How can I Lose Weight As a Young Adult? Weight loss is a tough topic, especially for teenagers. You may want to weigh less or even look like someone else, but these goals may not be healthy or realistic for you. You may look at magazines, ads, and TV and wish you looked more like the models and actors, but that is a sure way to set yourself up for disappointment. No magical diet or pill will make you look like someone you were not meant to be.

Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight it to talk to a health care provider. He or she can help you set realistic goals. Another suggestion is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). It does a good job of describing relative weight for any given height and measures your overall total body fat content. It does not, however, differentiate between people with too much fat and athletic, muscular body type people.

To calculate your BMI

Weight management is about long-term success and will hopefully last a lifetime. People who lose weight quickly by "crash" dieting or other extreme measures usually gain it all back or gain even more of the pounds that they lost, because they have not permanently changed their eating habits. The best weight management strategies are those that you can maintain for a lifetime.

Dieting Tips

1. Be aware of what you drink. Cutting out soda completely can save you 360 calories or more each day. AVOID diet soda - they tend to make some people hungry. Drink a lot of water.
2. Move your body. Your goal should be to work up to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 to 5 times a week.
3. Start small. Drastic changes are much harder to stick with than smaller changes. Try reducing the size of the portions you eat and gradually introduce healthier foods and exercise into your life.
4. Avoid eating when you are full, bored, lonely, or stressed.
5. Do not eat a large meal in the evening when you will have little opportunity for exercise afterwards. It is best to eat more at the times when you are going to be the most active. Eat a hearty breakfast, a substantial lunch, and a light dinner.
6. Never skip breakfast.
7. Eat slowly, and thoroughly chew your food.
8. Five a day keeps the pounds away. Five or more servings of fruits and veggies are not just a good idea to help you lose weight - they will help keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy.
9. Do not eat while you are doing anything else (like watching tv, using the computer, or doing your homework).
10. Avoid fad or prepackaged diets. If we were meant to eat from cans, they would grow from trees.
11. Avoid diet pills (even the over-the-counter or herbal variety) unless your doctor prescribes them.
12. Do not banish certain foods. Making certain foods forbidden is sure to make you want them even more.
13. Forgive yourself. When you slip up, the best idea is to get right back on track and do not look back.