Addressing Weight and Fitness Concerns at 15: A Teen's Perspective

Question
I'm 15 and I weigh 115 pounds and that's fine and all I think...But recently I've noticed I'm not as fit as I used to be my stomach is flabby and arms and legs too, I still work out I bike at least 2 miles a day and do 200 sit ups and stuff a night, the problem is I can't control what I eat because my family is filled with over weight people and they won't buy the healthy food, I'm concerned about this because   sometime last year I couldn't eat out in public or anything cause I would always feel sick to my stomach and everything so because of that I did skip some meals but I would make up for it once I got home which was only an hour or so difference, but I'm trying to figure out whats going on but I can't get any help beyond the computer right now but I've looked up stuff about being chemically unbalance but I couldn't be that cause I'm only 15 and that's for 20 - 40 and up, right? I'm really confused because I pretty much know jack squat about my body, any help?

Answer
Dear Pamela, If you are exercising a lot and do not eat the proper food to rebuild your muscles after exercise, then your body will be forced to breakdown muscle tissue to feed more important muscles like your heart. If you become nutrient deficient, you can suffer from imbalances and imbalances can cause problems. You should be eating at least 1800-2000 calories per day to maintain your weight and rebuild your muscles after the hard work-outs you are doing. Take a vitamin and mineral supplement and eat foods from all the healthy food groups especially the protein and healthy fat food groups. Not being able to eat in public, skipping meals, over exercising, not feeling fit, and feeling like you have a chemical imbalance are all signs of an eating disorder. You have to seek the help of a specialist to sort it out and hopefully get you feeling right about yourself. Start with telling your parents, a school counselor, or your doctor. Don't try to figure it out yourself. Hope that helps, Laura Kraemer,Slimkids.com