Teenage obesity is an increasingly common problem, according to the Mayo Clinic. But not all teens know how to lose weight safely. An onslaught of diet opportunities and skinny models can give teenagers --- even the ones who don't need to lose any weight --- unrealistic ideas about weight and weight loss. Healthy weight loss involves committing to permanent lifestyle changes rather than merely dieting for two weeks.
Your Ideal Weight
Your doctor can help you assess whether you are within a healthy weight range with help from a formula known as body mass index, or BMI, according to the Nemours Foundation. To calculate where you stand among teens your age and gender, she will plug your height and weight into a formula and then plot the resulting number onto a chart. She might suggest getting more exercise or making changes to your diet if your weight is over the 85th percentile, based on the chart, but she might also ask further questions and do tests such as skinfold thickness measurements before she recommends changing your lifestyle.
Slow and Steady
Losing weight and maintaining a healthy body can't involve "quick fix" methods such as fad diets and weight-loss pills, according to the Mayo Clinic. Fad diets can rob your body of nutrients, such as iron and calcium, which help sustain your rapid growth in your teen years. Diet pills can also make you sick. Most healthy weight-loss plans involve losing no more than 1 to 2 lbs. per week --- by burning 500 to 1,000 calories per day --- through a combination of diet and exercise, says the Mayo Clinic.
Smart Eating
Losing weight typically requires eating fewer calories, but that doesn't mean you should feel hungry or be forced to eat bland, difficult-to-cook foods. Focus on eating more plant-based foods such as whole grains and your five-a-day of fruits and vegetables, says the Mayo Clinic. These foods are rich in fiber, so they will fill you up faster and help you to avoid bingeing on less healthy foods. The Nemours Foundation recommends throwing some healthy snacks such as carrot sticks and pretzels into your backpack for snacking between meals. Don't forget to eat other healthy foods, such as lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy products for other important nutrients.
Physical Activity
You need about 60 minutes of exercise each day, says the Mayo Clinic. Fortunately, that 60 minutes doesn't have to happen all at once, and it doesn't have to take place at a gym or on a sports field. Short bursts of activity throughout the day --- skating to school, dancing in place during a favorite TV show and walking your dog --- can also help you lose weight, says the Mayo Clinic.
Sweet Treats
A major source of calories for many teens is sugary treats in liquid form: soda and sports drinks, according to the Nemours Foundation. Replacing a single can of soda or a sports drink with one glass of water can help you avoid 150 calories a day; added up, that's 1,050 calories you could save every week with a small change. Eat other sweet treats in moderation, but don't forbid them, as that may cause you to end up craving them more than before, says the Nemours Foundation.
Member Comments