How to Safely Lose Weight (for Teen Girls)

Co-authored by Souad Gharib

Last Updated: February 6, 2023 References

Lot's of teen girls want to lose weight safely and fast, but they don't want anybody to know. It's a totally common issue, and this will help you with that! Find out how to lose the weight but not have to tell anybody!

Steps

1
Calculate your BMI. There are lots of websites out there (even apps for your iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad) that will calculate your BMI. Your BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It will tell you whether you are severely underweight, underweight, average/normal, overweight, and obese. Make sure that you use a BMI calculator that factors in age and height!^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Research and education center within the National Institutes of Health
Go to source} Calculate your weight now, and if you are in the normal range, you shouldn't lose more than a few pounds. If you're underweight, you need to gain weight!^{[2]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
2
Set a goal weight. Have a reasonable weight in mind, and use that to motivate you to keep your commitment. Say you are 145 pounds, a good goal weight just to start would be say 140. Ease yourself into it. Once you reach that weight, you can go to 135, then 130, and so on until your goal.^{[3]
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Trustworthy Source
Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}

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3
Track your calories. There are lots of great websites that will track your calorie intake and output that really help you lose weight! There are also iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad apps that can help you.^{[4]
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4
Exercise, exercise, exercise! This is the main factor in losing weight! Make sure you don't overdo it though, or else you could risk injuries. Try going for a run when nobody is home, or if there are people home, take your dog for a walk and turn it into a run!^{[5]
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5
Eat a balanced diet. You need to make sure you get protein, carbohydrates, dairy, fruits, vegetables, fiber, and some fats. Make sure that you get all of these within a day.^{[6]
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6
You get one day as a "cheat day" per week. On this day, you can eat however much of whatever you want! This day doesn't have to be the same every week, one week it could be Tuesday and the next it could be Sunday! Make sure though that you don't eat junk food just because it's your cheat day.^{[7]
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7
Weigh-in once a week. Pick one day a week to weigh yourself right after you wake up and use the bathroom.^{[8]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source} Don't eat anything before you weigh yourself. If you weigh-in everyday it will discourage you since you can vary a few pounds day to day due to water weight.^{[9]
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8
Keep track of your progress. If the first week you lose 2 pounds, that's great! Don't expect to meet a goal of losing 20 pounds overnight, it takes a lot of sweat and effort.
9
Water is your best friend. Water will help you lose weight, so make sure you drink lots of it.^{[10]
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Research source} Drink a glass before and during each meal to fill you up, and drink at least one glass between every meal to get a total of 8 glasses.^{[11]
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EatRight.org
Organization associated with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics providing advice about food, health, and fitness
Go to source} Make sure you drink lots of water while exercising to avoid dehydration. The more water you drink the better!
10
Get lots of rest! Make sure you go to bed at a reasonable hour and get at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep.^{[12]
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Research source} This will help make you more active through the day, and try not to sleep past 10 a.m.

Warnings

After exercising, if you have any nausea drink lots of water and do not continue vigorously exercising. Make sure that you don't have a fever, and if so contact your doctor.

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Do not eat less than three meals a day.

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Take at least one day a week where you aren't vigorously exercising to ensure that your body gets the rest it needs.

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Do not starve yourself or binge then purge. These are considered eating disorders, and more specifically anorexia (starving your body) and bulimia (where you binge then purge).

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Do not over exercise

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