According to the NationalInstitute of Health, in the United States, 35 percent of adults are obeseand 17 percent of children are affected by obesity. Obesitydescribes someone whose body weight, or more accurately body fat, is greaterthan what is considered healthy for a given height. Looking at body mass index (BMI)can help you estimate if youre at a healthy or unhealthy weight.

If you want to lose weight, then diet and exercise are key. Thefirst step is correcting your energy balance, or calories in versus caloriesout. Eating less and exercising more will result in weight loss. Exercise canbe as simple as walking 30 minutes a day, or may include a more intensetraining regimen.

Here are some beginner guidelines to keep in mind:

Keep reading to learn more about healthy diet and weightloss tools.

While some diets that promise fast weight loss may soundpromising, they are often unhealthy and involve strict rules that are hard tofollow. Some popular fad diets to avoid include the cabbage diet, thegrapefruit diet,and the MasterCleanse diet. Losing weight too quickly (more than three pounds a week) canalso increase your risk for gallstones.

But how can you tell the difference between a fad diet and asafe one? Signs of a fad diet include:

Following a diet with these guidelines can result in weightcycling, also known as yo-yo dieting. Repeatedly losing and gaining weight canactually increase your risk for cardiovascular diseases,even if youre not overweight.

A safe diet will focus on realistic expectations and balance.A safe diet will talk about portion size, eating more vegetables and other highvolume foods to feel full, and adding exerciseto your daily routine.

A few examples of healthy diets are:

Its also important to include foods that you enjoy eating -thats the secret to sticking with a diet.

Luckily, we live in an age where helpful hints for weightloss are all around us. Its important to remember that a healthy diet andexercise program are lifelong changes. Some steps you can take to incorporate ahealthy lifestyle include:

Various medications are only effective when paired with ahealthy diet and exercise. Make sure to contact your doctor to see if these areright for you.

While you can use your BMI to provide a general idea ofwhether youre over or underweight, relying on this measurement is not accuratefor specific groups of people. Athletes, for example, may be consideredoverweight by their BMI classification, but their weight is not due to fat.Therefore, theyre at a healthy weight. Other groups, such as older adults, mayhave a normal BMI, but still be considered overweight because theyve lost leanbody mass and fat makes up most of their weight. Calculating body fat requirescalipers or equipment for accuracy, but you can get an idea using this calculator.

Burning fewer calories than you eat is the most basicexplanation for weight gain. Its important to make sure that you are watchingboth your calorie intake as well as your dedication to burning off thosecalories. Not exercising regularly can also affect weight management.

Other factors of weight gain include:

Age: As we getolder, our metabolisms slow down and we burn calories at a slower rate.

Genes: Your genesand family history also play an important role in weight gain. Youre alsolikely to develop the same eating habits as your family.

Medical conditions:Pre-existing health conditions, such as an underactivethyroid, also make it harder to keep your weight down.

Lifestyle factors: Lackof sleep, certain medications, smoking, and stress contribute to weight gain.

The most common complications that develop due to obesityinclude:

Obesity also increases your risk for:

The good news is that starting a healthy journey towards aweight loss can start any day. The best way to ensure a safe weight lossjourney is to stay as informed about the process.

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Safe Diets and Healthful Weight Loss - healthline.com

Whether you're looking to lose a few pounds - or have 30, 40 or more pounds to shed - a few creative weight loss tips can make it easier. To help you stick with your diet and meet your weight loss goals, WebMD asked several nutrition and fitness experts to share their secrets of success. The 7 diet tips that follow can help you get on the fast track to safe weight loss, no matter what kind of diet you're on.

Weight Loss Tip #1: Count on more than willpower alone.

It's easy to blame diet failures on a lack of willpower, says Lisa Sanders, MD, a Yale University primary care clinician-educator. But willpower isn't meant to be the only tool you use. It's more like a safety net for when life spins out of control.

Basing your weight loss efforts only on willpower can actually work against your diet goals, says Martha Beck, PhD, life coach and author of The Four Day Win: End Your Diet War and Achieve Thinner Peace. For instance, research shows that trying not to think about something - like that frosted chocolate brownie - can actually make you focus more intensely on it. When you're rested, relaxed, and enjoying life, Beck says, you can suppress unwanted thoughts and feelings fairly easily. But when you're stressed, annoyed, or pressed for time, resisting temptations is much harder. So rather than relying on willpower to get you through, set a goal to develop a conscious awareness of what you eat without obsessing about it.

Weight Loss Tip #2: Set yourself up for success.

Here are two ways you can set yourself up to succeed. First, says Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD, eliminate any food that doesn't support your weight loss goals. Giancoli is a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). She says it'll be much easier to resist temptation if unhealthy choices aren't around. Purge your pantry of any foods that list "partially hydrogenated oils" as an ingredient. Toss out sodas or other drinks made with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. And, especially if you prefer bottled water to tap, keep a supply on hand. It's easier to grab on the go.

Then give your diet some help by making it easy to exercise. Gregory Florez is founder and CEO of FitAdvisor.com, a top-rated fitness training service. He says two things you can do to avoid becoming a couch potato is to clear off the clutter hanging on your treadmill and then pull other fitness gear out into the open where you can see it.

Weight Loss Tip #3: Set up a support network.

Studies show that social support is crucial - especially for women, says health psychologist Bess Marcus, PhD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island. You can help yourself by finding at least one person who believes in you and your ability to succeed at your weight loss goals. "Line up a friend to walk with you, watch your kids so you can work out, or even just call to check in on how you're doing," says Marcus.

If you want to be social and in good shape, make a date with a friend for twice-weekly workouts. If exercise includes social time, you're more likely to look forward to lacing up your sneakers. Sports medicine researchers at Indiana University found that working out with a partner is the best predictor of exercise satisfaction, and a partner can help you stick with your routine. For even more motivation, sign up for a team sport like soccer, volleyball, or Ultimate Frisbee. Then you'll have a crowd of people depending on you.

Weight Loss Tip #4: Set realistic goals.

If you've been inactive for months (or even years), don't immediately plan to work out every day. "Appraise your life," Marcus says, "and then make some strategic changes that you can realistically achieve." And don't be afraid to start small, especially with weight loss goals.

Beck recommends setting goals that are so easy they're almost laughable. Take your list of daily goals, she says, such as "Eat 5 servings of veggies a day" or "Snack only once between meals," and cut each one in half. Aim for 2.5 servings of vegetables. Cut down your snacks to 2 per day.

Still seem too hard? Then cut those goals in half again. Make your goals so incredibly easy that you're sure you can't fail to meet them, Beck says. Then you'll be motivated to continue. Next, set dates to increase your goals, adding that extra serving of veggies or 10 more minutes to your workout until you reach your maximum potential.

Weight Loss Tip #5: Police your portions.

If you're like most women, a "serving" is the portion size you're used to seeing on your plate. Clearly, bigger portions have more calories. And calories are what it all comes down to when it comes to losing or maintaining weight, says Lisa R. Young, PhD, RD, author of The Portion Teller Plan.

Some foods are more calorie-dense than others: 1 cup of raw broccoli contains 31 calories, so a double serving of 2 cups gives you only 62 calories. But 1 cup of premium ice cream can easily hit you with 300 calories or more. A larger, double serving can mean a whopping 600 calories. If you take in more calories than your body needs, the extra calories are stored as fat, Young tells WebMD. To tally portion size correctly, keep a measuring cup handy for a quick reality-check.

Weight Loss Tip #6: Picture your future self.

Have you thought of where your weight loss plan is taking you? Let your mind explore your future self, says Steven Gurgevich, PhD, director of the Mind-Body Clinic at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and co-author of The Self-Hypnosis Diet.

Picture yourself the way you hope to be six months or a year from now - how you look, how you feel, and who you spend your time with. Imagine yourself creating your life the way you'd like it to be. Next, invent one or two affirmations that state your intention to be fit and healthy. For example, "I am whole, healthy and strong," or "I am satisfied with just one piece of chocolate." Creating a mindset that makes it easier to stick to your weight loss plan is just as important as how much time you spend on the treadmill.

Weight Loss Tip #7: Be ready to work.

"We're deeply conditioned to do what we've already done," says life coach M. J. Ryan, author of This Year I Will . . . How To Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True. If, for the past two years, you've come home from work, grabbed a soda, and crashed on the couch with take-out, you're strongly conditioned to do that again tonight and tomorrow night, too. Change isn't impossible, but it does take work.

"To develop new habits, you have to make new neural pathways," Ryan tells WebMD. So create weight loss reminders to help jolt your mind out of old habits and into new ones. Try posting a note on your fridge, reminding you to eat fruits and veggies or drink more water. Or post notes on your bathroom or bedroom mirror with upbeat messages like "Remember to breathe!" or "Hey, beautiful!"

Before you know it, you'll be smiling back at the face - and body - in the mirror.

SOURCES: Wallace, J.P. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, September 1995; vol35: pp 206-213. Lisa Sanders, MD, Yale University primary careclinician-educator; author of The Perfect Fit Diet. Martha Beck, PhD,life coach; author of The Four Day Win. Gregory Florez, founder and CEOof FitAdvisor.com; spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association(ADA). Bess Marcus, PhD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior, BrownUniversity Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island. American Institute forCancer Research (AICR); survey on portion size, released February 22, 2006.LisaR. Young, PhD, RD; author of The Portion Teller Plan. Steven Gurgevich,PhD, health psychologist; director of the Mind-Body Clinic, Program inIntegrative Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson,Arizona; co-author of The Self-Hypnosis Diet. M.J. Ryan, life coach,speaker; author of This Year I Will . . . How To Finally Change a Habit,Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True.

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7 Diet Tips That Really Work - webmd.com

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Three Parts:Understanding Diet Pill LabelsManaging Weight with Diet PillsSupporting Weight Loss with LifestyleCommunity Q&A

There are a variety of dieting products and programs advertised to consumers, including juice diets, cleanses, or diet pills to help induce weight loss. Although most weight-loss pills are considered over-the-counter drugs, there are some concerns to keep in mind when you are taking them. Many of these programs are not evaluated by the FDA for effectiveness or for safety.[1] Being as well informed as possible and also taking the road of caution can help you manage your weight while taking diet pills.

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Research the supplement online. Before purchasing any weight loss pill over the counter, spend some time researching that supplement online. Find reliable sources of information that can provide you with the benefits, disadvantages and any possible side effects or dangers of the supplement you're interested in.

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I cannot stop eating, what I can do?

wikiHow Contributor

It depends. If you eat just for fun or are emotional eating, you might have an eating disorder. You should consider asking your doctor and they might be able to help.

I'm a 20-year-old woman. How many calories should I be eating per day to lose weight?

wikiHow Contributor

Normally, a 20-year-old woman should eat between 2,000 and 2,400. But to lose weight, it is between 1,500 and 1,800.

Is it dangerous or fatal to take 2 pills at once?

wikiHow Contributor

I've lost 10 pounds in 5-6 days with diet pills. I only take one a day and that's a lot to lose in that time. You shouldn't need to take two at one time.

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How to Use Diet Pills Safely: 12 Steps (with Pictures ...

Expert Reviewed

Four Parts:Changing Your DietMaintaining BalanceExercisingSleeping WellCommunity Q&A

Most teens feel self-conscious about their bodies, especially if you can afford to shed a few pounds. The secret to losing weight quickly and safely is not really a secret: eat fewer calories than you burn each day and do consistent exercise, even if it's just a brisk walk. These aren't hard things to do on their own, but they are hard to do consistently. Whenever you get discouraged, remember that millions of people just like you have been in this position. Stay in it for the long haul and you'll eventually lose the weight you want to.

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Eat plenty of plant-based foods. This might include fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and grains. Base your diet around staples like rice, oatmeal, couscous, quinoa, yellow potatoes, and sweet potatoes. It may sound bizarre to be consuming white rice and potatoes, but these foods do not make you fat. Look at the traditional Chinese diet, where they regularly consume these starches yet remain one of the slimmest cultures in the world. Eat until you are satisfied, but not until you are stuffed. Do not restrict or starve yourself.

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Keep a glass of water beside your bed. It is common to wake up due to thirst. The body needs the water's energy to burn even more fat!

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Sleep straight and take deep breaths. Sleeping on either sides of the body makes it hard for blood to run around which also helps in weight loss. When you are lying straight on the bed before sleeping, take deep, long breaths and hold them for as long as you can. Breathe slow and easy. This should act as a command for the body to help you fall asleep and start flushing down fats.

Categories: Youth Diets and Nutrition | Losing Weight

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How to Lose Weight Quickly and Safely (for Teen Girls)