So the first thing is to make sure the diet contains enough calories, and this does not mean what is known as empty calories. Empty calories are calories that are in foods that provide little or no nutrition.

One highly nutritious diet is a vegetarian diet. Yes, as opposed to a low carbohydrate diet, a vegetarian diet can be healthy. If it is deemed necessary for the teenager to get more protein then why not provide a protein shake in addition to a semi-vegetarian meal that adds low fat turkey or chicken instead of fatty beef or pork. This is suggested because the brain needs a certain amount of carbohydrates and fat in order to function.

Certain fish, such as tuna and salmon are also recommended because the omega fatty acids help in maintaining and even increasing the metabolism and thus the weight loss. One very fun teen weight loss tip is to have a day off from the diet. This is psychologically healthy as the teen does not feel totally deprived and may stick to the diet longer.

It has been proven that there are some foods that have a heat producing effect, which actually is a result of the digestion process of certain foods. These foods are either high in protein (especially turkey and chicken), low in fat or natural carbohydrates such as lettuce, and other vegetables. Fruits are also very healthy. So put down the hamburger, take out the meat and lettuce and skip the bun, fattening fries, and sugary drink.

In addition, the teen must go beyond their comfort zone in the area of exercise. This means sweating and a bit of huffing and puffing on a regular basis. It is also recommended that they also have some form of strength training as one of the exercises. These two recommendations assist the body in building the speed of the metabolism and thus increase weight loss. The best time to burn calories is early in the morning before any calories have been taken in. This need not be time consuming calisthenics but a few sit-ups or a walk around the block should there be time. Then the calories burned are from only body fat and thus more weight is lost.

Another surprising tip is to make sure they are getting enough good sleep. One reaction that the body has to sleeplessness is a production of a hormone that causes hunger and thus, any teen who is either staying up late to talk to their friends on the phone, read or even study, may eventually have a problem with their weight. Another problem to look for is sleep apnea, a problem where the person does not breathe correctly while sleeping. Snoring itself can be a sign of this problem. So if your child is a snorer, get them checked for sleep apnea.

In closing this article on diet and exercise and other tips on losing weight, I’d like to share a tip an old friend of mine gave me. Now this friend doesn’t mind that I call her old, number one because she is definitely a friend and I do not mean it in a negative way and she is definitely old, 89 to be exact. The amazing thing about my friend is that she is healthy in every way and doesn’t look a day over 50 (if that!). I asked her how she kept her good looks, health (including mental health and an amazing memory). Her answer was that she had a light breakfast of toast, orange juice, and sometimes an egg, for lunch she ate her vegetables, and for supper she ate fruit. She doesn’t eat much pasta or other fatty food. So this may be the secret to a very, very long and healthy life!