First of all, I think your stepdaughter should be commended for wanting to get control of her health, for going to the YMCA, and for getting out and walking! Those are all positive steps already!

The key to losing weight is consuming less calories than you burn each day. That is why the most successful weight loss programs include dietary changes and exercise. You really need both for maximun results. Aerobic exercise is great and helps your heart, but any type of exercise and movement can help you burn calories! You will, of course, burn more calories the harder you work. But even aerobic exercise doesn't have to produce a sweat for gain. Walking, riding a bike, ice skating, swimming, in-line skating, dancing, etc., can all be activities that teenagers enjoy and produce aerobic benefits without the sweat and pain some think necessary. Even if your stepdaughter is strolling along, she is burning more calories than if she were sitting on the couch.

A quick read on this subject for teens is: http://life.familyeducation.com/teen/exercise/29461.html

I would encourage your stepdaughter to keep being active, in any way she wants. As she loses weight, it may be easier for her to concentrate on aerobic benefits.

Oh, yes I have praised her ever step she has taken. We put together a diet together and I have taught her about measuring serving sizes and reading labels to make wise choices.

She is a bit discouraged because she feels that she should have lost by now. But you are right, baby steps, and not gaining more might be the first step and then actually losing.

Thank you for the link

Your support and encouragement sounds very positive! That is great! As far as the exercising goes, make sure she is doing whatever form of exercise she enjoys most. If she enjoys the walking, she may be more inclined to walk faster if she listens to fast paced music while she walks, or give her a stopwatch and pedometer to keep track of how far she goes in a certain time. Encourage her to increase her times and distance steadily over the weeks. If she uses the treadmills at the Y, she should be able to see the time, distance, and calories she burns on the treadmill screen. Also, have her realize that sometimes when you start a weight loss program, the results show up first in inches lost and not so much in actual weight.

To lose one pound, the general rule is that you have to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume. A safe weight loss guide is losing one to two pounds per week. So, to lose one pound a week, you have to burn on average 500 more calories each day. If you split this between diet and exercise, you can burn 250 calories per day in exercise and consume 250 less calories.

It is a process and takes awhile. The weight didn't get put on overnight and it won't come off that fast either. But, a gradual weight loss plan is healthier and, in the long run, more successful than any type of extreme plan. As long as she is eating right and exercising, it will happen! Best wishes to you both!

Try doing one of the free aerobic classes together at the Y. I know they have begining step classes and others. When I started working out I enjoyed having a partner. Do you work out with her? Maybe do side by side tredmills. I also like reading as I walk. I am up to a 3.6 speed and a 2.0 incline.....and I sweat my butt of now. This is my 5th week working out and I am more motivated since I have seen the results. Oh.....she maybe loosing inches, just not lbs.

Good luck.

Jennifer