Yes, 5'6" !

We lowered the protein twice because she was still gaining steadily. She's on target for the Optimal Diet recommendation, though it's true that is for a mature adult and not a youth.

This is a complex issue, you're right. Most of her peers (male and female) are living on breakfast cereal, pizza, and 100-calorie cookie packs and are literally emaciated. I spent most of my life doing the same and I'm rather emaciated too. Yet it's nearly impossible not to compare oneself with others. I'm doing my best to inspire her - I say she's "robust and strong" and I'm "underdeveloped." I try to put images of healthy women in front of her. There are so few role models.

But she and I both think that she is carrying too much fat in her hips and thighs...? Her skin there is "cellulite"-looking. She looks quite a lot like the woman in the middle on this photo ("pear"):

http://i705.photobucket.com/albums/...ttomheavy-1.jpg

I thought a healthy-weight body shape would be more like this?:

http://www.hemingways.org/GIDinfo/bodycontourF.gif

Or do she and I both have skewed body-image?!

I'll take another look at the protein allotment. Thanks for your kind words.