Teens especially should consult with a professional, because their growing bodies have particular nutritional needs, and because teens often have unrealistic views of what constitutes a healthy weight. To repeat, weight loss should never be undertaken alone, without any guidance, especially for teens. A sensible plan, tailored to your specific needs, in combination with the right support network, will increase the odds of weight loss success and reduce the possibility of negative health impacts. [1] X Research source
Sadly, in a culture where millions of teens would benefit from losing weight, many who don’t need to lose weight end up endangering their health and well-being by attempting to do so. This, again, is why it is important to consult with a healthcare professional first. You need to establish whether you need to lose weight, and if so, set up realistic, healthy goals for your weight loss regimen. It is unwise and possibly harmful to try to do this on your own. Determining your Body Mass Index (BMI) is one way to gauge your goal for weight loss (or weight gain, for that matter). BMI calculators are available online, specifically calibrated for teen girls, for instance. A BMI calculation is not a substitute for medical advice from a professional, however, which will factor in details like your overall health and medical and family histories.
Being overweight can cause undue stress, negative self-image, and possibly problems like depression or even a desire to harm oneself. Under the proper guidance, and with the right emotional support network — perhaps including professional assistance — a healthy weight loss plan can help resolve such issues. Don’t try to lose weight to make your partner happy, or to look like that model in the magazine ad. Do it for you — for your health, and your happiness.
Generally speaking, unless you are under the specific guidance of a physician, any regimen that averages more than two pounds lost per week is not considered safe or healthy. [3] X Research source “Quick fix” plans and fad diets can be bad for your health in and of themselves, and are unlikely to address the root causes of why you are overweight. [4] X Expert Source Alyssa ChangWellness Coach & Personal Trainer Expert Interview. 16 October 2019. Thus, they make it more likely that your weight will rebound back up after a short-term loss, which can have negative physical and psychological effects. Think of it in terms of the old story of the tortoise and the hare. We all want to shed the excess pounds quickly, but “slow and steady” tends to win the battle against obesity.
Skip the diet pills that can have unknown and damaging side effects, and the starvation diets (anything under 1600 calories for the average teen) that can lead to ongoing health problems. [5] X Research source Losing weight is about changing your life for the better, not risking long-term damage for some temporary satisfaction. Teens can have trouble thinking in the long term, which is why the right support network, including family, friends, and experts, is of such importance.
There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing weight gain or slowed loss when you think you’re sticking to the plan. Preparing your own meals at home lets you control what you’re putting in your body and keeps you on track. Sometimes, you want to grab some food with your friends on the weekend. That’s okay — you don’t want to miss out on your social life for your diet. When you do eat out, make sure to ask the waiter about how the dishes you’re interested in are cooked to prevent any surprises that might frustrate your diet. Don’t be afraid to ask them to ask the kitchen if they don’t know the answers. Consider the portion sizes of restaurant foods. Ask if they have smaller portion options (order the 1/2 rack of ribs instead of the full rack), or before you even start eating, put a portion of the meal into a “to go” bag.
Always start with less food than you think you’ll need. [6] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Eat slowly to give your body time to process how full your stomach is getting — the brain needs about 20 minutes before it can tell the stomach is full. [7] X Research source If you’re still hungry after that, eat a little more until you’re satisfied. Use your hand to measure your portion sizes. [8] X Trustworthy Source Dairy Council of California Resource center focused on providing nutrition education to help consumers make healthy choices about eating and lifestyle habits. Go to source For example, the recommended 3 oz. of meat in a serving fits in the palm of your hand. A cup of any food is about the size of a fist, while ½ a cup fits into a cupped palm (handful).
In other words, if you reduce calories strictly by eating less, you risk missing out on nutrients; reducing calories in part through exercise avoids this problem. The best way to get fast results that keep you motivated is to combine your diet change with an active lifestyle. [10] X Expert Source Alyssa ChangWellness Coach & Personal Trainer Expert Interview. 16 October 2019. Plus, staying active during your teen years raises your chances of staying active into adulthood, ensuring healthy weight down the road. Talk to your doctor, a trainer, or a professional at the gym to help you plan a safe and effective exercise program. Try to make it fun — you don’t have to grind it out at the gym by yourself! Enlist your friends to keep you company and make it a social activity, as long as you can stay focused. Joining a sports team is a great way to spend time with your friends while getting a lot of structured exercise. Even walking has health and weight-loss benefits and is a good way to start.
On top of that, drinking enough water can keep your body from confusing thirst for hunger, reducing your need to snack between meals. Drink a glass of water before meals, then drink another glass while you’re eating. Taking sips between bites slows you down as you eat and keeps your from eating past the point of fullness. Make sure to drink at least 8 cups of water every day, but don’t be afraid to drink more! Drinking water also keeps your skin hydrated and can help keep acne in check.
If you need a morning pick-me-up, replace your Frappuccino with a black coffee.
Furthermore, they can pose real health risks if taken too far because they drastically limit what you can eat and cause nutritional imbalance. For instance, eating nothing but grapefruit for two weeks will certainly help you lose weight, but you’ll feel terrible. The weight will come back as soon as you return to a regular diet. Be wary of any diet that: Promises quick weight loss Helps a company sell a product (a supplement or detox drink, for example) Lacks credible scientific research to support its claims Seriously restricts your food options (eating cabbage soup for a week)
Any calorie counting plan, or calorie reduction plan in general, needs to emphasize the nutritional value of the calories consumed first and foremost. The advice of a health professional in setting up your plan is the best way to ensure this necessity. [14] X Research source
Without this thoughtful approach, you may end up with malnutrition. [16] X Research source When we eat more calories than we need to get through the day, the body stores that energy away for later. Unfortunately, it stores it as fat. By limiting our calorie intake, we encourage the body to burn off our excess fat for energy.
Sedentary Lifestyle: you spend most of your day sitting, whether at a desk at school or on the couch at home. Exercise isn’t part of your regular routine. Moderate Activity: You’re active throughout the day, stay on your feet, and do heavier chores around the house like lawn mowing or vacuuming. You make room in your schedule for exercise several times a week, whether on your own or with a team at school, and you work yourself hard during these sessions. Very Active: You exercise every single day and push yourself as hard as you can.
Sedentary: 1,800 in girls and 2,000 – 2,400 in boys Moderately Active: 2,000 in girls and 2,400-2,800 in boys Very active: 2,400 in girls and 2,800-3,200 in boys One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, so to lose one pound per week, you need to consume on average 500 fewer calories per day (3,500 per week) than you burn. [18] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Therefore, if you are a moderately active girl who wants to lose one pound per week, you need to eat 500 calories less per day than the 2,000 you burn; that is, 1,500 calories. Please note, however, that teens who consume less than 1,600 calories per day risk malnutrition, so only undertake such a diet under the supervision of a medical professional. [19] X Research source
The most important thing about counting calories is making sure you still give your body enough fuel to get through the day. Pushing the limit will put a lot of strain on your vital organs and, over time, could result in serious health risks. It is also bad for weight loss, as your body gets tricked into thinking it’s starving. When this happens, it lowers its metabolism and hangs onto energy (in the form of fat) as long as it can, slowing down weight loss. Under no circumstances should you eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day.
There are many websites and phone apps you can use to track your calorie intake throughout the day. Some phone apps even have barcode scanners that let you input calorie data just by pointing your phone camera at the label. Make sure to measure out your servings. That a bag of chips from the gas station might have 2. 5, not 1 serving in it. Input your calorie information accurately.
Measure out your serving sizes to make sure you’re getting your real calorie count. Measuring cups and food scales are the best way to ensure accuracy.
Look for foods that are low in calories, but dense in nutrition. Examples include raisins, leafy greens like spinach and kale, fresh vegetables and fruits like strawberries and carrots, and lean proteins like chicken and fish. [23] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
There are simple carbs (such as in fruits and vegetables) as well as complex carbs (bread, cereal, rice, potatoes, etc. ), and some low-carb diets focus particularly on cutting out the latter. The biggest problem, however, is probably the consumption of “empty carbs,” or carb-rich foods with limited nutritional value (think potato chips, for instance). There’s no single way to reduce carbohydrate intake. Some plans allow a limited amount of complex carbs, while others cut them out of the diet completely. If you stick to the diet, cutting carbs has been shown to quickly reduce weight, though it can return when you resume a normal diet. [25] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source A good baseline for a low-carb diet is 60 – 130 grams of carbohydrates per day. Compare that to the 225 – 325 recommended for a regular, but still healthy diet. Once again, your safest bet is to consult with a healthcare professional about low-carb diet options. Don’t blindly trust what you hear on commercials or see online.
Low-carb diets do seem to have an advantage over other diets in short-term weight loss; the evidence regarding long-term weight loss is less clear, although low-carb diets seem to be at least as effective in this realm as other diets. [27] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Low-carb diets may decrease your chances of heart disease by improving your HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It may also lower your blood sugar, decreasing your risk of developing diabetes. These benefits are associated with any weight-loss regimen, though, not just low-carb diets. When you begin a low-carb plan, you may experience headaches, fatigue, constipation, and other symptoms as your body attempts to adjust. If your carb intake is too low, you risk nutritional deficiencies and disorders like ketosis, which occurs when you don’t have enough glucose stored for energy and your body responds with several unpleasant effects.
Any type of fish or shellfish (excluding mussels and oysters) Any type of poultry (chicken, turkey, etc. ) Any type of meat, assuming carbs haven’t been added through processing. The most common culprits are bacons and hams that are cured in sugar. Dark, leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and kale All vegetables except for starchy ones like potatoes and parsnips. Small amounts of cheese (about 1 gram per day) Healthy fats and oils (butter, cold-pressed vegetable oils, olive oil, mayonnaise with no added sugar)
Sugars: Some people choose to cut even simple sugars from fruits and juices out of their low-carb diets. At the very least, avoid the refined sugars found in soft drinks, candies, desserts, and sugary breakfast cereals. Avoid processed fruits (canned in syrup, dried). Grains: This includes pasta, bread, rice, and cereal. Again, some people choose to cut all grains out of their diets. At the least, cut refined grains (white bread, white rice, regular pasta) out and opt for whole grain options (wheat or whole-grain bread, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta). Starchy vegetables: Although potatoes and parsnips are vegetables, their starch content makes them a bad fit for a low-carb diet. [30] X Research source
Check nutrition labels for carbohydrate counts Measure food with measuring cups and a food scale Keep track of your daily intake and make sure you stay within your daily limit.
This is one of the reasons why healthy, lasting weight loss is about more than just trying to eat less. Only by identifying and addressing root behaviors can a proper weight loss plan succeed. This is also why the right support network is so important. If depression or some other condition is at the root of your struggle with your weight, the proper help is essential, before any concern about weight loss. Teen weight loss is often most effective when the entire family is fully supportive. This does not necessarily mean that everyone has to go on a diet; it may, however, mean changing mealtime routines and replacing unhealthy eating habits with more nutritious alternatives.
When you see other people who look great, don’t get jealous — focus on how good you’ll look (and feel) if you stick to your plan!
You don’t have to eat broccoli if you don’t like it — stick to munching on the carrots you love! So what if you can’t eat bread? You can still eat the turkey from your beloved turkey sandwiches! A diet shouldn’t be a punishment. Put some thought into making your meals enjoyable so you look forward to them.
A good way to avoid this is to allow yourself one “structured” cheat day a week. When the day is over, you’ll have satisfied all your cravings and will be ready to put in another six days of healthy eating. Don’t cheat mindlessly. When you’re eating forbidden foods on cheat day, really savor the experience. Enjoy that burger with all five senses, and eat it slow to make the experience last longer.
If you ate 100 calories too much today, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just work out a little harder tomorrow or eat especially healthy food. Even though you want to lose weight fast, don’t forget that weight loss is still a long-term process. Little mistakes here and there won’t ruin your diet. Cut yourself some slack, but rededicate yourself to your plan. You’ll get there soon enough!
You can also find people to talk to in many online weight loss forums, where you can share your frustrations and successes with a lot of people who are going through the same thing. Consider joining Weight Watchers or another respected weight-loss program for extra support and information. Many hospitals and medical clinics also have weight-loss centers to help teenagers lose weight effectively and safely. Starting a friendly competition with friends and relatives can help you exceed your goals. Who can get the most steps in on their pedometer this week?
