If your teenager has expressed interest in losing weight, don't be alarmed. If she's eating responsibly and staying active, let her improve her lifestyle to make it more healthy. Stress the importance between a healthy eating and exercise regime and an unhealthy crash diet. If your teen is skipping meals or trying fad diets that involve eating the same foods over and over, consult your teen's doctor.
Always Eat Breakfast
Rather than placing your teen on a strict eating regimen, make small changes in his current routine. If your child regularly races out of the house without breakfast, make it easier for him to grab something on the go. He will be less likely to get something out of the vending machine when he gets to school if your teen has a protein-filled breakfast with him. Pack a reusable container with nuts like almonds, pecans and walnuts. Add raisins, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Add a small container of yogurt and encourage him to mix the nuts in the yogurt for a filling breakfast on the run.
Isometric Sit-Up Exercise
The isometric sit-up exercise will help keep your teen active while burning calories and toning the muscles in her stomach. Lie down on a yoga mat or towel on your back, then bend your knees so they are pointing up toward the ceiling with the bottoms of your feet on the ground. Bend your elbows and rest your palms just behind your ears, but do not support your entire head with your hands. Engage your abdominal muscles as you bring your head, neck and shoulders off the floor. Bring your hands forward and place them on your thighs as you hold for 16 breaths. Breathe out as you bend your elbows again and breathe in as you lower your body back down to the ground. Repeat seven times.
Eat Healthy Snacks
If your teen is a frequent snacker, don't discourage him. Instead, remove the prepackaged snack and junk foods from the house and include only healthy, delicious snacks. Stock the refrigerator with fresh fruit, low-fat string cheese, whole-grain crackers with peanut butter, carrot sticks, celery sticks and healthy drinks like 100 percent fruit juice and seltzer water. This way, your teen will be encouraged to snack but not to fill up on saturated fat, calories, salt and sugar.
Take the Active Route
When you're running errands or spending time with your teen, show her that being active is a choice that she can make throughout the day. When faced with the option of taking the escalator or taking the stairs, choose the stairs. When you're looking for a parking spot in the grocery store, park as far away as possible to increase your activity level. If your teen sees you making these choices, she will be more apt to make them when she's on her own or with her friends.
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