I teach/coach at a high school and have a 400 pound sophomore that has been working out with me (P90x). He plays football and basketball is very athletic for a kid his size. I think if he can change body composition and get to a strong 300? he may be a college athlete.

Anyway we started P90x the beginning of March. Right away he lost 15 pounds and 2 pant sizes. The scale has not moved the past 4 weeks (I know the scale isn't the tell all). He eliminated soda and late night raman noodles from his diet and has tried to eat "right" but doesn't have alot of knowledge.

I guessed, from his stall and in talking with him, he doesn't eat enough, often enough etc.

I asked him to journal a few days worth of food and he was around 2000 Kcal on 3 days and 3000 Kcal on another.

Using the Harris-Benedict BMR formula his maintenance should be around 5200 Kcal and at a loss of 2 pounds a week he should be on a diet of 4200 KCal. He obviously is not close and I don't know where he was before but I would guess his calories were much higher but full of junk and alot of late night food.

I have decent knowledge but I don't know where he should start. How fast should we ramp his calories up from 2000 to 4200 (probably the problem right?). What do you think his macros should be? (1g [1.5]protein + .45 g fat per lb, etc).

I don't want to make this complicated for him but he needs some education. I put his info into myfitnesspal and printed it out and as well as mine and will show him I eat more at 160 pounds than he does. I can show him several mistakes he is making. His family doesn't have a great amount of money so and he will not eat a vegetable so its not like we have a open field at the grocery store either.

I have rambled enough. I track my diet religiously and am great shape and for the most part know what to do for me but this is an extreme case and don't want to be too aggressive/do something very wrong.

General reply to others.

We know how he got to 400. Question is why the stall? Understand there may be a shift from fat to muscle that causes scale not to move but at this size I would think scale would still go down. I don't think he is lying but he could be. His friends have even commented how he doesn't eat like he used to. He has expressed frustration about the stall. Another possible contributing problem is for the days he journaled he may have underestimated some portion sizes. I need to get him to measure food. REMEMBER - HE IS 15.

He is working very hard. 7 weeks ago he could not do a sit-up and now he can crank out 25 of them. He really is very athletic for his size. He does look better. It has only been 13 pounds but you can tell and others have commented as well.

If he lived with me it would be much easier to get him squared away. Trying to guide. I appreciate the help.

And I cannot stress the whey shakes more strongly. Get a flavour of no carb whey he can stand, and have him knock back a shake before every meal. It'll fill him up for cheap and it'll normalize his insulin response - which will ensure he gets a normal satiety response and stays feeling "fed".

He is 6'4. I really don't think he is lying. He seemed like he thought having 3 chicken strips at prom was going at add 10 pounds. Haven't spoke to whole family but I know mom has tried to cook a few things differently. He makes alot of his own meals. Starting from scatch -- How many calories should I start him off at and what macros?

Hey Built - I"m throwing in some splenda occasionally (some flavors SUCK) and that helps. COuld he do that?

Sounds like he is having some severe guilt association with food from the chicken strips comment. But, when he is on his own, and slips up, your the last person he wants to disappoint by telling you he ate 4K + calories a day.

I weighed 330 at 5"10 when I was 15. When I eventually got tired of being obese I cut down to 1000 cals/day and pounds were flying off. At these weights, sub optimum caloric intake will not cause a stall.

Just trying to give you perspective on why his log count may be off as I was in a very similar situation in highschool and understand the mentality a bit.

He might not be eating to much.
If you don't eat enough even on a diet your body will start to hold on to fat as to have a fuel source.
You'll lose weight at first fat/muscle then stall.
Best bet is to zig-zag cals. and find the sweet spot.
Im eating 3300cals and losing fat.Getting ready to up cals again to get rid of fatigue during day.

Also do you have body-fat calilpers?He might be losing fat but building alittle muscle.
Which would be the weight stall.
I only use i scale to see if im losing muscle and for my b/f meter.

You lost me at "He"

Special thnaks to built!!!!!

Special thnaks to built!!!!!

Thanks to you & Built! I love hearing stories like this..... Just love it!

You got him on protein shakes yet?

Have him replace a meal or 2 with some whey isolate.

Show him how to cook eggs/meat.