June 22nd, 2017 | Updated on March 1st, 2024
The teen years establish physical health habits for a lifetime. Lots of people need to lose some weight. If your doctor tells you that you are overweight or obese, it’s important that you try to lose weight. You can ask your doctor and perhaps a dietitian about ways to lose weight. It can be a bit harder for some people to lose weight because of their genes or because of things around them, such as the food choices in their house.
But with the right support and a good plan, you can get to a healthy weight. Here is 15 ways to lose weight for teenage girls
1. Eliminate Soda
Nemours TeenHealth classifies sugary carbonized drinks as empty calories. The average soda, 12 fluid oz., contains about 150 calories. One soda per day adds more than 1,000 calories each week. During the course of a year, almost 50,000 calories are consumed by drinking a single soda each day.
2. Walk
Skip the ride and take a walk. Walking only 15 minutes each day burns more than 40 calories. In a year, a casual daily walk could burn more than four pounds. Use the mall stairs while shopping in place of elevators or escalators to reduce weight even more.
3. Limit Snacks
The calories from snacks quickly add up to extra pounds. Keep a snack diary and note the times when snacking is most likely. Purchase low-calorie substitute snacks to replace high-calorie alternatives. Popcorn, celery and carrot sticks are low-calorie alternatives to high-calorie snacks such as potato chips and cookies.
4. Drink Water
An 8-oz. glass of water fools the brain into feeling less hungry before a meal. Begin with one glass an hour before lunch and dinner, and in the evening several hours before bedtime. Water assists the body in keeping skin moist, and provides a satisfied feeling that reduces night snacking and the urge to eat large meals, according to Nemours Teens Health.
5. Limit Meal Portions
Smaller portions at each meal reduce calorie intake to help shed weight. Use a smaller dinner plate and glass to reduce food consumption. Measure portions as the items are placed on the plate, and store the remainder of the food right away to prevent second servings. Use visual images to keep an inventory of the day’s meals. A digital camera or cell phone is a good way to capture food images.
6. Avoid Fast Foods
Fast-food meals and snacks come loaded with calories, not to mention unhealthy fats and chemicals. If fast food must be part of your diet, limit visits to only once per week as a reward for good behavior throughout the week. Bring money to purchase only one select food item; this keeps calorie intake to a minimum. Let friends know that fast food is off the diet and make a list of alternative, healthy dining locations for after school or weekend outings.
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7. Set Goals in Writing
Teen Health recommends setting goals as a way to lose weight. The goals should be easily attainable and reasonable. A goal of one pound per week is a good and safe place to start. This simple plan equals about 50 pounds each year. Use the corner of a diary page to keep track of daily records, and be sure to include exercise minutes and calories consumed each day.
8. Select an Exercise Buddy
Working out together makes weight loss easier. Buddy workouts encourage accountability, as it is more difficult to pass on required daily exercise. Options include working out with someone in person, connecting with a buddy via the Internet, or even checking in by cell phone as exercise is in progress. Call your buddy when a walk begins and make sure she knows the exact time requirement for the exercise session. A long conversation is a good way to distract from the exercise commitment.
9. Eat a Quality Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and is critical to weight loss, according to Nemours TeensHealth. The medical group notes that female teens who do not eat breakfast are prone to be overweight. A healthy breakfast incorporates fruit, dairy and protein.
10. Cut back on fats.
You need some fat, but even small amounts of fats have lots of calories. Read labels to see how much fat a food has. And try to cut back on fried foods and on meats that are high in fat, such as burgers.
11. Avoid sugary drinks.
Try not to drink a lot of sugary sodas, energy drinks, and sports drinks. They can add a lot of calories. & not to drink a lot of fruit juice. Water is a great choice instead. Add a piece of lemon or a splash of juice for more flavor.
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12. Get enough sleep at night.
Many teens stay up too late. Staying up late often increases night-time snacking and low energy the next morning which you might be tempted to beat with some extra food.
13. Tackle hunger with fiber and protein.
Don’t wait until you are so hungry that it gets hard to make smart food choices.
14. Be aware of how much you are eating.
If you’re not sure how much is considered one serving, you can learn how to read labels. You also may eat less if you use a smaller plate.
15. Cut down on sitting around.
This means less TV, Internet, and other forms of screen time. Instead, aim for your “hour a day of active play.
source : girlshealth.gov, livestrong.com
