Teen weight loss programs need to be structured a bit differently than for adult

s!
There are plenty of teens who want to lose weight, but you need to understand th
at, due to your stage of physical development, a teen weight loss program has sp
ecial requirements which differ from adult weight loss programs. First, your cal
orie requirements are greater in your teenage years. Your body and all of its pa
rts are still growing. Your nutritional requirements are greater. For example, t
eens can consume milk by the gallon in a single day. The calcium goes towards yo
ur still growing bones. Let's take a look at how to construct a safe, but succes
sful teen weight loss program.
First you'll want to determine if you're really overweight. Many teens compare t
heir bodies to anorexic celebrities or underweight models and decide they need t
o 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 calcu
lates a weight-height ratio. Let's say you're 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weigh 14
5 pounds.
Converting your height to inches, we get 66. Multiplying your height in inches b
y itself gives a result of 4356. Now multiply your weight by 703, for a result o
f 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 ade
quately 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 progra
m, 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 a
ge 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 developmen
t. Besides, a vitamin pill does not have any calories!
If your doctor recommends that you lose 10-20 pounds, this is easily accomplishe
d within 1-3 months. Cut out fatty foods, like the greasy burgers and fries, rep
lacing them with lean broiled meats. Have a salad full of veggies you like for l
unch. For breads and cereals, go for the whole grains. Reduce portions at each m
eal by just a quarter of what you'd normally eat. This constitutes a healthy tee
n weight loss program.
If you need to lose a substantial amount of weight, your doctor or a nutritionis
t 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!