A combination of larger portions, increased intake of convenience foods and lower levels of activity is causing more Americans to be obese than ever before. For teens, obesity can not only be a threat to health, but to their sense of well-being. Losing weight can improve your confidence levels and life expectancy. Just be sure to lose weight in a healthy manner and consult a physician before beginning a weight loss plan.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise can help you beat stress and is a great solution for depression and irritability, points out bodybuilder Kris Gethin. In addition, cardio can burn a lot of calories, depending on the exercise.
According to the calorie expenditure calculator at NutriStrategy, running at a 10-minute mile pace for one hour can burn up to 863 calories. Biking 19 miles in an hour can burn more than 1,000 calories.
Sports
Sports are a great way to lose weight because they are a fun way to build camaraderie and confidence in addition to burning calories. According to NutriStrategy, basketball is particularly effective, as an hour of playing a basketball game can burn 690 calories. Ice hockey and football can burn about the same number of calories in an hour.
Weight Training
Weight training is helpful in weight loss in two ways--- first, it burns calories, and secondly, it builds muscle, which can lead to additional calorie burn. Dr. M. Doug McGuff points out that five pounds of muscle burns 250 extra calories per day. And according to NutriStrategy, an hour of weight lifting burns more than 500 calories.
Cutting Calories
In order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume each day. The easiest way to do this is burn calories through exercise, and eat fewer calories overall. According to personal trainer Jaime Girard, you should aim to create a 500 calorie deficit each day. This will set you up to lose one pound of fat per week, a healthy rate of fat loss.
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