With obesity rates on the climb, more and more teens are seeking ways to take control of their body weight. In order to start losing weight fast, you will need to create a deficit between the number of calories you burn off with exercise and the number you consume. For best results, talk to your doctor or a school nurse to help devise a safe plan for achieving weight loss.
How To Lose Weight
According to the Mayo Clinic, a calorie deficit of 3,500 is required for each pound of fat you want to lose. In other words, by decreasing the amount of high-calorie foods you eat, and increasing the amount of intense aerobic exercise you do, you will begin burning fat. To accelerate your weight loss and see quicker results, tally the total number of calories you consume each day, and subtract from that number the number of calories you burn off with exercise. If you have a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories, then you will burn off one pound every seven days.
Rethink Your Diet
As a 15 year-old, it can sometimes feel like your diet choices are out of your control. Fattening school lunches, soft drinks and vending machine snacks can increase the amount of calories you have to burn in order to start losing weight. Take charge of your eating habits by getting up early and preparing a school lunch composed of low-calorie alternatives, such as veggie wraps, whole grains, dark leafy greens and lean meats. Tell your parents about your weight loss goals and ask if they would be interested in preparing meals that are lower in calories than your usual meals. Alternatively, you could take this as an opportunity to begin cooking for yourself.
Get Active
With a teenage metabolism, you are burning a certain amount of calories nonstop as you go about your day. However, this won't be enough if you want to begin seeing quick results in your weight loss program. Get active by enlisting in after-school exercise programs such as cross-country running, martial arts class, or team sports such as ultimate frisbee and soccer. Exercise your willpower by refusing to spend more than two hours a day in front of a television or computer screen and, when in doubt, go outside and find a game or exercise that's fun.
Safety Concerns
Avoid the urge to fast or adopt a starvation diet. While these diets offer quick results due to the lack of caloric intake, you immediately begin to regain the pounds once you return to your previous lifestyle. Instead, talk to your doctor about making lasting choices that increase your physical fitness while reducing your exposure to harmful, sugar-rich and fattening foods.
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