Mon. Dec 01, 2008 | 11:11 AM

Your love-your-changing-proportions guide.

teens_change_body_perception.jpgAdolescence sends your emotions sky-high and your body morphing in and out of different shapes and sizes. Not exactly the easiest time to try and keep posi about your shapely new self. You must remember you're not the only one with wonky body parts and warpy growth spurts. Even the class hottie has her own woes -- her designer jeans are just good at hiding them. Your booty will catch up to your newly long legs, but until then, don't banish yourself to your bedroom. It's hard (at ANY age) to keep your chin up about your figure, but it's possible to rock your "imperfections" until you see them for what they are: the things that make you perfect.

Balanced Beauty
A few extra ounces during "that time of the month" may make you want to fast for days, but that will only make you sick and feel gross when you do finally decide to feed yourself. Instead, eat healthy. Solid meals all day will give you extra energy and will let you feel free to dig into those uber-comforting milk and cookies at the end of the night.

Pump Up the Volume
Not only will exercise quell your "jiggly" worries, it will also get your blood pumping and make you feel better naturally. But don't overdo it -- too much of anything can be a bad thing and exhaust you. Instead, think about things you do regularly that actually can qualify as exercise. Consider how many laps you do around the mall on any given day!

Dress to Impress
The aggravation you feel from having to buy a size larger pants stings mightily -- but it's temporary. The compliments you'll get from working your well-dressed stuff in some made-for-you pants lasts all day. Dress to fit your size and help flatter your figure. One you're strutting it in a fierce outfit, you'll start to feel amazing -- and all the jaws dropping won't hurt either!


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Hi tyar i am 13 and i feel like i am ugly and fat. my mom tell me that i am fat but i just laugh about it but it really do make me cry inside. I am about 156 pounds. One day when i was in the store the man that work their told me my cousin is cute but i ugly and it made feel very little about myself. I hate to even look at myself because all i see is fat and ugly. It is even hard for me to make fiends just cause of the way i look.What people don't know is that i have low self esteem. I look at thin girls and say i wish i was that little. Tyra i really want help please help me.What am i going to do?
Posted by diamond 12/23/08 2:23 PM
 
hi tyra, im 15 years old and the last time i checked i was 154lbs im probably 160 now and i think im the biggest person. i think everything about me is horrible. i have dark skin and people say its nice to have nice chocolate skin but to me i think at times its not good and i wish i was lighter. and i have three brothers and im the only girl and everyone always play around and say im one of the boys. i laugh because i know their joking but on the inside im dying because maybe i would be better off as a boy, but i really do like being a girl. i dont really show people how i really feel so they dont know i have low self esteem. i hate when people and my family give my compliments because i dont think its true. some times i want to hide my self because i feel like i have no purpose in life but to make people laugh and be a good friend which im good at, but on the inside i dont think i should do that if i dont feel good about myself. i like alot of boys and maybe 2 out of 10 actually look at me the same way. i used to watch your show all the time until it started coming on at 11am when im at school. but tyra i just wanted you to please HELP ME BEFORE i give up completely!!
Posted by onikeh 12/23/08 1:43 PM
 
Hi Trya my name is Martina. and i wieght around 220 and i really don't look like it but i do. i am trying to lose wieght and i want to change. my friends say i am goregous the way i am but i want to change for me. i have a really low self esteem and i have no idea how to get it up cause everytime it is up and there is always someone to crash me down to the ground and it hurts so much and i don't know how to fix the problem cause i had these probelm since the second grade and it hurts really bad and you think by now it wouldn't hurt me but it does and i don't know what to do!?!?!?!
Posted by Martina 12/22/08 2:56 PM
 
CONTINUED FROM THE LAST COMMENT i like my face i juss wonder how everybody else see it....im always to worried about what everybodie else thinks....and thats a habit for me.....how can i learn not to care about what they think? cuz im haven a hard tyme when people look at me...and it feel like what they sayin there head is she so fat and ugly.......maybe they are saying the opposite but i cant bring my self to think that way......Everyone of my friends and everybodie always say they wish they had my body...and im like you wish you had this, id rather have yours....My Curves dont meen anything to me Juss because i have a big butt And big hips Dont make me feel good....but somehow when they say they wish they had my body...i start to feel good cuz im thinkin why would they wish that.... But really can i bring my self to like myself?...ccuz i dont wanna be down in da dumps for all eternity.....Thanks for takin your time to listen i appreciate that....
Posted by Tiauna 12/22/08 11:31 AM
 
Hi Tyra my name is Tiauna, i am 13 years old and my wieght is exactly on point 200lbs i dont look like it at all, but i think that was because of my hieght......Im not afraid to admit in front of people that i wear a size 17 in pants and an Xl in shirts but thats not that bad....but the thing is, is dat idon't have 100% self esteem. see my self estemm can be up somtimes and other times it down too zero.....i mean im not dat tall im juss bout 5'4" ......my friends always find away to bring myself esteem up, but for some reason i cannot bring my self to do it at all....and to me it hurts....i can look so beautiful in the mirror somtime,and when i take a picture and i think its ugly my friends say its cute. and im like, is dat how dey actually see mee..cuz i fashure dont see my self that way.....my friend she is experiencing the same thing that i go through. i mean im from Michigan though and da City that i come from....people are THikk but when i moved and seen all these Skinny People...i wonder what they think about me....you see i love my self, but i dont like myself...my image....and plus i have a sis that look juss like me...we da same age but sje styll lives in michigan and she prolly dont let it show but she prolly feel the same way i feel about my self....i dont have da will power to like myself.....but i always wanted tah see how would it feel to be Skinny fa one day....would i like it.....i like my face i juss wonder how everybody else see it....im always to worried about what everybodie else thinks....and
Posted by Tiauna 12/22/08 11:24 AM
 
Hi Tyra my name is Tiauna, i am 13 years old and my wieght is exactly on point 200lbs i dont look like it at all, but i think that was because of my hieght......Im not afraid to admit in front of people that i wear a size 17 in pants and an Xl in shirts but thats not that bad....but the thing is, is dat idon't have 100% self esteem. see my self estemm can be up somtimes and other times it down too zero.....i mean im not dat tall im juss bout 5'4" ......my friends always find away to bring myself esteem up, but for some reason i cannot bring my self to do it at all....and to me it hurts....i can look so beautiful in the mirror somtime,and when i take a picture and i think its ugly my friends say its cute. and im like, is dat how dey actually see mee..cuz i fashure dont see my self that way.....my friend she is experiencing the same thing that i go through. i mean im from Michigan though and da City that i come from....people are THikk but when i moved and seen all these Skinny People...i wonder what they think about me....you see i love my self, but i dont like myself...my image....and plus i have a sis that look juss like me...we da same age but sje styll lives in michigan and she prolly dont let it show but she prolly feel the same way i feel about my self....i dont have da will power to like myself.....but i always wanted tah see how would it feel to be Skinny fa one day....would i like it.....i like my face i juss wonder how everybody else see it....im always to worried about what everybodie else thinks....and
Posted by Tiauna 12/22/08 11:24 AM
 
hey tyra, my name is Laura Armstrong and i had a baby on October 14 2008. after having the baby I've felt really embarrassed to show off my once flat sexy stomach. i now have ugly stretch marks that i wish would go away. i don't even like get undressed in front of my boyfriend. PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME!! i am in desperate need of getting my self esteem back. sincerely your number one fan Laura P.S. I've always wanted to be a model but you cant be a model with ugly stretch marks like the ones I have
Posted by laura 12/21/08 11:00 PM
 
Hi Tyra! My name is hannah luse. i wiegh 142 pounds. i hate the way my legs looks. thers fat.i dont even feel comfortable waring dresses or skirts anymore. i HATE THE WAY MY BODY LOOKS!please help me. p.s i am your #1 fan. your biggest fan, hannah
Posted by hannah luse 12/21/08 3:03 PM
 
dear tyra, am 15 yrs n i wiegth 220 lbs i kno is sorta embarrsing.i cant wear halter tops at all cuz ill feel stupid in it or my self-esstem will drop.am latina,i have gloned brown hair and hazel green eyes.people tell me i look preety but i still dont belive it..but on my freshman year of high school. i ask myself is becuz am fat,that i cant get a boyfriend or is it that am not preety enough?.but foor now i look up to whitney from antm.. love her
Posted by magnolia 12/20/08 7:45 PM
 
dear tyra, am 15 yrs n i wiegth 220 lbs i kno is sorta embarrsing.i cant wear halter tops at all cuz ill feel stupid in it or my self-esstem will drop.am latina,i ahve gloend brown hair and hazel green eyes.women tell me i look preety but i still dont belive it..but on my freshman year of high school.i flet preety when this guy ask me out the next day he lied about it n now i ask myself is becuz am fat,that he lied about it or is it that am not preety enough?
Posted by magnolia 12/20/08 7:36 PM
 
Hey Tyra!My name is Zannie and i am now 15yrs old. It's hard for me to embrace my body because I had terrible acne and it recently just started clearing up. Its still a little but I can get over it. However, I have like no chest at all. I look at people at school and constantly find myself comparing me to them. Its like I got the brains but not the body. Only question I keep asking myself is why?
Posted by Zannie 12/19/08 6:27 PM
 
Hey Tyra, Im about to turn 19 and When I was 17 i found out i had periodontal disease and lost 12 teeth. I have partials now but i feel everyone can tell they are fake. I wont even take them out ot clean them I mean its hard seeing myself like that. I am so scared of dating someone new because im scared they wont like me anymore when they find out about my teeth. I feel so ugly and i want to feel good about myself but its hard... my worst fear is losing more teeth and im not even going to the dentist so i no there are more that need to be pulled im not confident in myself I feel like an old woman because im to young to be missing so many teeth how can i regain my confidence HELP
Posted by Lakreisha Davis 12/19/08 10:46 AM
 
Hey Tyra, I watch your show almost every night. I see you help alot of people so I figure you can help me too. Okay so, My boyfriend tells me im beautiful every once in a while. But when were watching tv together or something, and there happens to be a hot girl on there, sometimes he will make a comment about it. But even when he doesn't I still feel insecure. So everytime he says to turn on a movie if I see one that I know has a gorgeous girl in it I make sure I dont turn that one on. I need help feeling more secure about myself. Its embaressing when im scared to let him see really pretty girls, even on tv. Because im scared he will think why am I with her when there is girls like taht. Or man I wish she looked like that. So I would really appreciate it if you would help me out. I know theres a chance you probably wont even read this. So there might not be any point in me even sending you this. But just for the slight chance there is, please help me.
Posted by Nichole 12/18/08 10:19 PM
 
hi tyra, EVERYONE always tells me how pretty i am and I always felt pretty until I started highschool this year. I had my eye a a few guys and I was stupid and had my friends talk to them for me this is embarrasing but all of the 5 guys had no interest what so ever. Im totally IN LOVE with this one guy but cant seem to get over him. I think Im pretty, but guys dont seem interested! HELP!
Posted by Briana 12/18/08 3:52 PM
 
hey, im 16 in 1 month (yay) & i started to think about having a party, but then realized, i cant wear anything nice to it! im 5"6 & 152 pounds..i hate my legs, & i look in the mirror & just, think ew. i have bad acne, i cant wear t-shirts with sleeves higher than elbow, showing back, or lower than neck. kinda sucks, my mum says in pretty, but well, shes my mum! i have been made fun of actually. & i wanna say, I FEEL YOU, GIRLS. BUT NOWADAYS WE ALL FEEL BAD! I HOPE ALL OF THIS IS JUST A PHASE OR SOMETHING, FOR ALL TEENAGE GIRLS' SAKE :) {love ya tyra! ur my rolemodel!]
Posted by Louise 12/17/08 8:57 PM



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