 Losing weight requires that what you take in be less than what you burn up. If you are not losing weight that means that you are still eating more than you are burning up. It's pretty simple. What is not so simple is resisting the high fat, high sugar foods, the large portion sizes, second helpings, and frequent "junk food" snacks and soft drinks that you are used to. For many kids this is almost like coming off of a drug that they are hooked on. It takes time for the cravings to go away and for the habits to change. If food comforts and soothes you, then you have to find something else to substitute for food that doesn't also cause health problems. Low-fat, sugar-free foods can still be fun and offer comfort, and healthy foods like fruits can be your snacks. If you tend to get depressed and you eat to make youself feel better, it may help to talk to a counselor or to your doctor who may prescribe an antidepressant, which can make you feel better without also causing you to gain weight. Distracting fun activities can get your mind off of food and burn calories. Sometimes when we try to loose weight by ourselves, it doesn't work very well. If you have a friend, become weight loss buddies. Call her/him when you feel the urge to eat, instead of eating. Find distracting activities that you both like (make a list of things that you like to do), such as take walks, ride bikes, play tennis together. Slow, steady weight loss is much better than fast weight loss, so start slowly and build up to more exercise.
It helps to do a food diary and write down everything that you eat and drink each day. We frequently eat a lot more than we realize and keeping a food diary can help us see that. By keeping a food diary you can see where you need to cut down, like cutting out one soda a day. Even cutting down small amount can help. For example, cutting out one 16 ounce soda a day will result in 25 pounds of weight loss a year. Also keep an activity diary and write down all the activities and how long you do them everyday. Try to increase the kinds of healthy activity you do EVERY DAY! For example, walk up the stairs instead of taking elevators, walk to school, walk up hills instead of walking on flat areas, or ride a bike. Walking faster is also helpful. Sometimes eating about the same but increasing ones activity level breaks the cycle.
You might want to talk to your doctor, as there might be other reasons why you aren't loosing weight. Your doctor will do a physical and check your blood for various things such as for diabetes, might put you on a certain diet (cutting down on certain foods) and have you see a dietitian if you are having trouble.
|
Why Don't I Lose Weight?