How to Help Your Teenage Daughter Lose Weight

The actual goal of this article is not to show you how to help your teenage daughter lose weight, it's the show you how to help her exercise more and eat healthier meals. Exercise and healthy eating of course lead to better health and quality of life, but for those who are overweight, shedding some of those pounds is often a welcomed byproduct of being healthier.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. You have to believe she needs to live a healthier lifestyle.
   
   This step may seem unnecessary, but think about how many times you've tried to diet and failed after a few weeks. Changing any behavior is hard for us humans, and if you don't firmly believe your teenage daughter is living an unhealthy lifestyle, then you won't be able to help her.

2. 
    

   Understand what changes human behavior.
   
   Know your daughter's motivations. At this age, she's most likely to be motivated by what her friends think and how her role models look. Get to know your daughter and identify some of her role models who live healthy. Encourage her to exercise with her friends so she can maintain her social network. They can start a running or walking group, do yoga together after school in your living room or even play Wii Fit together.

3. 
    

   Provider your daughter with access to resources.
   
   This means help her choose healthy foods to eat that she likes. Give her time to go to the gym and a ride there if she needs it.

4. Be a constant support.
   
   Your job may be just as tough as her's. You can make improving her health easier for her by motivating your daughter to live healthy, especially during times of temptation. For example, it's common for anyone to overeat at the holidays. Being such a busy time of year, it's often difficult for us to find time to exercise, and if you live somewhere in the northern hemisphere, working out outside can become impossible. DO NOT let these deterrents keep your daughter from being healthy. It is possible to try every dish at a family Christmas dinner by having one or two bites of each. Give the gift of health to your teenage daughter for Christmas and offer to do one of her chores so she has time to exercise. Maybe offer to exercise with her - working out with a friend can make you work out harder and longer.

Tips & Warnings

• This article is not a substitute for a physician's advice. Please consult your physician to determine if your teenage daughter is living an unhealthy lifestyle, to determine if she does need to lose weight and to find out what activities work best for her needs.
• This article is not about how to lose weight the fastest. Losing weight should not be done quickly as it will result in poor health and severe stretch marks. This is why your support is more important than ever.

Resources

• Eat More Fruits & Vegetables
• Lose Weight Naturally
• Healthy but Yummy Broccoli Salad Recipe

[PandiaPen]

on 11/26/2009 What a nice article -- I love the pictures adn all the good advice. 5*