Just being a teenager...

Question
Hi there Lawrence! So. To start off, I am a 17 year old, healthy, active young woman. (That feels good to say..."young woman"..:) ) I am 5'2" and I weigh 120-125 pounds. I was blessed with..assets, you could say:) To start off, I want you to know this isn't a rant about "Oh my God. I'm fat. Help me lose a billion pounds so I can continue to compare myself to every other woman out there." I'm not saying I don't...but I'm not concerned about jump starting my model career anytime soon. ;) My questions more pertain to my curiousity, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and outlook on my body. I generally eat Paleo. My family is super big on natural, home-grown foods, so everything comes from the Farmers Market or other local growers, or our own garden. I do cheat sometimes. I just eat good food until I'm satisfied and happy. Recently, I tried seeing what my appx. daily intake of calories was, out of curiosity, and I discovered I'm eating around..1300-1400 calories a day. To my knowledge...that's not enough for a developing teenager. YET! I still feel...blah. I am in no way fit looking, even though I'm active all day and eat like this. Maybe my body type is just...SOFT. Haha. Anyway. Also, my weight and appearance fluctuates considerably. 2 days ago, I thought I looked pretty damn great if I do say so myself! And today...I look and feel like I've gained 7 pounds. Woah. I know..water weight, hormones. All that jazz. Maybe I'm just looking for a knowledgable, comforting that's reassuring about my annoyances. Is it normal. What can I do to feel better. Should I just...whip out the kettle ball and go ham? I don't know. I apologize for my confusing and possibly ridiculous schpiel. Thank you for your time:) You can just go ahead and give me all you've got! :)

Answer
Alison
The feeling your having about your weight is normal. Men and women all tend to do this when they are actively monitoring their health and weight. I have done it and I have personally seen my wife and teen daughter do it on a regular basis. The solution to the problem for me was to buy a scale that measures body fat, body water,muscle mass,bone density and BMI.  I keep a log next to the scale to compare numbers on a daily basis and this way I am able to maintain without having to second guess myself, it takes that feeling away that you have described. The way we handled it may seem excessive to some but it works for me. The log really keeps you on track and takes the guessing out of what you see in the mirror.
Hope this helps
Larry

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