My name is Amanda and I have been heavy all my life. I have tried everything to lose weight and I don’t know what else to do.

Do you have any other things that can help me lose weight? I eat right but I don't have time to exercise with work and school. I just don't know what to do and I don’t want to resort to pills or surgery. Please help me. Thanks.

Amanda, 17-year-old woman

Dear Amanda:

Let me first commend you for not wanting to resort to pills or surgery. Surgery is expensive and insurance sees it as cosmetic so they will not cover it. Pills are dangerous and you could get addicted to them.

Secondly, I can empathize with you. Losing weight is an extremely difficult task. It takes determination and persistence. I know - I have been there and I am still in the process of trying to get my weight to where I would like it to be. I have to be honest with you, though. You do have to set aside time to exercise. Watching calories is a good thing and should be done under your doctor's supervision so that you are not denying yourself any necessary nutrients. You do not want to put your health at risk while trying to lose weight, so please have a physical first and check in regularly with your doctor as you are losing weight.

I realize that it does take time to exercise and this is often hard to do with our busy schedules. However, if you truly want to lose weight, you must find the time to add exercise into your schedule. Start out small with 20-30 minutes of cardio (fat burning) exercises and try to do this three times per week. The best cardio exercise is power walking at a steady pace. Swimming or jumping in place is also good. Almost anything that gets the heart rate going and keeps it going for 20-30 minutes is good. This is called aerobic exercise and it truly does burn the fat if you stick with it until you reach your desired weight. Good luck, don't give up, and God bless you.