Diet Tips for Teens
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Swapping carrots for chips – One of the best things that teens can do to help them lose weight is to swap baby carrots for the chips they normally eat. It saves around 10 calories and a gram of fat. They give the crunch to satisfy the munchies without the fat.
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Brush those pearly whites – Brushing your teeth after eating tells your body that no more food is coming in and gives you minty breathy without the added calories of mints and gum which can make you want something sweet.
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Only cook and eat – Another thing that helps to lose weight is only using the kitchen for eating or cooking. When you are doing homework or something else in the kitchen, that refrigerator is staring you in the face and inviting you to open it. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. If you don’t see the fridge, you won’t think you’re hungry.
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Time the snacks – Yeah, we know that you need that snack after school. But when you put a time limit on how long you can eat, you will be less apt to oversnack and then you can get other things done. Don’t forget to clean your teeth afterwards!
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Put it down – Instead of holding your fork when you are eating, put it down while you’re chewing. This also goes for something like a burger or a piece of pizza that you have in your hands. This is going to encourage you to eat slower and realize when it is that you have had enough. That means you won’t overeat!
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Eat only at the table – Instead of taking food to your room, limit your eating to the kitchen table, and only go there when you are cooking or you are going to be eating.
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Turn off tunage – Ever notice that some restaurants play fast music when you are in there? This is because people who hear fast music tend to eat faster. So either skip the music altogether or play music that is slow and relaxing. It will help you to eat at a slower pace.
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Let the sunshine in – Studies have shown that when we don’t get enough sun we are craving things with lots of calories and fat. So go outside and get some sun. Your body will make serotonin, you are going to get your feel good sensation, and you won’t be craving the stuff that is bad for you.
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Caffeine – Before you get ready to do some exercise, drink a cup of tea or coffee without sugar but with caffeine. There have been studies done that show that people who drink something with caffeine in it prior to exercising burn more calories. Just remember, it’s a cup that you should drink. Not the whole pot!
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Slim down sweets – It’s a vicious cycle – when you eat sugar, you want more sugar. So keep an eye out for the foods that don’t have a lot in it – 5 mg or less is good.
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Drink lots of water – Make sure that you are drinking approximately 8 glasses of water per day. This is going to help you to raise your metabolism, it will keep you from retaining fluid, and it will keep you hydrated for workouts. Drink water before you workout and before you eat.
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Look for color – White starches, such as bread, rice, crackers, and donuts are going to kill your diet. So go with the whole grain foods – whole grain bread, pasta, rice, and cereals.
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Don’t stress – Something that has been discovered is that people who are very stressed tend to be heavier. Exercise is a great stress reliever, which keeps the hormones from turning on your fat storage, make sure that you are keeping the healthy kinds of snacks around like fresh fruit and veggies too.
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Think attainable goals – Make yourself set goals that you know that you can attain. If you set your goals small, you will discover that you are more successful and you will keep your motivation up.
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Believe in yourself – Tell yourself that you can do it. If you are telling yourself that it’s no use, you will become frustrated. But believing yourself will help you to keep going.
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Get pro with protein – Protein is going to help you to keep full. So if you are finding yourself hungry before dinner even with your snack, add some extra protein to your snack. Fruit and a low fat cheese is a great snack. It will keep you fuller longer.
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Ditch the suds – Instead of drinking soda with your meals, try drinking a skim milk or even water. This is going to save you so many calories at each meal and you will be surprised what a difference it will make.
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Sleep – Another thing that you should do is make sure you’re getting lots of sleep. This is going to help you be less stressed during the day and it will also avoid your body having trouble processing carbs and regulating hormones and levels of insulin.
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Be a ‘souper’ teen – Finally, before you sit down to eat that meal, have a nice bowl of soup, either broth or soups that have lots of protein. This is going to you eat more than a quarter less food at the meal. Don’t go for the cream soups because they are going to defeat the purpose since they are full of calories and fat.
As you can see, there are a lot of things that you can do as a teen to help yourself lose weight and be more healthy. It just means making better choices and eating the food that is good for you. If you help to control your weight now, you are going to have a better chance of being healthy as an adult and making smarter choices when you are older. The sooner that you are learning good eating habits, the better off you will be and the healthier and happier you will b, and the better you will feel about yourself.