According to the Palo Alto Medical Center, 15 percent of teens are overweight and the trend is on the rise. As a teen, getting the right amount of exercise in daily can help you lose weight and improve your self confidence. Weight loss does not have to be a journey you take alone; instead, work out with friends to keep you motivated.
Weight Loss
Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. To lose 1 pound of fat you must burn 3,500 calories. Creating a caloric deficit of 500 calories daily can help you lose 1 pound per week, and creating a deficit of 1,000 calories can help you lose 2 pounds per week. The Teens Health website suggests exercising daily for 60 minutes to help alter your body composition and see the numbers on the scale drop.
Exercise
Cardio training is crucial for weight loss because it burns a high amount of calories in a short period of time. For example, a 160 pound person can burn more than 500 calories running, swimming or stair climbing, according to the Mayo Clinic. Choose from a variety of activities like dance, running, volleyball, swimming or taking a kickboxing class with your friends. Strength training can also help with weight loss because the more muscle you have, the more efficiently you can burn calories during exercise and at rest. Choose to strength train between two and three days, and aerobic training can be done daily. You can perform your exercises in short bursts of 15 minutes throughout the day if you do not have a solid hour to devote to fitness.
Nutrition
A bad diet cannot be reversed with exercise. The foods you eat directly reflect the way your body feels and looks. Changing your eating habits and monitoring how much food you are consuming can help you reach your weight loss goals faster. Focus on eating foods like whole grains, lean meats, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. These foods can keep you feeling full and prevent overeating. Limit the amounts of fast food, processed foods and soda you are consuming because these are empty calorie foods, meaning they do not provide your body with nutrients you need.
Goals
Setting realistic weight loss goals is the key. Unrealistic body images are in the media, but it is important that you understand what a healthy weight loss is. The Mayo Clinic suggests losing 1 to 2 pounds per week. Weigh yourself at the beginning and the end of your week and set a healthy weight loss goal. Celebrate your success with a treat each time you make your goal. Weight loss should be slow and consistent, because fast weight loss is usually the result of unhealthy habits that cannot be sustained.
Member Comments