To build lifelong healthy habits it is important to start early! The reality is that once you are an adult it is very difficult to change your habits. If you don’t believe me, look at the numbers. Even though there are over 37,000 fitness centers in the US, the overweight and obesity rates have skyrocketed from 47% to 67% among adults. Instead of training adults to change their habits, we need to teach our kids how to build healthy habits as EARLY as possible!
At Kalina’s Fitness we specialize in helping kids (ages 8-18) build healthy habits and achieve their goals. And even though we have the highest teen weight loss success rates in Charlotte, losing weight is not always easy. After many conversations with teens and parents struggling in this area, there are several weight loss myths that often hold people back from achieving success. The following are the 5 most common teen weight loss myths:
Myth #1: You can Skip the Vegetables
To have a balanced nutrition plan, it is essential that kids learn to eat more vegetables during meal times and fill half of their plate with plenty of veggies and fruits. Making a veggie smoothie is a good alternative for teens that do not like their texture. However, completely skipping vegetables is out of the question since they are high in nutrients and low in calories. Click Here for 14 smoothie recipes that sneakily add more veggies to your teen’s nutrition.
Myth #2: Working Out is Always Fun
When it comes down to exercising it is all about training teens to be consistent! According to Scarlette Johansson who is in the new Captain America movie, she got in shape for the role of the Black Widow doing “boring 5am workouts.” It wasn’t about the coolest workout fad or latest gadgets, it was about working out even when she did not want to. Likewise, Katherine (pictured above) earned her shirt for always giving it her best effort during her workouts!
Myth #3: You Don’t Need to Lift Weights
Lifting weights is essential to building lean muscle and having a fast metabolism! That is why it is important that kids get used to doing strength training at an early age. To stay fit Katherine comes several times per week to our circuit training classes that include both weight training and cardio. Our Lean Teen coaches always make sure that Katherine works out to her potential by exercising within her target heart rate zone and using good form.
Myth #4: You Just Need to Exercise More
Even though exercise can be beneficial, when it comes to losing weight, nutrition makes up 80% of the equation. The fact is you cannot out-exercise bad eating habits! That is why it is essential kids learn how to eat balanced meals, control their portions, and make healthier food choices as early as possible. Katherine earned her shirt by making big changes to her eating habits and is now at a healthy weight for her age and height.
Myth #5: Diet Soda, Juices, and Weight Loss
When it comes to building lifelong healthy habits, drinking 8 glasses of water is a must. That is why it is important that kids do not replace water with juices or diet sodas. Water helps us to stay hydrated and increases our metabolic rate which is important for weight loss and being healthy. On the other hand, juices and diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners that are toxic and directly affect our hormone levels.
It is all about Balance and Consistency
At Kalina’s Fitness we specialize on giving kids and teens (ages 8-18) the tools to build healthy habits that will last a lifetime. If your teen needs help getting fit, please register for a free class today. Weight loss does not need to be something your child has to face alone. It is all about learning balance and consistency and having the right guidance and support to be successful. And that is what we are here for. Our program will empower your teen with the tools they need to transform their life and get fit.