Child obesity can lead to worries about teen weight loss. As a teen, you may have habits that cause weight gain. We don't always recognize something we do over and over as a habit. That's because we do things on auto-pilot without thinking about it. Let's look at a few habit patterns that you may have without knowing it.
1. Your Divided Mind - Do you frequently eat while watching TV, surfing the net or talking on your cell phone? Here the mind is divided between doing something considered important and munching, until a bag of chips is history.
The mind is pretty remarkable. It signals your stomach when it's full. However, it's up to you to listen. Discipline your thoughts. The mind can only deal with one thought at a time.
2. Eating Late at Night - Do you often grab a burger and fries with friends, following a movie or sports event? When we eat too late, our body doesn't have enough awake time to take care of digestion duties. Guess what? All those late night calories and carbs are added to the body's reserve of fat!
If you find yourself in a situation where everybody else is eating fatty, sugary foods, try to make healthier choices. Most restaurants have slimmer menu options such as grilled chicken or veggie pizza. If you're not really hungry, take half of your meal home. Add a salad for a nutritious lunch the next day.
3. Nervous Eating - Were you a nervous child? Stress and anxiety are leading causes of child obesity. Child obesity makes it all the more difficult to accomplish teen weight loss. During teen years, your emotions are at an all-time high, due to peer pressure, self-image and/or stress at home and school.
Nervous eating acts like a medicine that takes your mind off of your problems. Talk to someone you trust; your school counselor or a relative and discuss ways to work-out your problems.
4. Sugar Overload - Too much sugar is a prime cause of child obesity and, later, this habit discourages teen weight loss. Maybe you think sugar gives you an energy boost in between classes or after school. In a small way, it will. But, soon your energy levels will drop like a rock. You'll feel tired and can't think clearly.
Consider carrying healthy snacks like walnuts or fruit in your backpack. It's actually good to "graze", which means eating several nutritious mini-meals during the day. Healthy snacks help cut down your sugar craving.
5. Doing Without Breakfast - At night, your body has been at rest and it needs fuel to get through the day. If you're short on time, fix grab-and-go breakfasts like fruit and cheese or peanut butter on whole wheat toast.
If you skip breakfast, you'll tend to eat junk during the day. If you're serious about teen weight loss, break the habit of doing without breakfast.
Habit patterns weren't made in a day. Be mindful of what you eat and when you eat it. Child obesity is epidemic in America. Teen weight loss contributes to healthier adults.
Theresa de Jesus is a health and wellness coach. She is passionate in helping kids challenged by overweight or obesity to create a healthy, active and fun lifestyle. Get your FREE weight loss booster newsletter and learn how you can lose weight the healthy way without feeling deprived. http://weightlossbooster.teenhealthfitnesscoach.com/
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