How to Lose Weight If You Are 12 to 15

One-third of American children are overweight or obese. A new study has found that of those overweight teens, many will likely become severely obese in adulthood. If you are an overweight teen, you can lose weight by adopting healthy habits including eating better and exercising regularly. To lose one pound of body fat, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories, whether it is by eating less or exercising more.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat small, regular meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Breakfast jump starts your metabolism by signaling to your brain that it is time to start burning calories, first thing in the morning. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 80% of people who are able to lose weight and keep it off eat breakfast every day. Eating complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal and protein such as eggs will keep you feeling fuller longer and give you the energy you need to get you through your day.

• 2

  Eliminate unhealthy foods from your diet when you can. Chips, cookies and other snacks are high in calories but offer very little nutritional value. Replace sugary or fatty foods with fruits such as grapes, strawberries or apples or vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, baby carrots or peppers.

• 3

  Replace soft drinks and juices with water. Giving up just one soda a day can save 150 calories. Similarly, one glass of juice is 120 calories. Eating whole fruit instead of juice will also help you feel fuller because fruits contain fiber, which is generally minimized in juices.

• 4

  Add exercise to your day. Walking to and from school rather than taking the bus, taking short jogs, joining sports teams or going up and down a flight of stairs a few times are all easy ways to burn calories throughout your day. Gradually increase the amount and intensity of your daily workouts. The US Department of Health recommends that teens get an hour or more of moderate-intensity to vigorous aerobic physical activity a day. Moderate-intensity exercises include brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and playing sports.

• 5

  Begin to add resistance training to your workouts. If you've started puberty, resistance training will help you build muscles. Use resistance bands and even body-weight exercises to build muscle tone. Body-weight exercises are moves that involve using your your body rather than weights or other equipment as resistance. Push ups, lunges, squats and crunches are examples of body-weight exercises.

• 6

  Keep a journal. Research shows that writing down what you eat and how often you exercise can double your weight-loss efforts. Writing down your foods will help you be aware of how many calories you are eating and will also allow you to see if and when you are overeating.

• 7

  Involve your friends and family in your efforts. Having support from people who love you will help you stay on task.