How Can Fat Teens Lose Weight?

Being overweight as a teenager not only leads to health problems, but can also lower your self-esteem and increase your risk of anxiety and depression. Making healthy modifications to your lifestyle during your teen years creates healthy habits that can help you lose and maintain your weight as you age. A healthy diet combined with regular aerobic and strength training exercise puts you on a safe and effective path to weight loss.

Consult Your Physician

Consult your physician before starting any type of weight-loss or exercise program. Depending on your weight, you may need to modify or limit certain exercises to avoid putting unnecessary strain on your body. Your doctor can also determine your BMI and a healthy calorie range for your activity level.

Calorie Deficit

Weight loss involves burning more calories than you eat on a daily basis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a gradual weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. a week to help ensure the weight stays off. You need to eliminate 500 to 1,000 calories from your daily caloric intake to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week. Being aware of the calories you consume is essential for weight loss.

Diet Modifications

Replace unhealthy foods with whole foods, which are foods in their natural and purest form. Choose whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain rice, bread and flour over refined options. The recommended amount of fruits and vegetables is nine servings per day, so fill your plate with fresh produce. Lean proteins, such as fish, turkey and legumes, offer essential nutrients without the fat content of fattier protein. Whole grains, produce and legumes are full of fiber, which help you feel full longer. If you drink soda or energy drinks, switch to water to eliminate empty calories. Pack your own lunch to determine what goes into your meal and help prepare food at home to control what goes into your meals.

Physical Activity

Exercise not only burns calories and contributes to weight loss, it also improves your health, mood and energy level. Exercise helps create a larger calorie deficit than simply monitoring your calories. Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate and burns fat, while strength training builds lean muscle mass. Increasing lean muscle mass improves your metabolism, helping your body to continue burning calories after you exercise. If you're new to exercise, talk to your physician or a personal trainer about exercises that would work best for you. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity each day for those looking to lose weight.

Sleep

Teens need an adequate amount of sleep to replenish energy stores, especially since most are still growing and developing. While getting to bed early may seem difficult due to homework and other activities, sleep is essential for weight loss. Skimping on sleep can lower your energy levels, increase your appetite and make it more difficult to exercise. Try to get a minimum of seven hours of sleep each night.