weight loss cardiff answers:

As far as overall health goes diet and exercise are both important but as far as specifically weight loss goes, diet is actually up to 80% of the problem (or solution).
So exercise is very important, don’t get me wrong, and it’ll definitely speed up the process. But you are right that motivation is the biggest part of the battle, so your situation becomes rather sticky. But I’m a little confused. Does your mom refuse to buy anything healthy for you? Or simply refuse to join you in your dieting?
In either case, I suggest doing research and coming to your mom with concrete science about the dangers of being unhealthy AS WELL AS the benefits of being healthy and some tasty looking healthy recipes. If your mom has been refusing to buy you healthy food then that should definitely be enough to change her mind. If she has just been refusing to join you, it may or may not get her on board depending on how convincing you are with your research and recipes.
Since most healthier meals require cooking, you may develop a hobby out of it.

I’m no expert, but I know waay more than the average person about nutrition. So hopefully this helps:

What recent research has been showing is that there is a certain rule of thumb that natural or “whole” foods are almost always the better choice. For centuries humans have eaten what they can hunt, find on the ground, or grow, and then we sometimes hold it over fire. That’s how we’ve eaten forever and thats how our bodies evolved to eat, it’s what we’re meant for.
That being the case, there have been many cultures which eat only natural foods without any chemicals and they have very low obesity rates. Even Eskimo people ate pretty much nothing but seal meat, which is very high in fat, they were relatively healthy.
Why? Because our bodies are designed to eat natural foods, not fake preserved foods with unnatural chemicals like hydrogenated oils and processed sugars like corn syrup. Our bodies don’t have a problem adjusting to high fat diets as long as they are totally natural. Now, it may be easier to split the different between a high fat natural diet and a low fat fake one. So you ought to split the difference. Eat any whole food, but you can speed up the process by eating whole foods which are low in fat and high in vitamins. Avoid starchy types of foods like white potatoes (sweet potatoes are alright) and breads, but don’t completely eliminate them from your diet, and given the choice, always pick that over something unnatural. Even if it says “diet” on the front, the whole food is still better. Avoid high sugar foods but especially avoid corn syrup. I can’t stress that enough. Natural sugar makes you WAY less fat than processed corn syrup, and corn syrup also can give you cancer later in life.

AVOID SODA. Even diet soda, diet soda is a huge scam, it does virtually nothing better for your body than regular soda. Soda is basically like drinking candy. Dropping soda is a huge stepping stone. A 12 oz coke can has 40.5 grams of corn syrup. That’s almost as much as an entire package of skittles, which are pretty much made up entirely of sugar.
AVOID RED MEAT like Pork and Beef. They are not lean meats. Chicken, turkey, and fish are much healthier and are a great substitute for your sources of protein (especially fish, salmon is like a miracle food – low in fat and chock full of just about everything your body needs. Mahi mahi is pretty good for you and catfish isn’t the best, but it’s still better than beef or pork).

Also, most people think the vegetarian diet isn’t good because it lacks protein. I’m not saying go veggie but you should know that this is a myth. Very rarely do vegetarians lack protein because people need a lot less protein than most think. You do need it, but very few people in the U.S. Are anywhere near needing more. You will get the right amount. So don’t ever worry about trying to get more in your diet. It will just slow you down in weight loss.
Two more things:
Portion of food is a huge factor in weight loss. Sometimes overeating healthy food can be worse than eating the right amount of a food that is not quite as healthy. Overeating is definitely something to avoid. And I know you’re probably hating to hear that because you don’t want to eat a meal that doesn’t satisfy you and leaves you hungry but a good way to make sure that doesn’t happen is to eat more slowly. Your body takes a while to process the idea that it is no longer hungry, so if you eat more slowly, you will start to realize that you are full before you think you would be full, meaning you can eat less and still be satisfied.
Drinking lots of water actually helps speed up the weight loss process quite a bit.

Also, just to clarify, when I say natural foods, that doesn’t mean you can’t cook them. I count cooking as a natural process. I’m just saying that fruits, vegetables, and lean meats are much better for you than anything frozen or preserved that you find at the store.

weight loss cardiff answers:

Taking in mild and easy to digest soups and juices are recommended to allow the stomach to go back to its normal functioning. A simple consommé of vegetable with leeks, onions, garlic and ginger is a great option to start with. Progress to heavier soups made with starchy vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes, beans and corn. Alternatively, a porridge made with rice is also a good choice

weight loss cardiff answers:

It may be easier to eat six or more smaller, balanced meals rather than eating three large meals, especially if you’re not used to eating much at one time.

Protein powders and nutritional supplements such as Ensure can be added for in-between meal snacks. You can also make your own delicious protein shakes at home with a blender using milk, yogurt, frozen fruit, etc. Look for some easy recipes here: http://www.easy-weightloss-tips.com/weight-loss-shake-recipes.html
Exchange the skim milk and fat-free yogurt for regular since you don’t want to lose weight. Most protein powders are not very tasty unless mixed with other ingredients.

Exercise is an important part of healthy weight gain. Strength training is especially important and will build muscles. This can be done at home or in a gym. Cardio exercises are healthy and should be a part of your routine, but they burn maximum calories and may cause you to lose weight if you don’t eat consume plenty of calories. Limit your cardio workout to 30 minutes. Consider activities such as: power walking, jogging, biking, swimming laps, jumping rope, dancing, skating, etc. Yoga and Pilates are excellent additions to your workout as well. Here are some exercises you can do at home to help target certain areas:
http://www.easy-weightloss-tips.com/target-exercises.html

Some suggestions to help you gain weight:

1)Add healthy calories to your menu. Start breakfast with a slice of whole-wheat toast and peanut butter.
2)Trail mixes, nuts, dried fruits, and protein bars are healthy high-caloric snacks.
3)Drink healthy beverages such as milk and fruit juice. Avoid sweet drinks that add no nutritional value.
4)Choose the healthy option every time. Avoid fried foods. Eat larger portions of healthier foods such as baked potatoes, chicken, fish, etc.
5)Follow the food pyramid guidelines and make sure that you include all the major food groups in your diet.
6)Consume heart-healthy oils by eating olive, walnut, or canola oil in your homemade salad dressings. Add cheese and nuts to salads for additional healthy calories.