Very Low Metabolism

Question
Hi Laura. First I would like to thank you for your time and effort you put into this site helping people around the world. I'm 15 years old and have a very low metabolism. I'm 6'0, 200 lbs, and work out during the weekdays. I even run almost every day. I play hockey in the winter and am very active during the off season. I just don't know what I am doing wrong. This leads to many emotional issues. I eat fairly well and by all means don't pig out when surrounded by delicious foods. I was just wondering if you could help give me a look at some various types of foods and diets to boost my metabolism and shave off those extra pounds. Thanks so much,
          Jordan

Answer
Dear Jordan, being as active as you sound, I don't think you have a very low metabolism. Instead, I think you eat too many and too much of the wrong foods. Some foods are easily turned into sugar, which are then easily stored as fat. Carbohydrates are such foods. Keep a food journal and track the amount of calories you consume. Try to stay around the 1500-1800 calorie per day amount. At every meal try to eat a food that contains protein. Limit starchy carbohydrate foods like pasta, rice, excess bread, bagels, mac and cheese, pizza, and other foods like that. Also, limit sugar foods and soft drinks. What's left is vegetables, lean meats, fish, chicken, pork, whole grain breads, low fat dairy, whole fruits, healthy fats, and lots of water to wash it all down. It's out of those foods you should try to eat a total of 1500-1800 calories per day. Read labels and keep a journal. It won't happen overnight, but it will start to show a weight loss after a few weeks. Good luck, and keep exercising. Laura Kraemer, Slimkids.com

1. Prev:why are my fingernails splitting?...
2. Next:Headaches?