Its not fair

[mollykins]

I eat quite healthily (4/5 portions of fruit/veg a day and hardly ever eat chocolate and crisps ect) and i cycle 45 minutes a day when i'm cycling to school (every school day it isn't raining and we don't get much rain where i am), plus i do 2 hours in the school gym a week and an hour of badminton most weeks and walk my dog roughly once every two days (don't worry my mum and dad walk her the rest of the time so she gets two full walks a day) But i'm 9 and half stone. Is a lot of my extra weight muscle? In the gym i can lift heavier weights and more times than most of the people in my group.

But my best friend eats unhealthily (rarely gets more than 2 portions of fruit/veg a day) and eats lots of crisps and chocolate. Plus she only walks ten minutes to and from school a day and occaisonally goes on a bike ride with her little brother in the summer. But she weighs about 6 and a half stone.

Its not fair. So is most of my extra weight muscle? And what affects your metabolism, because i msut have a slow one and she have a fast one.

[sara3]

you haven't said how tall you are, which is important. muscle is heavier than fat, and you're probably very healthy. I would imagine you're about the right weight for your height.

and how old are you?

[mollykins]

i'm 16 and 5 foot 2, my doctor advised me to lose weight but a nutritionist was confused because she said i needed to do a different kind of exercise but that would make my muscle waste away and i'd see a difference in my strength.

[sara3]

ignore him, Molly.

NK, is that what you advise your own kids? shame on you!!!

[mollykins]

and my freind's a few months younger and the same height.

[mollykins]

I'd never smoke.

[mollykins]

and my friend doesn't either.

[sara3]

well some of it will be down to genetics so maybe you're just not meant to be a stick, like your friend. if you try to get to her weight you'll make yourself very ill.

the only other thing to consider is the quantity of food you're having, but I think your weight sounds fine to me.

[sara3]

Molly and I will still ignore you :op

[mollykins]

I just weighed my self (havent done for a few weeks) and i'm nearer to 10 stone now.

[mollykins]

I don't have that much food though, on an average day, a small bowl, half filled with cereals and skimmed milk for breakfast, sandwich, two portions of fruit and a drink for lunch, a yoghurt when i get home for a snack, a healthier version fo what my parents have for tea (rarely have their fatty gravy or deep fried chips) then another portion of fruit at about 8/9pm, sometimes a pudding like crumble though instead.

[mollykins]

Few months i mean, the scales have been broke for a while.

[mollykins]

I don't binge drink, i get a small glass of wine when my parents have a bottle open (once every couple of weeks)

[mollykins]

Noone's answered my question yet, is most of my extra weight muscle? And what affects your metabolism, because i msut have a slow one and she have a fast one?

[brenda]

mollykins -- can understand your worries , but you sound pretty fit to me and I would suggest that you carry on just as you are. you are doing more exercise than a lot of young people do , and you sound in good shape to me.
You cannot make comparisons with your friend you are different people with different body functions. Drink plenty of water so that you are hydrated always , cut down on your portion size a little if need be.But don't start starving yourself that is a dangerous path to take.And have a gold star flor promising not to smoke.!!!!!

[mollykins]

my lungs are rubbish enough without ruining them anymore.

[brenda]

To answer your query -- the rate of metabolismthat a person ha si s basically a genetic feature , but it is influenced to some degree by lifestyle , smoking , drinking , stress , and obesity as well as the amount of mobility a person has. So yes you are different from ylour friend, so woory not and forget the comparisons.

[cazzz1975]

you sound fine to me, it could be muscle, as long as you feel physically healthy you should carry on as you are, you still have to grow some more yet, dont get bogged down in trying to speed up metabolism or cutting back on food groups, you are more likely to create problems for the future. focus on making sure you are getting enough nutrients in your meals and are being active enough, the rest will sort itself out.