Should teens count calories?

I am not overweight but when I don't count calories down to the decimal (exaggeration) I tend to gain.

I have read in other posts that teens should not count calories, just eat a balanced diet. I don't want to stunt my growth, but not ready to let go of meal planning safety net.

P.S. I don't obsess over calories but need to have a real number otherwise have no clue about deficit, loss, etc.

I plugged my heiht and weight into a BMI calculator and said I am at risk for becoming overweight (whatever the hell that means.)

Well I'm a teen and I personally am focusing on exercising and eating a balanced diet. Counting calories is all right, just as long as you don't overdo it. Like for example, I eat on average around 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day. That's where a teen should generally be at in terms of calorie intake because well, we're still growing! Exercising is good because you can eat 2,000 calories but still create a deficit by burning however many calories will allow you to lose weight safely. I still count calories, but I don't fret if I'm under or over a bit from what I should be. Basically, just eat whenever you're hungry, eat balanced meals, and work out! :)

Oh yeah, and I heard somewhere that a teen shouldn't go under 1,600 calories without the permission of a doctor. ^_~

@#$!. I eat 1200-1300 calories per day, doc has no idea. But if I add 400 calories a day I WILL GAIN! Just watch me! Do I need to eat 400 calories before bed now??? I burned 560 calories thru exercize today, that can't be good... Oh god, will I go into starvation?!

Naw, just eat somewhat bigger meals. You'd go into starvation if you did 500 somethin'. But for over 1000, don't sweat it too much, just eat an orange, banana or two, that should be enough to get to 1400 - 1600. Calories are meant to be burned, they're the fuel for your exercise, so losing some of the calories you just got after having a meal would be alright I think.

im also a teen, i am currently trying to stop calorie counting, calorie coutning as a teen is gona kill ya, its either going to make you obessive, or very underweight, like it did for me. There is no definete calorie amount that teens use, and generally its much higher than this site recommends, trust me... the 2500 this site recommend wasnt enough, and i lost  pounds of muscle , until i was forced to stop.

atm i have no real clue how many calories i eat, im simply just aware of what i put into my body, and i exerisze. The worst thing you want to do at our age is damage growth or developement.

atm im probably eating between 2500-3000. but agian, i dont know.

no teen should eat under 2000 calories, my nutrionist even said as high as 2200 is needed for growth, at least.

No, they should not

i found the simple obession of calories tended to make me beilive i was gaining flab, when in fact i wasnt.

since i noticed everything about what i put into my food, i was very self conscoius about what my body felt like. its all in your mind i feel, all in your mind.

Hi there marconi,

I am not a doctor or dietitian, just a mom of two teen girls. No, you shouldn't be counting calories. The best strategy is to exercise and stay active, while eating a healthy, well-rounded diet,  and following your appetite. It will tell you when you are growing and need more calories.

I've long noticed that with my own kids: they'll go through a chow-down period where they're eating everything in the house. Then they conk out and sleep and endless deep sleep... and lo and behold, *literally* overnight, they've outgrown their pants and they're up a 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch.. more!

But keep in mind that not all growth will appear as added height, for example, over the next few years:

- your bones will be adding mass (which, yes, weighs something... lightweight bones are weak); the stronger your bones are before the inevitable decline starts, the better ... it will protect you against osteoporosis (brittle bone disease)

- your muscles will be adding mass (which yes, weighs, but also burns fat and increases your metabolism); as with your bones, our bodies are designed to build to a peak, then start to decline with age. So you want to reach the highest peak you possibly can before the decline starts. You can't do this without eating properly and enough calories.

- your brain is going through astounding period of growth, which takes a lot of calories. Check out the book, "The Primal Teen" for recent resarch into the teen brain. Fascinating reading. Will also explain why it's not a good idea for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol.

- your body is adding padding, in the form of breasts and hips. This is what makes you a woman and not a girl, and prepares your way to maybe someday have children.

So what makes a healthy diet? Here is your meal plan safety net:

- whole grains - brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat groats, quinoa, pasta, whole wheat breads
- healthy fats such as olive oil (mostly poly and unsaturated); generally now is not the time to be restricting fats, which your  body needs
- proteins - chicken, fish, nuts, beans, lentils, eggs and occasional red meat (good source of iron)
- fruits
-veggies
- dairy (cheese, yogurt, milk)

Steer clear of:

- processed foods
- enriched flour (white breads)
- refined sugars
- too much sodium (usually found in processed foods).

You can probably afford the junk-food calories at your age, however, too much sugar and sodium interferes with your ability to taste things, and (I personally think - from my own experience) to properly identify legitimate, healthy craves which tell you what nutrients you are missing.

If you are eating a diet that has minimal refined sugars, processed foods, and and enriched flour products, the chances are really good that you will simply, naturally eat just the right amount of the right foods at the right time that your body needs them! It may not happen overnight, especially if you've been calorie counting, but you will get there eventually.

The goal, as a teen, is never to "lose" weight (except in extreme cases). Nope. The goal instead is to gradually, gently grow *into* your current weight. So go back to that BMI calculator, and plug in your current weight with one extra inch of height. How about two. Does the picture look better? 

Also you mention in the profile you are a runner. That's great! Keep it up! But you really MUST eat far more than 1200 calories a day to fuel that activity, okay? There is no way that you are going to be able to build stronger bones and muscles at that level of calories. And the goal is to have the strongest bones and muscles at the time you reach your peak. This is your protection against a lifetime of battles with the scale as an adult! With higher muscle mass, you will have a naturally higher metabolism. You want that, don't you?

Not to mention, to be the smartest you can be...

You need to eat to reach your fullest potential, okay?

that being said... when is the "teen" cut off..

like im 16, is it bad that i count calories?

Im 16 too, and last year i counted calories like crazy! I dont do it as much now because i've learned what the right way to eat is and i dont really obsess about it as much.

Also does anyone know when teens usually stop growing??

im a teen too...i think im eating too little but im scared to eat more- i want to grow taller!

can anyone give some advice?

im 17... i eat around 1,600 calories... and i exercise alot. I havent reached my target weight yet but i'm beginning to think that those 1,600 calories are actually more like 1,500 to under a 1000. I got really scared when i added up my diet on cc for two days and realised after a week of calorie counting i was eating less and not even notciing... no wonder i feel tired ... but ive got into this pattern where im just not hungry and i am trying to eat fruit and starchy foods to get my expenditure bak to 1600. All i can say is as long as you know your safe... you should be ok... just really anyalyse what ur doen so u make sure you r not losing out on your nutrients.. im nearly in starvation mode and i didnt even realise !! be careful teens!!! xx

if teens shouldnt count calories, how would some of us lose weight? i'm still about 20 lbs overweight. I eat between 1200 and 1300 calories a day, keeping a daily deficit of 400-500. I don't usually have time to exercise so that I can have more calories. So if the teen is already overweight, is it ok to count calories? I still feel healthy and i've already lost 6 lbs (well 11, but then i gained 5 when i stopped calorie counting for a week).

Kdubya and bebe - the guidelines on this site and elsewhere are all for people over the age of 18. We just don't really know that much about nutritional needs for those who are under 18, except that they have an additional requirement for growth over and above the ranges for adults. Anyone under 18 who needs advice should be getting it from their doctor or a registered dietitian.

With that said, there is also research suggesting that the brain doesn't stop growing before the age of 21. Yes, some teens will reach full maturity by 18, but a fair percentage will not. So if you were my kid, I would recommend erring on the safe side with this, and using 21 as a cut-off.

At 16 you're likely past the time when you grow in leaps and bounds ... my 14 year old grew 10 inches during her 12th year, and my 12 year old is in that stage right now. However, you are still continuing to grow, just at a slower rate. I didn't reach my full adult height until I was in college, well over 18 but before 21. I'm not sure exactly when I grew that extra inch, which finally got me to 5', but it was in college, not high school. And I am not unusual.

Even if you have reached your full adult height, remember that your bones have yet to reach their maximum density; your muscles have yet to reach peak strength, and your brain is growing at an amazing rate, faster now than when you were a baby!

yrpaine - with only 20 lbs overweight, there is probably no safe way for you to lose weight. Instead, turn the fat into muscle and strong bones. Aim to weigh the same, but have a lower body percentage and more lean mass. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, and get moving.

***Disclaimer:  I'm not a doctor either!***

Technically, "teenage" stops at 19.  However, I did not reach my full height until I was 21.  Seriously, if I could show you a photo of my husband and I when we started dating (I was 18) and another one of us now, (I'll be 30 soon) I've gained 2 inches of height.

I'm glad you're not obsessing over calories because now is not the time to do that.  Now is the time to develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime.  If only I had stopped drinking sodas and eating junk years ago...

Good luck to you and your quest for a healthy lifestyle.

Cheers!

I'm a healthy eater but i try to limit myself to 800 calories a day, and i OBSESS over calories and fat, maybe thats an understatement. plus i work out for an hour a day but im trying to lose at least 6 or 7 pounds, is this going to completely mess up my adulthood weight?

I have no clue what will happen to your adulthood weight, but obviously eating only 800 calories a day is very bad for you. I'm having problems now because of my calorie counting. I've realized I eat less than I should (was only eating about 1100 calories) so now I'm trying to eat around 1300, but I feel like I'm going to gain weight any moment. Actually, it seems like I lost much more weight when I didn't pay attention to the calories, and just controlled my portions. Now that I'm actually counting calories and paying close attention to everything I eat, I don't seem to have lost a single pound. 

Hi well this has been my first post on the forum. Im also a teen at the age of 15, Im just wondering also if I should really count my calories, I have been so obssed since I lost about 60 pounds since last year. I am currently right now 5' 7'' weighing in at 115pounds I use to weight in the pass 170.

My typical diet everyday goes like this, I have a small bowl of special k red berries breakfast ceral, I always skip lunch for a reason I dont no why. And for snacks I consume about two bannanas, and two special k bars that are 90 calories each, and some carrots, and I always eat dinner. Is this normal for a 15 year old are should I be consuming more food?

Skipping  meals really slows down your Metabolism and can really screw you up for your adult years. For 5'7 and 115, that seems really under weight. Im 5'5 and 115 and my BMI is at 19, wich is healthy, but If i lose anymore then Im underweight.

Try and refer to your BMI for a good standing point on your ideal weight.

Oh and it sounds like you need more Veggies as well~

=o)

Have a good one! And good luck!

yah im a teenager too and its really had to get out of the habit of counting calories, it has littereally become a habit and i hate it ..everyone says its not healthy for me to do it..but i dont wanna get fat.. i limit myself to 500 calories a day..but i dont waste tem by eating crap.. i eat fruits veggies a half glass of skim milk and occasionally a half a chicken breast...even though i eat healthy after i eat i feel fat and like i gave in to something bad..i hate it 108 lbs for a 15 year old at 5'6 probaly isnt all to healthy..but atleast i dont look fat..

500 calories is dangerously low for anyone, especially for a growing teenager. you need to focus on being healthy, not on how you think you look. ask someone else whether you look fat. someone who will tell you the truth, like your mom or dad.