Weight in puberty

Kathrin Rothfischer studied microbiology and genetics in Regensburg after an excursion into German studies. Presenting complex issues in an easily understandable way was her passion even then. That is why she turned this passion into a profession after graduating: After various positions in the medical specialist publishing house and in the public press, she finally found her journalistic home at

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Ironically, when you start to like the opposite sex, you are often dissatisfied with your own body. Pimples sprout, girls suddenly have round hips and thighs, while the bosom still does not fill a bra; Guys get lanky and awkward despite dreaming of muscles and strength. Even so, you shouldn't torment yourself with starvation diets - because the changes happen for a good reason. Here you can find out which and how you do not gain excess weight despite puberty.

Harmful diets

The T-shirt stretches across the stomach and chest as well as the trousers on the thighs - and the button was also easier to close. During puberty, the body suddenly seems to turn every calorie ingested directly into hip gold. It's annoying, especially if you've never thought about food before. Girls in particular tend to want to fight their unfamiliar curves with diets. But starvation diets are the wrong way to achieve your desired weight.

If you give your body less food during a diet, it will get used to the artificially created deficiency and shut down its metabolism. The basal metabolic rate drops. As with a campfire: If the firewood is running low, the flame becomes smaller. Only: As soon as you eat normally again, the body does not burn this additional energy, as it would with a fire, but stores it in order to be prepared for the next "bad times". Especially when it is still growing, the organism tries to collect as much energy as possible for it.

In the long term, diets even lead to weight gain (yo-yo effect) - the human body is great at keeping "its boss" productive for as long as possible - even in phases of food shortage.

If you constantly think about what you are eating, whether it was too much, and if you feel guilty for not following your strict self-imposed eating rules, you are at greater risk of developing eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. And they bring your body into a state of deficiency in the long term: your hair falls out, you become more susceptible to diseases, your nerves are bare and you feel constantly limp.

Useful upholstery

Eating less does not generally make sense for young people either. Growing up is exhausting, and during puberty the body needs not only energy but also a lot of nutrients so that the numerous construction and remodeling processes can run smoothly.

Even more: nature has arranged it in such a way that a person can only become reproductive, i.e. reach puberty, if he has enough energy reserves in the form of fat cells for it. This is also the reason why very skinny girls or competitive athletes often do not have a period for a long time.

In addition, your body secretes more of the female sex hormone estrogen - to a lesser extent in boys, but to a greater extent in girls. This hormone makes your breasts grow, you get your days and feminine shapes; and they are usually a little bit curvier.

Individual ideal

With the ideal body weight, that's such a thing anyway. There are tables and formulas that can be used to determine how many kilos are normal. If you don't meet this ideal requirement, that's not a problem at all. Therefore you are not automatically chubby and certainly not fat.

Because such numbers only reflect the average and do not take the individual person into account. How much you weigh and how your body is proportioned depends on individual factors such as your genes. Even stars and models are not perfect. The pictures you see in magazines are mostly heavily post-processed. Thanks to computer technology, not only pimples but also round thighs disappear within seconds.

That makes sense

Much more important than comparing yourself to others is to make friends with your new body shapes. Do not make it dependent on the number on the scales whether you feel good, but just generally make sure that you treat your body in such a way that you feel comfortable in it.

You are most likely to do this when you are fit and healthy. Therefore, try to eat as balanced as possible. This also applies if you want or need to lose weight. Low-calorie drinks such as water, tea or juice spritzers as well as vegetables, fruit and whole grain products are more effective than light cola and the supposedly healthier fat-free chips. Of course, you shouldn't do without everything that's tasty. If you eat a healthy diet for the most part, the occasional piece of chocolate or French fries are no problem.

In addition to diet, exercise also plays an important role if you want to do something for your figure. You don't have to become a marathon runner or run to the gym every day. It is enough, for example, to take a bike instead of the bus, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or take a regular lap through the park. Exercise and exercise also help you develop a feeling for your body. This can also improve your posture and make you happier and more confident. And no matter how you move - it's even more fun with friends!

Tags:  prevention prevention pregnancy birth