As a teenager, we worry about what our friends think, if they’re saying anything bad about us, we want to hang with the cool crowd, and we want to wear the clothes our thinner friends wear. I was an overweight teen, so I know exactly how it feels. I was at my heaviest weight my senior year of high school. It wasn’t until after graduation, I was able to finally lose weight after many failed attempts. I lost eighty pounds the summer before college started. Here are the ways I easily lost weight, and you can too!
– What does it mean to eat healthier?
When we hear “eat healthier,” we think it means we can’t eat the foods we love anymore. You can have some of your favorite foods, but you’ll need to eat less of them. What this means, is you eat smaller amounts of the foods that are not so good for you, those loaded with fat and calories. All the foods, such as chips, fries, burgers, cookies, ice cream, you need to eat less of each day. If you love pizza as much as I do, you can still have it, but stop at just one slice. You also need to make sure that you’re eating, and not starving yourself. As a teenager, we believe that if we don’t eat, we’ll lose weight, but that’s not how weight loss works. You need to eat 5-6 small meals per day so your metabolism is revving, because that’s the secret to weight loss. If you starve, your metabolism slows down, and you’ll store fat and not burn calories efficiently.
– Have an eating plan.
When I finally made changes to my weight, it was because I decided on changing my eating, and it worked. I made a few sacrifices, some substitutions, and came up with some pretty good ideas. When I wanted chips, I bought a small bag with only 120 calories in it, instead of being tempted by a large opened bag. Instead of always reaching for cookies, I had a chocolate chip granola bar with fewer calories and less fat instead. I replaced a few junk snacks with an apple or a banana. I ate regular or honey nut cheerios instead of other junk cereals. I stopped eating burgers as much, and I asked my mom to teach me how to make grilled chicken. I learned how to eat certain foods plain, such as baked or sweet potatoes without the butter, to save on fat. I made sure I ate often, so my metabolism was working for me, but overall I decreased my fat intake of foods, and I ate way less calories, which was the right amount for me to lose weight in a healthy way.
– Be realistic.
We all want to look like our favorite hot singer or teen idol, but we can’t all look like that. That’s part of the difficulty we face as teens, because we all want to look like those in the teen magazines. Those photos you see of your favorite stars are digitally enhanced as well, so keep that in mind. The best way for you to lose weight, is by making changes that you’ll be comfortable sticking with over the long-term. You should think about what’s going to make your life healthier as well. What changes are you willing to make? Make a list of foods you eat that you know are bad for you. Make the commitment to eat less of them, and come up with ways to substitute them with something better for you, which you can live with. You should keep making changes overtime and thinking of getting healthier and fitter. In time, you’ll start losing weight, and your body will change for the better.
– Get active.
To lose weight, you should also get more active. If you want to see results, you can’t be lazy about it. I got into running, and it helped me a lot in losing weight. I felt terrific each day I ran. My body was starting to feel really good, and look good as well. I struggled at first, but I never gave up. I started with twenty minutes, then a half hour, and eventually an hour. You don’t need to run though to lose weight. It was what I enjoyed. I tried it one day, and I loved it. Your goal should be doing activities that make you happy. Activity can be as simple as going for a walk with a friend, or spending the day walking around the mall. You could also get involved in a sport. Practice something you like and try out for your school team, or find a teen league in your area. This will help boost your confidence, keep you active enough to burn calories, and you’ll further want to work on changing your bad habits that led you to gain weight to begin with.
It wasn’t until I watched what I was eating, and began running that I lost weight. When I think back to when I was a teen, it amazes me how much junk food I ate. I don’t miss those foods, and my life and weight are so much better because I gave most of them up. I still eat foods I love, like pizza, chips and ice cream, I just eat less of them. One thing I don’t eat anymore is mayonnaise, and I used to love it, but I don’t need it. I also found out that by not eating foods like that, which are bad for me, I feel much healthier too. By following the above, I lost weight easily after graduation, and its taught me the right ways to eat and exercise to keep the weight off for good.
See also:
– Weight Loss Series: I Burst Out “I Don’t Eat Like a Fat Person Anymore!” – Day 5
– Weight Loss Series: They Don’t Want You to Succeed – Day 11
– Weight Loss Series: You Can’t Stay on the Fence You Either Are or You’re Not – Day 10
