Quick Weight Loss for Teens
Simple Things You Can Do Every Day

When you think of quick weight loss for teens, you should focus on healthy changes to achieve weight loss rather than potentially dangerous “fast” methods. You may think that starving yourself or taking diet pills is the quickest and easiest way to lose weight. Not so. At least, not a healthy way! You can quickly and easily implement healthy behaviors to help with short- and long-term weight control. Experiencing healthy, quick weight loss for teens is possible; you just want to be patient and adopt healthy changes. To help achieve and maintain a healthy weight, the following behaviors are important.

Portion Control
One of the reasons obesity has become such a big problem is because serving sizes are often 2-4 times the size of standard serving sizes, including restaurants. This “portion distortion” leads to a passive over-consumption of calories – in other words, you’re consuming calories without even knowing what you’re eating. Keep in mind that calorie content increases with portion size. Take note of serving sizes on product packages. Consider, for example, a 20-ounce bottle of non-diet soda that lists 2.5 200-calorie servings on the package: since the calories listed on the package are per serving, you will have consumed 500 total calories by drinking the whole bottle – which is a lot of “empty” calories!

Eat Breakfast
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast gives you the energy you need to start your day off right and helps you focus and learn in school. It also helps to jump-start your metabolism. Studies show that individuals who do not eat breakfast have a lower metabolic rate compared to those who do. If you’re on-the-go in the morning, at least have some fruit and yogurt that you can eat quickly.

5 or 6 Small Meals for Best Meal Frequency
Research shows that eating “three square meals” each day is really not the best method of weight control. Instead, eating every 3 hours (when we normally experience physiologic hunger) is ideal. Eating frequently keeps you feeling fuller during the day, and prevents dips in blood sugar that may lead some individuals to binge-eat. Even with your busy schedule, there are quick and healthy snacks you can eat between your regular 3 healthy meals. This is one of the most effective ways to achieve quick weight loss for teens!

Eat Mindfully
Eat slowly! That way, your stomach can signal your brain that it is full. It takes 20 minutes for the “full signal” to reach your brain, so take time to enjoy every bite. Notice your food’s flavor and texture as you eat. Limit your eating while doing other activities such as watching TV, so you remain aware of the quantity of food you are eating. Chewing each bite of food 15-20 times helps slow down the eating process, and allows you to savor the flavor of your food more.

Drink Lots of Fluids
Drink at least 6-8 cups of water each day. In addition, you may drink up to 16 ounces of any calorie-free beverage including unsweetened iced tea, herbal tea, coffee, diet soda and calorie-free drink mixes such as Crystal Light® or Sugar Free Kool-Aid®.

Eat More Meals at Home
Research has demonstrated that the more meals you eat in the home (or take to school after preparing at home), the greater success you’ll have with weight loss. Limit your restaurant outings (especially those involving fast-food establishments) as much as possible.

Physical Activity
Being physically active helps you build lean muscle mass and strong bones. Physical activity also increases your flexibility, improves your balance and helps you control your weight. Equally important, physical activity makes you feel good emotionally, increases your self-esteem and reduces your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease and type II diabetes.

Watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the web are associated with higher body fat – so replace after-school TV, computer time, and video games with a fun physical activity! Make a plan to improve your health by limiting TV and video games (screen time) to less than 2 hours each day. If you think about it, common sense tells you that sitting in front of the TV for hours on end is not the path achieving quick weight loss for teens.

You should be physically active for 60 minutes or more on most (preferably all) days of the week. Shorter times of activity (as little as 30 minutes a day) can also be beneficial. Find activities that you enjoy and can do every day. Aside from the obvious sports activities like soccer, basketball, swimming, etc., you can get good exercise from regular activities. For example, walk your dog every day after school, or ride your bike around the neighborhood with your friends. These are things you may no associate with exercise, but they are very good for you.

Aerobic activities are continuous activities that increase both your heart rate and your breathing rate. Remember to drink fluids regularly during and after physical activity to prevent dehydration. A great way to promote healthy lifestyles is for your whole family to get involved. Spend time together through physical activity. Encourage your family to take a long walk or bike ride together a few evenings a week!

Realistic Goals
Review your current eating habits and identify where small changes might lead to healthier eating. For instance, can you cut back on drinking sweetened sodas or add more fruits and vegetables to your diet? Next, try to identify potential “barriers” to your success – and consider ways to overcome them. Become aware of “eating triggers” and “success saboteurs” and stay away from them. For example, do you go to a fast-food place after school every day with your friends? Replace the fast-food with another activity. Instead of giving in to peer pressure, find friends who are supportive of you and your goals.

Keep a journal
Keeping a journal makes you aware of your daily eating habits. Track what, how much and how frequently you eat. Note if you’ve eaten “off plan” foods, and also which food items you may be over-consuming. Keep a food journal on your laptop, PDA or in a paper notebook. Remember, healthy and quick weight loss for teens is possible, but you need to be determined and remain dedicated to your efforts.

Conclusion
The main thing is that you are taking steps in the right direction – toward better overall health. Congratulations! Doing your best to incorporate these healthier behaviors into your daily routine will go a long way toward helping you lose some weight and become healthier. And who knows… maybe you can become a role model for your friends to do the same!

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