Q: Person from 1195: OK, i agree with what you say. 2 bowls of salad and the third meal normal. But do you think thats enough calories for a male 15 year old? I don't think I can go through one day with only 2 bowls of salad and whatever the third meal is. I am trying to lose weight. Great site by the way : )

A: Oh OK, if you are 15 years old then that changes things (and you are right -- it wouldn't be enough calories for you). Unless you are very signifincatly overweight and are definitely done growing (like if you're already well over 6 feet tall and haven't grown at all in half a year) I would really advise against trying to actively lose weight. The reason is that until 16-17 years of age you have a HUGE advantage of natural growth on your side which all by itself has the power to lose dozens of pounds of extra fat and grow lean tissue in its stead. Check out my response to http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/how-long-would-it-take-to-lose-man-b... where I explain the reason for this and how to take advantage of it. So instead of trying to lose weight, learn how to eat for fat loss and start being more physically active, including starting on weight lifting.

If you do this for two years I can almost guarantee that you'll be healthy and in very good shape by 17-18 years of age. At that point if you still need to (and I doubt you will) you can consider losing weight. But until then, eating right and being active will give you FAR more benefits both in health and in looks then trying to cut down on calories in an attempt to lose weight. Leading a healthier lifestyle is more work and committment of course, but it's WELL worth it!