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How to Lose Weight in Your Sleep (Sorta)

Saturday September 4, 2010
Teenager Sleeping
Dreaming about gorging on
sweets is healthier than
actually doing it.
If you want to get down to a healthier weight, one doctor says that you might want to start by getting more sleep.

According to a new study, teens who sleep less than 8 hours a night eat more fatty foods than teens who sleep longer. Every extra hour you snooze, the statistics say, you're 21% less likely to gorge on snacks.

Why? Possibly because going to sleep earlier means less late-night binging, and because when you feel well-rested during the day, you're less likely to compensate by stuffing yourself with unhealthy snacks.

So do your bod a favor and get to bed on time!

Related articles: Does Your Weight Match Your Height?, How to Get a Good Night's Sleep, Does Your School Make You Wake Up Too Early?

Are Teens Who Smoke Sadder Than You?

Thursday September 2, 2010
Teenager Smoking
Smoke now, cry
about it later.
Some people who smoke say it feels good, but according to a new study, they're kinda wrong.

Teen smokers are actually more likely to be depressed, nervous and worried than nonsmoking teens.

Are cigarettes making them depressed? Maybe, maybe not. It might be that teens who choose to take up smoking are doing it because they're depressed to begin with.

But either way you explain it, I think this is good evidence that you can't smoke yourself happy. (At least nothing on this list looks happy to me.)

Related articles: 20 Fast Facts About Cigarette Smoking, What Just One Cigarette Can Do, I was Peer Pressured Into Smoking!

From the Forum: My Friend Just Dumped Me!

Monday August 30, 2010
The question: I texted my best friend Nik trying to be funny, but he told me to leave him alone, and that "you text me too much, and it's getting pretty old." I bawled my eyes out. I was depressed the rest of that day and the day after.

He is what I used to get away from my problems, and now he's gone. I honestly have two people left that I can go to with my problems - my mom and my friend Brittney. I have been thinking of cutting my wrists and I can't take it. How do go about trying to talk to him?


My answer: Your friend Nik asked you to give him some space, which isn't the same as asking you to get out of his life forever. It's not the end of the world.

But that doesn't mean you don't need to make some changes in this friendship...

Read the rest, and leave her your own advice!

From the Forum: I've Been Having Sex with My Best Friend!

Saturday August 28, 2010
The question: A month back, my best friend and I started getting all touchy-feely, and recently we lost our virginity to each other. Since then we have had sex a couple of times and I feel guilty for doing it afterwards. He told me to let it be and that we would control it the next time. But it kept on happening. Just being with him makes me forget all the reasons not to continue what we have. Now we don't even talk about it afterwards. We both know we can't handle a relationship right now, so there is no use trying.

Sometimes I feel like a whore for doing this. I want to walk away from this arrangement we have. But I can't. Or maybe I want to turn what we have into something substantial. I really don't know. Please help me!


My answer: Who cares about how good you feel when you're with him? When you're not with him (which is, let's face it, a much bigger part of your life), you feel guilty, confused and plain old terrible. Being physically intimate with someone can feel good - really good - but if it makes you feel...

Read the rest, and leave her your own advice!
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