Dear Dish-It, Being Fat Is Ruining My Life

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Dear Dish-It ,
I feel like being fat is ruining my life... there are a lot of problems in my life and it's kind of like a circle. Here, I'll explain... I am fat because I am depressed. I'm depressed because I have problems. One of my problems is weight. I'm trying to starve myself but it's so hard, I get so weak and I already lost 43 pounds but it's still not enough. I'm huge and I can't stop eating once I start... what do I do? Like all the commercials say, I've tried everything! Please help me.
Flower

Dear Flower,
First off, you should NEVER try and starve yourself. No matter how unhappy you are with your body, starving it is only going to cause serious health problems and can actually cause you to gain weight cuz your body goes into starvation mode. Losing 43 pounds is not very healthy for most adults, let alone a teen or pre-teen girl. Here are some tips on how you can get fit the healthy way!

Get regular exercise, even if it's just a walk with some buds. Offer to take your dog for walks too.

Cut fatty foods and sugar out of your diet. Eat lots more fruits and veggies and drink as much water as you can.

Make a list of everything you eat each day. This way, you'll be able to see what it is you need to steer away from, and what sorts of healthy foods you could be replacing them with.

It does sound like you're in need of someone to talk to about these problems you are dealing with though. Your issues seem to run a lot deeper than just a struggle with body image. Definitely talk to a trusted adult. Your 'rents, a school counselor, someone! And you could take a look at this Web page - it has a ton of great self-esteem boosting tips, as well as links to help you find professionals to talk to about all the things you are going through. And although you may think this is total cheese, take a look at the Oprah site. She actually has a lot of great ideas on how to lead a happier and healthier life. Good Luck! Dear Dish-It,
My friend Jasmine is best friends with this girl who went through my things and then told one of my other friends and now my other friend thinks I'm a liar. We haven't talked since we got out of school for summer break and that was June 18th - and my other friend Jasmine is not talkin' to me either. I think Jasmine's best friend has something to do with Jasmine not talking to me. I think this is because this girl keeps taking Jasmine places and every time I call her she's always busy with this other girl. I'm sick and tired of it! Jasmine's acting like she doesn't even like me anymore as a friend. I keep asking her, and she keeps saying yes, but for some reason I get the feeling that Jasmine's lying to me. Her BFF is gettin' on my nerves! I think that the BFF and Jasmine should apologize, but I don't know what to do. Tell her all of this, or break off the friendship. Please HELP ME!!!
liltoni85

Dear liltoni85,
Whoa! I think you need to sit down, count to ten and just breathe for a second. From what I've gathered, your friend Jasmine is hanging with a girl you don't like... a girl that may or may not have caused trouble between the two of you. You've asked Jasmine if she still wants to be your friend and she says yes. But you want that to mean that she will spend more time with you and less time with the troublemaker, right? It doesn't sound like anyone owes you an apology. Did you ever stop to consider that maybe Jasmine really likes this other girl and they have a lot of fun together? You demanding an apology from them for excluding you will not score you any friendship points. If you aren't happy with how they are leaving you out, then move on and find some friends who you can have a good time with. If you just leave Jasmine to figure things out, and not confront her, then I am sure everything will work out. Just hang in there!

Dear Dish-It,
Hi! This is not about dating! I don't think dating is important. I am an orchestral band percussionist. I really need your advice. I march for the a marching band and I am a new member. I am going to be tested the first week of rehearsals. I don't know how to prepare! What should I do?
Thanks! You rock!
fhsbandmember

Dear fhsbandmember,
You must have heard that age-old saying, "Practice makes perfect," at least once in your life. Well, that saying will come in handy as the big marching band test approaches. I'm sure you didn't make it all the way to this gig with the marching band without practicing your percussion skills already. If the thought of banging away on your drums for hours all alone makes you cringe, then what about inviting some marching band compadres over for a jam session? If you take some deep breaths, and concentrate on what you're good at, then this test will be nothing more than another opportunity to show off your mad percussion skills!

So gotta burnin' question? Need some love directions? Thinkin' about stuff like teen suicide, depression, sex, low self-esteem, boyfriends, girlfriends, losing old friends, bullying or peer pressure but are too scared to ask the 'rents? Don't be scared to Dish-It. Just remember, if you hang out in chat with other Kidzworld members who know you by your nick, you might wanna use a secret nick when you write in. That way no one will ever know it's you. Remember though, Dish-It gets tons of letters a day, so she can't answer 'em all. But keep checkin' the column cuz chances are, she'll be answering something very similar to your question soon. Thanks! Got some words of wisdom you wanna share? We'll dish them up too.

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