Things to Look Out for Before a Child Goes on a Diet

by Victoria Taylor on January 3, 2010 · weight loss

in weight loss

There are loads of books and articles abound that serve as a guide for teen girls who want to get rid of those excess pounds. However, here is something that parents should know that your teen should not do before going on a diet.

The most efficient method for a youngster to slim down is to go on a diet. However, the meaning of a diet for some people is so extreme that the person would prefer to starve to attain the sought after results.

Is starvation diet a good idea? Definitely not! Starving oneself robs the teen of the much-needed nutrients and vitamins for the maturing body to develop properly.

Research indicates that the starvation diet also leads to weight gain in the long run. The body is not accustomed to a shortage of food entering the system. Therefore, and will force your teen will eventually participate in binge eating or closet eating to recoup on the losses.

An identical report also shows that the slimming down is not really fat but rather is the lean muscle that gives the teen energy and strength. The reason for the muscle loss is that the food being consumed contains the calories that are necessary for the muscles in the system to function. With a decrease in calorie intake, the body will eliminate the one thing that consumes a lot of calories – the muscle. In order for the body to survive, it conserves the one thing you want to get rid off – fat!

Besides calorie intake increases as your teen gets older. For example, an 11-year-old boy will require a daily requirement of about 1800 calories. By the age of 18, he will require more or less 3000 calories.

People who decide to go on very low calorie diets are prone to fatigue, nutritional deficiencies, hair and skin loss, bone weakness and hormonal imbalance.

Another report shows that some kids have even resorted to ingesting laxatives regularly to induce rapid weigh loss. True, she will lose weight quickly. However, because the weight loss is mostly water weight, she will regain it as soon as she drinks liquids. Besides, there are several problems associated with severe dehydration including constipation, muscle weakness, fatigue, problems in the colon and even death.

So what should be done to avoid this? There are several prudent ways to losing weight. First you must enlist the help of your childs pediatrician.

You must first see your teens pediatrician. He can examine the patient and see what improvements might be done. Going on a diet is one method of doing it but not at the expense of skipping meals. It could as simple as a reduction on the meals being consumed and changing the quality of the meals being eaten.

Going on a diet may not make the teen lose weight fast enough. The best combination for any weight loss is to combine dieting with exercise. Working out may involve increasing your teens physical activity such as strolling, biking to school or engaging in a best-liked sport.

Here are five tips you can implement to jump-start your teens weight loss:

1) Make exercise a regular habit. Have the whole family set aside a time each day for exercise so it becomes a natural part of your teens (and the families) routine.

2) If they go to a fast food restaurant, they can choose from the healthier choice menu such as chicken salad with low fat dressing or grilled chicken wraps. This is a better choice than cheeseburger and fries.

3) If your teen wants to exercise but does not know where to start, join a family gym. She can work with a trainer or you can workout together or join a fitness class.

4) Pay attention to other reasons your teen may eat. She may be bored, tired, or depressed. Emotional eating only make things worse and does not make problems go away. Remove junk food from you cupboard and replace them with fruit and whole grain breads instead.

5) Most vegetables and fruits are high in fiber, nutrients and low in calories. The high fiber means that your teen will fill up faster and eat less. Encourage fruit as snacks to cut calories without feeling hungry.

There is no overnight solution for teenage girls to lose those excess pounds. This has to be done gradually by getting into a well thought out plan, soliciting the help of her physician (or hire a trainer) and support from friends and family.

The first results will likely be observed in exactly 14 days, as the childs metabolic rate has not adjusted to the lower calorie intake. This will plateau at around the third week. Therefore, your childs physician or trainer must try different alternatives so the body would not be able to adapt to these changes. Changes will happen. It varies from one teenage girl to the next so just be patient and she will eventually get the weight off and keep it down through adulthood.

Rochester NY Health and Fitness Center, Certified Personal Trainers of Rochester NY and Athletic Clubs Rochester NY provide members quality service in fitness.

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