Q: I`m 11 year old 5'4" 185 pounds.I cant run for distance and want to play football this august what can I do to get in shape and lose the weight so i can run without quiting?

A: The most important thing you need to do is probably improve your diet. 5 foot 4 and 185 pounds is definitely overweight and in vast majority of cases like yours the diet is to blame. Because you are so heavy it's a real struggle for your body to move your frame at high speed, so you get tired quickly when running. You need to start doing two things...

One, improve your diet. You don't need to try to eat little and you don't need to try to lose weight necessarily -- you'll keep growing and growing over the next several years and your natural growth will use up your extra fat all by itself. You do need to start eating healthy nutritious foods, however. Make sure to eat LOTS of vegetables like broccoli, spinach, green beans, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, squash, green peas, carrots, etc. Some corn and potatoes are OK too, just make sure they're not the only veggies you eat. Most of these should be eaten raw or lightly cooked (steamed, boiled, lightly stir-fried with little oil). Virtually every meal you eat except maybe breakfast should have a hearty helping of vegetables. Also eat whole fruits (not juice or canned concentrates), beans and lentils, and whole grains such as oatmeal and whole-wheat bread. If you can learn to like plain old fashioned oatmeal without sugar then you'll be doing yourself a huge favor! Try it with sliced bananas, strawberries, or apples and add cinnamon for taste. Don't be afraid of fats, but make sure the amounts are moderate and most importantly come from healthy sources such as olive oil, dry-roasted nuts or seeds, fatty fish like salmon, or some eggs. Finally have lean protein foods like fish, skinless chicken breast, or 95% or leaner beef. AVOID sweets and junk food (burgers, shakes, pizzas, fries) and minimize processed foods like cold breakfast cereals, white bread or rice, packaged microwavable foods, and commercial salad dressings (use olive oil instead). Drink plenty of plain water or unsweetened tea. Don't drink juices (eat actual fruit instead) or sodas (diet or regular).

That should take care of your diet. The second thing is you need to start jogging and running to build up your endurance. The key here is to learn to find your pace. Even in your present condition you can almost certainly walk or slowly jog a mile without too much trouble -- you just have to start relatively slow and maintain that pace the whole time. If you start too fast you'll run out of breath quickly. So start slow and keep at it for at least 15-20 minutes each day. With time you'll be able to increase your pace more and more and if you are diligent, there's a very good chance you'll be able to run a 8-9 minute mile by August. Good diet and your natural continuing growth will help with running too.

Hopefully this will help you meet your goal of football in the fall. However keep in mind that even more important is long-term perspective! The habits you acquire and follow now will likely stick with you for your whole life. If you adopt healthy habits in eating and exercise you will likely not be overweight at all in 1-2 years time and will be in superb shape by high school, college, and the rest of your life! Good luck!