Secret Reasons You're Struggling With Your Weight

Have you ever had that scary moment when you put on a pair of jeans and they feel WAY too tight? Or when you realize that not one of your family members have ever been fit? At times like those, it's hard not to feel hopeless about your body. Even if your not struggling with your weight, eating healthy can seem boring, and exercising can feel like a full time job.  That's exactly why Seventeen surveyed more than  5,000 teen girls and talked to the top experts, because they wanted to find the sneakiest reasons your health and body feel out of control.  This story is not about loosing a few pounds or getting skinny.  It's about changing the way you live and getting healthy, with simple attainable goals.  While it probably won't be the easiest thing you have ever done, you owe it to yourself to understand what's going on with your body-that way you can work with it, not against it, to get your health on track.

Maybe Yes It is normal to gain weight in your teen years because you get taller and you naturally fill out in new places, like your hips and thighs. Sports may also cause you to gain muscle weight, which is totally normal.

Maybe No Being healthy isn't about the number you see on the scale. It's about your eating and exercise habits, along with your body mass index (BMI), which measures your body fat based on your height, weight, and age. Go to www.seventeen.com/bmi to calculate your BMI, then talk to your doctor if your not in the healthy range. He or she can help you figure out what habbits you may need to change.

Not Enough Sleep

When you are trying to baalance school, a job, friends, and family, sleep is probably at the absolute bottom of your to-do list.  Research shows that the less sleep you get, the more you increase your odds of being overweight.  This is because when you are sleep-deprived, your body thinks you are hungry even when your not, and it craves sugary foods that gives you quick energy.

Simple Goal: Try For 8 Hours

• Switch to decaf drinks after 4 p.m., since caffeine can keep you awake and wired for up to 6 hours.
• Exercise even a little physical activity, like dancing around your room for 10 minutes, can help you fall asleep easier and faster.
• Power down.  When you decide you are ready for bed, shut off all distractions that might keep you up, like t.v, your phone, and your computer.
  

Skipping Breakfast

Skipping breakfast may seem like an easy way to cut calories, especially if you are not hungry in the morning. However, eating first thing in the morning gets your metabolism going, and studies show that girls who have breakfast eat healthier overall. This is probably because they rarely get so hungry that they that they binge or crave junk food!

Simple Goal: Take 5 minutes

Even if you are running out the door, make it your mission to start the morning with a quick meal that combines protein (like eggs, low-fat yogurt, skim milk, or peanut butter) with a healthy carb (like fruit or whole grain breads or cereal).

Giant Portion Sizes

You might not realize it, but the way foods are packaged and served these days, it's really easy to overeat.  A 20-ounce bottle of soda from the vending machine is actually two and a half servings.  Many restaurant entrees give you enough food for two meals!  And when it looks and smells so good, you want to eat it all. 

Simple Goal: Eat to Feel Full

Always check the serving size on the label of any packaged snack or food, and eat slowly at restaurants.  It can take your brain up to 10 minutes to get the signal that you are satisfied!

Eating While Distracted

We have all been there: You're talking to your friends on facebook while watching your favorite t.v. show, and pretty soon your hand is at the bottom of a bag of chips. How does this happen? Well, it is almost impossible for your brain to hear your stomach saying "Stop! I'm full!" when its busy focusing on a million other things!

Simple Goal: Focus on Food

Meals

Take a 10 minute timeout for meals.  If you sit down at the table with a knife and fork, chew slowly, and actually enjoy your meal, you will feel a lot more satisfied on less food.

Snacks

Avoid bottomless bags or boxes.  If you want a snack while watching t.v., put a handful in a bowl, or grab a preportioned snack, like a granola bar or a piece of fruit.

Liquid Calories

Sodas, juices, creamy coffee drinks, bottled iced-teas-you think of them as just drinks, but many have enough calories for a snack, or even a meal!  Plus, since they are loaded with sugar, they can spike your hunger and may make you eat more all day.

Simple Goal: Switch to water

It is crazy, but if you cut just one soda or sugary drink a day, it can make a 10-pound difference in a year!  Buy yourself a cute water bottle to keep in your backpack, and think of those other drinks as once-in-a-while treats.

Stress

Sometimes eating can keep your mind off a broken heart, or a bad grade, and starchy, sugary foods do give you a calmer feeling.  It is a cycle that is hard to break-especially since your life can get so stressful for a million different reasons.  The scary thing is, that calm feeling is only temporary, and when it wears off, you are left feeling even more bummed out, and with a body full of unhealthy food and empty calories.

Simple Goal: Move for 15 minutes

Even a quick walk, jog, or bike ride floods your brain with mood-boosting chemicals.  They're even better than the quick high you get from junk food, plus you burn calories in the process.