Successful Teen Diets

Good nutrition is essential during your teens as your body develops. Many teens think that in order to manage their weight they have to crash diet and drastically change their caloric intake or cut out entire food groups. The Anne Collins website reports that crash dieting in teens often leads to weight gain and can cause lack of energy, mood swings, nutritional deficiencies, skin and hair problems and bone weakness. Teens that want to diet successfully can get all the nutrients they need by adapting a healthy diet where unhealthy foods are replaced by healthier alternatives.

Weight Loss

• If you are an overweight teen trying to lose weight you will be most successful if you do so gradually. The National Library of Medicine recommends a weekly maximum weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs., which can be achieved by cutting out 500 to 1,000 calories per day. If you reduce the amount of calorie-dense foods you eat and replace them with water-rich, low calorie vegetables and fruits you will achieve this. Also start exercising or increase how often you exercise to increase your metabolism and burn calories. As a plus if you add in exercise you can be less strict on your diet because of the additional calorie burn.

Weight Gain

• During teenage years your body undergoes a growth spurt and weight fluctuates. Being underweight can be just as traumatizing to teenagers as being overweight. If you are underweight adjust your diet so you gain weight. Add extra trans-fat free margarine or butter to your food to increase your calorie and fat intake. Consume full-fat dairy instead of low-fat or no-fat dairy and use healthy fats such as canola oil and olive oil when cooking. Gradually increase portion sizes and double up on healthy, whole grain snacks and you will slowly gain weight, for example add an extra slice of bread or an extra potato to each meal. The Center for Young Women's Health states that safe weight gain for teens is about 1 to 2 lbs. per week.

Weight Maintenance

• If you are a teenager that's already at a healthy weight and would like to avoid gaining or losing weight a weight maintenance diet can be the answer. Maintaining your weight often requires a change of lifestyle. You must to learn to make healthy choices such as eating a healthy diet and, per Teengrowth.com, exercising up to 60 minutes per day, five days per week. Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and whole-grain bread should be a regular part of your diet as should lean protein like chicken and fish, and unsaturated "healthy" fats such as olive oil and canola oil.

Personalized Diet Programs

• Weight-conscious teens can diet successfully with the help of a personalized program such as the Jenny Craig Adolescent Program. A personal consultant is appointed to offer one-on-one support, provide teaching, and to answer any questions you have. Weekly menus are planned ahead of time and the consultant will teach you how to eat healthy and lose, gain, or maintain your weight. Teens are weighed and measured on a regular basis to keep track of their progress.