Healthy Ways Of Losing And Gaining Weight / Question
Published: May 7, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Hi, I am 17 and 5'1" 126 pounds. I want to go on a diet. I just want to know what kind of diet I should go on and how much weight I should loose?
Signed: Diet How To's
Dear Diet How To's,
In your situation, dieting is not something TeenHealthFX would actively encourage. FX would rather promote eating healthy and regular exercise with a focus on maintaining a weight in a healthy range. To understand more about what we mean check out, Appropriate Height & Weight. The reason most diets fail is because they are too difficult to maintain. Developing healthy eating habits is easier to sustain because they become part of your daily routine. You will find that when your goal is to eat good foods you feel less guilty when you indulge, then when you stray from a strict diet. No one expects you to be perfect but eating right is a good way to treat your body.
Try making a commitment to yourself that you will work out on a regular basis for 3 months. Be reasonable about how much you will do and how often you go. If you set the bar to high you will make it harder for yourself to succeed. Hopefully after three months the exercise will be part of your routine and something you look forward to on a regular basis. That old saying "No pain, no gain", is true. However, in the beginning it may seem like all pain and no gain. So hang in there, the results will come.
You can check with your doctor or a nutritionist is you would like help establishing a healthy diet that would meet all of your nutritional needs. Your doctor can also advise you on what exercises are helpful and which ones to avoid. If you would like to meet with a doctor from the Adolescent/Young Adult Center For Health in Morristown, N.J. you can call 973.971.6475 for an appointment.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
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