Lose Weight As a Preteen

Losing weight may seem frustrating and hard, but by having confidence, a goal, and motivation you’ll become successful. Here’s an easy guide on how to lose weight easily for preteens.

Steps

Preparing Healthy Meals

  1. Start your day with breakfast. It should be the largest meal, as it provides you with energy for the day. Find low-calorie, healthy foods that contain nutrients, such as oats and orange juice. You can still have your favorite breakfast foods, but cut down on the amounts that you take in order to balance out your calories. For example, if you want pancakes and yogurt, give yourself three pancakes, a cup of low-fat yogurt, and about three tablespoons of maple syrup. By being moderate in your serving sizes, you can still enjoy your favorite foods while maintaining a healthy weight.
    • You should attempt to cut out syrups and sauces from your diet, as these contain high calories. Excess calories will eventually build up in your body, causing extra weight. Find a healthier alternative, such as lemon juice on pancakes.
    • Have a cup of green or mint tea. It speeds up the metabolism and also contains antioxidants.
    • If you crave sugar, replace sugary snacks with fruits. Mangoes, bananas, and an occasional drizzle of chocolate syrup are good for your body.
  2. Have a healthy lunch. In order to maintain your energy levels throughout the day, introduce foods with carbohydrates into your diet. Pack a healthy sandwich, but cut back on the mayonnaise or jelly. If you like having spreads on your bread, find healthier ones with lower calories. Also, you could look up recipes for healthier sandwiches. Ones that contain healthy vegetables, such as lettuces and tomatoes, are excellent suggestions.
    • More examples of healthy lunches include:
      • A ham sandwich with mustard, a plate of broccoli, and a glass of skim milk
      • Flavored water, a peanut butter sandwich with jelly under thirty calories in one serving, one banana, a handful of nuts, and a blended smoothie
  3. Introduce salads into your diet. You can mix healthy foods together into one, yummy bowl. Pasta salad is a great choice and can be prepared the night before for minimal morning stress. Simply cook pasta (preferably whole wheat but optional) and add steamed vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, green beans, peas, etc. Protein, such as chicken or tuna, should also be added. Add a healthy, low-calorie sauce to your salad.
    • Steam the vegetables by cutting and placing them in a microwavable bowl. Add a bit of water before covering it with cling film. Pop it into the microwave for one-and-a-half to three minutes.
  4. Stay away from sugary and fried foods. Pastries and such often contain high amounts of unnecessary calories, which offer unwanted pounds to your body. Cut back on high-calorie snacks, such as cakes, cookies, and muffins. If you still crave those foods, find healthier alternatives and stick with them. Stores often sell brands that offer a healthier version of your favorite snacks, such as 90 calorie brownies.

Encouraging Weight Loss

  1. Set realistic goals. Make a list of small objectives to complete, such as eliminating sugary foods from your diet or losing five pounds. You should respect your limits and take note of them when writing down your goals. Work to accomplish those missions, no matter what it takes. Set up small, non-food related rewards for you to receive once you have finished one of those objectives.
  2. Sneak in extra exercise. Although you should receive thirty minutes of exercise on a daily basis, add some more to your regular program through everyday activities. For example, have your parents park the car at the far end of the parking lot. Use that extra distance to walk and burn off calories. You could also take the stairs instead of the elevator.
  3. Maintain a food diary. Keeping track of every calorie that slips into your body will help you know what you have to eliminate or keep. It can help you figure out what weight-loss methods are working and which ones need to be replaced. If you find that you are losing or gaining too much weight, you can look back on your food diary to see what went wrong.
  4. Hydrate your body. Drink eight glasses of water per day. Be sure that you continue drinking before, during, and after your exercise sessions. It is important to make sure that your body remains hydrated; otherwise, you may suffer from dehydration and collapse.
  5. Reward yourself. Use your savings to give yourself a small gift every time you lose a certain amount of weight. You could also ask your parents to support you with this system. Being rewarded for hard work will leave you in a good mood, encouraging you to continue with your progress.
  6. Talk with your parents. Make sure that they feel comfortable with your weight loss program. As your parents, they may feel concerned that you will become unhealthily obsessed with losing weight. They might also fear that you will lose too much and hurt yourself in the progress. However, by reassuring them that you are following a safe diet and healthily exercising, you might be able to qualm their fears. Keep them updated about your progress so that they know what is going on.

Tips

  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Don't give up; this is a big goal at a young age, but anyone can do it! You are never too out of shape to get healthy.
  • Avoid emotional eating and overeating.
  • Be sure to get adequate exercise, too. It will help boost your weight loss. Doing this with a friend is more fun!
  • Limit either carbohydrates or fat. Limiting both does more harm than good.
  • Knowing your Body Mass Index (BMI) can also give you an idea of what your healthy weight is.
  • Avoid starving yourself as it really gives you extra calories since your body fights to keep the fat because you're making it believe that you won't ever eat again.
  • Avoid sparkling/fizzy drinks or soft drinks, drink only water or fresh 100% fruit juice.
  • Going for a 10-15 minute walk every day helps.
  • Each week you exercise add more time to your workout; it will help you.
  • The pills you see on tv aren't good for you, and they won't even work, so don't waste your money. Save your money and use it one something that actually works.
  • You can get a Fitbit to help you track how much you exercise and sleep.

Warnings

  • Beware of dangerous habits to lose weight, such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. You can severely injure yourself.
  • Take into account your body type when planning to lose weight. If you have a large frame, do not aim to weigh like someone with a small frame. Everybody has a naturally healthy body weight, straying from that weight has consequences.
  • You may already be at a healthy weight. Keep a positive self-image to avoid damaging your body and self-esteem.

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