I found cutting out carbs, namely breads and stopping all caffeine intake helps. but need to take it slow or you'll end up doing damage to your body.

but agree with the others when they say your bmi is just fine.

daisyd wrote:

I must admit to some confusion here. In another topic elsewhere on this forum, you say that people tell you that you're too thin. You say there that it annoys you that they'll comment on your looks like that. And now I see this new topic from you about how you want to lose some more weight. I appreciate that your body is your own, and you can do whatever you like. But as you're so annoyed by people calling you thin now. don't you think that'll get worse if you lose any more weight?

Now I`m confused too. Nut since you are already thin I think you should concentrate on toning

Tira-Misu wrote:

daisyd wrote: I must admit to some confusion here. In another topic elsewhere on this forum, you say that people tell you that you're too thin. You say there that it annoys you that they'll comment on your looks like that. And now I see this new topic from you about how you want to lose some more weight. I appreciate that your body is your own, and you can do whatever you like. But as you're so annoyed by people calling you thin now. don't you think that'll get worse if you lose any more weight? Now I`m confused too. Nut since you are already thin I think you should concentrate on toning

I am thin, but I had no muscle in school since I didn't have time to work out too much. The bits of fat I want to lose are the sugar fats you get from drinking soft drinks and chocolate. In the last couple of weeks I've put it on while working on projects at home, plus its been 40 degrees and I can't go outside too often.

And that was from school students, and since I'm doing Volleyball these holidays, I want to feel healthier and more toned in a bikini for the games. I WAS thin, but I had no muscle. Since I've been working more often lately, I'm building up a lot.

Maybe it is toning I need? Not losing weight?

BMI of 22... so... around 150 pounds? Give or take?

SUCK IT UP. You're FINE. You don't need to lose weight because "The BMI Calculator said so!" It's a crock of *censored*. Go buy your bikini, enjoy your life, and stop trying to believe the media that brainwashes you to think you have to be 110 pounds or less to be beautiful.

Spiderlegs wrote:

Maybe it is toning I need? Not losing weight?

yep! Building muscle is super important. Cardio is important for burning most of the calories but muscle is what makes a body look "in shape". Plus the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn just normally throughout the day so as long as you cut out excessive sweets and junk and do a bit of physical activity and muscle working 3-5 times a week should be fine! You'll see progress before ya know it!

Tilas wrote:

BMI of 22... so... around 150 pounds? Give or take? SUCK IT UP. You're FINE. You don't need to lose weight because "The BMI Calculator said so!" It's a crock of *censored*. Go buy your bikini, enjoy your life, and stop trying to believe the media that brainwashes you to think you have to be 110 pounds or less to be beautiful.

Excuse me? I don't want to lose weight because the media brainwashes me; I want to lose the sugar fat around my tummy and thighs and build myself up because I need to wear a bikini for Volleyball and its better for me, since I've put some weight on since the holidays. Thats all ^^

Thanks Lemontwist! I've been cutting out chocolate, soft drinks, sugary breads and pasta, lollies and things like coffee/tea/chocolate milk. And I try to do about 50 sit ups every day. But I can't run because its too hot. xD

My experience is, is your BMI is 22, you don't need to lose weight

Seriously though, the best way (maybe not the quickest, but the best) is just excercise and stop snacking. And remember: 5minutes + 5minutes + 5minutes is worth more than 15minutes straight..

I'm losing about 1kg/week using this method. And remember: food needs to be used. So I'd suggest you only eat when you're hungry, and 6 small meals per day are better for you than 3 big ones.

My meals:
Breakfast: cereal and skimmed milk
Snack: 1/4 lunch
Lunch: 1/2 lunch
Snack: 1/4 lunch
Dinner: small amount of potatoes and veggies (I'm vegetarian)

I'm not saying you should eat like I do, or be vegetarian or whatever. Just giving you my scheme as an example of something that works. There are surely other schemes that will work for you, if this one seems weird to you

Also, I work as a secretary, so I don't move around a lot, so I don't need to eat a lot either. Keep your daily activity level in mind as well when devising a food scheme.

Also also; breakfast should be your largest meal, as it provides you with energy to go about your day. Lunch should be smaller and dinner should be considerably less than your breakfast. After all, you're not likely to go on an activity spree after dinner, right? So anything you consume after your activities are over, is going to build up as it's not going to be used. And we all know where built-up energy goes: fat.

Bottom line: Ration your food (don't eat less, just eat smaller portions spread throughout the day), excercise, and watch your sugar intake.

Thanks Mantispony! This morning I work up at 1 pm, because its been really hot. For 'breakfast' I had a tune and lettuce sandwich. Since then, I've just been drinking water because I don't feel hungry at all. Now I'm cooking about three small pieces of chicken and lettuce. Would that be considered alright?

I should think so, yeah. I would have another piece of veggie with your lettuce though, like tomato or carrot. There's different vitamins in there you can't get from lettuce alone.

Another thing: (I'm like an amateur health food freak haha) Eat slowly, chew your food until it's a mushy blob in your mouth. That way it's easier on your stomach to digest I chew until I have no solid chunks left. It also lets you enjoy your food for longer, and your "full" feeling lasts longer.

Oh yeah, I had tomato, cucumber and avocado with my salad. ^^ And I love food, so I always chew slowly.

Haha, you want more advices? Tuna. If you can eat fish. Tuna, high protein (low GI) pasta(you need carbs too) and veggies to go with that. And if you excecise, remember to strech as that is what many people forget when doing sports, it helps the muscles to rest after "working"

My "hubby" is a professional trainer/coach(he coaches track & field athletes) and he always encourages people to remember to eat protein more to gain muscle and to keep those muscles in shape.

thank you! I love fish! Oh and I'm naughty, I had a banana smoothie.

If you're just looking to drop a few weeks of extra "padding", I think that your safest route is to cut out all drinks except for water (juice is allowed, if that's part of how you get your fruit intake), and drink a TON of it. I mean so much that your urine is actually, honestly clear, as in no color to it. Cut out the other things that put the weight on in the first place, such as the chocolate that you mentioned. Maybe keep a bag of bite sized chocolates hidden from sight so that you can give yourself tiny, bite sized rewards for doing well with sticking to your plan. That kind of thing is ok in moderation, but if you take it away completely, you're likely to binge on it.

Also, to me, it sounds more like you just need to tone yourself up (and keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat, so even if you are getting slimmer to look at, there's a chance the scale might start going up. Trust *measurements*, not *weight*). It might be too cold for you to comfortably do cardio outside, but indoor cardio options are things like jumping jacks, those little relay run things you see basketball players doing, or find a friend with a Kinect! (that thing is my personal little workout hero!) You're probably going to want to do lots of crunches, squats, leg lifts and flutter kicks. I usually aim for three or four sets of 25 throughout the day.

Most importantly, take care of yourself, please. I'm a recovered anorexic that was triggered by accidentally losing 5 pounds (started walking for fitness an hour a day and gave up soda. That was IT) when I was already at the very bottom of my healthy weight range. I'm still lving with the physical, emotional AND psychological effects of going through that, eight years after being "better." Please, please, PLEASE keep your goal realistic and promise yourself to be happy once you reach it. Besides, rocking out a bikini is more about attitude than the degree of curves you have

First, make sure you are healthy via doctor. Some people have a hard time losing weoght because of health issues.

Second, never cut all complex carbs as they keep you going longer and I've gotten really sick doing it. That means keep small amounts of starches and breads available in your diet.

Count calories and replace things with high calories per the amount of food. An orange has around 80 calories but is mostly water with little fiber. You can find better fruits with the same calories and more dietary fiber that will keep you full longer. Strawberries are a good replacement for oranges and have more vitamin C. Make those calories count!

Lastly, listen little to the BMI. It doesn't count muscle. According to the BMI, I should weigh 95 pounds at the bottom of a normal weight. I'm an adult. I should not weigh 95 pounds!

Banana smoothies are good and fine! It's not like you went and ate a whole cake or anything lol. You need fruit and dairy in your diet too. And as for lettuce I just give you a quick tip- the darker green the leaf, the better for you it is. light colored lettuce leaves like Iceberg or Romaine have almost nothing compared to the darker kinds. Good vitamins and all that!

I agree with Katika, take care of yourself. All of yourself, body AND mind. Don't let the want to get fit ever mess with your head or make you feel bad. Don't put off eating if you feel hungry. Be realistic, research and understand what is best for your body, and don't let your happiness be compromised by the bumpy road of getting fit. I too am recovering from an eating disorder. Keeping yourself happy, healthy, and positive is all I can ask of you!

I'd also like to point out that you don't have to look any certain way to be in a 'kini, not even for volleyball. A lot of my friends in high school played and they were all different shapes. And all very strong, no matter what size

Vary your sit-ups routine (look up variations on sit ups etc), do pushups, squats, and other muscle-toning exercises. Jumping jacks, jogging in place, etc. Your volleyball mates will thank you most for being able to kick butt and play a good game, more than anything! And if you really are serious about changing your diet, look up how much you should be eating for your height/weight (If you need help feel free to PM me), and what kind of foods you need to eat to be good to your body, because just guessing can result in eating too much OR too little, skimping out on things you need to eat, and doing more harm than good.