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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I'm 17 and im not skinny nor fat. I'm beautiful. Everyone's different, that make's everyone gorgeous.
Posted by Shannon 12/09/08 10:17 AM
 
okay i see many girls complain because they are overweight me personally i think im to skinny i look at myself everyday and i see this chicken legs well i just wish i was a litle thicker like some of my friends
Posted by maria 12/07/08 7:06 PM
 
HYE TYRA, I AM 16 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE BEEN WIT MY BOYFRIEND SINCE I WAS 13. HE THINKS I AM SO BEAUTIFUL BUT I THINK I LOOK LIKE CRAP. I AM THE UGLIEST THING WALIKIN THE EARTH. I WANNA B THE PRETTY GIRL WITH ALL THE CONFIDENCE BUT I DONT KNO HOW. IM AFRAID IF I DONT START LOVING MYSELF IM GOIN TO LOOSE MY BOYFRIEND. O AND IM FAT SO THT MAKES THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT MYSELF NO BETTER. WAT DO I DO??? I DONT WANNA LOOSE HIM OR NOT LOVE MYSELF........
Posted by kendra 12/04/08 11:54 PM
 
Hey Tyra. I love what you stand for and how you present yourself to the world. You are so confident in what you do and who you are, which makes most of us teenage girls want to be just like you! Honestly, I am comfortable with who I am and I'm confident in myself, even though I do not always show it to people. I hate when my friends talk about their weight and how they think that they are fat when they aren't. The only thing that I do not like about my body would have to be my stomach. I think that it is a little too big because I am only short and small, so I don't want to get over weight lol. But I just work with it and tell myself that I am beautiful just the way that I am. I hope that you girls that have a low self esteem would read this and feel better because you are who you are and there is no one who can change you. You can change your face or the way you look, but at the end of the day you are still you. So, get use to you, because you are stuck with you for the rest of your wonderful life. Might as well work with what you have! Now that doesn't mean that you can go out and eat all you want, get fat, and work with that. But if you are going through something in your life and you can't deal with it, just talk to someone. It will make you feel a lot better! Just be comfortable with yourself like me. I have the things about my body that I do not like but I just deal with it and work with
Posted by Anonymous 12/04/08 4:50 PM
 
Tyra, I am fifteen and struggling with my physical appearence. I know that i'm not over weight, but i'm soooo self concious! I've always been told that I was beautiful and that i had a nice body, but I obviously don't see what everyone else does. For the past two years I've tried as hard as I can to loose weight, but nothing ever seems to work. I really need advice on how to feel more confidence in myself. I want to feel pretty! Ashleigh ♥
Posted by Ashleigh 12/04/08 3:29 PM
 
So, I am 18 years old, and ever since i can remember i have always been picked on because of my weight, since elementary school and up, i remember i was the only fat person out of the group of friends i hung with including my sister back in elementary school, and they all let me know, one time i had to tell them i lost weight just so they would hangout with me, now that i think about it those arent the kind of friends i needed back then, thats when my low self-esteem started, in middle school i remember i had this crush from 6th grade to 8th and finally in 8th grade i told him i liked him, and he straight up said your cool and all but your fat and ugly, that really just messed me all up, high school wasnt too bad since by then most people were over weight, but i still went through a lot with my weight, and still am, i have tried so much to lose weight good things and bad things, and nothing seems to work, so i kind of just gave up, some days i dont even want to look in the mirror, i hate my appearance, i wouldnt say that im a ugly girl, just a little to chunky, and most days just to get through the day i have to joke about my own weight to make me feel better about myself. A lot of my friends now days try and make me feel more confident in the way i look but after being put down for my appearance after all these years its hard to just be like, "oh im not fat and ugly", its a growing process and i hope one day i will feel
Posted by Jackie 12/03/08 11:18 PM
 
tyra, Im 14 turning 15 next year. and ive been dating this guy for almost 3 months and i want to feel confedident around him so he will think im pretty and everything like most girls want to but im realllllly in love with this guy and i NEVER felt is way about a gay. And i want to move our relastionship along. but the only thing is that i think im over weight and my privet area's dont look right and i dont want to be imbarrestest by him and im afraid that he will think im fat and im human and i dont have the best skin ever and i judge my self every day and i get made fun of and i know this is like all the messages youve got but if you can just message me back with alittle advice. just so i can fell alittle better. it was be good thanks.
Posted by Devin 12/03/08 5:05 PM
 
Hi Tyra, Im sabrina a 12 (almost 13) year old girl who LOVES the Tyra Show!!!!!! I HATE my body because I am constantly teased at school!! I go along with it and act like it doesn't fase me at all but it hurts A LOT!!!! I look in the meror and only see my flaws like my stomach and my acne. It's imbarecing i like to where clothes from the teen department but they are always to small and tight! I LOVE swimming but I don't go anymore because swimming suits are just to tight or show your stomach! I go to the gym with my mom but i cant seem to lose weight! Y is it so hard for girls to lose wight... but not guys...WHATS UP WITH THAT?!?!?!?!?!?!
Posted by Sanrina Longley 12/03/08 2:14 PM
 
Hey, I feel like I don't look like I should. People that I know look beautiful. And then there is me... I feel like people are looking at me funny, beacuse I don't look like them. I have my moods and my dad will yell at me for them! I hate IT!
Posted by Tori 12/03/08 1:19 PM
 
hi tyra my name is nhi nguyen and i feel ugly but i dont know wenevah i see a pretty girl walking by or something i feel like im not good enough. I just gave birth and my baby boy is now 5 months old. im glad i have him. but sometimes i feel really ugly like my belly is still flappy but not that flappy and my hair and all..
Posted by nhi nguyen 12/03/08 10:02 AM
 
Tyra, i watched ur show 4 d 1st 2day cuz i feelin bored. I LUV IT ITS AWESUM!!!!! u just make me feel happy 4 other ppl and i look at myself and feel btr. i av low self confidence and i overeat and im overweight. i am tryin 2 change tht but i need time and its gonna take a while. im alsotryin 2 bcome a christian and enjoy my 6 remaining teenage yrs, get better grades, more As, develop new hobbies and frenz, get new frens and get highr confidence. ill start watchin ur shows now. i wish i was lik eu. U ROCK TYRA!!! =D
Posted by Roch 12/03/08 8:26 AM
 
Well i'm 18 and self conscius about how i look because i see myself too skiny. My friend told me to look in the mirror every day and say i'm beautiful, but that still is too hard for me. I realize society focuses so much on imperfections but we have to look on what we do like and start with the positive things about ourselves and continue up. Try making changes little by little and complement yourself from time to time. I thought it was selfish but it's for yourself. I struggle with this sometimes but try to do my best in looking and feeling good. Thanx Tyra for showing these topics to help and benefit people. I try to make my best effort.!!☺♥
Posted by Rachel 12/03/08 4:59 AM
 
Girl, I see how you feel, I don't like my teeth either and I am in college now. I see teenagers my age with beautiful teeth and I wish my teeth were like that. I have been waiting every since high school to get my teeth straight and beautiful but my parents have to use the money on bills so I had to wait and wait and nothing has been done yet. I feel that if I get my teeth fixed my look will be complete. When I smile I have a habit of putting my head down or covering up my mouth because I don't want anyone to say you have another teeth in your gum so I hide it. I don't even know whether I want a boyfriend yet because I might be insecure about my teeth. I don't like that I feel this way because I am and has always been a very confident person even my friends see how confident I am but they don't know I have insecurities about my teeth because I have never told them but my family knows. I enjoy watching your show Tyra especially the episoda about the top model with the beautiful teeth. Tyra you are a good inspiration on young teens. Tyra you are a beautiful person inside and out and don't mine helping others. I hope you can make my dream come true and fix my teeth, it would be a true blessing. Hola
Posted by Quinita 12/02/08 7:22 PM
 
Girl, I see how you feel, I don't like my teeth either and I am in college now. I see teenagers my age with beautiful teeth and I wish my teeth were like that. I have been waiting every since high school to get my teeth straight and beautiful but my parents have to use the money on bills so I had to wait and wait and nothing has been done yet. I feel that if I get my teeth fixed my look will be complete. When I smile I have a habit of putting my head down or covering up my mouth because I don't want anyone to say you have another teeth in your gum so I hide it. I don't even know whether I want a boyfriend yet because I might be insecure about my teeth. I don't like that I feel this way because I am and has always been a very confident person even my friends see how confident I am but they don't know I have insecurities about my teeth because I have never told them but my family knows. I enjoy watching your show Tyra especially the episoda about the top model with the beautiful teeth. Tyra you are a good inspiration on young teens. Tyra you are a beautiful person inside and out and don't mine helping others. I hope you can make my dream come true and fix my teeth, it would be a true blessing. Hola
Posted by Quinita 12/02/08 7:16 PM
 
Im extremly over weight and Im 15 it is really hard and people expect us to have al;l this confidence and its hard when we are constantly being put down by our peers its really depressing espically if you live throguh it everyday almost everyday one person at least one thing about my weight.and its really scary because my pants are starting to get small on me again and im already size 24 in 9th grade i know thats horrible.
Posted by Abby 12/02/08 5:13 PM



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