17 and not happy with myself

A

AustinTM06

New member
Hi everyone, I am new to this so I’ll do my best. I’m 17, 5’7, and about 215 pounds. I am at the point of where I have given up. I have been going to the gym about 4 times a week for 4 months and while the friends I go with are seeing changes, I am still gaining weight. I try to eat as healthy as I can but nothing is working. The stretch marks on my stomach make me feel very insecure about my body and my overall stomach size makes me lose all my confidence. I need help and motivation because I do not want to continue to be the big kid. Please tell me anything that you think will help. Thank you.
 
Hi mate, firstly welcome and congratulations on taking this step.

In order to give any meaningful advice we’ll need to know more about your diet, your lifestyle and what workouts/intensity you do at the gym.

Bear in mind that at 17 you’re young enough to make meaningful change more easily but you’re still (possibly) growing. You can’t really compare your results to that of your friends. Weight loss and health is always a very personal journey and what works for some may/will not work for others.

There are no quick fixes; you need to be prepared to stick it out. Fast weight loss is often followed by even faster even more weight gain.

If you could give an outline of a typical day for you (honestly) you may get some better help.
 
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Welcome to the forum! I second what Truffle Monster has said. Can you give us a few more details about what you've been doing and what your typical food intake is like?

Even if you are not seeing physical changes, you are doing good things for your body if you're going to the gym regularly and eating healthier, so don't give up!

One thing I notice with myself is that I get hungry after working out, so this can cause me to take in more calories than intended by having unplanned snacks. Do you notice anything like that? There could be other ways you're getting extra calories as well. Liquid calories can drastically increase your daily caloric intake. I've counted these up for people before and it made them realized they were drinking an extra 1300-1500 calories per day!
 
welcome
the biggest thing is DON'T start dieting
by that i mean reducing your calories or starving
and fad diets
unless you are told medically to do so
i have been dieting and reducing calories since i was a teen
and am 54 and am just way heavier now
and wish for that weight that i was told was
so heavy but its better than the weight dieting
gave me
i wish you the best
 
I agree, bluehat! Getting stuck in a "dieting" spiral can be one of the worst things when it comes to health and long term weight maintenance. I normally suggest making small, heatlthy changes to create long term habits, rather than "going on a diet."
 
PLB,

I too get quite hungry after exercise. After a big session I tend to sometimes eat a whole (extra) meal but I’m still losing weight. I think the difference is now I’m eating well and exercising more my metabolism has sped up. My theory is eat when hungry, sleep when tired etc. listen to your body and give it what it wants.
 
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@AustinTM06,
KUDOs for taking that first and hardest step sometimes and that is acknowledging your current reality and CHOOSING to not settle with where you are. I began my journey last year and know the struggles are real! But SO OBTAINABLE! Just have to find your perfect fit. While many believe exercise is the key, I'll admit, I am a firm believer it's 90% nutrition. When I found my perfect fit last year, I lost 85 pounds in 6 months. Some may say this was not good, too much too fast, but I did it by pairing protein with carbs, keeping fat and sugar low, and selecting foods with extremely well put together micro-nutrients. This was my perfect fit. Now, being within a 'healthier' weight I am going to the gym.

With that said, there is nothing wrong with going to gym, but as many have stated above, you MUST fuel the body so that it has what it needs to generic the energy you need AND know it's ok to release some stored fat too. If you're eating too little or not getting the right amount of nutrition, as crazy as that sounds, your body WILL gain and begin to hold onto every little thing it gets. And you may even be jeopardizing loss of muscle if your caloric intake isn't high. Are you feeling tired too? I wouldn't surprised if you are. I have a passion for this and I help people find what works for them and am happy to chat more if you want.

Hang in there, we're all different, and when you find your fit, you will soar!!
 
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