| Get Real | | | | too easy, but they just can't be ignored if you want |
| Most people inherently know the basics of losing | | | | your teen to lose weight. Eating better is partially your |
| weight. A healthy diet for teenagers isn't much | | | | responsibility as a parent, because you decide what |
| different. You lose weight when you're taking in less | | | | foods appear in your refrigerator and pantry. |
| calories and at the same time burning them off. You're | | | | Providing more fruits and vegetables in place of |
| already aware that this is accomplished through a | | | | sugary and salty snacks is a necessity to helping your |
| healthy diet and exercise, but maybe you're not sure | | | | teen lose weight. Throw away the foods that have |
| of how to go about helping your teen adopt these | | | | more than a few ingredients on the label, and get used |
| habits. | | | | to examining the sugar and sodium content of snacks. |
| | | | Limiting white sugar, table salt, white flour, and white |
| Hold Them Accountable | | | | rice can also help cut weight gain immensely. |
| If your teenager wants to lose weight and has | | | | Remember that when you're cutting unhealthy foods |
| expressed a strong interest in it, hold them accountable | | | | out you MUST replace them healthy alternatives. The |
| for it. Remind them in a supportive way that they | | | | better the alternatives taste, the easier it will be to |
| wanted to lose weight in the first place if they start | | | | keep your teen from craving the bad stuff. |
| working on it. You can make them accountable by | | | | Keep Exercises Simple |
| sharing a calendar with their progress on it, or simply | | | | When first starting to exercise it's best to start slowly |
| ask them every few days how things are going. | | | | and not overdo it. If your teenager is highly motivated |
| A parent can only do so much once the child has | | | | to lose weight they may think they can spend hours at |
| reached their teens. The responsibility for their bodies is | | | | the gym and speed things up. |
| now their own. You may want to remind them that no | | | | It's much better to walk for 45 minutes a few times |
| one is going to do it for them. The idea isn't to leave | | | | each week than it is to spend 2 hours at the gym one |
| them on their own emotionally, but to place the burden | | | | day of the week and get burned out. The idea is to |
| of responsibility back on them to ensure they build | | | | make it a regular habit, and the weight loss will follow. |
| healthy habits that will last them into adulthood. Too | | | | Walking may not be a very intense workout, but it is |
| much coddling will have negative effects and likely lead | | | | easy to do and does wonders for weight loss. As an |
| to weight gain. | | | | extra motivation you can let them pick out a new pair |
| Eat Better | | | | of walking or running shoes to get them going. |
| The most obvious ideas are sometimes thought to be | | | | |