LEMOn diet

Question
hELLO, MY NAME IS oLIVIA AND IN 15 YEARS OLD. i WEIGH 145 POUNDS. i REALLY WANT TO LOSE AT LEAST 20 POUNDS. sO I DONE MY OWN REASEARECH AND I HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION A WEIGHT LOSE I CAN ACTUALLY DO WITHOUT TAKING PILLS. i READ ABOUT THE LEMON DIET. bUT MY QUESTION IS IS IT SAFE FOR ME AT MY AGE? aM I TOO YOUNG? pLEASE HELP ME I NEED TOP LOSE WEIGHT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. tHANK YOU

Answer
Olivia,

While I understand your desire to lose weight, let me be perfectly clear in my answer so that you remain healthy in your fitness journey.

I don't know what the lemon diet is, but any diet that focuses on only one food is not healthy because it lacks variety.  This isn't because you're 15, it's simply because I don't want you starving yourself.

What you will want to do is make sure that you are doing cardio exercise and strength training exercise.  Cardio 2-3 days per week for about 30 mintues and strength 2-3 days per week for 20-30 minutes (they can be done on the same day).

Your cardio can be anything from ice skating to roller blading, to walking or swimming.  You can even use the Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit is you like.  It counts!

For strength, you can hit the weight room (make sure someone shows you how to use the machines and weights properly) or you can do body weight exercises such as push ups, pull ups, and crunches.

Along with incorporating exercise, you will want to make sure that you are eating every 3-4 hours and have a source of lean protein, complex carbohydrate, and fiber at each meal (such as black beans with corn and brown rice).

Also, make absolutely sure you are drinking at least 75 oz of water per day (more when you exercise) to keep your body hydrated and flush out bad stuff from your system.

I know it sounds like a lot to do, but just concentrate on making small changes each day or each week as you work toward your goal.  Make sure you lose no more than 2 pounds per week.  So, if you lose 2 pounds each week, it would take you no less than 10 weeks to lose the 20 pounds.

As I said, you want to make sure you are healthy and fit without resorting to fad diets.  Eat wholesome foods and a variety of them to keep your body fueled and keep your body moving.

You'll be fine and I know you can do this.

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