How to Lose Weight Fast: An Ultimate Guide for Teens

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Summary

Although there are a few supplements for teen weight loss, there are everyday actions you can take to start losing weight. By modifying your eating habits, staying active, and always being prepared to avoid skipping meals, you’ll look and feel better within a few days.

In this Guide:

Table of Contents

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There are several publications on how to lose weight fast for teens. To save you the trouble and a whole lot of time, we have taken it upon ourselves to do all the leg work for you! Here is the ultimate guide to everything you need to know about teen weight loss, health, and supplements.

How to Lose Weight Fast: An Ultimate Guide for Teens 1

The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial to preventing chronic disease and living a longer life. Research has shown that individuals with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher can reduce their lifespan by a significant number of years because they may have an unhealthy amount of body fat mass. Maintaining a healthy weight can do many beneficial things for our healthy starting in our teenage years one being it may lower the risk of heart disease, it can prevent high blood pressure and it may reduce the risk of obtaining different cancers.

However, achieving a healthy lifestyle as a teenager is even more important than living a life rid of disease. It has been proven that teens who are at a healthy weight are less likely to be bullied and have higher self-esteem than those who are either overweight or underweight. These same teens are more likely to develop a healthy relationship with food and likely to develop eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. A teenager who adopts a healthy lifestyle early on is more likely to carry it over into their adult life. When we take our health and weight management seriously, it can drastically improve our mental and physical performance and help us gain the confidence we all desire.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Now that we’ve covered the importance of maintaining a healthy weight let’s move on to what is the average weight for teens. We will also touch on how to lose weight fast for teens as well as provide a list of the most effective weight loss supplements for teenagers.

What’s the Average Weight for Teens?

There are several factors that impact the average weight for teens. Gender, height, age, level of activity, and diet all factor into the equation when it comes to determining the average weight of a teenager.  Teenagers tend to fluctuate in weight from year to year but generally stabilize by the time they reach 18-21 years of age.

However, the scale isn’t always the best representation of healthy body weight for teens. Teen athletes with muscle tone can easily step on the scale and weigh much more than the average teenager. This is because muscle cells weigh more than fat cells which can make the number on the scale a bit misleading.

For this reason, we like to use the BMI formula to determine if a teenager is overweight or not. The Body Mass Index formula is used to divide weight by height squared. This tool is recommended by the Center for Disease Control to check for all weights including healthy weight, overweight, obesity, or underweight conditions.

A healthy BMI for teenage boys and girls ranges from 15.3 – 26.2 depending on their gender and age group. Reference the table below for a more specific breakdown of average BMI in teens:

Average BMI results for teen boys
Average BMI results for teen girls

How to Lose Weight Fast for Teens

Because teenage years are a crucial part of development, it is important to take a teenager’s health seriously. There are several changes that occur during the teen years ranging from hormonal changes in girls to growth spurts in boys.

A lack of physical activity and an excessive intake of highly processed junk food has seriously contributed to the growing obesity rate among teenagers.

If you are a teenager and overweight, we are here to help you and give you information so that you do not succumb to unhealthy weight loss habits! There are plenty of options to help you attain a happier and healthier lifestyle during your weight loss journey.

Lose Weight Fast for teens

Here are some of our best tips on how to achieve a healthy weight fast for teens to ensure their health in both mind and body:

Have a Plan of Action

As the famous saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Journaling is one of the most effective ways to stay on track with your weight loss goals. This is an effective way to track your daily activity, meals, and water intake.

If you’re more into the digital side of things, there are a handful of useful iOS and Android apps to keep you on track. These apps range from simple digital journals to calorie counters and daily step tracker. Registered Dietitian Kristin Cardillo RDN recommends using MyFitnessPal or MyNetDiary to track your total caloric intake. Keeping track of your progress will not only help you stay on track but also show you how much progress you’ve made along the way!

Drink Plenty of Water

Water WILL be your best friend during your weight loss plan. This fluid will not only hydrate you but it can also make you feel fuller throughout the day and prevent mindless snacking in-between meals. Drinking enough water will help with feeling bloated and it can help flush out the toxins in your body.

Aim to drink 2.5 – 3 liters of water a day for the best weight loss results. Staying hydrated will regulate your bowel movements and improve your kidney function and athletic performance.

Don’t like plain water? Mix fruit into it. Our favorite pairings are cucumber + mint, lemon + green apple slices or cucumber + mint + lemon.

Another tip to stay hydrated is to buy 1 large water bottle or refill bottle and consume 64-100 ounces of it every day. Mix your fruity mix into it and use a straw to sip on it! (it will be easier to finish it this way)

Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are packed with the vitamins and minerals that the growing teen body needs to continue developing. It is advisable to consume five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. The best part about incorporating fruits and vegetables into your diet is that these food items are highly versatile and go well with almost anything.

Make a fruit salad, steam some veggies, or combine both in a smoothie. How you chose to indulge in these healthy food options is entirely up to you and your personal food combination preference.

smoothies


Avoid Skipping Meals

There is no better way to mess up your weight loss progress than by skipping meals or depriving yourself of the things you love. In fact, it’s recommended that you eat small, frequent meals every three to four hours to stabilize your blood sugars. For most, this involves eating more food which is perfectly fine for weight loss if those foods are made of the right things. You should aim to consume five to six meals total a day to lose weight at a higher rate.

Despite the misconception that skipping breakfast will cut calories, it actually leads to hunger pangs and excessive eating when lunchtime comes around. Certain studies have also shown that people who eat breakfast tend to have lower BMIs. Breakfast is just as important as any other meal when it comes to a nutritious and balanced weight loss plan.

Stay Away From Fad Diets

Yes, these fad diets will result in fast weight loss results; but these fad diets consist of unhealthy dieting methods that are not sustainable in the long run. The nutritional imbalance in fad diets can cause you to gain the weight back just as quickly as you lost it.

Don’t get discouraged just yet because it is possible to achieve a healthy lifestyle with relatively quick results in an effective and sustainable manner when following a nutritious and balanced meal plan.

Do Not Eliminate Carbs From Your Diet

It is a popular misconception that eliminating all carbs is how to lose weight fast for teens. However, there are many good carbs that your body actually needs. The goal is to incorporate more whole carbs and less refined carbs into your diet.

Whole carbs are unprocessed and contain the fiber naturally found in the food while refined carbs have been processed and are typically stripped of all natural fiber.

Whole carbs include whole fruit, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. When picking products that don’t come from dairy or animal by-product make sure there is fiber on the label. Try to pick the brands that have 3 or more grams of fiber listed. IF they have 0 g of fiber try to avoid.

Some examples of refined carbs include artificially flavored beverages, fruit juices, crackers, pastries, white bread, white flour, and white rice.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise Regularly

For fast and effective weight loss, exercise needs to be made an essential part of your day. You should aim to exercise three to four times a week for 30 minutes at least. The great thing about exercise for weight loss is that you can customize your daily routine however you like!

You can dance, run, walk, swim, jog, or join your local gym and meet like-minded people with weight loss goals similar to yours. There is no one exercise that will be better for anyone – as long as you are sweating you are working! Don’t underestimate the power of taking a daily stroll through the neighborhood. An average person can burn six or more calories by walking for a minute at a brisk pace.

Eat High Fiber Foods

Foods high in fiber will keep you feeling fuller for a more extended period of time. When you feel fuller throughout the day, you tend to consume fewer calories on a daily basis. The top 10 sources of fiber include beans, whole grains, brown rice, popcorn, nuts, baked potato, berries, cereal, oatmeal, and vegetables. Remember going forward only pick products that include fiber in them and a good rule of thumb is to pick products with more than 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Time Your Meals

One secret when it comes to how to lose weight fast for teens is the importance of timed meals. There is no better way to manage your hunger than to have a predictable and routine meal schedule. Timed meals not only improve your metabolism but also reduce the likelihood of overeating in the later hours of the day.

You can read up on how to time your meals for optimal weight loss here.

The Benefits of Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Aside from learning how to lose weight fast for teens, it is important to familiarize yourself with the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight during your teenage years. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can benefit you in the long run. A healthy weight will make it easier to achieve your fitness goals, live longer, and protect you from a multitude of illnesses.

Benefits of Healthy Weight

Benefits of maintaining a healthy weight:

  • Reduces the risk of heart disease
  • Reduces the risk of having a stroke
  • Reduces the chances of developing various forms of cancer
  • Controls non-insulin dependent diabetes
  • Relieves tension in your back and joints
  • Increases energy levels
  • Optimizes your immune system
  • Reduces the risks of osteoporosis
  • Reduces infertility risks
  • Reduces the risk of anemia
  • Improves self-esteem and quality of life
  • Enhances energy and wellness levels

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