only then could you possibly even begin to understand someone's very real struggle with health and weight issues and attempt to counsel them on the proper nutrition required to lose weight.

Take your brother for instance. Has he been teased and ridiculed about his weight? Do the kids at your school call him a "fat ass" and other deragatory names? How does that make him feel? How does it make you feel when you hear someone treating your brother in that way? What if they were talking about your mother in such a terrible way?

Please, be considerate and come back to give some USEFUL health and diet advice AFTER your have graduated from medical school and have some real knowledge to share. Until then, simply try being nicer to your peers, especially those who struggle with their weight and your own brother.

whoever the hell you are please know i call people fattasses to motivate them not insult them, besides i know what the hell i am talking about my father is a pro bodybuilder who taut me everything i know, not to mention my step brother has lost well over 20 pounds with my help not only have i helped train him in his diet but i have helped him weightrain for almost a whole year and he not only is more confident but thanks me alot for helping him go from 180 to 160 and muscular. so there ya go lady.

Anyone who thought I was negative should read the post before me on this board. Now, onto the author. First of all, it's not like all of your post is wrong. Starving yourself is indeed catabolic, leading to a loss of muscle mass, which carries a good chance of making you fatter in the long run. However, after 6 meals a day, you aren't getting much more benefit. It takes about 3 hours for your stomach to digest food, so if you eat much more often than that, you're just compacting food in your stomach.

Next up, you're not all muscle. Even people who die of starvation still have 2-3% body fat. There's some around your kidneys, behind your eyeballs, etc that are needed to live. Sugar and fat have their places in a muscle building diet. Facting-acting sugars and proteins (that includes refined sugar) after a workout will boost recovery. Good, natural sources of fat aid in hormone production, which'll help you build muscle. Protein is not the only factor in building muscle.

Next, morning fasted cardio is indeed a promising technique, but it is still very controversial. It may indeed be counter-productive. If you're going to use it, you should very carefully monitor your body composition. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't monitor their muscle mass.

If you're trying to build muscle, then you shouldn't be lifting everyday, unless perhaps you're a total beginner. Rest is just as important in building muscle as training. Your muscles grow while you're resting, not while you're lifting. Training more than 4 days a week will just keep tearing down your muscle.

Finally, don't read muscle mags. They don't always provide good information and, at times, they provide very bad information. If they told you how to get the perfect physique, then you wouldn't need to buy anymore issues, would you? In any muscle mag's history, they must have had more than one arm workout. What was wrong with the first one? Why did they have to come out with another?

In the end, while I can see you have a lot of spirit, you are horribly misinformed, probably due to reading muscle mags. You're still young though; it's to be expected. I suspect if you were properly informed, you could do really well. If you're interested in getting an effective program together, just ask and I'll recommend some good places to start.

ok i guess u can tell me things and when i was saying eat 6 meals aday i was being dramatic but i am just used to it (must stay in an anoblic state) but u misunderstood my lifting weights everyday i do differentr muscle groups so i do not overtrain as u said i give my muscles a week before reworking them. and i also didnt mean i have no fat i think my bmi is like 16%-20. i am curious to know about a chemical hgh. You probably know it. So can i take it as a supplement and still not have the enlarged facial bones, and all the horrible crap from overdose. Also i am curious about steriods my dad says i cant doem untill i am like 6 foot or my growth plates close is there any chance i can do a very small amount and not close my growth plates.?

- o yea i have an answer for why theres more than 1 arm workout its because you must shock the muscles to grow and doing the same thing for longer than like 12 weeks will eventually not do anything at all. thats why they come out with new mags all the time.
-another thing do you know alot about weed cuz me and my dad and brothers did it alot this summer and i have the retardation affect how long will it take for the thc or whatever to leave my body.
-one last thing do you know the average height and weight for a 15 year old cuz even though i have the heart of a lion i am starting to be discouraged because i gained about 15 pounds in the last year and in the last 6 months i havnt gained not even 1. my dad says i am getting bigger which i think i did a little and i am getting alot stronger but do you know why i am not gaining any weight??

Even if you do space out your muscle groups by a week, you still need off days. It's not just your muscles that need a break, it's your nervous system too. Your nerves get taxed during weight training. Never have more than 2 consecutive days.

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and steroids probably aren't necessary to get you what you want. From your weight, it sounds like you're an ectomorph, which is a naturally lean and skinny body type. These are the "hard gainers". Muscle mags aren't written for hard gainers.

However, many hard gainers have found a way to succeed. For you, I would recommend Sean Nalewanyj's "The Truth About Gaining Muscle" and/or Anthony Ellis' "Gaining Mass". You can find these on the Internet. These were both really skinny guys who bulked up because they found what works for hard gainers. You may be able to pick up 20 or more pounds of muscle (maybe a lot more) once you get the right information. I, personally, can't help you as much because I'm a pretty easy gainer.

is it possible that i gain from slow movements, because in 6 months i gained 30 POUNDS!!! so maybe i am not a hardgainer, i mean i am and ectomorph or whatever but can i just be doing explosive movements and not doing much because of my body, or maybe i made my body composed of all slow twich fibers and i read they cant grow as large as fast twicth, if so can i change that??
-also i know you dont want me to do hgh or gear but can you answer my questions cuz i am still doing the juice nomatter what you say i just mite not do them until i am 16 or 17.
-can u reccomend a couple hardgainer sites for me?

hey the thing i just wrote is insanley confusing so let me break it down for you. my first 6 months of weight lifting i did very slow movments 6-12 reps i gained alot of size and weight(30 pounds)! I realized that as soon as i got lazy and did my reps faster just to leave the gym sooner i stopped growing so fast. did i compose my body with type 1 fibers and if so can i change them to fast twitch.????

I think muscle fiber composition is mostly genetic. Even among Olympic athletes, there are very, very few people that have a lot of fast twitch fiber. Do your reps with strict form and good tempo.

You're screwing up your body already with marijuana. Anything marijuana does to you that isn't permanent wears off after a month. Don't push this further with steroids or hgh. If you do, at least do it under the guidance of a doctor. They would know more than me.

Anyways, you could be not growing because you're not eating enough. I gave you two sites to look for; those should be enough. You could also try sifting through articles on bodybuilding.com.

By the way, storm, if you didn't already know, any muscle you gain when you take steroids goes away after you stop taking them. Muscle that you build naturally you can keep forever.

Steroids are ruining the sport of bodybuilding. The guys that are competing now are just too big for their height. A true bodybuilder is built, but not monstrous, and has a balanced, elegant shape. Find pictures of Steve Reeves, if you want to know what I mean. Bodybuilding should be a health-oriented sport, not a drug-oriented sport.

If you want to grow truly large without steroids, then buy "Optimum Anabolics" (www.optimum-anabolics.com). The author has found a way to trick the body into growing massive amounts of muscle naturally, without any plateaus. Follow it carefully, and you can get as big as you want.

thanks ryan, i will try.

Okay... this is a little embarrassing, I am 5"4 i range from 142 to 145 it changes every day. Is that bad. My boyfriends says no but i just feel like i am huge really huge i hate taking pictures, I am a senior in high school about to turn 18. Any comments or suggestions???

ok well let me start off by saying u all are crazy ima start wit u gurls that are under 95 lbs gain weight ur to small no guy want tio be wit a gurl that is a stick and for u young 13 year old gurls that are 130 -160 u are perfect if u stay that way u will be great if ur over that u are biger but ur still perfect if we were all supose to have a super model body got would make us all tha same but were all diffrent and perfect in our own way anyone who tells u diffrent are stupid gurls a guy shoul love u for who u are not how u look and guys ur good most gurls dont like skinny guys they want a guy they can cuddle wit well me im over weight and im workin on changing that but im happy wit who i am and so should everyone else

Firstly, I'm an eighteen-year-old female that weighs 92 lbs at 5'6" in height. I haven't always been this light. I, along with the rest of you that think you are fat, went through a stage that I thought I was fat. This stage led my mind to think that I was fat and couldn't eat anymore. I got extremely sick, to the point that I lost ten lbs within a few days time. My entire weight lost consisted of almost fourty lbs in two months, all due to phsycologically thinking that I wasn't already perfect. Now, it's extremely hard for me to gain all that weight back. My boyfriend is constantly telling me I'm too skinny, and he's being serious. My bones stick out everywhere. At 92 lbs, that's not an exactly overly skinny weight, but it doesn't help that I'm extremely developed in the female body parts. In fact, I can't find bras that fit me anymore. Before I lost weight I wore a 34C, take into consideration that was when I was sixteen, now I wear a 28D. It's extremely hard to find bras that size.
Next, it's not really about how much you weigh. It's what you look like. If you are happy with the way you look and not happy with your weight, then don't change, cuz then you won't be happy with anything. Don't ever lose weight or gain weight for anybody, it should solely be your desire!
For those lose who really want to lose weight, think of why you want to. If it's solely for you, go through with it, as long as it is done healthily. Never intentionally make yourself throw up, unless told to by a doctor. Sit-ups everyday help. A lot of the weight I lost was due to running and sit-ups. Exercise!! If you are just going to cut down what you eat or what kinds of foods you eat, then it's not going to work as well as if you were exercising, even an additional fifteen min jog a day is always good. Also, look at your parents and grandparets, are they obese? One reason you might be overweight is due to your genetics. There is nothing you can really do about that, except try to change it. If both your parents are over 200 lbs with small heights, it's going to be hard for you to stay at 100 lbs.
Those trying to gain weight, why do you want to do it? I hope its solely for yourself. Trying to gain weight might tricky. Eat the foods that "they" tell dieters to stay away from, such as pasta and red meats. Try not to gain a ton of weight at once. Continue to exercise, but do vigorous activities, such as jogging instead of running or playing badminton instead of tennis. Genetics also plays an effect for gaining weight, as does losing weight.
Make sure you're really doing this for yourself, not someone else. However, telling someone you are going to gain or lose weight will boost yourself up, and make you more able to do it. Also, keep in mind different body structures. Large body structures aren't supposed to weigh less than small ones.
Btw, an adult female at 5'6" is supposed to weigh between 117-143 lbs.

lala: get help. If you have access to counseling or a doctor, go to one. If you don't, try to start by reading www.something-fishy.com It will help you.

hey i am 15 i havehad a eating disorder and i am now recoverd from it but there is not one day i wake up and dont think i am fat i feel so embraaressed about my weight i feel really fat all i want to do is loese weight but as soon as i loose it i get in trouble bye my parents i am 58 and weight 127 every one says i am at a healthy weight but i don thinck so i was a size zero and now i ama size 5 its so ahrd for me to deal with this body when my wieght got low my parents put me in a skyward .but i feel like iwill no when to stop lousing weight how do you thinck i can handle this

Alright girls...here is a website for a BMI calculator that provides a measure of your body fat based on your height, weight, and this one actually incorporates your age into the calculation:
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
This will give you an idea about what is a healthy weight for you. Remember that a lot of teens have a poor body image. If you feel you need to do something, start eating a healthy balanced diet (3 meals a day, with fruits and veggies instead of potato chips, candy bars, and sodas), and exercising (join a team, go running with friends, whatever you enjoy).
Most of all, be happy, be healthy, and be confident!

I would also like to mention that there is a plethora of resources out there with answers to your questions.
Here is a good site I found, but there are more. Just make sure the source you are using is credible. :)

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/body_image/body_image.html

heyyy I'm 15 and FEMALE...yeah I know, my name is retarded...lol...but yeah I'm 5'5" and weigh around 124 pounds. I feel fat as hell, but when I look in the mirror I look "normal"...I don't know what's wrong with me, because everyone says that I look perfect and everything, but I just feel sooo freaking fat. My boyfriend says I'm PERFECT...I just don't believe I am...

Do you think my weight is fine for my height, or should I lose a little weight???

Jackie, your weight is fine. You should try to work on your perception, doing some positive affirmations, writing things that you like about yourself, and doing a sport/activity you enjoy so you can think of your body as a moving, capable thing, and not just something to look at.

Ok, im 14 and a female. I'm like 5'4.
Im like 116-120 but like fit a size 5 . Like i'm so friggen obese it's not even funny. Like every time i look in a mirror i likee see some fat person like omg what's wrong with me but i know im not really obese but likee i just don't llike being fat. i wanna be likee a little bit skinnier but not underweight cuz THAT"S NOT COooooOOOL =D I'm not that retarded cos im not like starving myself like some of you guys even though i always complain about being fat. AND IM NOT TRYING TO GET ANY ATTENTION or anything like that im just likee saying what can i do to like lose some fat, like give me some eating plans or something. and likee i can't really eat healthy ( i never even like ate a 1 whole meal of veggies before i cant' even eat salad. Like i only sometimes eat 1 or 2 carrots that like come in fried rice and stuff but like yeahhh and i ALWAYS eat junk food im like their biggest fan && sorry for my grammar and misspellings. Cos i dont' really care im just like typing what comes to mind)&& i only excercise when i like have PE and once in a while i do a few sit ups. My boyfriend says im perfect and my friends say nothing's wrong with you but like i dont' believe them. And like other people mocks me about being fat and im like yeahh i know im fat and then they're like "you're not suppose to take that" and yeah i know im like a optimistic person. well i am sorta cos like i take all the bad things and make it sounds so much better liek "yeahh i know im fat! what's wrong with fat people" cos they know i never take it seriously but like it kinda hurts when i like really think about. && my friends are like so skinny it makes me envy them. It's not like i hate them or anything it's just like it makes me feel so self-conscious. && alot of ppl say you're too self-conscious of yourself. I'm like obsessed with my weight. I check it every morning and every like 2 hours when i get home from school. But i never actually do anything about it. I would try to go on a diet but then when you go back to eating the way you normally did you're gonna gain all that weight again and like i dont' wanna be stressing over soemthing that i cant' control. Well, actually you can control your weight. BUT i dont' wanna be hospitalized for like being underweight or like getting eating disorders. OR try smoking cos according to th NEWS they say that most teens smoke because they think that smoking keeps them from gaining weight. Which is kind of stupid but yeah. Anywayss thanks for reading my life-story. && IF YOU'RE REALLY NICE YOU WOULD RECOMMEND SOMETHING TO HELP ME LOSE SOME FAT AND LIKE AM I OVERWEIGHT IF IM 14; FEMALE; 5'4ish && weighs 116-120? maybe im just fat...

Honey, you're not overweight. I'm concerned more with how much you put yourself down by calling yourself "obese retard" than by the fact you think you're fat. A lot of normal or even thin teenage girls feel fat in our society cause they are bombarded by images of very underweight, very sick celebrities and models. I understand that. But why do you also feel stupid? You're not a retard, so please don't treat yourself like that. Would you call your best friend an "obese retard"? I'm sure you wouldn't, so why are you treating yourself worse than you'd treat someone else? You have to like yourself and respect yourself. I'm not talking about being full of yourself and thinking you're the absolute best at everything you try - nobody is the best at everything they do. I'm talking about knowing your strenghts and your flaws, and loving yourself regardless. If you feel you are a "retard" because you don't have grades that are outstanding, please remember that there are other measures of intelligence besides academic success.

Now, on to the fat thing. You're not fat or even close to fat. But I worry about you saying you only eat junk. That is not good for your health and guess what: it affects academic success negatively too. You'll have more energy and more ability to concentrate and learn if you get a balanced diet. And please stop weighing yourself every 2h. Stop weighing yourself at all. If you gained weight, you'd know cause your clothes would be tight. The number on the scale is meaningless and can change if you poop or drink some water.

Since you don't seem to tell yourself that, I'm gonna tell you instead: You are fine. You are doing just fine. You are not fat and you are a smart girl. Now work on believing me, ok?

Hey, thank you, Jan, for telling me your honest opinion. I am NOW doing some sports/activities and now I'm changing my thoughts of myself. I will try to write down positive things about myself. :) thank you sooo much for telling me the truth.

You're more than welcome, Jackie. I know how hard it is to do this, change your perception. I've been there, and I have to keep working on it to fght the images the media throw at us. Losing 5lb is much easier than looking at yourself and saying "You know what? You're ok the way you are."