obviously I wasn't the only one who thought you could use more tact. I still disagree. At 13 it all has to start somewhere, he doesn't need to be making giant changes and drinking protein drinks for heavens sake. His diet ISN"T that bad for someone his age, in fact I bet he is eating better than most...

If you disagree so much, you could be more constructive and instead of just telling him:

"IT'S BAD!!! go read the stickies"

you could actually make some suggestions??? Explain WHY it is soooo bad?

CAT FIGHT!!!

We'll just have to cyber-imagine the two of you tearing eachothers clothes off and scraping it out.....all in the name of proper nutrition.

Okay....I'm gonna stick-up for Sara. She really does mean well, but darn if this type of response on threads doesn't seem to plague her. Sara is like a fire-fighter who shows-up at a home burning....she doesn't politely knock on the door and wait for someone to gracefully answer, she just swings her axe (with proper form and her abs tight) and makes her entrance. She's not going to apologize or back-down; if she thinks the diet is bad, she just says so. At the same time, she'll offer help and offer her resources. Yeah, she's a bit of a bull in a china shop....but we all have our personalities....or something like that.

Sara has spent a lot of time working on a few stickies for these types of questions. A lot of people come through eating "Baked Lays" and drinking Diet Coke and wonder why they're in terrible shape. Granted, Baked Lays and Diet Coke are BETTER than the regular, it's still NOT GOOD!

The OP would be much better off reading the stickies and educating himself rather than going on blindly because someone told him his diet was "good" to pump his self esteem.

To the OP, in my opinion... your diet may be better than average, but will do very little to help you reach your goals. There's a lot of great information on this site that has been thoroughly discussed and debated. It can be found at the top of each sub-forum in the "stickies". If you have questions after reading through these, feel free to ask and there are plenty of people that are willing to help.

1. Let's slow down here a little bit people. The OP is 13, and it's not like he's the one shopping for groceries. He's doing a hell of a lot better than most 13 year olds and the fact that he can stick to fresh snacks in the form of fruits and veggies over the processed crap is very good. If anything, I'd be worried about making sure he's getting enough calories, but hopefully the OP's hunger level can help dictate that.

2. Derwyddon, I'm sure you put a lot of effort into your nutrition sticky, and it's a decent starting point, but it leaves something to be desired as well. I do not believe you are a licensed nutritionist (if you are then I apologize), so just like anyone else's on these forums, your words shouldn't be taken as nutrition law. I mean, you do not cover micro nutrients at all. And beyond that. simply directing the OP, who is only a teenager, to it, is not adequate on a forum such as this without adding to the post itself, so that your views can be openly debated by the rest of us, much like ours are. For instance, the OP is a teenager, and as such, may not have the ability to access food for the 5-6 small meals a day routine, especially in school settings. And the fact of the matter is that a diet comprised of 3 squares isn't necessarily a BAD thing.

I don't think it's right to simply say, "your diet sucks, go look at this" without giving specific reasons as to why, and then responding to criticism of your post with "PM me" cuts the rest of us out completely to debate your thoughts on diet and nutrition when it comes to the OP, which is not the point of this thread.

Tact
Pronunciation: \ˈtakt\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, sense of touch, from Latin tactus, from tangere to touch — more at tangent
Date: 1797
1 : sensitive mental or aesthetic perception <converted the novel into a play with remarkable skill and tact>
2 : a keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense
synonyms tact, address, poise, savoir faire mean skill and grace in dealing with others. tact implies delicate and considerate perception of what is appropriate <questions showing a lack of tact>. address stresses dexterity and grace in dealing with new and trying situations and may imply success in attaining one's ends <brought it off with remarkable address>. poise may imply both tact and address but stresses self-possession and ease in meeting difficult situations <answered the accusations with unruffled poise>. savoir faire is likely to stress worldly experience and a sure awareness of what is proper or expedient <the savoir faire of a seasoned traveler>.

I'm glad someone else is considering other factors.

The fact that he would come here in the first place is something that also needs to be taken into consideration. At 13 you should not be worrying about every meal you eat, you should be enjoying life and yeah- don't stuff crap down your throat- but at 13 he already isn't. He said he would eat what his father cooked at dinner(spaghetti dinner) the other stuff is mainly from the cafeteria, hell he is eating WAY better than most kids his age. I don't think it underminds him to start improving his diet, but it isn't necessary for him to limit himself at this age either!

My god, at 13 I ate like I had Prader-Willi syndrome! (granted I couldn't gain a pound if I had tried) but that's beside the point. It didn't make me any worse for wear either.

At 13 you should be enjoying your life, not worrying about counting calories or doing exercises to keep the fat off. It's as simple as be conscious of what you eat, don't eat a lot of crap, and stay active.

*ugh*

I agree, I think his diet will work just fine for him. He is keeping it pretty clean.

You DO NOT need a perfect diet to lose weight.

Exacty.....

ok thank you everyone for the help! If anyone has any suggestions on what i should change in my diet please post them! I also do try to eat as cleanly as possible! thanks again in advanced!

one more thing! Im going to get new shoes in a little bit and i was wondering what is a good brand to start out with? i think i can spend like 60 dollars or so. I am also gonna wear these for recreational activities asides from paintballing! thx

If you are going to be doing a lot of run-type activities, I'd look to a New Balance or Asics runner or cross-trainer. Make sure you get a shoe that's fitted to your foot (width and arch specific).

Running shoes should be worn just for running. I wouldn't suggest you wear them to do other things. There are shoes- cross trainers- that can be used for multiple purposes. That might be better for you. However, if you really start to run a lot, some shoes just for running might be in order

As for brand, everyone has their favorite. I like New Balance, I'm sure that other people might like something diffferent....

cheers,
Diane

This isn't productive conversation, so I deleted my post and am finished talking about this.

Personally, I like New Balance cross trainers. Make sure you get a well fitted shoe, that is important.

Diet wise - it's wonderful to eat as little processed stuff as you can (especially when all the other kids around you are eating crap - that doesn't make it easy, I know). Just be sure to continue to educate yourself about good eating habits, and what things will help you to reach specific goals as they come along, rather than thinking that all you need to do is eat a lot of fruits and veggies.

Never stop at the beginning basics - always keep advancing your knowledge as you go.