1,500 calories sedentary

Im 5'4'' , 20 yrs old and 108 lbs.

is this enough for me? or should I try and have more? I know this is a low weight but I wanna make sure that Im at least having enough calories (I  know I might gain some because my body wants to be at a more stable weight hence me wanting to have the right amount, not too much, not to little...so that I can avoid weight gain due to undereating....)

please help. It's been a tough week but Im sticking to it. I'm having 1,500 calories of completely "normal" food...and I've already gained a pound (which I needed) but Im scared of how fast this will be and how much.

I used to be 112 before the ED...so...yeah.

thanks to all.

EDIT: I forgot to add. I'm at home all day. I don't study or work, so Im really not doing any sort of exercise...sometimes I go out grocery shopping or to the doctor...but thats about it..and its not everyday.

thanks.

Having a BMI of 20 is not the be all of end all having a BMI of like 19.99 does not mean your body is unhealthy because you are a fraction below the coveted BMI of 20.

Use common sense though, having a BMI of less then 18.5 is not a naturally healthy weight for any one

There are naturally slim people but a naturally slim is a girl who is 5 ‘ 4 or less who maintains a BMI of 19 on 2000 calories minimum sedentary ; naturally slim is not when you gain on more then 1500 calories, that is called suppressing your natural weight.

This site has a lot of people recovering from ED’S so a BMI of 20 IS the best thing for these people according to the majority of experts so we need to just respect this website and the process these people are going through

Personally, I gained to a BMI of 20 when I recovered and it was a good idea because initially I might have relapsed if I fell ill and my BMI dropped to 18.5 or less

Over the years though I have gone down 4 points to JUST below a BMI of 20 once I started to eat clean un processed foods ( no difference to my calories, I have actually increased them) but being a BMI of 19.6 or so does not mean that those 4 points below 20 suddenly make me “ unhealthy”

A small percent of small framed women like myself can be curvy and have large breasts and physically be healthy at a BMI a few points under 20 without looking emaciated or unhealthy BUT we DO have to be aware that we have to feel OKAY about gaining weight if we fall ill or lose weight for any reason.

If we do not have what it takes to gain weight if we become ill and our BMI falls to sub 19 then we should take the pre - caution and gain to a BMI of 20 to prevent a re lapse.

You have to ask yourself if you gain to BMI of 19, will you be able to resist a relapse if your BMI drops to sub 18.5 again?

I lost weight once to a BMI below 18 when I became ill and I had no problem gaining back up to a BMI of close to 20, but my BMI fell to just below 20 years AFTER my initial weight gain so I was in a place where I had no desire to re lapse when I lost weight. Initially, most people are not like that. I know I probably wasn’t when I first recovered.

So, my thoughts are that a small amount of women can be physically healthy with a sub 20 BMI a TAD below 20, but some women are at too high a risk of re laps to be in that position even if their bodies ARE physically healthy with a low 19 BMI.

I think you're eating enough, but you're weight is a little low for your height. If you're getting enough of all the right nutrients, though, maybe your body just likes that weight, for now?

If you're concerned, try gradually upping your intake, maybe 50-100 cals, at a time, until you hit 1800.

yeah I know. I'm upping my calories next week to at least 1,550...50 at a time, each week..we'll see. Im seeing a nutritionist on monday so Im talking about this to him.

bananee.

i swear i have heard this type of question/concern from you countless times before... you have been the same low weight for quite a while now, but yet you think that just somewhere out of the blue your weight is going to increase, because you were once a few pounds more.

relax, it's not.. because when you were 112lbs you were probably eating a lot differently.. heck, i could easily maintain 115lbs eating everything i wanted and never excersizing a couple years back, it happens.

we probably have no idea how many calories we actually consumed when we were younger, but there is no such thing as a time machine and you are going to have to figure this one out on your own.

is 1500cal enough? probably not in the long term, but it's not terrible.. do you feel good eating this much? will you feel better eating more, and perhaps gain a few pounds for the sake of your health and happiness?

although I am not going to recommend any certain number of calories for you, why? because calorie counting is an innaccurate science that does not take into account the energy expended consuming different kinds of food... you probably know that it takes more energy to digest protein then it does to digest sugar right? well, the same goes for all foods, some are naturally going to keep you satisfied longer, while others are going to make you crash and burn.

funny how around the same time calorie counting was discovered, the obesity ratings started rising..

as long as you are eating a healthy wholesome, clean and natural diet, it is okay to eat more... some of the leanest cultures in the whole live on an average of 2000cal a day; our culture in america also consumes an average of 2000cal a day, but our population as a whole is generally fatter, flabbier and out of shape then other societies... the reason? quality of food, and activity levels... these lean people dont have such easy access to junk food and are more active.

kinda reassuring isnt it? haha.. i swear, the clean eating lifestyle is my saving grace, I have NO IDEA how much I weigh but I am probably in the best shape I have been in a long time. I am thin and strong and have tons of energy... and its all thanks to eating regularaly and properly and excersizing.

try to not rely on calorie counting, but more so on portions and variety, follow the food guide and listen to what YOUR body tells you.. if you are hungry, don't deny it, allow your body nourishment if it needs it.

in conclusion.. just stay off the scale for a while! eat well and excersize, listen to your body and you will see what REAL FITNESS/HEALTH feels like... it is not based on a number

1500 calories is not enough for you. It is just not enough, no matter how naturally thin you are.

Naturally slim women who’s BMI’s are 18.5 do NOT gain on 1500 calories.

A very small percent of women naturally gravitate towards a BMI of 18.5 - sub 20 and these women would maintain their low BMI’S on 2000 calories minimum; naturally very slim women eat a decent amount and still stay slim

If you gain on more then 1500 calories then your body gains weight easier then a women who is naturally at a BMI of 18.5.

Gaining on 1500 calories means your body is gaining weight on a small amount of calories because it must be conserving energy because you are not giving it enough food.

Naturally very slim women do not gain weight on a small amount of calories. It takes a lot more for some one naturally slim to gain weight

The longer you leave it the larder it will be - initially you could gain fast if your metabolism is messed up but the good news is the sooner you gain a little weight to 112 lbs the sooner your metabolism can get back to normal and the sooner your weight will stabilize, once your body stops trying to store energy.

Increasing 50 calories will make no difference. 200 calories might but not 50. 50 calories is the normal variation you have on a daily basis any way - even if you log your food in you are still likely to be about 50 calories over or under what you think you ate.

And the type of calories does matter for some people, there are people who don’t handle sugar well and if you have PCOS then it is good to monitor your sugar intake and discuss a plan of action with your doctor as they will know the extent of your PCOS and what measures you need to take with you diet to keep it under control.

After months you are still going around in circles. You asked if 1500 calories is enough for you; well, if you want to gain to about 112 lbs then NO, 1500 calories is NOT enough to gain to a healthier weight.