How can I stop cravings and binge eating?

at 14 you’re not too late. Not too late at all. Keep that in mind. You’re very very very young and your body can be adjusted very easily. Remember, there is not one shot cure, but this is what you should do:

1. Eat Breakfast. In the beginning, it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as you eat as soon as you wake up. If you can’t stand “health” food, eat junk, but eat it in the morning. After a week, start eating less junk in the morning and more healthy stuff.

Here are good ideas: Cereal with Skim Milk. Slowly switch from really sweet stuff (life Fruit Loops) to more fiber content (bran serials) If they get too dull to eat, ask your parents to buy a box of raisings. Add them. Or add bananas (fresh slices).

I can tell you, if you start eating breakfast this will be a big help.

2. Do some physical acivity. Go to the playground, play with kids. Basketball, Soccer, Tennis - your job is not to win, your job is to run a much as possible. Do this for at least 1 hour a day. If you can’t find anyone to play with, or if you feel you are not fit enough don’t worry. Start slow. Take 45 minute walks at a brisk speed. Slowly increase your speed. Once you begin, don’t STRAIN YOURSELF! you will feel good for one day of doing it, and they you will quit because it is too hard.

Make it something you WANT to do.

Just go outside for 45 minutes and walk. At any speed. With time, you will be walking faster and get tired less. Try to walk for more than 30 minutes. This is very important. Don’t sweat it if you missed a day or a week. Try to resolve your self to keep doing it. Once you are comfortable with walking, add a brisk run/jog in the middle. Run till the end of the block, till the next tree you see, until a fire hydrant. The run can be for as little as 30 seconds, but do it during your walk. Do it three times, with no more as a 1 minute rest (rest = walking normally) between. Once you get your stamina up, increase length of running time. Do it still, only 3 times.

(note: if you just walk everyday and eat breafast you will have A LOT MORE ENERGY and will lose weight! I promise).

Then. DO NOT DIET. Do not restrict yourself completely. Dieting will work for a few days/weeks but then your boday is already used to things you normally put in it. It will crave it. At your weakest moment you will break. So, what do you do?

Well, try to limit yourslef in the AMOUNT that you eat. You like twinkies? Don’t eat the whole box, eat one. Try not to eat sweets / junk at night. Here’s what you can do. If you really want it, tell yourself, I will have i, but in the morning. This way you are not denying yourself anything and you can eat that bag of chips, but as breakfast. You will notice, that most of the time you won’t want it. But if you really crave, have it in the morning.

Weigh yourself everyday. Expect swings (up and down). That’s normal. It depends whether you ate, drank, when you pooped, etc. But you will notice a pattern .Slowly that arrow will come down.

Also, please don’t drink soda. Soda is the worst. Eat a twinkie rather than a coke. If you;re dying for a coke, drink diet.

Now here is another VERY IMPORTANT POINT. this is the EASIEST and I saved it for last.

DRINK LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER until you can’t drink anymore (just in case you may want to as doc if its ok. Some people with liver and kidney problems, this is bad)

Water is a miracle substance: It will increase your calorie burn!!! Meaning, by drinking water you will burn more calories (and start losing weight, or stop gaining).

Water will also stop some food cravings! Our bodies have a small flaw. When our body needs water, the brain may interpret it as hunger. when in reality, all you need is some H2O. So, by dirnking lots of water, you won’t be tricked into being hungry!!!

It’s true, lots of times you eat only to NOT TO BE THIRSTY!!!

So, good luck. And remember, don’t worry 9if you fail at first. No one is keeping score. Just start again.