Dear Girl Q&A
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Dear Pressured,
Being 'health conscious' deserves to be commended. However, skipping meals can be the absolutely worst thing you can do. The more you skip meals, the more you will starve your body of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to grow and function normally. When your body has no fuel (i.e. food), the metabolism (the rate at which your body uses energy) slows right down to compensate the lack of food. It is like your body and your brain tells itself no energy in, then no energy out! It almost goes into famine mode if you like. What will happen is that when you do eat, your body will be so used to this famine, it will cling and hold onto food as well as any fat in the food, because it is getting prepared to be starved again. You will, in most cases, end up bigger than ever before. And when you start to eat properly again, your body will get so excited it will want to hold onto all the food you put into it. The best solution is to try to eat small healthy regular meals, avoid starving yourself because you will become hungrier and be more likely to want to reach for foods that are not so good, like processed pre-packaged foods, that are high in fat and sugar. Eating proper meals will ensure you maintain a faster metabolism, therefore burning fuel (food) far more efficiently. It is so important that you realise that by skipping meals, you are doing far more damage to yourself than good. Your body needs a certain amount of fat to stay healthy and to function normally. The more you stress about it, the worse the situation will become for you.
Often the way we think and feel about our own personal self affects our behaviour. If we think that there are discrepancies between our 'present' self (how we currently perceive our own self) and our 'ideal' self (what we aspire to be; usually a consequence of peer pressure or society at large) this is when we are prone to feeling a little depressed or anxious. We lose confidence and esteem in our own self. A typical response from anyone in this situation is that they feel as though they are a 'failure'. From a psychological perspective, it is highly likely that you currently perceive such a 'discrepancy' in your life. In this case, it is important that you work through your emotions and thinking patterns - the latter, which may possibly be distorted. I suggest some counselling to help you confront whatever it is that is bringing on these emotions you are experiencing, as well as to learn techniques to change the way you think about yourself, situations and your environment in general.
So what are you waiting for girls?
Please note: questions can not be answered personally.
Submit your burning questions to:
Dear Girl is here to help! GO TO > Dear Girl
Dear Girl,
Recently I have been feeling depressed. Some days I feel really fat and gross. I go to an all girls' school and there is a lot of pressure to look good and fit in. All my friends are pretty and skinny and I feel like I stand out from them. I have been skipping meals and for the last week have only been eating dinner. Every time I go to eat, I have to check the label for fat content. I get paranoid if it is over a gram or two and wont eat it. I never eat breakfast or eat at school anymore, but my friends and family haven't noticed. I'm getting really good at lying, and making up excuses like 'I have to study I'll eat my lunch later'. My friends think I'm really good at studying. I sort of like having this secret but I have told one person I really trust that I don't usually eat much and skip meals. I won't become an anorexic because I will know when to stop and I just want to lose a bit of weight. I haven't been feeling sick or anything so I think I'm okay. Can you please tell me if this is normal? Do all my friends diet like me?
Signed Pressured.
Recently I have been feeling depressed. Some days I feel really fat and gross. I go to an all girls' school and there is a lot of pressure to look good and fit in. All my friends are pretty and skinny and I feel like I stand out from them. I have been skipping meals and for the last week have only been eating dinner. Every time I go to eat, I have to check the label for fat content. I get paranoid if it is over a gram or two and wont eat it. I never eat breakfast or eat at school anymore, but my friends and family haven't noticed. I'm getting really good at lying, and making up excuses like 'I have to study I'll eat my lunch later'. My friends think I'm really good at studying. I sort of like having this secret but I have told one person I really trust that I don't usually eat much and skip meals. I won't become an anorexic because I will know when to stop and I just want to lose a bit of weight. I haven't been feeling sick or anything so I think I'm okay. Can you please tell me if this is normal? Do all my friends diet like me?
Signed Pressured.
Dear Pressured,
Being 'health conscious' deserves to be commended. However, skipping meals can be the absolutely worst thing you can do. The more you skip meals, the more you will starve your body of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to grow and function normally. When your body has no fuel (i.e. food), the metabolism (the rate at which your body uses energy) slows right down to compensate the lack of food. It is like your body and your brain tells itself no energy in, then no energy out! It almost goes into famine mode if you like. What will happen is that when you do eat, your body will be so used to this famine, it will cling and hold onto food as well as any fat in the food, because it is getting prepared to be starved again. You will, in most cases, end up bigger than ever before. And when you start to eat properly again, your body will get so excited it will want to hold onto all the food you put into it. The best solution is to try to eat small healthy regular meals, avoid starving yourself because you will become hungrier and be more likely to want to reach for foods that are not so good, like processed pre-packaged foods, that are high in fat and sugar. Eating proper meals will ensure you maintain a faster metabolism, therefore burning fuel (food) far more efficiently. It is so important that you realise that by skipping meals, you are doing far more damage to yourself than good. Your body needs a certain amount of fat to stay healthy and to function normally. The more you stress about it, the worse the situation will become for you.
Often the way we think and feel about our own personal self affects our behaviour. If we think that there are discrepancies between our 'present' self (how we currently perceive our own self) and our 'ideal' self (what we aspire to be; usually a consequence of peer pressure or society at large) this is when we are prone to feeling a little depressed or anxious. We lose confidence and esteem in our own self. A typical response from anyone in this situation is that they feel as though they are a 'failure'. From a psychological perspective, it is highly likely that you currently perceive such a 'discrepancy' in your life. In this case, it is important that you work through your emotions and thinking patterns - the latter, which may possibly be distorted. I suggest some counselling to help you confront whatever it is that is bringing on these emotions you are experiencing, as well as to learn techniques to change the way you think about yourself, situations and your environment in general.
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