17 y/o male

Question
Hello, first off I want to thank you for taking the time to help me out! I am a 17 year old guy, 5'7", 165 lbs. I am a medium frame, almost large frame going by the elbow measurement technique. The chart I looked at said I should be 142-154. So I'm about 15-20 lbs overweight. I thought that growth spurts that I have been getting recently would "cancel out" most of that, but I ended up instead going from 145 last year when I was 5'2" to 165 this year at 5'7"... funny thing is that I still look like I lose a little bit of weight! :) My main concerns are losing my gut, "love handles", and chest... Everything else is fine and I reckon that my face will thin a bit as I work on everything else. I want to build muscle rather than only lose fat. How much should I look to lose if I am going to be building muscle as well? and what diet/exercise plan do you recommend? Thank you so much, and have I'm looking forward to your response!

Answer
Dear Tom, If you plan on gaining muscle, then don't worry about your total weight. Muscle tissue is heavier then fat, plus it is active so it burns calories at rest. To gain muscle, you have to first work and break down muscle fibers with exercise. The muscle fibers will then rebuild themselves bigger and stronger provided the building blocks for muscle growth are available. The building blocks or foods for muscle growth are protein foods like lean meats, fish, tuna fish, chicken, lean pork, and eggs or egg whites. Other important foods to eat are; low fat dairy, healthy fats, whole grain breads, fruits and vegetables. Try lifting weights three times a week, while following a healthy eating plan that contains at least 2500 to 3000 calories per day. See a trainer or ask a gym teacher for a more detailed program if you need more help. Hope that helps, Laura Kraemer,Slimkids.com

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