If you are a little overweight as a teenager, you know how hard it is to be confident and wear the newest fashions because everything is made for smaller teens. It can be very frustrating  when shopping. But over the summer months when you have a break in school is the perfect time to shape up a little and lose a few extra pounds. This can be the time that you make a difference in your life and take control of your weight.

Luckily as a teenager losing weight is easier than it will be as you get older. You are able to lose weight faster and safer and in the time that you have a break in school you will be able to lose enogh weight to make a noticeable difference.

For weight loss and to lose weight you will have to diet. Now diet isn't that bad, there are many ways that you can cut calories to lose weight without feeling hungry. The Summer months are a great way to lose weight because you are not as hungry during the summer months as you are in the winter months. You are also outside more being more active and burning calories.

Here are some great low calorie foods that you can eat that will fill you up. The key to this is not to over eat and to eat many different things to lose weight.

• Carrots - You can munch on these all day and not worry about calories.
• Celery - like carrots these are great to snack on
• Fresh Fruit - these are great to have around to eat. These are low calorie and can be found in abundance in the summer months. Grapes are great to eat as well as apples.
  
• Low Calorie Breads - While whole wheat is best you can still eat white bread, and if you eat low calorie bread you will never even know the difference. This is a great way to save calories and still eat bread. 
• You can have spaghetti but don't go overboard with the pasta. Pasta will turn into sugar and add more fat to your body. 
• Yogurt - Yogart is good for you, and very low calories.
  

Going out to eat -

You can still go out to eat with your friends while dieting. They will never even have to know that you are dieting. Here are some great things that you can eat while eating out.

SUBWAY

Subway has it in plain site what you can eat there that is low calorie. Choose any of their 6 inch subs that they say is low calorie. Skip the chips and the cookies. You don't need these empty calories. Trust me you won't miss them.Try to drink water or do what i do, I bring those little premixed drink mixes and add them to water. Water is free, and you will still have the flavor from the drink mixes and you come out cheaper.

MCDONALDS

You can grab a salad or get a plain burger. Its really not the burger that will give the most calories but its the stuff that you put on the burger that will add up.But you gotta skip the shakes. Yeah I know, Bummer but say no to the shakes. Big Mac's are out of the question. I know, I love them too, but one Big Mac has the most calories and the highest fat content. Again, Bummer..

PIZZA HUT

Try to get a salad - you will be able to get many things for your salad and fresh fruit there. Fill up on that then only have 1 slice of Pizza. Forgo the bread sticks.

All Fast Foods -

Well there isn't many good foods at fast food places, so you will have to choose wisely, french fries are not real good for you they are loaded with calories.

If you are going out to eat, to get the most food for the least amount of calories - Try to Opt for Subway.

Yeah, there are some foods that you shouldn't be eating. These are the good foods in my book, but if you want to lose weight try to limit your eating of these foods.If you cut most of these out of your diet or limit them to occasional you will notice quick weight loss.

• Candy Bars - These are high in calories and won't really keep you full for long.
  
• Ice Cream - Again high in calories
  
• Breads - try to choose low calorie bread.
• Donuts, Sweet stuff. like cookies, cakes and other yummy goodies.
  
• Soda's. Say goodbye to your Mountain Dews, your Pepsi's while trying to lose weight. You can drink the diet versions of these but unsweet tea, or Tea made with Splenda is better. The best thing is water. Yeah, plain old water. The good news is Water is now popular.
  

Cut out bad foods and weight will start to melt off.

Ahhh the hated word - Exercise. I hate it. I would rather sit infront of my video game and not move. Or camp out in front of the Television. But that doesn't make me lose weight. So here are some ways to get exercise in your weight loss plan without you noticing that exercise sucks.

• Get on your bike and go for a bike ride with your friends. Take along your water.
• Walk to your friends house.
  
• Walk at the mall - look for the clothes that you will soon be able to fit into for the next school year.
  
• Run in the mornings or at night. Grab your IPod and run. Running is great, If you live near a school use their track while no one is there and just run. If you run 3 miles or walk 3 miles a day you will really notice the weight dropping off quick.
• Do some housework during the day. (Your parents will love you)
• Cut the grass. If you cut neighbors grass you not only will lose weight, but maybe make some money on the side
• During the day when you are bored, Slap in a fitness DVD and move. You will be able to lose weight and get some extra calories burned.
  

The key to exercising. is move. Move everytime that you can. Put on MTV and dance when you are alone. Who cares what you look like no one is there watching you, soon you will be slim and trim and really show them how to dance!

Get your friends together and walk, run, swim. Swimming is a great sport in the summer. You can really burn the calories and have fun.

Play volleyball, softball, and other sports and get active.

There are many ways that you can exercise and not be bored. You will notice weight dropping off while not even putting much effort into this.  You have about 12 weeks between school years to get moving and reshape your body.

You will want to chart your progress. You want to see how much weight you lost and keep track of how many calories you have eaten each day.

Fit Day is one site that you will be able to chart your progress. It's free and easy to use. Just log in everyday and watch the weight chart show your loss daily. Here you will see how well you are doing, and how much you are losing and have lost.

I use it daily and it tells me exactly where I stand at weight loss.

Crash Diets and Extremly Low Calories are NEVER a good Ideal. Here's why.

If you do crash Diets and eat less than 1000 calories a day, your body thinks its starving. It will lose weight, but slow down your metabolism to protevct itself and it will be harder to lose weight the next time you start to diet or go back to eating again. And all the weight you have lost will come back plus some. YOu can not trick the body into thinking that it's only temp of the low calories.

You need fuel for your body to burn. It's like running a car on empty. Once it's out of fuel the car won't run. Your body is the same way. You need food as fuel to burn. Eating less calories is one way to still feed your body but give it fuel. You can eat less calories and still be full. Just change what you have been eating to low calories foods.

After you lose the Weight you will want new fashions to show off your new body.

At Cool Teen Fashions you can get discounts on may new fashions that you will look great in going back to school in the fall.