Teen obesity has been on the rise for the past 20 years. Being overweight can set your teenager up to develop serious health problems later in life, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Being overweight also can make her a target for ridicule and discrimination by other teenagers, which can crush your daughter's self-esteem and negatively affect her schoolwork. Help your teenager lose some of the excess weight in two months by encouraging her to avoid fad diets and instead lose weight in a healthy way. Emphasize that the lifestyle changes she makes now can allow her to maintain a proper weight for life.
Healthy Dieting Goals
Be an enthusiastic cheerleader in your teenager's journey to weight control. Sit down and help her set realistic goals for how much weight she can expect to lose in two months. Unrealistic weight loss goals can sink a diet plan quickly. Encourage her to set a goal of losing 1 to 2 pounds per week. Let your teen know it's OK to have a setback, and that if that happens, it doesn't mean she has failed. Help her come up with a solid plan for sticking to her diet at a restaurant, party or around the holidays; tell her she can indulge in an occasional favorite snack or dessert.
Low-calorie Snacks
Many teenagers snack on foods high in calories, fats and sugar. In school, your teenager might have easy access to vending machines filled with chips, cookies and candy. Make sure she knows that fruit and vegetables have the advantage of being nutritious, filling and low in calories and fat. Keep the fridge full of fresh vegetables and fruits for her to snack on. Healthy snacks containing about 100 calories include 2 cups of carrots, 1 cup raspberries with sliced banana, one fat-free pudding cup and 3-1/2 cups air-popped popcorn, recommends MayoClinic.com. Encourage your teen to make a lifelong commitment to snacking on vegetables and fruits to help avoid health problems as an adult.
Drink Water
Encourage your teenager to swap soda and other high-sugar drinks for water. Sodas, fruit juices, sweetened iced teas, sports drinks and vitamin-enriched drinks all contain sugar. Reducing the amount of sugary soft drinks your teen drinks can help cut calories from her diet. For example, replacing one can of soda with a glass of water saves about 150 calories, notes Nemours Teens Health. Your teenager can save even more calories by switching from whole milk to low-fat or skim. When she craves a soda, tell her to try flavored seltzer water as a substitute.
Portion Control and Exercise
A healthy way to lose weight -- and keep it off -- is to eat less and move around more. Portion size counts, so help your teen determine portion sizes that aren't excessive but don't make her feel deprived. It helps to measure a true serving so she can visualize what it looks like on a plate. Advise her to stop eating when she feels full and to leave the table without going back for seconds. To lose weight, your teenager must burn more calories than she ingests each day. She should engage in a physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day to burn calories and help build muscle. Swimming, biking, dancing, vigorous walking and participating in a sport are all excellent ways for her to get out and get moving.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tips for Parents -- Ideas to Help Children Maintain a Healthy Weight
- MayoClinic.com: Teen Weight-loss -- Healthy Habits Count
- Nemours Teens Health: How Can I Lose Weight Safely?
- HelpGuide: How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
- MayoClinic.com: Weight-Loss Goals -- Ten Tips for Success
- MayoClinic.com: Snacks -- How They Fit into Your Weight-loss Plan
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