Small changes in diet and lifestyle can turn weight gain in teenage girls an easy task.
Teenage is the most troublesome time in a girl’s life since the physical changes get accentuated by emotional upheavals and concerns related to puberty, height and weight gain get prominence.
While teenage sensation Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana fame) is concentrating on a special diet and exercise plan to shed some tummy fat, there are several girls who can’t actually manage to put on even an extra pound.
Worse still, they are either termed ‘anorexic’ or are believed to be suffering from bulimia, an eating disorder. Lack of information on weight gain in teenage girls also makes them feel lost. Fast metabolism, an active lifestyle, lack of balanced diet and deficiency of certain nutrients are some of the basic reasons which can lead to difficulty in weight gain.
Get extra
One of the most prevalent practices among teenagers is not to change their eating habits as they grow up. From being a child to a fast growing girl, the dietary requirements differ and you need to increase your calorie intake to deal with that. So the rule is to eat extra.
However, that does not mean that you should start gorging on cheese-laden pizzas or fried chips and colas because they will only mess up your metabolism and lead to unhealthy weight gain which will be difficult to lose later. Also, such reliance on junk food will lead to deficiencies of nutrients essential for a growing up. So, you need to choose what you eat very carefully.
Concentrate on a balanced diet with lots of carbs, protein and essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Just keep in mind that your daily calorie intake should be greater than the calories burnt. Adding around 250 to 500 calories can help you gain around a pound in a two weeks’ time.
Taking another helping of rice in your lunch, having an extra toast in your breakfast or adding spoonful of a protein powder to your daily glass of milk are some of the smart ways you can punch in some extra calories without much effort.
Choose the right food
Don’t forget to have your breakfast because that’s one meal which sees you through the day. When you wake up in the morning, your body is on a fast because it did not get any food while you were sleeping. This is why the first meal is called break-fast.
Go for oatmeal or bread toasts instead of cornflakes since the latter are high in sugar. Milk or juice can supply you with essential minerals and vitamins. Besides filling yourself up in the morning, snack in between the meals. An energy bar or a fruit is a good option. Such snacking will help you avoid binging during lunch or dinner and also confuse your fast metabolism which had gotten used to dealing with big meals at particular times.
Chicken breast instead of leg, brown cereal bread in place of white bread and low fat yoghurt instead of ice cream are some of the healthy options which can increase your intake of proteins, vitamins and minerals, essential during teen years.
Sweat it out
Exercise is another strategy you should adopt. If you think strength training, which involves using free weights, is only for guys, it’s time to dump your beliefs. Strength training not only helps you gain weight but also keeps the out-of-shape tummy or hips at bay. It is one of the recommended techniques for weight gain in teenage girls.
Girls generally start with light weights but do talk to your trainer before initiating any routine because there are certain exercises recommended for specific body types. Also, if there are concerns related to any impact of weight training on development of height, go for body weight exercises like pushups, pull ups, squats and crunches. Stretching and flexibility training are also a good option for teenage girls since they help in overall growth.