pop_snap's Journal

Hey there.  You seem frustrated (I saw your "great" response to the article I posted).  5'9" and 143 is a BMI of 21.1 so the good news is you're in the healthy range!  It sounds like you're surrounded by skinny-minnies all day long.  If you lived in Buffalo, you'd feel thinner (I feel like a twig sometimes).  Anyway, you may not be eating enough for your age and height/weight.  Try this link to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR).  This is what you'd burn if you slept all day.  If you aren't eating that, your body thinks it isn't getting enough food and stores everything it can.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Then you can click on the "daily calorie needs" to find out what you should be eating to

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict -equation/

Also, you're still a kid, so you should make sure you get the proper nutrition.   Just an example, you say you're 5'9" & 143 and 15 resulting in a BMR of 1531.  If you were 25, this # would be 1483.  But for you, 1531 is the basic calorie intake you'd need if you slept all day, no less.  Now use that second link to figure out what your daily calories are, assuming you're lightly active, you'd be at 2100 calories (1840 if sedentary).  Now to lose weight, you need to eat less than that.  You shouldn't just knock off 500, but rather use a percent and be sure it doesn't take you below your BMR.  You can see if you're sedentary, knocking off 500 takes you below your BMR, but 15% (275) wouldn't.  This topic has come up a few times in the forums.  It sounds like a lot of people eat too little sometimes. 

Also, if you're worried at all about nutrition, this is a neat link describing the "worlds healthiest foods".  It's also interesting the criteria they use to make the list too. Things like "affordable" and "readily available" were criteria.

http://whfoods.org/foodstoc.php

Also, since you're a girl, one thing my mother is always telling my wife - make sure you get enough calcium.  It's especially important while you're young. 

Anyway, hope I was helpful and not too preachy.  :)  It can be frustrating to lose that last bit of weight, but I think with healthy eating and some exercise you'll get there.  Just take your time, educate yourself, and most important, watch how YOUR body reacts and tailor your approach to YOU.  You will have to experiment and expect to have to change your approach as you get older (say > 25).  Since you're so young, you have the time now to develop healthy eating and exercise habits.  In my own experience, with the exception of a couple 1 year blocks, I've always had regular appointments with the weight room since I was 18.  I think that's one reason I continue to go while many other 35 year olds start in January and finish in March.  :)

One more link, this is for body fat.  Go to the section for women.  Again, keep in mind that most of the material out there is intended for adults who aren't still growing. 

http://www.linear-software.com/online.html