teen dieting?

Question

I am fourteen years old and my height is 5'6, and I weigh 191.I know I am obese but, im not the only one. Last Summer I lost fifteen pounds and This year resolution for me is to lose weight again. I want to know what specifics on what to eat and how long I should exercise. I own a treadmill so I would like to know how long and etc,I should be on it. I want to change the way I eat. For breakfast, snacks and lunch, after school, and dinner. I would like a list of foods I can or cannot eat. Is there a teen diet out there to help me. Thanks

Answer 1

The true thing about foods you CAN and CANNOT eat is that you really CAN eat just about anything, as long as the bad stuff is not eaten often. If you deprive yourself of everything you like, you'll end up lapsing and not being able to keep up because you'll have cravings.

Things to avoid as much as possible:

1. frozen, pre-prepared foods (like pizzas, chicken nuggets, hot pockets, tv dinners, etc). They are full of an insane amount of processed crap, extra fat to keep the flavors there during the reheating process, and a LOT of sodium.

2. Fast food. Even the salads are full of calories and sodium. While it's not near as bad, eating out at regular restaurants a lot is also fattening because even the things on the healthier menu are packed full of fat and sodium.

3. Sodas - diet ones are OK but still have a lot of unnatural sweeteners in them. If you're southern, DON'T DRINK SWEET TEA at a restaurant - order unsweetened and put your own sweetener in it. They make a syrup out of regular sugar to sweeten their teas.

4. Processed carbs - chips, white breads. Eat whole grain pastas, breads, etc. With sweet carbs, like cake and cookies, moderation is the key. Eat one cookie instead of four, and eat it only after a meal - things like that.

5. Fat meats - ground beef, bacon, ham. Go for leaner beef, turkey, chicken, and pork.

6. Fat cheeses - (rule of thumb is that the yellower the cheese, probably the fatter it is). Cheddar, colby, and American are not very good. The BEST kind of cheese for you to eat is sodium-free or low-sodium mozarella or provolone.

7. Most juices - get sugar free! Juices that advertise their health benefits through vitamins are PACKED with sugar and calories.


Here are some random tips:

1. Constantly have a bottle of water with you. It will fill you up to make you less hungry, flush out your system of some of the unnatural things in the food we eat, and the more hydrated your body is, the more properly your organs work and the better the food you DO eat will be processed.

2. You don't need a piece of meat bigger than your wrist. A healthy meal consists of a lean piece of meat, lots of veggies (the richer in color the better - broccoli is better for you than lettuce, for instance), and if you need a carb, something small - like a small roll or something. Fruit is also good - don't buy frozen or pre-cut fruit. Buy it as natural and fresh as you can.

3. Something that helped me (as a coffee lover) was to instead of eating a dessert, have a coffee (which I sweeten with Splenda and cream with skim milk) so my sweet tooth was satisfied. I figured out each cup was about 40 calories. If you can find something that satisfies you, it'lll really help.

4. Replace sandwhiches with wraps, pasta meals with salads, etc. to cut the carbs somewhat.

5. When buying food, low-fat can mean high-calories, low-carb can mean high-fat, and sometimes it is just smarter to buy food at its full fat state. It might have a tiny difference in calories, and might taste a LOT better, which will mean you need less of it to satisfy you.


Exercise - with your treadmill, cardio for at least 30 minutes at least 4 times a week is recommended, so walking FAST or running (they are both really good workouts) for that long will do you well. The more often you can do it, the better. If you're starting out, just do it 4 times a week for 30 minutes, and as you get better add days and times. Don't overwork yourself or you'll end up getting tired or hurt and having to quit altogether. Make a goal to run for 30 minutes straight within two weeks, 40 minutes within 4 weeks, something like that.

Answer 2

Teen dieting can be risky because many don't know the proper way to do it. In many cases it is just a matter of modifying your diet and adding exercise to the mix. If you're like me and like to eat throughout the day try smaller meals 5 or 6 times a day. Make sure to eat breakfast every morning, it boosts the metabolism. It's good to hear that you have a treadmill. There isn't really a certain amount of time that you have to be on it...the limits are different for different people. If you can be on it at a good jog for 30 minutes to an hour that would be great. Start with 30 and do it between meals a couple times a day. Talk to your parents about maybe joining a gym for additional activities. The hardest part is developing a schedule and sticking to it. After the first few weeks it will become habit.

Answer 3

first of all i did like to warn you that you should not be too obsessed with losing weight as there is a risk you might end up suffering from eating disorders and so i advise you to target to lose weight until you reach the healthy weight for your height and maintain it.
also i did like to tell you there is no such thing as food you can eat and cannot eat like there is no food that is good or evil. It is ok to eat some food like chocolate or some chips but in moderation.you should also eat a variety of food and not be picky about the food you eat. also you are only fourteen, you are growing up so you must make sure you eat your meals regularly and never skip your meals. this is to ensure your body can get enough nutrients so that you will grow up to become a healthy and happy teenager.

Answer 4

You should talk to your parents about your wanting to lose weight. Many insurance plans have Nutritionists that you can go see and help you to plan out realistic meals. It makes things so much easier, and you will learn to eat healthy vs. 'dieting' which is never a good idea. Losing weight is part of living healthy all the time, not just when you need to lose some weight. Ask your parents to check it out.

Answer 5

I'm trying to find that out too!! I'm 13 the same weight. Maybye we can be "diet pals" email me at [e-mail]