Teen weight loss programs need to be structured a bit differently than for adults!
There are plenty of teens who want to lose weight, but you need to understand that, due to your stage of physical development, a teen weight loss program has special requirements which differ from adult weight loss programs. First, your calorie requirements are greater in your teenage years. Your body and all of its parts are still growing. Your nutritional requirements are greater. For example, teens can consume milk by the gallon in a single day. The calcium goes towards your still growing bones. Let's take a look at how to construct a safe, but successful teen weight loss program.
First you'll want to determine if you're really overweight. Many teens compare their bodies to anorexic celebrities or underweight models and decide they need to lose weight. Here's how to establish a good benchmark of your true body weight and fat condition. This method gives you your Body Mass Index (BMI) which calculates a weight-height ratio. Let's say you're 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weigh 145 pounds.
Converting your height to inches, we get 66. Multiplying your height in inches by itself gives a result of 4356. Now multiply your weight by 703, for a result of 101935. Dividing the weight result (101935) by the height result (4356) gives you the result of 23.4. This is your BMI. Guess what? You are not overweight! If your BMI is 25 or more, you are considered overweight. If your BMI is more than 30, this is where you are considered obese. What the BMI algorithm does not adequately address is bone structure. If you have a large bone frame, your BMI may be above 25, without you being overweight.
Before embarking on a perhaps unnecessary or undesirable teen weight loss program, ask your doctor for an assessment. He or she will check your bone structure, usually using your wrist as a measurement. Your doctor will also consider your age and general history.
If your doctor says you should lose some weight, ask for nutritional guidelines and a recommendation for a teen weight loss program that will work for you. Ask if you should take a multiple vitamin for additional insurance. At your age, you need a complete repertoire of nutrients necessary to good growth and development. Besides, a vitamin pill does not have any calories!
If your doctor recommends that you lose 10-20 pounds, this is easily accomplished within 1-3 months. Cut out fatty foods, like the greasy burgers and fries, replacing them with lean broiled meats. Have a salad full of veggies you like for lunch. For breads and cereals, go for the whole grains. Reduce portions at each meal by just a quarter of what you'd normally eat. This constitutes a healthy teen weight loss program.
If you need to lose a substantial amount of weight, your doctor or a nutritionist can structure a complete diet that allows you to safely and successfully lose the weight. Remember, too, that if you lose a large amount of weight too quickly, it's highly likely that it will all come back within a year. A successful teen weight loss program is one that's sensible!
There are plenty of teens who want to lose weight, but you need to understand that, due to your stage of physical development, a teen weight loss program has special requirements which differ from adult weight loss programs. First, your calorie requirements are greater in your teenage years. Your body and all of its parts are still growing. Your nutritional requirements are greater. For example, teens can consume milk by the gallon in a single day. The calcium goes towards your still growing bones. Let's take a look at how to construct a safe, but successful teen weight loss program.
First you'll want to determine if you're really overweight. Many teens compare their bodies to anorexic celebrities or underweight models and decide they need to lose weight. Here's how to establish a good benchmark of your true body weight and fat condition. This method gives you your Body Mass Index (BMI) which calculates a weight-height ratio. Let's say you're 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weigh 145 pounds.
Converting your height to inches, we get 66. Multiplying your height in inches by itself gives a result of 4356. Now multiply your weight by 703, for a result of 101935. Dividing the weight result (101935) by the height result (4356) gives you the result of 23.4. This is your BMI. Guess what? You are not overweight! If your BMI is 25 or more, you are considered overweight. If your BMI is more than 30, this is where you are considered obese. What the BMI algorithm does not adequately address is bone structure. If you have a large bone frame, your BMI may be above 25, without you being overweight.
Before embarking on a perhaps unnecessary or undesirable teen weight loss program, ask your doctor for an assessment. He or she will check your bone structure, usually using your wrist as a measurement. Your doctor will also consider your age and general history.
If your doctor says you should lose some weight, ask for nutritional guidelines and a recommendation for a teen weight loss program that will work for you. Ask if you should take a multiple vitamin for additional insurance. At your age, you need a complete repertoire of nutrients necessary to good growth and development. Besides, a vitamin pill does not have any calories!
If your doctor recommends that you lose 10-20 pounds, this is easily accomplished within 1-3 months. Cut out fatty foods, like the greasy burgers and fries, replacing them with lean broiled meats. Have a salad full of veggies you like for lunch. For breads and cereals, go for the whole grains. Reduce portions at each meal by just a quarter of what you'd normally eat. This constitutes a healthy teen weight loss program.
If you need to lose a substantial amount of weight, your doctor or a nutritionist can structure a complete diet that allows you to safely and successfully lose the weight. Remember, too, that if you lose a large amount of weight too quickly, it's highly likely that it will all come back within a year. A successful teen weight loss program is one that's sensible!
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