If you have an overweight teenager, you know how difficult it can be to broach the subject of weight loss. Telling a teenager that she is fat can do major damage to her self-esteem. Instead, you should be encouraging as you help her find ways to lose weight quickly. Speak to your pediatrician about monitoring your teenager’s weight loss progress.
Family Diet
If you want your teenager to lose weight quickly, the entire family needs to get involved. He is not likely to drop weight if you keep stocking the house with unhealthy food items. Avoid buying high-calorie sodas, sweets, fast food and processed meals. Stock up instead on fresh fruit, vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains and lean proteins. Eat as a family in the kitchen away from the TV. Try to eat at home more than eating out to better control how much fat the family is consuming at mealtimes.
Increased Physical Activity
If you are able to get your child moving for at least 60 minutes per day, the weight should start to come off quickly. One of the main steps to making more time for exercise is to limit your teenager’s screen time (TV and computer) to an hour per day. Activities can include after school sports, bike rides, walking and skating.
Breakfast
According to the Mayo Clinic, serving a teenager breakfast can give her more energy and kickstart her metabolism to burn more calories. Choose low-calorie fare such as fresh fruit, cereal with low-fat milk, a whole grain bagel with fat-free cream cheese or a granola bar.
Aim for Five a Day
The Teens Health website, sponsored by the Nemours Foundation, suggests aiming for five servings of fruits and vegetables daily to lose weight. Instead of eating junk food as snacks, eat grapes, sliced carrots, apples or cherry tomatoes. Other replacements you can make include eating whole grain breads instead of white bread, drinking water instead of soda and choosing low-fat dairy products instead of full-fat versions.
About this Author
Heather Wood is a freelance writer who provides content to both traditional and new media publishers. She has worked professionally for five years and has appeared in numerous publications, including Gadgetell, Outlook by the Bay and Step in Style. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from The College of New Jersey. Heather enjoys an active lifestyle and spends her free time running and skiing.
