I'm a 16-year-old guy. I heard that eating less carbs will
help you lose weight. I play basketball and baseball so I stay
active, but I'd still like to lose weight.
-
Ben*
The first thing to ask yourself is: "Am I really
overweight?" Or more accurately, "Am I too fat?" A
lot of teen athletes, especially guys, may weigh more than average
for their age because they have extra muscle - not too much fat -
on their bodies. Only people who have excess body fat should
consider cutting calories and trying to lose weight. If people with
normal amounts of body fat go on a low-cal diet, they lose muscle
tissue, which just makes them weaker, slower, and saps them of
energy. Not exactly what you want if you're driving to the hoop
or trying to smack one out of the park. So check with your doctor
first about whether losing weight is right for you.
If you find out that you really do have too much body fat, the
best way to get rid of it is through a combination of exercise and
eating fewer calories. Despite all the media fuss about low-carb
diets, research into their effectiveness (especially among teens)
is still limited. There isn't much evidence that cutting down
on a particular food group, like carbs, is a better way to lose
weight than just eating fewer calories altogether. In fact, no diet
that drastically restricts calories or cuts out particular foods
has been proven to keep weight off over the long term. One helpful
change can be to cut out sodas and juices, which contain large
amounts of sugar and empty calories.
So if you do need to lose excess body fat, regular exercise
along with eating fewer calories until you get to your goal is the
way to go.
Reviewed by:
Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: August 2007
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*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
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