Fast weight loss does not mean starving yourself, running miles on a treadmill or ignoring favorite foods forever. Weight loss is about reaching a healthy weight for the body to maintain and about preventing and reducing the risk of serious diseases. Teens must be careful when considering weight loss programs as their bodies are still developing. However, there are basic rules that teens can follow to rapidly lose weight and improve their health.
Make Drinks Count
Beverages are the sneakiest calorie sources that are often the worst on a teen's diet. Soft drinks, energy drinks, sweet coffee-based beverages and fruit juices have displaced water and milk from teens' diets, which can become quite costly on the body. These beverages usually are higher calorie than milk and do not offer the same nutritional benefits. Calcium, an essential nutrient in developing bone density, and commonly found in milk and dairy products, usually is absent from the other beverage options that teens are more likely to select. Simply replacing some of the soft drinks consumed in a day with calorie-free water or calcium-rich milk---or a non-dairy equivalent---can help to reduce overall calories quickly, hydrate the body and provide calcium for bodies that are still growing.
Be More Physically Active
In a society built around transportation by car rather than by foot, it is easy to lose sight of how sedentary teens have become. Those who do not regularly participate in fitness activities find few ways for their bodies to burn calories. However, it does not need to be so difficult. During the summer, numerous programs offer sports leagues and outdoor activities; and volunteering or part-time employment all are options available to many. Choosing to walk a further distance from the car to a building's door also can help to increase activity. Aim for 30 minutes of activity daily, and even 60 minutes to speed up weight loss.
Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
When considering eating a well-balanced diet, do not go hunting for the latest celebrity's diet or spend money on special programs. It is better to consider eating the way an artist would consider a paint palate: by consuming as many colors as possible. Think of red strawberries, bright blueberries, yellow eggs, orange carrots and green broccoli to fill your plate. Select the freshest, most whole food in order to benefit from the natural ripeness of the food and to avoid accidentally consuming extra sodium, sugars and fats that often are added to processed foods. Check the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for recommendations based on your individual health information to get familiar with your nutritional needs. Tracking your diet using a food journal also can help point out areas for fast improvement. It also will help show where hidden calories could be sabotaging your diet efforts. Eating well and exercising most days of the week are the fastest ways for teens to lose weight.
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