Diet & Exercise Plans for Teenagers to Lose Weight

Teenagers are smart to start paying attention to their weight now. As a teen, you're now setting the stage for the rest of your life. When you establish healthy habits now, you'll be more likely to stick with them. You can find diet and exercise plans for teenagers to lose weight, but you can also find success just by eating the right foods and increasing your activity level.

Good Diets for Teens

• Diets restrict the amount of food that you eat in an effort to create a caloric deficit, which results in weight loss. If you want to follow a specific weight loss plan, look for one that focuses on healthy eating.

  For example, Weight Watchers is a good choice because it focuses on portion control. You should eat primarily healthy foods, but there is also some room for you to have the occasional treat. The South Beach Diet is another good diet for teens because it focuses on healthy eating--lots of lean protein, fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

Healthy Eating Habits

• You don't have to spend time counting calories or following a strict diet plan if you want to lose weight. Simply switching the unhealthy foods that you eat with healthier choices may be enough to trigger weight loss.

  Start by looking at the foods that you currently eat and determining which ones are not healthy. For example, you may use your lunch money to buy junk food instead of the school lunch or come home and eat a bag of potato chips in the afternoon. Wherever you find that you are making bad choices, exchange it for a healthy one, such as bringing a sandwich and vegetables from home or eating fresh fruit after school.

Exercise Plans for Teens

• Exercise is another important factor in the weight loss equation. By increasing your activity level, you'll burn more calories and lose weight faster.

  Choose an exercise that interests you. If you enjoy playing video games, then you may like exercise programs that use a Wii. If you like dancing, you can join a dance class or purchase videos that give you a good workout while dancing. A great way to stay motivated is to exercise with a friend. You can keep each other from skipping workouts.