Q: I am 14, 148 pounds. I have a little problem with my chest area. I would like to know how to lose it. I never have been fat or a little chubby my chest has been like this practically my whole life. But now that I am getting to an age where I want my body to be in the best shape, I would like to know how to lose it. Any exersizes or any help at all would be great.

A: I understand your desire to look your best, especially in the summer, but you also need to keep the big picture in mind. Over the next 5-6 years your body will change a lot, you will lose a fair amount of fat and gain a fair amount of muscle, provided you eat right. You also definitely do NOT want to mess with your growth by trying to lose weight at this point. Having said that, here's what you can do to make sure you grow muscular instead of fat...

Learn about good healthy nutrition! Read this and implement its suggestions into your everyday life. That does NOT mean following a diet to lose weight (because, as I've said, it'll jeopardize your healthy growth), but instead learning what foods to eat, what foods to avoid, and how to structure your daily food intake. Eat LOTS of veggies (raw veggies as much as possible), fruits, whole grains (like old-fashioned oatmeal), brown rice, beans and lentils, fish, lean meats, chicken and other poultry, eggs, nuts (plain roasted), olive oil (use it as salad dressing), some dairy (cottage cheese is great). Avoid junk/fast food, pizzas, burgers, fries, chips, fried foods in general, candy and sweets, sodas, (both diet and regular), juices (eat real fruit instead), white bread, white rice, pasta, processed pre-packaged foods including but not limited to TV dinners, most boxed breakfast cereals, things like 'Hot Pockets', commercial salad dressings (use plain olive oil instead), canned foods (eat fresh instead).

As far as exercising, do body-weight exercises such as pullups (a great great and very underappreciated exercise), pushups, squats, lunges, jumping jacks, touching your toes. Be generally active, play sports. If you want, you can get started on freeweights as well, but do NOT push yourself too hard with freeweights and never go to muscular failure in the gym until you're at least 16. As far as the kinds of weight training you should do, it should be the same as anyone else, but with adult supervision, solid discipline, and always keeping in mind to not overdo it. Read my weighttraining article but remember that not everything in it applies to a 14-year old. Mainly, do NOT push yourself very hard in the gym. You will grow anyways and you absolutely do not want to sustain an injury that may stunt your growth and possibly haunt you for life. Be careful in the gym.

If you follow the above suggestions, you will not only lean out but grow strong and muscular. Plus if you already have good knowledge of healthy nutrition and weighttraining philosophy, by the time you hit the gym, you'll have a huge advantage over your peers. As I've said before, your body is about to start on a once-in-a-lifetime growth spurt and it's up to you to choose whether it results in a lot of fat or a lot of muscle. Learn, eat well, exercise, and your chest fat will disappear in no time!