Diet For Teenagers - Realistic Ways to Lose Weight

Get Real

Most people inherently know the basics of losing weight. A healthy diet for teenagers isn't much different. You lose weight when you're taking in less calories and at the same time burning them off. You're already aware that this is accomplished through a healthy diet and exercise, but maybe you're not sure of how to go about helping your teen adopt these habits.

First, commit yourself to being realistic about your teenager's weight problem and don't accept any nonsense. Don't accept any fad diets and take an honest look at the problem. You don't want to simply help your teen lose weight, you want them to make healthy changes that last. Here you'll discover a few realistic teen weight loss ideas that will get them on the right track.

Hold Them Accountable

If your teenager wants to lose weight and has expressed a strong interest in it, hold them accountable for it. Remind them in a supportive way that they wanted to lose weight in the first place if they start working on it. You can make them accountable by sharing a calendar with their progress on it, or simply ask them every few days how things are going.

A parent can only do so much once the child has reached their teens. The responsibility for their bodies is now their own. You may want to remind them that no one is going to do it for them. The idea isn't to leave them on their own emotionally, but to place the burden of responsibility back on them to ensure they build healthy habits that will last them into adulthood. Too much coddling will have negative effects and likely lead to weight gain.

Eat Better

The most obvious ideas are sometimes thought to be too easy, but they just can't be ignored if you want your teen to lose weight. Eating better is partially your responsibility as a parent, because you decide what foods appear in your refrigerator and pantry.

Providing more fruits and vegetables in place of sugary and salty snacks is a necessity to helping your teen lose weight. Throw away the foods that have more than a few ingredients on the label, and get used to examining the sugar and sodium content of snacks.

Limiting white sugar, table salt, white flour, and white rice can also help cut weight gain immensely. Remember that when you're cutting unhealthy foods out you MUST replace them healthy alternatives. The better the alternatives taste, the easier it will be to keep your teen from craving the bad stuff.

Keep Exercises Simple

When first starting to exercise it's best to start slowly and not overdo it. If your teenager is highly motivated to lose weight they may think they can spend hours at the gym and speed things up.

It's much better to walk for 45 minutes a few times each week than it is to spend 2 hours at the gym one day of the week and get burned out. The idea is to make it a regular habit, and the weight loss will follow.

Walking may not be a very intense workout, but it is easy to do and does wonders for weight loss. As an extra motivation you can let them pick out a new pair of walking or running shoes to get them going.

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