Macro & Calorie Guidance - Teenage Girl

[byrd_aaron99]

My search skills may not be up to snuff, but did not find a suitable answer in the forum so far.

I am starting my 15 year old daughter on novice LP. Despite the fact that diet has been the difficult part for me in the last 15 months since I began SS seriously, I would like to steer her in the right direction about food. She's a typically picky teenager who would prefer to eat junk. She's just under 5' 4" and weighs 150. Her doctor, of course, recommends calorie intake around 1,700 calories, but that will not cut it. We're just getting started; she also dances 3-4 nights a week.

What would be a target calorie level and macro breakdown?

For me personally, I'm trying to target the fluffy novice/intermediate guidance from fantastic "To Be a Beast" article. Fat intake is generally too high, especially when I hit my protein macros.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Honestly, if you can get a 15 yr old girl to be committed to a training plan (something they want to do by their own volition) then you might have a chance in getting them to eat well, but I kind of doubt it. My experience suggests that you just can't get them to eat unless they are highly motivated (generally by athletics and their peer group). So, with all that in mind on top of the 3-4x/wk dancing- I think the best thing you can do is to make sure she's eating a high quality breakfast (eggs and whites) and dinner (lean meats + starchy carbs + veggies) and perhaps the only thing she's not doing now, a protein shake after training and each dance class. Other than that, it's pretty much an exercise in futility. I wouldn't prescribe macros to a 15 yr old girl either, to be honest.

[jkolt]

I wouldn't prescribe macros to a 15 yr old girl either, to be honest.

Amen to that.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Not the OP, but I can appreciate this honesty. On the other hand, a doctor prescribing 1700 kCal per day to a 15yo who is at least moderately active seems a bit misinformed.

Yea. Of course, the calorie calculator charts spit this out so that's probably where it comes from regardless of its practical utility.

[byrd_aaron99]

Thanks for the feedback. Main goal is trying to guide down a path of better eating.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Thanks for the feedback. Main goal is trying to guide down a path of better eating.

Yea I think approaching quality first is the best option IMO.