DR. WALLACE: I set a goal this summer of losing 15 pounds of weight, both so I could wear the summer clothes I wanted and so that I would have a new slimmed-down physique to start my senior year in high school next year.

The good news is I lost 5 pounds quickly, within the first two weeks of my diet and exercise plan. However, the next two weeks I actually gained a pound; in the following two weeks I lost 2 pounds. This means that I've lost only six pounds in six full weeks! Help, this is not fast enough! What else can I do to lose the other nine pounds faster? — Unhappy With My Progress, via email

UNHAPPY WITH MY PROGRESS: Your experience is not as unusual as you may think it is. Many people of all ages strive to lose weight via the good combination of eating healthier and exercising more, often losing several pounds fairly quickly and then plateauing for various periods of time. The good news is those who stick with it do eventually and gradually lose the additional pounds to hit their target weight.

Your letter didn't mention your current weight or your target weight, and of course I have no idea about your daily eating habits, calorie intake, exercise routine or frequency.

Therefore, I suggest you speak with your medical professional or a family doctor to briefly explain what you're doing and how you're going about it. This professional should be able to help you identify a healthy target weight for your age and body type, plus your own unique medical history. Hopefully this target will be similar to the one that you're currently striving to achieve, but if it is not, you should follow your medical professional's advice rather than seek a weight that you want simply because it sounds good to you.

Also speak openly about your exercise routine, its frequency and intensity. You should seek confirmation and reassurance from your medical professional to ensure your workout program is safe and healthy for you as well.

Once you have these things aligned, I trust that if you stick with it over time, you will achieve the new target that the two of you set as best for your overall health and wellness.

SHE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO 'GO STEADY'

DR. WALLACE: I'm 18 and my girlfriend will turn 18 in the first week of October. We both attended the same high school and just graduated this past spring. We live in a modest-sized town, and we both right now live with our respective parents. I have a good job and my girlfriend is studying to become a nurse, so she's taking some classes at our local college.

Even though we attended the same high school together for four years and we had many friends in common, we didn't start dating each other regularly until this February, so we've only been dating for about six months now.

My problem is that her father has told her for a long time that it was OK for her to date different guys here and there, but that she shouldn't date any guy exclusively. I guess her father is worried about her falling in love, wanting to get married, wanting to move out of the house, or even having a child at a young age. I really don't know what his thinking might be since she doesn't like to talk much about it.

Her mom is much more understanding, and I get along great with her. We always communicate where we are going and what we are doing, and I've always treated this young lady with honor and respect. I really like her and want to see over the next year or more how well we do together if we continue dating each other. It's too early to tell for sure, but I could see having a long-term future with her if our relationship continues to develop. But for now, everything is fine except for the fact that I feel bad that she keeps our "steady dating" situation a secret from her father. She says her dad thinks she dates various guys casually a few times then moves on to another guy. Should I say anything to him? — A Loyal and Steady Boyfriend, via email

A LOYAL AND STEADY BOYFRIEND: At this point, it might not make much sense to rock the boat with her. Her mom knows you well, respects you and trusts you with her daughter. Her father has his rules and has mostly been uninvolved in dealing with you, so now is likely not the time to bring it up.

I mention this for two reasons. First, I take you at your word that you have treated your girlfriend well and with respect and that you are of good character. Second, she will turn 18 in about six weeks and at that point both of you will be adults, irrespective of the fact that you're each living in your parents' homes. I don't expect anything to magically change on her 18th birthday, but technically she at that point can make her own decisions about her own life. I do encourage you to seek to interact slowly and gradually with her father over time so that the two of you can get to know each other better and so that he can hopefully come to view you in the way that his wife does.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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