Guidelines for Teens Who Want to Lose Excess Body Fat
The most efficient method for a young person to shed weight is to diet. However, the meaning of a diet for some people is so extreme that the person would prefer to starve to attain the sought after rapid results.
Is starvation diet a good idea? No way! Starving oneself robs the teen of the much-needed nutrients and vitamins for the maturing body to develop properly.
Studies show that starvation diets also lead to weight gain sooner or later. This is because the body is not accustomed to a shortage of food entering the system. This will sooner or later force one to engage in binge eating (or closet eating) to recover from the losses.
An identical report also shows that the slimming down is not really fat but rather is the lean muscle that gives the teen energy and strength. Calories consumed by the body are necessary for the muscles in the body to function. Therefore, when there is a shortage of calories coming in, the body gets rid of the one thing that uses up all those calories – muscle. In order for the body to survive, it conserves the one thing you want to get rid off – fat!
Calorie intake also increases as the teen gets older. An 11-year-old boy, for instance, will require a day-to-day requirement of 1800 calories. Someone at the age of 18 will require nearly 3000 calories.
Teens who decide to go below their recommended calorie intake are more liable to fatigue, hormonal imbalances, bone weakness, nutritional deficiencies and skin and hair loss.
Another report shows that some kids have even resorted to ingesting laxatives regularly to induce rapid weight loss. However, this is also not a great idea because it doesn’t eliminate fat but rather water in the system. Besides, there are several problems associated with severe dehydration including constipation, muscle weakness, fatigue, problems in the colon and even death.
So what should be done to avoid this? There is a safe way to fighting weight gain and this can only happen with the help of a specialist.
You must first see your teen’s pediatrician. He can examine the patient and see what improvements might be done. Dieting is one method of carrying it out but not at the expense of skipping meals and starving. This simply means cutting down or changing the foods being consumed.
Dieting alone would not make your teen slim down steadily. The best combination for any weight loss is to combine dieting with exercise. Working out may involve increasing your teen’s physical activity such as strolling, biking to school or engaging in a best-liked sport.
Here are five suggestions you can implement today to jump start your teen’s weight loss efforts:
1) Look for ways to move more. If your teen is not into outdoor activities, try workout videos or fitness video games such as Wii Fit or Dance Dance Revolution.
2) Choose from the healthier choice menu such as a garden salad with grilled chicken and low fat dressing or a turkey wrap loaded with vegetables when you eat out. These are better than chicken fingers or mac and cheese.
3) If your teen wants to exercise but does not know where to start, join a family gym. She can work with a trainer or you can workout together or join a fitness class.
4) If your teen is craving something sweet, have her munch on some sugar free candy or fruit instead.
5) Make sure that half the dinner plate contains vegetables and the remaining half equally divided between protein (meat, eggs, and beans) and non-refined carbohydrates (brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and potatoes).
There is no overnight solution for teenage girls to get rid of those unwanted pounds. This has to be done gradually by getting into a well thought out plan, soliciting the help of her physician (or hire a trainer) and support from friends and family.
The first results will likely be observed in about 14 days, as the child’s metabolic rate has not adjusted to the lower calorie intake. This will plateau at around the third week. Your child’s physician may suggest different things to continue the weight loss without compromising your child’s health. Changes will happen. It varies from one teenage girl to the next so just be patient and your child will eventually get the weight off and keep it down through adulthood.
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