Abi

I work in a team of about 20 people at work. The majority of them are between 18 and 25 and I fit nicely in the middle of that age range. I've been in the job over 2 years so everyone knows me well by now.

They're always going out clubbing but they literally haven't invited me once. They don't invite the older members of the team but I'm into the same things as them and I'm the same age as them.

I've been out on organised work parties before and they've offered to let me share a taxi, spent time talking and dancing with me and just generally being social so I don't feel like I'm the weirdo they want to leave out. They definitely do include me at these parties and by choice plus we have a good laugh.

So why exactly would they be excluding me when they all just go out for a few drinks or to bars? I have social anxiety (I've never showed this side of me to my coworkers and I always come across as confident at work) so this is probably getting to me more than it should do but I can't help feeling like there is some hidden reason why I'm the only one they don't invite.

Hi there,

I went to a staff meeting yesterday and we were told that we now have to tuck in our polo shirts at work. This looks a little goofy but I can get pas that.

What I can't get past is the fact that I'm a recovered anorexic and I still struggle with having my belly area on show. I'm not huge by any means (a UK 6-8) but I have IBS and PCOS so bloating around that area often makes me appear larger than I am. I also have quite a short torso.

I don't want to look short and chubby as I actually only weigh 110lbs at 5ft 4. What's the best style of trousers/belts which help to slim the area down in appearance? I'm rubbish with dressing for body shapes so I need some help. I'd say I'm pretty boyish with a straight up and down figure (31, 27, 33).

I run a hell of a lot. Usually around 6 miles a day, 5 x per week. I also lift weights. I've heard so much about the importance of a sports bra for female runners as it can be quite damaging to breast tissue if you don't wear one.

I currently wear a normal bra for running and I'm only a 30/32A. Do I actually need a sports bra? I can do exercise without it hurting quite easily even if I'm running. Does the size matter and is it still damaging to me if I don't wear one?

My partner, my friend and I are meant to be going to a festival tomorrow and my partner's employer has told him he can no longer have the holiday.

My partner told them while he was working for an agency before he was taken on by the company full-time as it was already booked back then. They've had about 6 months notice. The holiday did mean that my partner would go over his annual leave but his supervisor told him he would get it sorted. A few weeks later the supervisor confirmed it would be fine.

The supervisor was planning to use his remaining days of leave as well as putting sick days in for him to work around the system and my partner was told his plans were ok.

Yesterday, my parter checked his rota and he hadn't got the days off that he wanted. His boss then told him that he can't get cover for his days off and he's already over his holiday allowance so he couldn't have the holiday. Literally TWO DAYS BEFORE.

My partner has offered everything today including unpaid leave, paying out of his own pocket for the cover guy's wages, making up time through overtime, not taking any holidays next year etc. The boss still says no and there's nothing they can do about it.

Can they actually do this? If my partner can't go then I can't go as I am physically unable to carry the stuff I would need (medical reasons) and if I don't go I doubt that my friend would go alone. All in all, we will have lost £700 worth of tickets, £200 on gear and probably a friendship.

I'm going on work experience for university next week to a lifestyle magazine.

I asked the editor what I should wear and he said 'casual office wear'.

What exactly is casual office wear? They seem to contradict each other to me! I'm a 21-year-old female so I was hoping you guys could give me some examples of what you think he means.

I'm going on work experience for university next week to a lifestyle magazine.

I asked the editor what I should wear and he said 'casual office wear'.

What exactly is casual office wear? They seem to contradict each other to me! I'm a 21-year-old female so I was hoping you guys could give me some examples of what you think he means.

I was using a microwave pouch of rice last night and I completely forgot to microwave it before mixing it in with my curry. I ate it and now in very ill!

What's best to do? How long does it last? I feel like rubbish :(

I just opened a box of chocolates and the best before was fine (4 months away) but they've been sat in my room for a while.

My room can get a little damp. I ate a chocolate and it looked fine yet picked up another and it was furry and green! I looked and saw the whole box was fairly bad.

Will anything bad happen? I only ate one and I don't think the one I ate was like severely mouldy like the rest. I'm grossed out but, apart from that, will I be ok?

It's my 21st birthday today. I live away from my family and won't be getting any cards or presents until Saturday which I'm ok with. I live with my boyfriend of over over 2 years.

He told me today that he hasn't got me anything for my birthday because he didn't know what I wanted when I said I'd be happy with jewellery or anything really. I have no card, no present...nothing. Even a bunch of cheap flowers would have been nice to acknowledge that it's my birthday. I bought my own cake and drinks (he never offered to pay).

I don't expect all that much but he does earn £15,000 a year compared to my student loan and I bought him a £150 watch for his 21st that he still wears every day 2 years later.

It's not just me though. It was his Mum's 40th yesterday and he was going to visit her (she lives 10 miles away) but didn't because he'd had a 'hard day at work'.

How can I explain to him that this is quite upsetting for both me and his Mum without sounding like some psycho ***** who just wants money? I don't think he thinks the same way about birthdays so maybe he doesn't understand that it's actually not a very nice thing to do.

A recipe I'm trying to follow asks for out lentils. Would it be ok to swap these with red split lentils? I've never seen puy lentils before. I live in the UK and they don't seem readily available.

Hi there,

I'm a 20-year-old female and I am a bit of a health freak. I hit the gym 5-6 days a week which includes an hour of light(ish) weight training and an hour of cardio.

I weigh 108lbs or 7st 10 and follow a strict vegan diet which means I don't get all that much protein. My body fat percentage is between 14 and 15 but my thighs are huge for my size! Is this normal considering I really don't do this to bulk up and I don't consume much protein? Is there anything I can do to slim them down a little? I'm only tiny and it looks really out of proportion :( I do have a fair bit of muscle tone all over but it's only my thighs that look particularly bulky.

Hi there,

I've been vegetarian since mid-2010 and gave up dairy products just over a month ago too.

I've wanted to go vegan for a while now but eggs are EVERYWHERE! I seriously find it difficult to avoid them. I enjoy meat replacements and most have eggs in them and if not, they're usually VERY expensive. I am a rather skint university student so that isn't ideal.

Eating out is also a rather unsuccessful story. I simply cannot find anywhere that serves vegan food and has a nice atmosphere where my meat-eater boyfriend would also enjoy.

All we have in the area for shopping is a Tesco and a Lidl.

Come on guys, how on earth is this possible? I'm finding it so difficult.

Hi,

I've been a vegetarian for 3 years now and have always wanted to try veganism. However, after much consideration, I figured veganism would be very very difficult given I'm on a particularly tight budget at university and I live with my omnivore partner.

I have finally settled on a compromise of becoming ovo vegetarian and giving up the dairy but not the eggs (eggs seem to be in everything!). I will only be buying free-range eggs or products with free-range eggs which is the same as when I was lacto-ovo,

Do you guys have any advice? I just ate my first soya yoghurt and it was actually better than a normal yoghurt. My main worry is eating out and when on holiday next June. It is a British cruise I am going on though so it shouldn't be too bad, should it?

I'm 20-years-old (female) and I'm doing a challenge at my gym to see who can run, jog or walk the furthest before the new year.

I'm currently in the lead for the country so I'm determined to win this!

Winning, however, could mean a lot more running than usual! I've been running 5k a day (24mins), 5/6 days a week for the past two years. I can comfortably do steady 10k's (52mins) on most days though.

It's still a big increase in activity and I can't really afford to lose much more weight at 5ft 4 and 106lbs (7st 8lb). I'm looking for general advice on how to do this.

Nutrition? I currently only have about 1200 calories a day as I struggle to get any more in and continue to eat healthy. What should I be focusing on intaking? How much? I'm vegetarian by the way.

I'm moving in with my boyfriend in 9 days. After 2 years of unemployment (the same length as our relationship) he has secured a brilliant job just in time for us moving in.

I want to do something special on moving in day to say well done to him as it really has been a rough ride to get to this point and he has truly worked his butt off to get a job.

It's only a student couples flat so there's nothing too romantic as I'm still in university (he finished education after college). I just want ideas of what I can do for him that will be special as this day will only happen once. He is also moving out of his parents home for the first time so it makes it quite exciting for him whereas I moved out at age 18 so I've already been there and done that.

I'm 20 and he's 22 just for the record.

Hi there,

I'm an adult at 108lbs and 5ft 4. I am therefore pretty skinny with a very flat and toned tummy.

I LOVE high waisted skinny jeans but whenever I wear them I am put off. I turn to the side and it appears as if I have a huge belly bulge in my lower abdomen when no such thing exists!

I've tried belts and everything. Any of you lot have any solutions to this? Do the jeans not fit me or is it just something that happens to everyone who wears these?

I am 20-years-old and at university studying journalism. I am currently in my second year and have a part-time job at a supermarket to increase my savings.

I have been with my almost 22-year-old partner a year and a half and shall be moving in with him in September. The place we're renting is completely affordable and we've worked out all the maths and know we'll be in a stable position.

However, my partner was fired from a job just before I got with him and has been unable to find work since with little qualifications except the absolute basics. This means I shall be paying the majority of rent and food in September if things carry on like this which is easily do-able just not exactly the ideal situation.

It didn't bother me until recently and I love him dearly as pretty much everything in the relationship is perfect other than this. We haven't argued once and are still absolutely smitten.

I was wondering if there's anything else that he, or we, could do to get him a job? He's perfectly happy with retail but never even makes the interview stage given his record and lack of references. He refuses to go back into education as he did 4 years of college and several courses which he failed for many reasons (personal circumstances).

It's starting to feel a bit hopeless now. At first I was confident he would get a job eventually and it would all be fine but it's been this way for much too long in my opinion.

I'm 20-years-old and suffered a huge battle with anorexia between ages 13 and 17. I consider myself to be over it now and I eat regular meals and perform vigorous exercise six times a week.

However, I still seem to have that mindset of being completely self-conscious and wanting to lose more weight despite being a UK size 6 to 8 (US 2 to 4) and completely healthy. It's completely eating away at my ability to wear the clothes I want and my partner is becoming frustrated by the fact I find myself unattractive and fat.

I don't get the urge to not eat anymore yet I still get the urge to lose weight.

I don't want to hear about how I'm not fat; I just need some guidance on how I can stop thinking this way. Anything would be a huge help as it's destroying me!

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Hi there,

I will be going into my final year at uni next September and plan to get a flat with my partner. There are couples flats in my halls of residence and its all in including council tax, however, the rent is quite expensive.

He currently has a Christmas temp job but was previously on JSA so we're preparing for the worst if he has to go back on job seekers. Would we be able to claim housing benefits if he couldn't get a job for any reason as the money we would receive would only cover the rent and not any living costs.

We're hoping he'll have a permanent job but we're trying to calculate whether the costs could be realistically covered if the worst comes to the worst.

Thanks :)