Teen girl looking for weight answers, please help!?

Question

Well, heres my information:
I'm 15, 5'4 and about 145, which puts me at 25.1 BMI, which is slightly overweight. I honestly don't think I look that bad at all, my stomach (kind of) my thighs are the only problem area. I find it really hard for me to diet and I have no clue where to start.

I would like to lose 15 pounds as a new years resolution type of thing, and I would like to lose those 15 pounds fast. I'm not into crash dieting, so please don't leave comments suggesting that. I have access to a treadmill, but I have no clue how long to walk on it, what to eat, what not to eat, ext, ext ..

Please only leave legitimate answers, anything else will be ignored :) Thank you so much dietitians and nutritionists!







any questions? leave them and i'll answer them in an edit !

Special thanks to Nikki Barker and Bambino, I found your answers very helpful. Thank you :)


And thanks to everyone else who is leaving comments, I appreciate them all.

Answer 1

First of all if you calculated your BMI on your own it is a little inaccurate, and my guess is that if a doctor calculated it more accurately for you you would be in the right margin. One thing that makes a huge difference is bone mass. You may just be big boned. Compare your wrists to other girls your age, if they're bigger your bigger boned.

Anyways if you want to lose weight the best way to do it is to eat healthy and exercise. Don't kill yourself just walk and do some basic exercises for the areas that you want to lose the weight. And boost your metabolism!!
The top 5 way to boost metabolism naturally are:
1. Do not skip breakfast! Picture your metabolic rate shaped as an ice cream cone. In other words, starting at the top – it is at its highest in the morning and starts to decline on a gradual level as the day progresses.

Unfortunately, most of us have a backwards approach to eating when it comes to weight loss and meals. We skip breakfast for a variety of reasons such as lack of hunger, a busy schedule or to save on calories. While this may seem to make sense from a pure “calories in, calories out” theory, research has demonstrated time and time again that this approach will result in weight gain. Whether it is a protein shake, a yogurt and granola parfait or slow-cooking oatmeal – you need something to start your day off right.

4 more ways to boost your metabolism
2. Eat more protein! The hormone glucagon is released in response to dietary protein, such as egg whites, low-fat cheese, lean meats, chicken, fish and protein powder. Glucagon signals fat cells to release fat into the blood, thereby promoting its use. In other words, more fat is burned and more weight is lost when you eat more protein.

3. Say good-bye to refined grains. Products made from refined grains, such as many breads, pastas, cookies and cakes, cause most people to oversecrete the hormone insulin. Insulin has the opposite effect of glucagon. Of its many functions, insulin is secreted from the pancreas to facilitate the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells.

Glucose (a.k.a. blood sugar) is derived from carbohydrates and is the main source of fuel for the body. When too many of the wrong types of carbohydrates are consumed, such as refined white sugar and/or white flour, excess insulin is secreted to deal with the sugar. In short, excess insulin = excess fat.

4. Stick to low glycemic index carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains (breads and pastas) and beans. Do not be scared of eating bread! Research demonstrates very clearly that whole grains are beneficial for weight loss and the prevention of type II diabetes, colon cancer and constipation.

5. Go for green! Instead of your morning coffee, opt for some green tea. Green tea has many health benefits, from helping to fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease, to aiding in weight loss. Studies show that catechins, the antioxidants in green tea, help increase fat burning. Research also shows that green tea may lower blood sugars by inhibiting enzymes that allow the absorption of starches, and it may reduce the absorption of fat from the intestine. Typical dosage is three or four cups per day or a 300 to 400 mg capsule of green tea extract daily.

Good luck! Remember don't go by what you read on the scale, go by what you see in the mirror!

Answer 2

If you are really serious, there is an easy way to do this.

Look up serving sizes on healthy foods: fruits, veggies, grains, milk, meat.
On a list, name the food, the serving size and the number of calories in the serving.
Make up a menu for yourself (your parents would probably be impressed if you started (or continued) cooking!), making sure you have breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'd also recommend a snack in the morning and afternoon, just so that you don't get too hungry and cheat!
Next, look at the foods you consume now. Estimate your daily caloric intake. (Should be around 2000-3000 cal/day.)
Take the number of calories you consume now, and subtract 500. That's your new max per day!

Shaving off 500 cal/day will drop about 1-2 pounds per week without starving you or changing your diet drastically. Just learn to portion your food and decline the second helpings!

You can still eat the foods you want, just watch the portioning, and remember that if you eat a chocolate bar you'll have to cut back on something else. Watch out for empty calories!!! Foods that taste good, but have no nutritional value and will leave you hungry in an hour or two!

Also, I'd recommend drinking water, tea or unsweetened fruit juice- no pop or coffee.
And of course, go for walks! 15-20 min per day is really all you need, and as fast as you comfortably can for the duration. Join a sports team, or a community sports night! Anything to get active!

But remember, if you are happy with your body, and your healthy, it really doesn't matter what others think!
As well, weight lost quickly is easily regained. Changing your diet to something a little more healthy (less chips, pop, and cookies!) will benefit you in the long run!

Answer 3

Do not go on any diets. Eat big breakfasts, smaller lunches, and smaller dinners. take in about 2500 calories per day. Walk on the treadmill. Start out doing just 3 minutes twice a day. Then after a few days add a couple of minutes for 5 minutes per time twice per day. After a few days, add another minute, or two, each time. Eventually get to where you are doing 15 minutes at a time, twice per day. Do that for two weeks. Then, start adding a couple of minutes each work out. Get to where you are doing 30 minutes per workout twice per day. Eat: tuna, low fat yogurt, chicken, turkey, cheese, oatmeal, lowfat vegetarian baked beans, green beans, brown rice. Steam/bake/grill food. Do not fry. Avoid high fat foods. Eat little salt, and little sugar. If you have beef, for burgers/etc, make it extra lean (7% fat), or less. Expect to lose 2 pounds a week, or less. Take it slow, and easy, and avoid stress injuries. If you add some weight lifting-dumbellsl/barbells, or a machine such as a bowflex- it will help speed things up. Go for light weights, and high reps, and you will burn fat faster, and tone muscles, without building much bulk. The Mr. Universe types do a few reps of very heavy weights, which builds bulk. If you cook using a George Forman Grill, or a Flavorwave Oven, that will help reduce your fat intake, too. I use a CuisineArt Rice Cooker, too. Avoid butter, margerine, etc, and use extra virgin olive oil for cooking. Have some bread/pasta, but not much. Avoid candy, donuts, etc. For sweets eat raisins, peaches, apples, pears, oranges, tangerines, bananas.

Answer 4

Well, let me just say how lucky you are to be a normal weight. I'm naturally skinny and everybody thinks I'm annorexic. Lucky you! Ha.
try making your own work out plan for the week. Increase each amount of excersize by twenty every day. Also cut your portion sizes into a half smaller. Eat healthy snacks between meals to curb appetite.

Answer 5

Nikki had the best answer, I am right with her. It is not a diet, it is a way of life, and it changed my life and self-concept.
It is so easy, if you are serious.

1. Lots of pure water. For your body size, 60 ounces a day.

2. Replace refined foods with whole grains. This means cut out sugar as much as possible,
and eat whole wheat (like, you can see the grains in it, not just white bread dyed brown!)

3. Eat small portions, but more often. add a snack a few hours after breakfast, and in mid-afternoon. Sounds crazy, but eating more (small, easy, healthy snacks) made my body stop thinking it was in starvation mode, and finally allowed me to drop weight.

4. Add protein. At each meal or snack, make sure you combine protein (anything from an animal, nuts, beans, and seeds) and carbs ( fruits, veg, grains). Cheese and whole grain crackers. Raisins and nuts ( I carry them with me always. They save me from junking out, or skipping meals.) Salad with meat or nuts. You will FEEL so much better and stronger! the proteins give you a solid base. Carbs all alone make your blood sugar spike then drop, causing you to feel light headed, sleepy, cranky, hungry. Granola with sunflower seeds is another good one.

Of course the closer to nature, the better the food is for you. I would not recommend ANYTHING that says "lite", sugar free, or is for weight loss. Those things are full of chemicals and often empty calories. Go for fresh fruit and veg, whole grains, eggs, cheese.

This is not hard! And while you lose weight, you are gaining a strong, healthy body.

Answer 6

First of all, don't be concerned about your thighs because that usually appears largest to everyone and everyone is concerned. Anyways, you should start an excersise program if you're really concerned about losing weight. I'd suggest about 30 minutes on the treadmill a day and as not to eat, don't STOP eating junk food and such, just each less, and more fruits and veggies!!!

Answer 7

Walk/run on the treadmil for at least a half an hour at least 3 times a week

You can do crunches & sit ups, 3 sets of 15 a day

Eat healthy: fruits, veggies, chicken
Stay away from/ Limit: pop, juices, candy, chips, pasta, bread, ect

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

Good luck hun!

Answer 8

if you are a big coke drinker you should completely stop drinking coke people can loss up to 15 lbs just by not drinking coke. also many people do not know that when you think you hungry it might just be that you are thirsty , so before going for and APPLE OR ORANGE trying drinking a glass of WATER. when you on the treadmill try being on there for at less 30 min and at a good speed...

hope this helps you out

your still younger so your boby is going to be changing alot

Answer 9

The best solution I have found is counting calories. I have been doing this for 28 days. I have lost 13 lbs. I've read that normal calorie intake is based on 1600 calories per day. I try to maintain under 1000 per day. It seems to be working.
If the calorie count isnt on the food, here's a great site to determine, qty & calorie count.
http://www.calorieking.com
It seems e/thing I read is based on calories. Once you begin to watch what you eat, you'll be amazed at what you normally consume. I know I was!

Answer 10

alright well u can't loose it that fast it will take maybe 3-4 months i've tryed and never works for me but that's because i never really eat u have excercise for one find something u love to do like to do like i dance for about 5hrs a day and u have to eat three square meals a day breakfast lunch and dinner you get have a snack once in a while but don't over do it but ur not going to lose weight in like a week or in one month it will take a while but don't get mad if u don't lose it that fast and also talk to your doctor they can help u out with some exercise to do and what to eat

Answer 11

I don't think dieting is the key. I think exercising is.

You can try doing crunches or sit ups, it helps alot. Do at least 50 a day, wouldn't take you long.

Also, run up and down the stairs. It helps to lose tigh fats!

Goodluck!!