How do I get in shape?

Okay, so, I have a few different things going on with my body, and I didn't really want to clutter the forum by opening like a thousand separate threads, so I figured I'd just put everything right here in one post. I'm 14 years old, I'm about 5'11", and I weigh roughly 152 lbs...

1. I am so incredibly desperate to get visible abs. I’ve been doing crunches, squats, and all those kinds of exercises, but honestly, nothing seemed to be happening. I was actually thinking about giving up entirely, but then one day, I went to flex my core and—get this—they felt hard as a rock, but they were hidden under this layer of 😠 😠. Now I'm kind of lost on what to do next. I thought maybe I should try dieting, but I heard that extreme dieting can really mess with your muscle mass and might cause you to "lose" muscle, which sounds scary. So, I guess I'm wondering how I can lose that fat layer so my abs actually show through?

2. I also have an issue with "man boobs," or gynecomastia, I think it's called. I've heard people say the best way to fix it is taking testosterone, but apparently, a side effect is extra hair growth, and I'm already pretty hairy. I've had hair on my chest and stomach since I was 10, so I'm wondering if there's a way to deal with this faster without having to resort to any crazy medical stuff?

3. And then, of course, like most teenagers, acne is driving me absolutely crazy. It's mostly on my upper arms—you know, the part that's always covered by a sleeve—and on my back. Since I was being pretty stupid, I kept picking at the pimples while they were still red, and now, unfortunately, I have scars. I've realized that's not working, so I guess I'm asking for the simplest way to clear this up?

4. Now, this last thing isn't even about my physical appearance, but it's actually the first thing I really want to fix. My friends basically talked me into smoking, and now I've been at it for about 5 or 6 months, going through a pack a day. I know it's bad, obviously, and I'm only 14, but I just can't seem to stop. I'll decide that I've had enough, but then the very next day, it's like automatic—as soon as I step outside, I find myself buying a pack without even thinking about it. Or, even if I manage to go 2 or 3 hours without a cigarette, I'll be hanging out with my friends, smell the smoke, and I just... light up. It's so frustrating because I really want to quit, but I feel totally stuck. To make matters worse, I actually dealt with tuberculosis a couple of months ago, so quitting is even more important now... but I don't want to use patches or anything like that because I really don't want my parents to ever find out about this...

Thanks 😁

Look, you're basically just a kid right now...

It’s really not the time to be stressing over six-pack abs—though if you’re truly dead set on it, just get out there and run consistently, plain and simple... Don't even bother messing with supplements; puberty will sort out your physique on its own. As for gynecomastia, honestly, there isn't much you can do about that besides surgery...
If you DON'T quit smoking, you aren't going to have the lung capacity to actually run—so it’s pretty much this: either commit to a healthy lifestyle and get those abs, or keep the gut and end up dropping dead by 40... 😁

Good luck

Regarding the tiles, I suspect your best bet would be to head over to the PDF Home Improvement section for some actual answers.

As for the gynecomastia, there is already an existing thread covering that.

When it comes to acne and the resulting scarring, you might find something useful in the Skin Care topic—or perhaps even check out the Cosmetics PDF to see what options exist for dealing with it.

On that last point—and speaking as someone who used to be a heavy smoker and is still, quite frankly, struggling to kick those old habits—I’d suggest cutting it off right now if you can. It only gets progressively more difficult from here, I guess. If you happen to be looking for support regarding that as well, there is this excellent thread; the people there are wonderful and incredibly helpful, much like everyone else you'll encounter on Healthline. 🙂

I am going to have to lock this thread. Best of luck.