Diets for Young Women

Many young women feel like they need to lose a few pounds every now and then, but it it can be hard to find diets that are safe but work. Skipping meals and using diet pills can lead to eating disorders and other problems. Young women, can, though, whittle that extra weight in a healthy way.

Small Meals

• While it sounds like something you would do to gain weight, eating more often is a great way to actually help you lose weight quickly. Not only does eating at least five small meals per day keep you full for longer, small meals also help keep your blood sugar from spiking or dipping, and it helps keep your metabolism revved up. Eat a well-balanced, low-calorie (between 200 and 300 calories) snack or meal for breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, mid-afternoon and dinner. By staggering your calories, according to the University of Chicago Medical Center, you can burn more fat and lose weight more rapidly. At the end of the day, you should have eaten successfully a balanced diet that includes each essential food group. A well-balanced meal comprises two-thirds fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Food Cravings

• When food groups are eliminated, or you aren't getting the right amount of each group, you set yourself up to gain more weight and be tired, stressed and anxious. In young women, food cravings can be hormonally based. When a woman is tired, stressed out or anxious she tends to crave foods high in carbohydrates--such as chocolate, ice cream, pasta and bread products--because the hormone serotonin is elevated when she eats carbohydrates, causing her nerves to calm. If you eat on a consistent basis and have a well-rounded diet, you wil reduce these emotional food cravings.

Calcium

• Young women need enough calcium and iron in their diets. Osteoporosis is a serious bone-thinning condition that affects millions of people every year. Women are the most susceptible to it, with one in two women over age 50 suffering from broken bones or fractures as a result. To prevent this, women need to start battling it before it starts. Women ages 11 to 24 need 1200 to 1500 mg of calcium each day, and women ages 25 to 50 need at least 1000 mg daily. Milk, cheese and yogurt are good sources of calcium. Others are canned salmon with bones, dried beans and dark green vegetables. Iron, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc and vitamins A and C also help fight osteoporosis.

Social eating

• If you plan to meet friends for a night of movies and nachos, eat a salad before you go. This will help you control your nacho intake later. At parties, go for the crudites and seltzer instead of dips, sugary sodas or alcoholic beverages. Carry healthy foods with you so you won't be tempted to skip a meal or indulge in fatty snacks.