Fast Way for Young 14-Year-Old Girls to Lose Weight

The prevalence of rail-thin models on the covers of popular magazines has led many 14-year-old girls to feel pressure to lose weight. Unfortunately, more often than not, instead of adhering to healthy exercise regimens, these girls resort to crash diets and other unhealthy habits in an attempt to trim their waistlines more quickly. While there is no easy, fast way for 14-year-old girls to lose weight, they can use various strategies to help achieve long-term, healthy weight-loss at a relatively quicker rate.

Faster Weight Loss Through Calorie Moderation

All human beings need to eat enough calories to maintain their weight and keep their body functioning. However, when people consume more than their minimum daily calorie needs, problems with excess weight arise. Estimations based on the Institute of Medicine's Estimated Energy Requirements recommend that girls between the ages of 14 and 18 years of age consume 1,800 calories per day if they live a sedentary lifestyle; 2,000 calories per day if they are moderately active and 2,400 calories if they live an active lifestyle.

The Harris Benedict BMR Formula

Although the Institute of Medicine's Estimated Energy Requirements provide a general guide, the fact is that there are certain variables that can lead to wide variations between each individual 14-year-old girl's daily calorie needs. Besides activity level, things such as age, height and weight can contribute to vastly different calorie needs. You can use the Harris Benedict BMR Formula below to get a more accurate idea for exactly how many calories a 14-year-old girl should consume each day.

Harris Benedict BMR Formula

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds ) + (12.7 x height in inches ) - (6.8 x age in years)

Harris Benedict Caloric Needs Formula

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
--If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
--If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
--If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
--If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
--If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

The Proper Diet for Weight Loss

Once a 14-year-old girl has determined her calorie needs using the the Harris Benedict Formula, she can better formulate a diet that can help her lose weight. The key to weight loss is consuming less calories than the body needs. This will force the body to burn fat and, in turn, will cause the body to lose weight. For example, if the Harris Benedict Formula provided you with a 2,400 calorie result, you'd want to consume between 2,000 and 2,200 calories until you reach your weight loss goal. However, a 14-year-old girl shouldn't just cut calories indiscriminantly. Since children are still growing, it's important that they consume healthy, nutritious foods even when they are trying to lose weight. Foods like, broccoli, spinach, salads, fish and lean chicken breast can provide the vitamins, minerals and proteins a growing 14-year-old girl needs. Don't know how to formulate a healthy diet on your own? Consult the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Calorie and Nutrient Database for an exact guide to the number of calories in each type of food. Simply type in the specific food, and the USDA database will provide you with the number of calories per serving and the list of nutrients each food contains.

Faster Weight Loss Through Exercise

Certain exercises can contribute to faster weight loss for 14-year-old girls. According to statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, the following exercises promote the fastest weight loss by burning the most calories:

(Note that the weight of each individual 14-year-old girl is a factor in determining exactly how many calories she will burn during each exercise)

High-impact Aerobics
A 130 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 413 calories per hour of exercise
A 155 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 493 calories per hour of exercise
A 190 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 604 calories per hour of exercise

Running (at 6 miles per hour)
A 130 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 590 calories per hour of exercise
A 155 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 704 calories per hour of exercise
A 190 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 863 calories per hour of exercise

Vigorous Swimming
A 130 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 590 calories per hour of exercise
A 155 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 704 calories per hour of exercise
A 190 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 863 calories per hour of exercise

Vigorous Bicycling
A 130 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 708 calories per hour of exercise
A 155 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 844 calories per hour of exercise
A 190 lb. 14-year-old girl would burn 1,035 calories per hour of exercise

Consult the Resources section below for additional exercise statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services.