Articles: Weight Loss

Weight Loss for Teens

Obesity is on the rise among America's youth, and it can lead to some serious future problems for these young individuals, such as heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, it is important for teenagers to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. It is important for teens to visit a health care professional in order to determine what weight range they are in, for example under weight, healthy weight, over weight, or obese. Again, it is important for a teen to consult a health care professional in order to determine if they have to lose weight or not. In many instances, teens are not overweight even when they believe they are.

It is important for all teens, no matter what weight they are, to be educated on how to live a healthy lifestyle. This is especially important if a teen is in fact overweight or obese and needs to start a weight loss program. A great resource to help teens learn about a healthy lifestyle is: www.nutrition.gov . It has a wealth of free information. Also, http://mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx is a free resource that will provide a personalized healthy eating plan.

Tips on Weight Loss for Teens

1. Remember to eat healthy, and to never diet- just because you have a goal of losing weight does not mean that you have to go on a diet. It just means that you must adapt better eating habits. Many diets that are out there today are very unhealthy as well as dangerous, and can lead to serious health problems. As a teen you are still developing and growing. Going on a drastic diet will disrupt this process, and can be very dangerous.

2. Remember "5 a Day"- "5 a Day" refers to the food groups: Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Proteins (Meat and Beans), and Dairy. This is the secret to eating healthy. Visit http://mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx to find out the amount of food you require from each group. You should consume the 5 food groups each and every day.

3. Moderation is key- You don't have to give up any foods in order to live a healthy lifestyle. You just need to learn about moderation. Foods that are high in calories, such as ice-cream, cake, or french-fries should only be eaten every once in a while. When faced with high calorie food remember to not overeat. For example stick to one scoop of ice-cream instead of two. Also, have fruit for desert for most days of the week, to satisfy the sweet-tooth.

4. Eat less food, more often- One of the best ways to kick start your metabolism, to help you lose weight, is to eat five small meals throughout the day, instead of three big meals. You can stick a couple of healthy snacks, for example carrot sticks, whole-grain pretzels, or a piece of fruit into your backpack. This way you can have one or two snacks during the day. Adding healthy snacks to your daily eating as well as eating smaller portions during your three main meals can help you to cut calories without feeling deprived.

5. When you want to eat, ask yourself if it is because you are bored- This happens to a lot of people, they eat because they are bored. Stress can also cause people to start eating when they actually don't have to. This type of eating causes problems, because it forces you to take in calories your body doesn't need. The basic principle behind weight gain is that the body uses food for energy. When we eat more food than our body uses that is when we gain weight. Therefore, it is very important to cut back on unneeded snacking. When you find yourself in this situation of snacking, when you don't need to, choose to drink a glass of water instead.

6. Learn to know when you are full- Many people overeat because they don't realize when they are full. It takes twenty minutes for our minds to register that we are full, and in those twenty minutes we can easily overeat. So, when you finish your plate of food, give yourself some time before you think about a second helping. Practicing this technique will help you learn to know when you are actually full.

7. Daily physical activity is a must- Unfortunately; many teens spend their time in front of a screen instead of doing physical activity. This is one of the main contributors to weight gain. You don't have to give up the computer or television, but you do have reorganize your time and add exercise to your daily routine. There are many ways to do this such as: riding your bike, rollerblading, skateboarding, playing sports, dancing, walking your dog, etc. You just have to make sure that you are up moving for at least 30-60 minutes every day.

8. Make your weight loss goals realistic- You should only lose half of a pound to one pound per week. That is the healthiest amount that you can lose. If you lose more, it will actually just be water weight and not fat. Weight loss is a long process, but it is well worth it; especially when you adapt a healthy lifestyle that you can keep for the rest of your life.

9. Find support- Have a serious talk with your parents and friends about your goals, and ask them for their help and support. Your parents or guardian can help make sure you eat healthy, and your friends can participate in some of the physical activities that you do. Ask them to help pump you up, when you are having a hard time.

10. Start small- Remember, that these are life changes you are making. They don't have to be done overnight. You can make small and gradual changes to your current lifestyle, until you achieve a healthy lifestyle.

11. Be proud of yourself- Every time you make a healthy decision be proud of yourself. Don't gage your success on how much weight you lose, but in achieving a healthy lifestyle. When you are excited about the healthy choices you make, it is easier to live a healthy lifestyle. Weight loss is actually just a benefit to living a healthy lifestyle.

12. Find love for yourself- In this modern world there are a lot of crazy messages out there. For example, there can be a lot of messages that emphasize the "need to be thin." That is one of the biggest lies out there. You don't "need" to be thin. You need to be healthy, and you need to feel comfortable with who you are. When you make the decision to lose weight, let the motivation be to become healthy. Love who you are through each step of the process.

13. Weight loss success depends on YOU- No one can do it for you. You are the one that is going to have to make the changes in your life. Therefore, being able to motivate yourself is the key. Use positive motivation to keep you going. For example, keep a favorite motivation quote with you such as, �Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.�- Quote by Stephen R. Covey