by Melody Among
(Kapolei, Hawaii, USA)
Obviously, I’ve been doing your leg workouts 
Before I started working out, I hit around 145 pounds. I used to eat anything and everything that I ever wanted–fast food and ice cream a lot. Anything that was super salty and/or super sweet satisfied me.
Lately, especially since I’ve been doing photo shoots, I’ve been losing weight. I went on a liquid diet for a while after hitting 135 pounds and went down to 125 for a while. I’m almost 5’7″ and I’m seventeen years old. I know that 130 is a healthy body weight, but I want to get down to 120 pounds. I struggle with sweets though. I’ve managed to ban the salty stuff and eat plenty of veggies and fruits.
Lately, I’ve been eating super healthy and not cheating in any form whatsoever. I run 3-4 times a week a mile, and I do my leg/ab exercises at least 5 times a week. I drink at least 68 fl oz daily of water, and I only drink that.
My main questions are these:
1. I hear a lot about whey protein helping in weight loss. Should I start with that?
Answer from Rumi
Whey protein doesn’t help with weight loss, I mean that it doesn’t burn calories, but it is a nice way to substitute a meal when you can’t eat healthy. I recommend having some in your purse so you can eat healthy when there are not healthy choices around you. Here is my favorite diet protein shakes.
2. I cannot manage to adapt to the taste of lettuce. Any tips for that or substitutes besides spinach that is just as healthy as lettuce?
Answer from Rumi
Iceberg salad, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, zucchini.
3. Is salt bad for me if I struggle with my lower body becoming thin and lean? (cellulite etc).
Answer from Rumi
Salt is not bad, but don’t over eat it. When you eat much salt you retain water ans skin doesn’t look good. But don’t remove all the salt you need some to sustain life.
4. I hear that 1 oz nuts daily (almonds esp) are good in helping to shape and build abs. Do you know at around what time I should eat them before a workout to maximize its benefits?
Answer from Rumi
Nuts are healthy food but at the same time they are full of calories (4 oz have 600 calories). Limit intake to 1 oz per meal so you don’t gain weight. Nuts don’t have to build abs.
5. Why do you try to ban ALL sweets for the first week? Is that a mental training or simply because fruit isn’t that good for me? I never got that part.
Answer from Rumi
Sweets (and here are fruits too) contain sugar which is your enemy when you want to lose weight. Limit the sweets during the whole weight loss diet for maximum results.
Sorry for all the questions, but I’d rather ask them now then ask them one at a time.