Trying to look like a supermodel by losing too much weight at once can be downright dangerous for growing teen girls. If you believe you need to lose weight, talk to a doctor or dietitian who can assess your habits and health, gauge your growth patterns and make safe weight loss recommendations. The trick to losing weight easily and keeping it off is to adopt a lifetime of healthy diet and exercise habits.
Step 1
Write down goals based on your doctor's advice. Your doctor is likely to recommend that you lose weight the old-fashioned way: steadily, and through a combination of exercising and eating healthy foods. A steady pace would be about 1 to 2 lbs. each week, or burning an extra 500 to 1,000 calories through diet and exercise each day, according to the Mayo Clinic. With that in mind, jot down a realistic end goal, such as "Lose 5 lbs. in five months," and write out small and measurable goals, such as "Walk 30 minutes a day," to attain your overall weight loss goal.
Step 2
Eat breakfast. Even if you just eat a banana and a piece of string cheese as you run out the door, having nutritious foods in the morning will boost your metabolism and give you energy to sit through classes until lunch, says the Mayo Clinic. It may even prevent you from making unhealthy snack choices and reduce the likelihood that you will become so hungry that you overeat at meals.
Step 3
Eat healthier foods. Your dietitian should supply you with recommendations specific to your needs, but a healthy eating rule-of-thumb is to eat more plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, according to the Mayo Clinic. And while you shouldn't completely ditch your favorite treats, know that replacing your typical two cans of cola each day with water will save you about 280 calories.
Step 4
Turn off the TV more often. Kids and teens who regularly watch more than four hours of TV a day are more likely to be overweight, according to the Nemours Foundation. This likely happens because you burn fewer calories watching TV than just sitting still on a couch doing nothing, according to research from the American Academy of Pediatrics. If you watch a lot of TV and simply can't turn off your favorite shows to ride your bike, do exercises such as yoga poses and jogging in place as you watch your favorite shows.
Step 5
Join a sports team or pick up an active hobby. You should be getting a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity each day, but you don't have to do it all at once, says the Mayo Clinic. Try out for the softball team with a friend or, if sports don't do it for you, find other ways to be active. Ask your friend to join you as you walk to school, take a dance class and walk your dog after dinner.
Things You'll Need
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
Member Comments