Weight loss plan for a teen

[jenny25]

Hi. Can anyone recommend a good weight loss plan for a teen? My niece is struggling with her weight and she's 14. My sister is really worried about saying or doing the wrong thing, because she knows that weight is such a sensitive topic for her. She doesn't want to drive her daughter towards low-self esteem or make her think she needs to be obsessively skinny or anything like that. She is consulting her daughter's doctor, but I thought I pick some brains here on the forum to see if anyone had suggestions. Thanks. It means a lot :)

[Tiff]

It's always hard when it comes to helping teens with their weight. I really feel for you and your sister. If her weight is a of extreme concern, definitely consult with her doctor. If it doesn't seem like it's that big of a problem, you may still want to consult with her doctor, but I would encourage her to engage in more activity and help her get on a regular eating schedule if she isn't on one. It could be that she needs more activity and a little bit more regularity to help get her metabolism on track. Also, don't just expect her to do these things on her own. Your sister should take an active role in her new lifestyle. Maybe they can go on daily walks together, take a fun dance class and start making food together. No one likes to diet alone.

[bruceH]

I would imagine that any diet that promotes eating healthy foods, regular exercise, and cutting out lots of junk like tans-fats, deep fried foods, refined carbs, etc. should be good to help a teen lose weight. I think it's about teaching a person to eat well and to have will power when it comes to treat food. It may also be a good idea for you to find out if your niece has an emotional eating problem. Understanding her current eating habits and her level of fitness is important to figuring out what changes needs to be made.

[lia]

I would try a diet that's something like the step diet or the mediterranean diet. A diet that teaches you about portion control and focuses on eating healthy without actually restricting too many calories or any of that detox nonsense. I also mentioned the step diet because that one focuses on making sure exercise is worked in too.

[char]

I agree with Lia. The Mediterranean and Step Diet are good plans because they are not extreme. They teach you about paying attention to what you eat without massive restrictions. When it comes to teens and weight loss I'm not a believer in diets. What she needs is a lifestyle change, one that she can understand and follow permanently. I also agree that she shouldn't be the only one to make this change. People tend to handle change better when they're not the only ones going through it.

[jenny25]

Thanks everyone. I'll pass on some of your tips to my sister. We're both worried about her daughter. We know she's unhappy about her weight, but it's so scary to say the wrong thing cause the last thing we want to do is to make her think that she's unpretty or worse and push her into an eating disorder.

[treehuggertodd]

I would also recommend that it is important to teach your niece to love her body and that means making healthy choices. Go on a health journey together and find the right balance. This will help to purge both the negative thoughts and other ills from your body so you can replace them with a positive attitude and healthy food products. Eat more fresh whole foods and make the preparation and eating of these foods enjoyable. Too often people thing of eating as a chore. It shouldn't be a chore, it should be something that you look forward to. As for exercise, think about taking a fun exercise class together. What are her interests? Swimming, dancing, playing sports (ex. tennis) are all activities that burn calories and are fun. Be creative.