Why can't I loose weight?

[Elizabeth678]

Hi I'm liz. I'm 14 years old, and for most of my life I've known I was less athletic and heavier than my friends. I'm 141 pounds and 5'4 which is kinda healthy but I think I'm almost overweight and I'm really scared. It never bothered me till now so now I'm doing Blogilates Calendar Workouts from YouTube. And I'm using MyFitnessPal to count my calories, I'm eating 1,330 a day. I know people don't recommend kids to count calories but believe me, I always feel full when I go to bed at night, and I always have enough energy to workout. I try my best to avoid sugar it's hard but I do it (kinda) and since I didn't want to give up sugar altogether I have a YOLO day (Sunday) where I don't workout it's my rest day and I eat sugar and don't count calories. I've been working out pretty hard for me and I've noticed my legs becoming less flabby and more muscly and my stomach is tightening up a bit and my calves have become freakishly thin like there is no fat there lol but I haven't lost ANY weight!!! When I started working out I was about 137-141 pounds and Now I'm 141-143 pounds what is this???????? I don't understand!!!!!!! Please help me!!!😞

[iain-strachan Graduate]

Hi Liz!

Please try not to worry. For your height you are comfortably in the "normal" weight range of BMI. As for me, I'm only a little under "obese", and I've completed the Couch to 5k program with no trouble at all. But body mass index isn't a very accurate measure; it doesn't take into account the amount of body fat.

Probably the reason your weight has gone up is with all the workouts you are doing you have replaced fat with muscle, and muscle is more dense than fat. So it doesn't mean you're less healthy, it means you are MORE healthy and fit and toned. You probably have a lot more energy too.

My doctor told me that if you measured the body mass index of the forwards in the England rugby team they would all come out as "obese" but clearly they are all super fit.

So if you can, just enjoy your food, enjoy your exercise, and enjoy feeling fit and well.

[Elizabeth678 in reply to iain-strachan]

Thank you so much!😛that does make sense

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Hi, most of us on this runner's forum are not medically qualified and I am certainly not, nor have I experience of trying to lose weight, having always believed that (for most people) it is a matter of eating a healthy balanced diet and balancing input with output. I am rather concerned that a 14 year old is trawling the internet for advice, which I believe, if you are really worried, would be better coming from your doctor or other suitably qualified individuals.

There is a lot of false information on the net. There are a lot of people trying to sell product. You should be sharing your concerns with a parent/carer and working out a plan/diet with expert advice. I may be accused of being cynical, but I consider the whole multi billion dollar slimming business to be a rather dark force, through which so many people are continuously churned and parted from vasts amounts of money.

Please talk this through with those who care for you and get an accurate perspective on the situation. You are at a vulnerable age to be self conscious about your appearance and you need to move in the right direction. Good luck.

[davelinks Graduate]

You should not be worrying about your weight at this age, unless you was extremely thin or obese, then best to see the doctor..

Being active and doing sport at school will help you immensely and not on internet forums..

[J9_54 Graduate]

Elizabeth, Please try not to worry. Teenagers and especially girls are having all sorts of changes go on inside their bodies at your age and I can reassure you that your height, weight and body fat can change on a daily basis because of this and it's perfectly normal. Talk to your family if you can about healthy eating at home, exercise regularly but don't overdo it and remember that as you gain muscle you will not necessarily lose weight but you will definitely lose inches as your body becomes more toned.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

I agree with IannodaTruffe ....talk to someone you trust and who will be helpful.

[GoogleMe Graduate]

You are probably turning into a *woman*, a real woman not Photoshopped clickbait (or worse) and that's a good thing. But don't forget that your needs as a still developing young woman are not the same as those of an older woman.

It is good to be active whether you need to lose weight or not, a great way to thrive despite the rigours of being a teenager. It's important for it to be something you fundamentally enjoy (obviously starting out it is a challenge and most of us enjoy an element of challenge as we keep going)

I'd suggest that health includes not excluding anything unless you have an individual health problem which requires it (other than what you might decide to exclude for the health of the environment or animals or other people, that's different) As has been said, a lot of people getting money and attention from making folk fearful.

This is the Couch to 5K forum which is about acquiring the ability to run continuously for 30 minutes on a regular basis, usually using an app or podcasts from the UK National Health Service. Quite a lot of us find our way here, like you, wanting to support weight loss, and running does help although not principally by burning calories, certainly not in the early days.

If you are in the UK, then a young woman talking in terms of pounds rather than kilos is a clue you may not be using the most appropriate sources of information and support. NHS Choices is a good place to look but pay attention to guidance for people your age. Bear in mind that although there's (rightly) a lot of concern about obesity, the risks of being underweight are higher than being overweight.