How to motivate overweight teenager to try to loose some weight.

Deepshika - If she has gained a lot of weight over a short period a medical examination would be a good idea. Many issues like hypothyroidism, PCOD start like this and will need treatment (other than just diet/exercise). If she has no medical problems then someone who is close to her (maybe another relative or a friend or even you) should probably talk to her about how she feels about herself and her body, what she would like to do about it and then offer support to make that happen. Being an overweight teenager can be a very painful thing and needs a lot of sensitivity to handle it right. Parents can help by making sure that there is no junk food in the house, by turning the TV off and by being positive about all the efforts she makes but ultimately it is she who has to do it.

Vanathi.

 

Deepshika..... Sometimes even if parents aren't overweight, kids can be.

Like Aadhusmom, told it's better to get a medical examination done if she has gained a lot of weight in a short span of time. Sometimes females tend to gain weight when they attain their 1st period.

Like Laks09, has said it's good to get her enrolled into some classes which will be fun for her. Flimi dances are more fun & she could get into it with a friend. Motivation for weight loss works more when there is a buddy.

Females tend to eat more while depressed. If that is the case, then I would advise you to talk to her... to ask her to be honest to you. Sometimes there is a case of attention too. She may be missing you too much, but wouldn't know how to get people to look at her!

 

Hi Deepshika,
I am the mom of two teenagers.
I tried out an innovative idea for my kids, to motivate them into exercising (of course, I was in control of their diet)
What I did was this, when I found that no amount of goading, prodding, abusing worked:
I went to the bank, gout out Rs. 600 in crisp bank notes.
I gave each of my kids Rs. 300, that is, for 30 days into Rs. 10, that is, Rs. 10 per day.
This is what I told them: this is your money, for you to keep. Every day that you exercise for thirty minutes, you can keep the money. The days that you don't exercise, you will have to give me Rs. 10: that day's payment for doing your exercises.
This idea proved to be the greatest motivator for both my kids. Naturally, nobody wants to lose the money that they have in their hands already, and when they had to part with it, it was a great tragedy for them!!!
They felt that they were earning their pocket money, and both would try to compete with the other to exercise.
Today, touch wood, they are both nice and healthy kids, with absolutely no health problems at all!
You could try this method for good results!:thumbsup
Dipa Suresh

 

Hello Deepshikha,

I'm neither a mom nor an elder sister but a 19year old teen myself. Maybe my views are not welcome in this thread? (Please feel free to delete it if you think so )

As one of the above posters said, get her tested for hypothyroidism and PCOD. I am highly overweight and I have been so since a child. For the past few years, anything and everything most people say tends to be weight related, intentional or unintentional. I had tried everything from starving myself to gyming 3hours daily without losing a single kg. People blamed me for not trying hard enough and blah blah! I'm just glad my mum knew what the truth was. I got tested for thyroid and PCOD last year and once before, but all was normal.

This year again I was living on almost a fruit diet for a month while walking 2-3hours daily and I gained 10kgs!!! Finally, we spoke to dozens of docs and after tests found out my body is insulin resistant and I had shown symptoms of this 10 years back but even doctors without considering my symptoms had told me to lose weight blaming it all on my diet and exercise! Yes, some doctors just think they know it all when they don't!!!

This insulin resistance has also led to PCOD and thyroid and I am under medication. All 3 are hereditary from my grandparents but all my teen life I had to live "fat is bad, fat is ugly etc etc." when it was not even under my control.

Please, I request you, don't let people/family/self talk to your sister like that and get her tested for everything before its late. It hurts and it hurts bad to hear this all the time.

As far as motivation goes, on a lighter note, a doggie would be great activity!:hiya

 

I would say that finding something enjoyable for exercise is a good idea. I like Praniti dog idea and I would add swimming as an additional one. For swimming if she is a laid back sort just paddleing around and if she is competitive then a swim team. I think the other ladies have said it all about the medical check up.