How to Lose Weight for Kids? Simple Plans to Follow
Outline
- Is your child overweight
- Why do children want to lose weight?
- Diet plan
- Caloric program
- Chart
- Fruits and veggies count
- Nutrients division with table
- Screentime and proper rest
- Exercise plan
- Categories of exercise
- For pre-teens
- For teens
- Conclusion
In an American Statistical Research survey, 49.3 percent of students were overweight. The figure speaks to the seriousness of the problem. Sometimes quite minute imprudence can lead to a critical scenario. As a parent or guardian, you must be aware of the right strategies to keep your children from being overweight.
Keep an eye on the daily habits and routines of your kid. It might be overwhelming to stay with them all the time. You can schedule their diet and exercise plans to help them maintain and lose weight by themselves.
Well, whether your children are in early childhood, preteens, or teens, we’ve brought some perfect strategies for them to lose weight. If they’re not suffering from any illness, this very minute, let’s get into the plans.
Is Your Child Overweight?
Firstly, do you know whether your child is overweight or not? In certain cases, it is normal for children to be overweight depending on their age, sex, height, and developing body. Because at this stage, children need a high-calorie diet to grow a healthy body. Let’s show you how to test your child’s weight properly.
To answer this question, you have to measure the BMI of your child. BMI is a tool that tells poundage by measuring weight against height. You can estimate your child’s weight from his BMI results. If you want to calculate BMI, just google it or click here.
It gives you four outcomes;
- Underweight
If the BMI is less than 15, it means that your child is underweight and needs to gain some more pounds.
- Normal
If your child’s BMI is between 14 and 24.9; your child is normal and healthy.
- Overweight
When the BMI results in a value between 25 and 29.5, your child is overweight. “He’s slightly over what’s considered healthy,”
- Obese
The outcome value of the BMI above 30 determines obesity in your child.
Keep in mind that a child up to the age of 10 has a normal BMI between 14–24. And the average adult BMI value is between 18–24.5. BMI only calculates your height over weight, not your body fat.
Why Do Children Want to Lose Weight?
Do they want to copy the body of a celebrity? Are other children taunting them about their size? The reasons don’t sound good to lose weight. Explain to them that shapes do not play a role — it’s all about being healthy enough to be alive and kicking.
How to Lose Weight for Kids?
Here are some simple yet crucial steps to follow while losing weight. This is not rocket science to worry about. So let’s jump into the ways to start losing the weight of the child.
Diet plan
Caloric Program
The first step in a weight loss plan is to reduce calories. As compared to adults, kids need more caloric food to grow their bodies. You do not need to eliminate or change your baby’s diet plan. Gradually put back the caloric items of fast food with a healthy food plan. If a child still craves fast food items, give them simple protein foods such as seafood (fish). Because your refuse can add bad ideas about that food in his mind for future use.
A sudden change usually hinders or upsets the child. With the help of a pediatrician, make a plan that suits your child’s needs. “I can’t reach a pediatrician”…don’t worry. Use the following chart for caloric treatment for your child.
- Note;
Use only 5–7 ounces of these low-fat items.
In addition to losing weight, you should also use a nutrition plan for you and your family to stay healthy and smart. In a statistical research survey, more than 59% of Americans don’t follow any nutrition plan. That’s why in the fall of 2020, about 54% of women and 39% of men were trying to lose weight.
Fruits and Veggies Count
Add more ounces of fruits and vegetables to the diet plan instead of fatty foods. Use fruits and juices in breakfast and snacks. Due to their high caloric and low fatty nature, these items make the child healthy and normal.
Nutrient’s Division
To maintain adequate nutrient intake, you need to portion out nutrients for each meal.
Sodium and Sugar Content
Reduce sugar and salt content food and add more homemade simple food materials to the dining table. Replace candies, sweetened breakfast cereals, flavored drinks and yogurt, sweetened beverages, fruit juice, and soda drinks with low-sugar substitutes like homemade fruit puree, fruit ice pops, cookies, healthy sandwiches made of whole-wheat, fruit salads, etc.
Minimize salt as well because the sodium content in it absorbs more water and makes the body swell. Also avoid Canned food, frozen food, and table salt to minimize sodium.
Protein Items
For the breakdown of excessive fat in the human body, protein plays a vital role. Therefore use protein items in your food plan. You can use eggs, fish, pulses/dals, low-fat yogurt, and cheese to meet the protein requirements of the body.
Carbohydrates Division
There are two types of carbohydrate food.
- High glycemic
- Low glycemic
Use more low glycemic food. It keeps the blood glucose level normal and stable than high glycemic. Also, low glycemic food digests slowly and avoids the child from being overweight. Here’s the list of low and high-glycemic foods.
Exercise Plan
Keep in mind that diet is more necessary than any exercise for weight loss.
Categories of Exercises
For Pre-teens
To lose weight pre-teens, children from 5 to 12 need to set aside 45 Min to 1 hour for vigorous, 1 & ½ hours for moderate, and many hours in a day for light exercises. Keep in mind that this is a little more than normal exercise.
It is quite tough to make this plan but you can adjust it in your daily routine. Like during long sittings of homework, many short breaks can add time to the workout. Some yoga stretches and kicking a soccer ball against the wall can be done in these short breaks.
Your child should read while leisurely walking. These little tasks mean a lot to losing weight.
For Teens
Teens need more moderate and vigorous exercise to lose weight. According to their weight, they should take vigorous exercises 1& ½ hours a day in their daily routine. Often teens try to avoid physical activity. If your teen also sounds like this, you should support him in this case.
As such, at this stage, teens make their own decisions but your advice and courage can help take them to heaven of health. Definitely, they will like some games. If they do not like other physical activities then they should spend most of their time in them.
Screentime and Proper Rest
A child should not use a screen for more than 2 hours. Reduce the screen time for not only the child but for the whole family. Due to this, he will not feel alone. Always support him with a family program. Children always follow their parents and family, so you have to do what you want your child to do.
Allow the child to sleep on time and awake according to the set schedule. More or less sleep and rest can affect the weight of your child. Lying on the sofa to a TV or mobile screen often directly affects him mentally and physically.
Conclusion
To conclude, the daily routine of your child is necessary to lose weight. If your child is following a diet and exercise plan, losing weight is fairly easy. Follow these steps:
- Calculate the BMI of your child
- Make a weight loss plan
- Make a diet plan
- Make an exercise plan
- Follow these plans strictly.
- After two weeks, check out the body's functioning
- When the weight loss plan turns to an end; Slowly return to a healthy daily routine.
You should also make plans even if you are healthy. At the beginning of the new year, plan your goals for the coming year. (Research showed that millions of US inhabitants make plans for their new year every January. In 2018, one of the common new year plans was to lose weight).
Point to ponder;
(Follow these plans only if you do not have any illness, otherwise consult a suitable pediatrician, nutritionist or doctor before starting any strategy for your body)
