How to Lose Weight As a Teen Quickly

When you are a teenager, lack of exercise and eating the wrong foods consistently can cause rapid weight gain. Stress caused by peer pressure, school obligations and responsibilities at home also can cause you to overeat, which causes unwanted pounds to add up. Because you are still growing and need adequate amounts of food and rest, drastically cutting calories and over exercising could aggravate the problem. In spite of daily challenges, you can lose weight quickly by changing what you eat, when you eat and how you spend your free time.

Instructions

1

Eat three meals a day. Wake up early enough to eat a full breakfast. Filling up before you go to school means that you won't feel hungry until lunch time, which eliminates the need for sugary and salty snacks. Filling breakfasts include whole grain cereal, bread and eggs. Oatmeal, whether instant or cooked, also makes for a filling breakfast. Pack a healthy lunch at home or make healthy choices, such as salads, lean meat sandwiches and fruit, if you buy your lunch in the school cafeteria. Never skip dinner. If you're not hungry at the end of the day, eat less.

2

Cut out junk food. Increase your good calorie intake and reduce bad calories by eating fruits and vegetables for snacks instead of potato chips and candy. The Mayo Clinic recommends snacking on whole cut fruit, whole wheat crackers and cheese.

3

Drink plenty of water, whole milk and a limited amount of fruit juice instead of soda. Sodas contain sugar and calories that can cause you to gain weight when you drink too many. The Center for Young Women's Health recommends drinking sugar-free sports beverages, which provide a sweet-tasting alternative if you are not satisfied with the lack of flavor in milk and water.

4

Exercise every day. Ride your bike and volunteer to walk your dog, or your neighbor's dog, every day. You can also play soccer, basketball or tennis after school, if you have such facilities in your neighborhood. If you prefer to exercise indoors, skip rope or follow along with fitness video games or exercise DVDs such as yoga, zumba and hip hop or belly dancing, depending on your preferred method of exercising.