I Think I'm Very Obsessed About Being As Skinny As Possible (Teenager)

Hey Sam -

Knowing who you want to be - what you hope to look like - as a teenager looking toward becoming an adult is about like asking a 7 year old kid what he wants to be when he grows up ! He's got no idea !

Asking an obese adult or teenager what they will look like, be like as a normal weight person is about the same ! I am a 55 year old woman. It's been 30 years since I weighed what I do now. 15 months ago, I couldn't have told you what I would look like now. And frankly, there are many times that I look at myself in the mirror, or in a window as I walk by, and I do not recognize myself at all !

It takes our heads quite awhile to realize what we REALLY look like, after we have lost a lot of weight.

I would meet with your doctor, and talk about getting healthy. Talk about what you want to be able TO DO -- play basketball at school ? Be able to jog the track ? Take a martial arts class ? Keep up with the guys you hang out with when they take off and run down the street ? Be able to lift weights ? Keep up in PE class.....Those are better goals for yourself than a certain weight, especially at your age, when your weight and your height are still normally changing.

Learning how to eat for a lifetime of health is what it's about, and hopefully, you can work with a doctor, and a therapist to figure it all out.

Best of luck !

 I am 5'7 and quickly approaching 180, my goal is 159 as that puts me into a "normal" BMI range. I can't even imagine at MY height (3 inches shorter then you) being 110 or even 120 and that is as a WOMAN. Also, I think you are setting unrealistic goals for the surgery itself and what you will be able to accomplish, which might lead to more drastic issues down the road. I agree with the other poster who said you should try some counseling, you need to get your head right before you do this. 

Like others have suggested, you should work this out with a therapist/shrink.  You've got a dysmorphic body image.  Nothing to be ashamed about, a lot of us started there.  Seek therapy and you'll be more in tune for a happier and healhier weight-loss program, and you'll feel better about your results too.

After all, it would suck if you put all that money, time, and effort into getting down to 170 pounds and still saw yourself as fat in the mirror.

Good luck!

I don't want to offend but if you were obsessed with being so thin that your bones would show how did you get to 300+lbs?

It concerns me because DID this obsession lead you to very unhealthy eating habits which then lead to you being morbidly obese at 15 years old?

What you DON'T want to do is at your age to starve yourself of the nutrients your body needs to grow into a HEALTHY weight.  Men continue to grow well into their early 20lbs and you don't want to do more harm then good, so I beg of you that if you aren't in some type of treatment that you seek it out.  Especially because of yoru age and what you are about to undertake.

MANY adults don't understand what they are getting themselves into and while a 15 year old can grasp things mentally at 41 I STILL have moments when I don't fully grasp some aspects of my new life and the surgery I chose to have 4 years ago.

Ms Shell

No offence taken. I believe I became big was because my grandmother died and she would spoil me when I was very young (5-7 years old) due to the fact my mom was working. Then since she died, I became a "momma's boy" and she dealt with her mother's death by eating and I did the same since it seemed to me it was working for her. Now I'm 300lbs at 15. I know that her death and my mother's eating habit should be the excuse for me being obese today, but it is. I'm obsessed with being so thin because my other guys friends are so much smaller and enjoy their lives more. I have never starved myself. The longest I ever gone without food is 16 hours and then when I went to eat, I remade up my breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Thank you for sharing and I hope you  REFRAME your thinking from being "skinny" to be HEALTHY for life!!

I can actually relate to how you feel, of course, because I felt it in high school, too. I agree with the other posters that weighing under 160 would be very concerning. Focus on a healthy weight with a healthy shape! Looking and being a certain weight are 2 different things.

I don't think y'all's generation is messed up at all! And this is coming from someone who's just a half-decade older I honestly think you're in a thought-phase; I just got out of the "will VSG really help me?" phase.

It is nice to hear this from a young adult. I really appreciate that!

I'm 5' 11" tall and when I was your age (HS years) I was around 220.  I played football and other sports and was pretty active.  I was still the "big" kid in high school and got some teasing about it.  I gained almost 180 lbs from that to weight almost 400 lbs at the age of 32.  Trust me....I know what you are going through.

I know its tough to believe but you would look "skinny" if that is the right word at around 150 lbs.  Anything less than that I think would be dangerous to you - especially since you are still growing.  Stop this talk of anything less than that....it would be tremendously damaging to your health.

Also - keep in mind....vanity aside that if you get below say....200-190....you will be in pretty good shape and also have a great shot at keeping obesity related diseases away.  The rest would be vanity.


Just my two cents.

Thank you for your response because I have been waiting on a guy to respond. You have given some input from a guy's perspective on how I should look and feel. I guess I really need to imagine how 170lbs would look me and 120lbs. I do appreciate your two cents.