Dear Amy, I am 12 years old, and I weigh 135 pounds, what can I do to lose weight and be healthy?
Thanks for emailing! Instead of focusing on losing weight, your best to focus on healthy foods and activities that are good for you. There are no “good or bad” foods, only “more or less” foods. You would do well to: Include 3-5 fruits and veggies per day. Choose 3 servings of low-fat dairy per day such as low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese. (You need the calcium because you are still growing!) Limit fried foods and go with grilled and baked foods instead. Choose 100% whole wheat bread, cereal, rice and pasta whenever you can to add fiber to your diet. Limit juice and sodas. (Swap water or diet soda for regular soda). And most would do well by substituting fresh fruit for juice. Monitor your portions. A serving size of meat is the size of a deck of cards, a serving of pasta or rice is one half a cup. Finally, aim for 60 minutes of physical activity on most days. Walk, shoot hoops, roller skate, whatever you like, but moving more helps burn calories, which will help you feel better about yo
