About Diana Expertise Questions? Concerns? Nobody to ask?
I could answer teen growth questions and menstruation problems.
No need to feel shy. I have/had many questions and know how it feels not to feel comfortable asking anybody.
Experience I did alot of research through my teen years, and am still doing.
Expert: Diana Date: 7/23/2004 Subject: I'm a 16 year old
girl...
Question I'm a 16 year old
girl and weigh about 159lbs. I am overweight and I have no shame in stating
that
to you. Although, many people say that I don't look as overweight as I
say.
I am looking for a good plan for me to lose weight and eat healthy. I'm
not looking for a "diet" so to say. I'm looking for a long-term change
rather than a short term one. I don't feel comfortable talking to my
doctor about this as he's an 85 year old man.
The problem with me is that I need a strict routine to follow and turn
into habit. Can you help me?
Answer Hi!,
I am glad that you feel comfortable telling me how you feel about your weight.
You say that many people claim that you don't look overweight. How much you could weight depends on your height too.
I'll guide you through some healthy eating/living:
1. Don't skip meals - plan for meals and snacks.
-Believe it or not, 3 meals and 2 snacks are best to maintain both energy levels and healthy weight. You are more likely to overeat or choose nutrition-poor foods when you skip meals and are over-hungry.
2. Learn about simple, healthy ways to prepare foods.
-Think about baking, boiling, grilling, stir-frying, or microwaving as healthy ways to cook foods instead of deep frying your foods.
-Try dried herbs (basil, oregano, parsley) and spices (lemon pepper, chili powder, garlic powder) to spice up your food, instead of adding toppings like butter, margarine, or gravy.
-Try trimming off the skin and fat on your meat: you'll still get plenty of flavor and it's more nutritious and heart-healthy!
3. Pay attention to your eating and your body.
-Slow down when you eat. Try to relax and pace yourself so that your meals last at least 20 minutes, since it takes 20 minutes for you to feel full.
Listen to your body. Eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full will help your body to balance its energy needs and stay comfortable. Ask yourself: Am I eating because I'm hungry, or because I'm stressed or bored?
-Try warm foods (soup, hot cereal, cocoa) and high-fiber foods (whole grains, vegetables, beans) to increase your feeling of comfortable fullness.
Coffee is a very good drink to have 1-2 times daily.
“LAST BUT NOT LEAST”
4. Stay healthy and happy—avoid "diet thinking."
-There are no good foods or bad foods. All foods can be part of healthy eating, in moderation.
-You do not need to buy fat-free or dietetic foods. Fat-free or dietetic foods are not necessarily lower in calories -they usually have lots of added sugar to replace the fat!
-YOU are more important than your weight or body size—believe it! And your health and happiness can be hurt by drastic weight loss plans. If you have not yet reached your adult height, too much weight loss could interfere with your growth, even if you are overweight. For younger teens that are overweight but still growing, it may be important to keep your weight steady as you continue to grow, instead of focusing on weight loss.
