I'm 16 and a bit overweight. pleasantly plump is what I call myself.


My parents tell me this is puppy fat that i will lose soon, but I can't wait too long. What is the best diet plan for me?

Studies have shown it again and again: Strict diets alone don't work. Strict dieting restricts calories and nutritious foods. This can cause you to feel deprived and result in bingeing or overeating. The most effective way to reach an ideal weight is to burn more calories than you take in.

All teens should get at least 60 minutes of exercise daily, according to current recommendations. Not only does exercise help you burn calories, but you'll also increase your cardiovascular endurance. And here's another benefit: Gaining muscle can help you burn more calories all day, even while you are sitting around. Muscle mass is metabolically active tissue, meaning it is the tissue that burns calories.

Eating a balanced diet is the other component of weight loss. As you plan your daily menu, choose more servings from the plant groups ,bread, cereal, rice, legumes, tofu, nuts, pasta, fruits and vegetables. Choose moderate servings of low-fat dairy, and pick fewer servings of meat. Then, choose fats and sweets very sparingly. Eliminate junk food, sodas, chips, and other foods that are low in nutrients and high in calories and fat.

Teens often underestimate how much they really eat. That's why it's important to understand just what makes up "one portion" of a food. For instance, look at the label on packages of bagels. One bagel can have as many as 350 calories or as few as 100.

For easy portion control, use the palm of your hand as a guide. Your palm is about the size of a 3-ounce portion of meat or fish; 3 ounces equal one serving. You can hold one serving of raw vegetables in the palm of your hand. One serving of fruit, such as an apple or half a banana, fits in the palm of your hand, too.

Add one serving of grain (1/2 cup rice or pasta, a slice of bread, half a bagel, hamburger bun, or English muffin) and one serving of low-fat dairy (1 cup low-fat milk, 1 cup low-fat/sugar-free yogurt, 1 slice low-fat cheese, or 1 cup low-fat soymilk). Presto, you have a meal that's balanced and not supersized.

You also might want to eat smaller meals more frequently, which may help boost your metabolism and productivity. Five to six small meals per day may be ideal. Research has found that people who eat two meals or less during the day have a slower metabolic rate (the speed at which your body burns calories) than those who eat three or more times a day.

Eating frequently will also keep your blood sugar levels constant, so you don't feel irritable or overly hungry. Sometimes, eating a diet high in carbs and sweets causes your blood sugar level to spike, then drop dramatically. When it drops, you might feel cranky, tired, and extremely hungry.

Whoaaaa slow down... eliminate sodas and chips?




Those are my emotional food. I need them. Can i eat less of something else so that I don't have to give up on them?

I understand the emotional need of eating chips and sodas. I'm still working on that. But there are really some things that you need to give up if you're really determined to lose weight, or to live a healthy lifestyle.

I guess you should gradually lessen it, and eventually you'll notice you're not craving for it anymore. But indulge every once in a while, with emphasis on every once in a while.

Discipline is the key

Arlene, Sadly some of the better tasting foods are the ones we have to give up. Try keeping these as special day treats instead of everyday emotional food. Its all a matter of conditioning your mind.

Discipline is one big factor of successful dieting. Soda's and chips are high in calories, so if you're under a diet plan and exercising as well, you're burning calories. But if you're into sodas and chips's, you're diet plan and effort in exercising will be wasted.

If you want to get a new diet plan its better to search on the web so that you can study it. Also consult a dietician after you research it submit it and then it will be evaluated and will test if these is succeptible for you.

I understand the emotional need of eating chips . But there are really some things that you need to give up if you're really determined to lose weight, or to live a healthy lifestyle.

arlene - 21 August 2008 09:37 PM

Whoaaaa slow down... eliminate sodas and chips?




Those are my emotional food. I need them. Can i eat less of something else so that I don't have to give up on them?

yes you can! Do you have any weight watchers youth groups where you live? They can teach you how with their plan.