Am I fat ? Dieting & Over Weight in The Younger Genaration

Am I FAT

Well first of all if you have to ask , then you probably are!

Weight Loss for Teens - How to Lose Weight

It is true that more, more kids, teens and young adults are overweight these days.

Unfortunately, many of the teens or young adults who are worried that they are fat or overweight, most really aren't.

Thinking you are overweight or fat when you aren't or having a 'distorted body image of your self when you look into a mirror' is as large or an even bigger problem than really being over weight, since it can lead to an eating disorder, like anorexia or bulimia, so it's not always the problem of being fat or over weight it could be a more serious problem.


The most frequent question from teens (and from everyone else of all ages) is how to lose fat in a specific area. We all store excess fat, in certain places (you can thank your genes for that), and it always seems to be in less than desirable places, like the:

* Hips
* Butt
* Thighs
* Belly
* Waist
* Upper back
* Chest

So, is it possible to lose fat from these areas and, if so, which exercises work the best?

The truth is that certain ares of reduction won’t work. That means that doing thousands of sit ups to get flat abs or leg lifts and squats to get thinner thighs won’t work.

So, if that doesn’t work then what does?

To lose fat, you have to burn more calories than you eat and allow your body to decide where the fat will be removed. The most effective way to do this is with good dieting diet and lots of exercise.

Exercise

One way to control your calories is to move around more by adding both vigorous exercise and general activity through out the day. The guidelines put out by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommend at least an hour of physical activity a day and up to several hours a day for most kids and teens. Activities can include things like:

* Riding a bike
* Skateboarding or inline skating
* Swimming
* Dancing
* Walking or running
* Sports
* Shooting hoops

You'll burn more calories anytime you can get away from the TV or computer and move your body, which will help with weight loss. The key is to:

* Choose things you really like.

If you’re not into sports or outdoor activities, try watching free exercise programs, workout videos or fitness video games you can get them at your local library.

* Make it a regular habit. Try setting aside time each day for exercise so it becomes a natural part of your routine find something or someone who can help motivate you think will power.

* Look for ways to move more. Make extra laps around the mall, walk to your friend's house, walk the dog if you don't have one get on or borrow the neighbors or turn on the radio and dance around your bedroom. Finding different ways to move more will add up to burning lots of calories and being lot more healthy.

* Get some help from a friend or councilor at school or maybe go to the library and find new books on how to work out and make a work out sheet or schedule. If you want to exercise but don't know where to start, talk to your parents to figure out if you can join the YMCA , YWCA, work with a trainer in a professional gym, or exercise to your work out program that's on TV.

Exercise Do's

The best thing about exercise for young adult, teens is that just about any activity that gets you moving will help you burn fat. You should try to get a good hard, many different types of exercise in for about an hour a day at least 3 days a week and regulag, more moderate activity during the rest of the week. Below are the different types of activity to include each week:

* Aerobic Exercise. This includes sports like football, tennis, soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc. It also includes brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming or chasing an annoying sibling or chase your dog in a park if you have one .

Always make sure you're wearing the proper protective gear whatever activity you choose and, as mentioned previously, try for this level of activity at least 3 times a week.

* Muscle toning -Body Building.

This type of training helps you build muscular strength and endurance. It can involve unstructured activities like using playground equipment or climbing trees.

It can also include structured strength workouts with exercises like squats, push ups or crunches using weights, machines, or your own body weight. Always work with an adult, coach, trainer or other expert before you start lifting weights to make sure you know the right exercises to do and how to do them correctly. You may already lift weights if you're playing a sport but, if not, you can add this type of activity 2 to 3 days a week, with at least a day of rest in between. Learn more about strength training for kids teens.
* Regular Activity. Aside from participating in a sport or other activities like running or riding your bike, you should also include regular activity into your day, which means limiting how much time you sit at the computer or video game. This can include active games (like Wii or Dance Dance Revolution), taking walks, wrestling with your friends or tossing a ball in the backyard. This is something you can do every day, especially on the days you aren't doing harder, more structured workouts.

Exercise Don't

* Power lifting. This type of training involves explosive lifting, often focusing on how much you can lift at one time. This type of training isn't recommended for teens because it's difficult to use good form and the body may be stressed too abruptly, causing injury.
* Excessive exercise. Exercising too much can also lead to injuries, over training and, for girls, a change in menstrual cycles that could lead to bone loss. It's sometimes hard to know how much is too much, since everyone can tolerate a different amount of exercise. However, exercising several times a day or for several hours is probably too much on anyone. Following the guidelines and exercising about an hour a day is a good place to start.
* Expect unrealistic results. While it's fine to have goals to improve your body, we can't always control what we can change. If you want bigger muscles, that's something that happens after puberty, although you can always build strength at any age. If you want to lose weight, exercise and a healthy diet are key, but don't expect dramatic weight loss overnight. Permanent, safe weight loss is a slow process and trying to speed it up with unhealthy diets or excessive exercise often backfires.

Tips for Getting More Exercise

If you're into sports, you probably have practice, games and other activities to keep you busy. If not, you may have to be creative about exercise, especially if you haven't had a chance to practice different activities to find what you like and what you're good at. Some ideas:

* Walk, bike or skate to and from school, if that's an option
* Ask your parents if you can go to the gym with them or if there's a local community center where you can exercise
* Check your cable network to see if you have Exercise TV, a channel that offers free workouts any time you like
* If you hang out at the mall or local shopping center, walk around rather than staying in one spot or eating junk at the food court
* Create a new routine where you walk, inline skate or run every day when you get home from school or before dinner. If you don't want to exercise outside by yourself, ask your friends or a family member to go with you or use an exercise video in your own bedroom
* Do some chores.Clean The house, Raking leaves or sweeping the driveway can actually burn calories while making your parents happy, Take the dog for a long walk

What ideas can you come up with?

Write down things you think you'll enjoy and make a commitment to do them on a regular basis. If you don't know where to start, talk to your friends, family or someone you trust about what you can do. Remember that any activity that gets you moving will work, so start with something you like and focus on having more fun.

BODY MASS CALCULATOR