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Losing weight is not always healthy, and in fact can be quite harmful if you are already at a healthy weight or rely on inadvisable methods. Talking to a doctor or registered dietitian before embarking on a program is the best way to set the proper goals and methods for your healthy weight loss. Peer pressure and body image issues can make school-age young people particularly susceptible to the mistaken belief that they need to lose weight. If you are healthy just the way you are, focus only on maintaining that health and increasing your self-esteem and confidence. If you do need to lose weight, don't focus on a set number, or trying to look just like some famous person or popular schoolmate. Instead, establish with a professional what your healthy weight range should be and how best to reach it. You may want to believe that there is some miracle fix that will let you shed five pounds in the week before school starts; however, any fad diet that promises such results is either a lie or detrimental to your health. Also, even if they do work temporarily, quick-fix diets don't produce lasting results. Aiming to lose 1, and possibly at most 2 pounds per week is considered healthy for most people. Consult your doctor or dietitian. If you really want to lose weight before the new school year starts, your best option is to begin the process as soon as the prior school year ends. The tortoise and the hare weren't concerned with shedding pounds, but "slow and steady" is definitely the way to win this race. If you want to lose weight and keep it off then you need to make lasting changes to your lifestyle, including how you eat, how you think about food, and how active you are in your daily life. This takes time, as it requires you to recondition your brain and body. Weight loss works best when it is not a solo endeavor. Everyone needs a boost, an encouraging word, or a kick in the pants from time to time to succeed. Getting family, friends, and trusted advisors involved is your best option. It can be tough to stick with a salad with canned tuna on top when your brothers are inhaling a pizza from your favorite shop. Ask for some understanding as you try to change your habits, or better yet, see if you can get the rest of your family on board. It always helps to have someone you trust as a sounding board for those times when your cravings are getting the better of you or your confidence is low. If an organized weight loss program provides the support you need, by all means utilize one. You can be part of your own support network by keeping a food diary. Keeping track of what you eat, how much you eat, and why you eat, along with your lifestyle changes, exercise activities, and overall feelings, can help keep you self-motivated.
Consult an expert. Be realistic. Give yourself time. Rely on a support network.