OK I'm 16 years old, 6'5, and 216 lbs. I'm a high school basketball player and I'm trying to get to around 200 lbs because I feel that the extra weight is limiting my agility and jump height. I'm slender in my arms and legs, but on my stomach and chest I have fat build-ups.

I've tried the dieting tips on this site, I always go through most of the day and my caloric intake is about 1000-1800, but then at the end of the day I'm starving and eat until my calories for the day is about 2200-3200.

I told my coach about my attempts to diet and he said he doesn't recommend dieting while competing in intense sports, saying it limits your energy, and none of my teammates diet, but how can I lose the weight without dieting?

With most basketball players of your age, it always comes down to wanting to dunk. Just to preface things, all of that Air Alert, Jumpsoles stuff is garbage.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that your weight isn't holding you back, but your strength levels are. Hit the weight room and start training legs heavy and hard. Without proper levels of strength, trying to cut weight is probably going to be futile.

With that being said, don't put yourself at a caloric deficit, but instead eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.

This article is perfect for your purposes.
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/top_5_mistakes_bball.htm

Basketball players are weak. When I say weak, I mean weak. There are definitely some players out there who are strong, and it definitely helps their game. (They’re really easy to spot, too. Just look for the fastest guy who jumps the highest.)

How does strength help? Well, strength is the foundation on which all other athletic attributes are built. There are several important attributes that I’m referring to, but the two big ones you might be very familiar with—speed and explosiveness—absolutely fall under the “determined by strength” category. Get stronger and you’ll be running faster and jumping higher. Not only that, but you’ll also improve your body’s resistance to injury and its ability to recover. What’s the lesson here? Get stronger!

Looking at some of your previous posts, does your school have a weight room?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that your weight isn't holding you back, but your strength levels are. Hit the weight room and start training legs heavy and hard. Without proper levels of strength, trying to cut weight is probably going to be futile.

With that being said, don't put yourself at a caloric deficit, but instead eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.

This article is perfect for your purposes.
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/top_5_mistakes_bball.htm

I'm out there on the same limb as you Pete. I generally think that until you get past the age of 25, a male should normally attempt to increase strength and power in preference to cutting, unless there is some compelling reason to cut.

...I've tried the dieting tips on this site, I always go through most of the day and my caloric intake is about 1000-1800, but then at the end of the day I'm starving and eat until my calories for the day is about 2200-3200...

In no way are the majority of the "cutting" tips on this site geared towards a 16 year old, much less a 16 year old athlete.

Ignoring the fact I have no idea where you're coming up with 1000-1800 calories as a good fat loss range for you anyway, because it's beside the point.

Go with Pete and Zen's advice to focus on performance from a strength and power perspective. Clean up some unnecessary junk from your diet if you have to, but attempting to sustain an intentional calorie deficit through diet isn't the best way to go.

With most basketball players of your age, it always comes down to wanting to dunk. Just to preface things, all of that Air Alert, Jumpsoles stuff is garbage.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that your weight isn't holding you back, but your strength levels are. Hit the weight room and start training legs heavy and hard. Without proper levels of strength, trying to cut weight is probably going to be futile.

With that being said, don't put yourself at a caloric deficit, but instead eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.

This article is perfect for your purposes.
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/top_5_mistakes_bball.htm



Looking at some of your previous posts, does your school have a weight room?


Yes we have a weight room, its nothing special but its good. I guess other basketball players came to this forum for the same reasons.

I previously was training my legs hard on the leg press and lifts, but soon my knees were in so much pain. Went to my doctor, she diagnosed me with patella tendonitis and gave me some casts to help my knees heal. They got better after like 2-3 weeks.

I don't know if it was the leg press or my pylometrics routines that caused it, but since then I've stopped doing the leg press and my pylometrics instead I am doing squats and jump roping.

Thanks for the advice and the article, most of the things in the article are true about. Except my ankles are fine, my knees seem to be my problem spot.