durr...

okay upon checking many different sites and calculators for caloric intake, I have discovered that the average amount that I should be eating to "maintain my current weight" is about:

1200... BMR

1400-1500... sedentary

1700... light activity

BUT i re-did the calculations using my lowest anorexic weight, and they would say things like I still needed about 1300cal-1500cal to maintain a weight ~90lbs.

well guess what... thats how much I have been eating during recovery and my weight has increased about 10lbs!

I don't understand.

I am about 5'2 or 5'3 and would like to maintain approx. 100lbs (give or take)... how much do you think I should be eating?

1700 sounds good.  100lbs is underweight for you and maintaining that weight is not advisable for medical reasons.  You need to be 110 minimum to be at the low end of a healthy BMI.  Otherwise, what happens if you fall sick?  You'll have nothing to fight it with and no cushion of reserves.  Your body is going to play catch-up for a while until it's back at a healthy weight and then it'll level off. 

lies.

the lowest healthy weight i can be is 98lbs.. highest about 132lbs.

ideal is around 102-106lbs

and i actually have a great immune system... i only get 'sick' (cold, flu, etc.) MAYBE once or twice a year... no worries there.

i am basically maintaining right now, i think? i havent weighed myself in months... kinda scared too, but my clothes still fit.

...

and btw, who are you anyways? like you respond to everyones posts and you seem to know "everything"... but yet you have no profile, or information about yourself, and i cant recall you ever posting a question.

strange.

:S

It sounds like you are doing just what you need to be doing since your clothes are still fitting well; I always use that as a rule of thumb to keep me from 'obsessing' over the scale. 

Congrats for your success!

 

At 5'3, yes, 103lbs is the absolute bare minimum.  110lbs, however, would be a more sensible minimum i.e. 7lbs leeway.  You're struggling to understand why you're gaining weight and I'm simply pointing out that maybe your body doesn't like being 3lbs underweight or even at the very lowest acceptable weight having been forced lower in the past. I suspect that 110 is where you'll end up, realistically.

Who am I?  'Gi-Jane' is my tag.  And I don't post questions because I don't have any.  Suggest if you don't want to hear answers you're not entirely comfortable with then you don't either.

What can I say?  Filling 1 obsession with the next.  For everyone.

I totally agree with healthybmi.  So, basically, I ditto healthybmi.

Just an FYI ... I plugged in your stats and this is what I got, so you should feel pretty confident about your weight. Source http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm

  Weight pounds kilograms can  convert
lbs to kg Height inches cm  or 1' 2' 3' 4' 5' 6' 7' 0'' 1'' 2'' 3'' 4'' 5'' 6'' 7'' 8'' 9'' 10'' 11''  results: Body Mass Index: kg/m2
Many Women use this page, but...

  Enter your age then re-ca lculate  

Age:  years (  70 + years 60 - 69 yrs 50 - 59 yrs 40 - 49 yrs 30 - 39 yrs 20 - 29 yrs 18 - 19 yrs 17 yrs 16 yrs 15 yrs 14 yrs 13 yrs 12 yrs 11 yrs 10 yrs 9 yrs 8 yrs 7 yrs 6 yrs 5 yrs 4 yrs 3 yrs 2 yrs 1.5 yrs 1 yrs Adult Child ) I'm a: Man Woman   ...Men may prefer to bookmark this bmi calculator instead.


 
Body Description:
According to: WHO - CDC halls.md v2 <-UPDATED

Edit: copy and paste didn't work. But I am certain if the numbers are input,it will show for your age and height, the WHO-CDC says you are fine, assuming the values are 62.5 inches, 100 pounds and 18 - 19 years old.

I don't usually post in this forum, but...

Using the BMI Calculator we like to use for teens (http://www.kidsnutrition.org/bodycomp/bmiz2.h tml), I actually calculate Carmen's goal of 100 to be a little underweight.

So, I'm going to agree with gi-jane.. Carmen, 103 is probably a better weight for you, or 105. 100.. is still underweight, assuming you're 18 (I swear I know this, but I don't remember where or how) and 5'2"

Carmen ~ Since you are still classified as a teenager, you should be eating more than 1400 or so (sedentary) calories a day. 

If you visit www.kidsnutrition.org and enter your age of 18 (?), height of 5'3", and weight of 100lbs you will get:

1560 Calories - Inactive
1870 Calories - Light Activity
2160 Calories - Moderate
2650 Calories - Very Active

I am assuming that you are between Light Activity and Moderate Activity.  Hardly anyone is inactive, especially if you are in school or hang out with your friends.  So at the very least, you should classify yourself as "Light Activity" and consume around 1800-1900 calories a day to maintain.

As for your weight, the BMI is only a range of healthy weight for someone of a specific height.  More importantly, have you spoken with your doctor and/or nutritionist about your weight? 

You gave some insightful advice on this thread in YCC.  You told the 13-14 year olds to realize that they may not always be 100lbs because of getting older.  As long as you are eating your right amount of calories, your doctor approves of your weight as healthy for you, and you understand that as you get older your weight may increase a bit and you can handle this... You should be fine.  But please, consult with your doctor first as we are not medical professionals.

(((hugs)))

UTR

Why is it that in this thread http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/9543 0.html#last she is 5'2" @ 102 pounds wanting to get to 98 pounds - okay ?

the thing that confuses me though, is that i WAS gaining on ~1400!

why would it say I could maintain my current weight on an amount that is even higher!!?? wouldn't I just keep gaining!?

and I appreciate the concern, and I know that 110 is the 'ideal' doctor prescribed healthy BMI weight... but let's face it, there are SOOOO many other woman on this site with about the same stats as me (5'2, 100lbs) and they are maintaining and are healthy!

there are also girls on here that are much taller, like 5'8 and can get off weighing about 120lbs.. but based on the BMI they should weigh at least 140lbs, but no one seems to care, as long as they ARE eating enough... right?

so why do I have to be different?

BMI is not very accurate at all, and there have been so many debate posts proving this.. it is a guideline, thats all.

my sister has a friend who is like 5'10 and 116lbs, she eats like a cow but doesnt gain a thing.. it is just how her body is, and I am sure she would look much better with some meat on her bones, but not everyone's bodies can be at the "correct" weight for their height...

in no way am I saying that I am anything like her.. there just seems to be too many flaws to these standards.

Did you automatically increase your calories to 1400 or slowly increase them?  Do you think that you could be off on your logs (ie. you are logging less calories than you are taking in?)  I was completely off on my calories and logging about 500+ less calories a day than I was actually taking in until I purchased a food scale.

Have you considered getting your RMR tested (or something similar)? 

The BMI range is so broad and doesn't necessarily apply to all (although it does take into consideration most of the population). 

My suggestion was that if you have discussed this with your doctor (make sure it is someone who specializes in the nutrition/health area) and it is healthy for you then take that over the BMI and like you said, our concern is to make sure you are eating enough.  If you truly feel that 1400 calories a day is too much for you then I would recommend seeing a nutritionist (if you aren't already) and possibly getting a few tests done to make sure you know what is appropriate for you.

The BMI and the Calorie Calculators are just that... calculators.  They are used to come up with numbers for the vast majority of the population but do not always apply to everyone.  If you feel that the numbers are off for you, the best thing would be to go and speak with professionals about it to see just where you stand and what will work best for you. 

Disclaimer:  While the BMI and Calorie Counters may not apply to some people, they do apply to most.  Unless you have seen a medical professional and had the proper tests done to see what is appropriate for you the BMI and Calorie Counters are the next best thing. 

hmmmm, carmen, you were gaining on 1,400 calories during your recovery ?  Then that would make sense.

There are people that have a slow metabolism and tend to gain weight easily; then the few that can be "underweight" no matter what they eat.  Case in point on "underweight", my own husband and just about his entire side of the family, heck even my own kids.  Genetics?  Maybe.  Actvity levels, quite possible.

As for how much you should be eating, yeah, I kinda agree with UTR in that consulting with a nutrionist would be a good idea.  In the meantime, (I know I'll get bashed), check out the Food Pyramid guide for an idea.  All the guides are just that, guides.  Unfortunately, there is no concrete calorie target number for anyone.  Unless of coure you are fortunate enough to have your RMR tested - then you'll get a pretty concrete calorie target.  I'm sorry, there is no accurate target calorie number.

However, you know, eat more than 1,200 calories.  Your profile says you eat 1,400 - 1,500 calories.  My question would be are you getting all the food groups ? That's why I suggested looking at the Food Pyramid guide.

You know who you are.  You trust in you.  Trust in you.  You are awesome Carmen.

Well I am 5'2'' and I eat anywhere from 1200 - 1800 a day (from what I have recorded - some days I do not record my food because I know my calories are A LOT higher - ha ha!) I also exercise for 1.5 - 2 hours a day (elliptical or treadmill @ an incline of over 10) The types of foods I eat too are very limited as well in that I only eat lean meats (chicken & turkey breast, egg whites, fish of all types, grass-fed/finished beef, bison, ostrich, elk & venison) & non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, artichokes, etc.) but I do also allow olive oil, macadamia nut oil, tapenade, flaxseed oil, rice bran, mustard (not honey mustard), tomato sauce into my life but I make DAMN sure that there is no sugar added in AN of the packaged foods I buy (tomato sauce is a popular product that contains added sugar when it really does not  need to)... so yea, my over all point is to eat roughly 1200-1800 a day so I am thinking probably 1500 is perfect! :)

Oh and by the way, I am 5'2'' & 96-98 pounds 

wow, why do you restrict and excersise that much? that seems like waaaaaay too much work...

and if you are eating about 1200-1800cal, what difference does it make where those calories come from?

a calorie is a calorie right?

or do you just not like carbs/starch?

this 'diet' sounds a little too obsessive/disordered...  food is part of life, and when you restrict too much you loose certain parts of life... partying with friends, trying exotic foods, going out for dinner; being relativly 'normal'.. there is more to life then your weight

Original Post by thebledx3:

What can I say?  Filling 1 obsession with the next.  For everyone.

 what is this even supposed to mean? or be referring to?

OK I'm also around 5'3" and I weigh 98. I don't really have that much trouble maintaining and I hate math and numbers. My secret is that I don't pay attention to calories I just pay attention to ME, and whether I feel full or not. If you chew your food well instead of just inhaling it, you also tend to get a "full" feeling faster. I consider myself to be semi-active (kind of on the lazy side of active though haha) but I know if I ate 1700 calories a day I would feel extremely ill and bloaty!!! From now on I just pay attention to what my body tells me.

I highly disagree with people who are saying it's UNHEALTHY to be this weight. Excuse me! I feel VERY healthy. Just because I weigh under 100 doesn't mean I'm starving myself!!! I just have a petite figure and it looks like you're in the same boat Carmen so ignore the destructive comments here.