WEIGHT LOSS IN THE TEEN YEARS
The teen years are some of the hardest and most confusing years of a person’s life and a lot of our clients ask our Red Deer Personal Trainers about how to engage the situation. The sudden surge of emotions, hormones, and body changes make it easy for teens to feel self-conscious. As a result, many feel they are inadequate and overweight and then take drastic measures to correct these perceived problems.
If you have a teen (or YOU are a teen) would like to lose weight, you’ll need to direct their (your) efforts to ensure success.
UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON
There are many reasons a teen may want to lose weight. Many feel fat because of the changes their bodies are going through during so many big changes. These teens are often not overweight though. Rather, they’re self-conscious. Other teens, however, have a history of overeating and are truly overweight or obese.
Regardless of why your teen wants or needs to lose weight, you should help them get a healthy view of weight and what is going on in his or her body. While your teen may not like the changes that occur during the teen years, there’s nothing that can stop these changes from occurring. What your teen can do is modify behavior and embrace change. That’s how real weight loss and improved self-image show up and the main points our Red Deer Personal Trainers teach our clients.
START EARLY – EVEN BETTER…START RIGHT NOW
Have a teenager who doesn’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning? Does your teen come home and veg out in front of the television after school? Don’t wait until these habits result in extra weight or feelings of being overweight. Instead, encourage your teen to get out and get active right now. Have him or her go outside for a game of basketball. Or go on a hike together. This way, your child can build confidence before he or she even needs it.
On top of these pre-emptive strikes, make sure your teen eats breakfast each day. While your teen may prefer to wake up just in time to walk in school as the bell rings, an additional five or six minutes to eat a bowl of oatmeal or a piece of toast can make all the difference. In addition to giving your teen energy to get better grades, breakfast prevents your teen from feeling hungry throughout the date, which keeps him or her from overeating or from stopping by the vending machine on the way to class.
FOCUS ON NOW ANDLATER
Most teenagers feel invincible. Hence why they eat whatever they want and are willing to go sky diving without a second thought. However, if you want your teen to obtain a healthy weight today, you’ll need to do it with an eye to the future. Therefore, don’t put your child on a diet. You want to instill good habits in your child that will last a lifetime. As much as you can – teach that food is fuel and not a crutch or hobby.
To do this, model healthy habits. Eat homemade meals as often as possible; keep healthy snacks on hand; and only eat desserts, and other treats at special events. Another thing is to get your teen off from drinking their calories – hi sugar drinks, sodas, coffees, etc. they add up big time. You’ll also want to teach your teen what a serving size is supposed to look like. Many teens have eyes bigger than their stomachs, and if your child wants to obtain and maintain a healthy weight throughout life, they will have to understand that most serving sizes are much smaller than what is served at restaurants or on holidays. If you have any additional questions about this sensitive subject or just need to know where to start, leave a comment here on the blog and one of our Red Deer Personal Trainers will get back to you right away.
