Weight Loss

I have found this site due to lots of research to try to figure out my own problems, and I joined in December. I just logged on since then, since I use thedailyplate.com for my calorie calculator. Anyways, I see a lot of people post problems in the forums and they get help. I have always gone to Yahoo Answers to get help but not the right people find me to get me honest advice. To make a long story short, I'm 15, 5'7-5'8, and weigh 125 lbs. I used to weigh 220 when I was about 13, and have lost it through calorie counting & exercise. Well before school ended (may 22nd) I was around 115 lbs, doing heavy exercise every day (more than 3 hours+) So I decided to tone it down a bit, not decreasing my calorie limit since it already is pretty low. Like on Monday I have 1300 calories (which is actually 1200, but I add 100 to be "safe") Tuesday I have 1200, Wednesday I have 1400, Thursday I have 1200, Friday I have 1200, Saturday I have 1600, and Sunday I have 1200. I do different exercising each day, with the same cardio, walking, but in certain amounts. Like if I eat 1200 calories that day, I walk 200 off, which is 50 minutes, etc. But all of a sudden I started to gain weight.. and I don't know why... I really don't want to decrease my calorie intake. Oh! I also forgot to mention I have a cheat day every 2 weeks, on Saturday. I don't exercise at all, and I eat 3500 calories. Another thing I didn't bother to mention is I eat once a day, around 6 pm so I can actually make a meal with so little calories I have. I've been doing this as long as I can remember and it helped with my weight loss. So my ACTUAL question is what do I do? I want to be 110, so I still want to lose weight. Another thing I forgot to mention is when I weighed about 150 lbs I lost my period.. which about a year ago. So if I weigh 110, I can feel comfortable to gain a few pounds due to water weight.. I'm really lost and I just need someone to tell me what to do. I've read about eating more calories and gaining weight for a few weeks, and then it gradually coming back off as the metabolism stabilizes, but I'm scared to due that at 125. Has anyone actually done that, go up calories and gain, but then lose again? I'm sorry this is so long but I'm really going off the deep end with this.

Rather than having 'cheat days' where you go totally overboard you're going to be better off consuming a regular 1800-2000 a day.  By limiting your food intake all week and doing exercise you're lowering your metabolism.  When you eat so much at the weekend you're encouraging your body to store the extra food as fat.

Aim for a higher level as standard and stick with that more consistently.  At 15 you need the energy and nutrition in order to grow and develop physically and mentally.  And if you're 5'7 or so then your weight can be anything up to 150lbs and still be perfectly healthy.

So what you've read about eating more is absolutely right.  As long as you're consistent about it you'll gain a little short-term, possibly, but then you'll find it easier to maintain.  Best of luck.

Well I don't want to maintain weight, I want to lose weight still. Thank you for your reply though, I might try this out. What I was thinking about doing is getting down to 110, and then upping my calories and it'd be ok if I gained some weight, because I'd probably go back up to about 120 and thats what I found is a good weight for me.

At fifteen years old you need to eat more than 1200 calories.  Teenagers, especially growing ones like yourself, need at least 1600-1800 daily.  I recommend checking the Young Calorie Counters forum for a website on teen nutrition for a better estimate of your daily intake.

If eating one meal per day works for you, all I can say is consult a doctor.  Some people really don't need to eat a lot throughout the day, but it's still better to eat several smaller meals throughout the day.  Even if you're eating lower calorie fruits and vegetables, try to get something in aside from this one time each day.  Your body will eventually thank you.

Best guess, I would think you're having issues losing weight because you're eating too little for your age and body type and for the activity you do, you're eating only once each day (though some people really do lose by eating only one meal each day, just maxing out their calories), and in general you probably can't stand to lose any more weight.  You're at a good weight for your height, dear.  Focus more on how you feel in your clothes than the number on your scale.

Keep up the exercising, adjust your eating to suit your needs better if you feel it necessary, discuss this with your parents or physician, and don't stress about numbers.

Good luck and if it seems like I got a little off-track with this, my bad.

Hi Lauren.  You will hear a lot of members here bring up your age because at 15 it is very important to consider in your situation. 

As GI-Jane mentioned, you are still growing and developing.  I realize what a major accomplishment you have achieved at such an early age however now is the time to allow your body to mature. 

You will naturally grow curves, hips, breasts-good things, thus your body will gain weight subtly where it is supposed to.  Please do not allow this to 'freak you out'! 

Trying to set a goal of 110lbs. at this point in time is very unrealistic and very unhealthy.  It's time to trust what Mother Nature is supposed to do!

I really don't want to gain weight, I still want to fit in my clothes. :/

not to burst your bubble, but part of growing up is GROWING.

You may have to go up a size in your jeans, but is that really a big deal? You don't expect to be the same size for the rest of your life, do you?

 

You are right, you are lost.

Your height should be something easily measureable and fairly constant. Try that in the morning.

It is not recommended for a female under 18 to eat less than 1500 calories per day. You may be stunting your own growth. Maybe you're suppose to be model height (as long as you eat healthy through development).

I'm a guy, so I'm not sure losing one's period is a healthy sign. Isn't that a sign of unhealthiness (is that even a word?). Ladies help me out, please.

At 5'8" with the smallest frame imaginable, teh lowest healthy weight is 121. Even though the BMI/BMR calculator here: http://www.phord.com/cc/ does not go down to 15 years, it will give you an idea of ideal weights for your height.

Chill baby.

Hi Lauren_x3,

Your period loss may be due to lack of nutrition or calories.  Unfortunately, we cannot tell you what caused it but we can tell you that it is generally not healthy to lose your period and you should consult with your doctor in regards to this manner.  Explain to them at what point you lost your period, how many calories you were eating a day, how active you were, and everything you are doing currently.

Your doctor will also be able to measure your height for more accuracy.  Since you are only 15, I am going to assume that you are or will soon be 5'8" (you still have more growing to do).

I input your stats into this calculator and came up with the following:

A healthy weight range for this particular girl would be from about 114-pounds to 158-pounds.

Keep in mind though that as you get older, your healthy weight range will increase:

16 years old - 118lbs to 162lbs
17 years old - 120lbs to 165lbs
18 years old - 123lbs to 168lbs
19 years old - 124lbs to 171lbs
20 years old - 125lbs to 174lbs

What the above demonstrates is that as you get older, your weight will naturally increase because your body is growing. 

Also included on the calculator is how many calories you will need a day for your current age, height, and weight:

Inactive (Never Active) - 1880 calories
Low (Less than 1 hour a day) - 2230 calories
Moderate (About 1 hour a day) - 2560 calories
Very Active (More than 1 hour a day) - 3100 calories

You mentioned that you walk approximately 50 minutes a day.  You should be eating around 2230 calories a day to maintain.  For weight loss, a healthy range would be around 1800 calories.  BUT before you continue with your weight loss, you really should consult with your doctor first about your missed periods, weight gain, and the amount of calories you are taking in.  You may also want to consider consulting a nutritionist in addition to your doctor if that is a possibility as they could give you specifics as to what will work best for you. 

~UTR

Lauren,

I see several concerning issues in your post.  First of all, your goal weight is extremely low for your current height.  You also probably aren't out of your growth spurt yet.  Girls don't typically stop growing fully until 17.  The loss of your period could be caused by malnutrition or excessive exercise. I wasn't sure from your post if you currently aren't menstruating.  However, if you aren't that's an issue as well.  I know that being overweight as a child is VERY difficult.  I was overweight as a child and teenager myself.  I know that once you've lost weight gaining any can be terrifying.  However, you need to think of your overall health.

Eating one meal of 1200-1400 calories a day is not healthy either.  You are better off to eat 5-6 small healthy meal/snacks each day to provide your body an stable energy source.  I agree with many of the posters that you are most likely eating too little for your needs.  I think that you would really benefit from involving a physician, nurse practitioner and/or nutritionist into your life.  There are many programs specially designed for teens concerned with weight and nutrition.  These professionals can perform laboratory work, assessments and evaluations of you, your health and your current behaviors and make recommendations that will help you set achievable goals while maintaining healthy habits.

I appaud the hard work you've put in so far.  Establishing healthy habits in your youth is a wonderful way to maintain a good weight and health in the long term.  However, you want to make sure that the habits you establish are healthy and that you aren't causing harm to yourself during a criticial phase of development. 

Hang in there and know that you aren't alone in your struggle.

Amy

Ok, the walking 50 minutes a day is what I do on days I eat 1200 (1100 calories) and I also do something else. On the day I eat 1400 (1300 calories) I walk 400 calories off which is 1 hour and 40 minutes of walking, plus the weight training I do which itself is about 2 hours. It just depends how many calories I eat for that day. I think I have low thyroid though since I have almost if not all the symptoms. To the person who said I'm going to grow a size bigger because I'm growing, I can't. Due to me losing so much weight I have to buy a whole wardrobe at least 4 times. Before school gets back in I'm getting jeans in a size 2/4, and I probably wont get new pants until those somehow get too big. I worked so hard to finally become thin, and I'm not about to let myself balloon back up. Thank you all for replying to me, but I really haven't got the true answer I need. I need to know if I raise my calories, will I have to exercise more or should I keep the same routine, and what amount I should allow myself to 'zig-zag' with. and what I mean by that is, 1100 sunday, 1200 monday, 1100 tuesday, 1300 wednesday, 1100 thursday,1100 friday, and 1500 saturday. Those are the caloric amounts I have been doing. And to the person who talked about me losing my period, I never got it back. I don't look sickly thin and I really want to still lose weight! I still have a little pudge and I feel I'd look good at 110, if at most, 115.

The reason you are gaining weight is because your body is in starvation mode, thus your body is hanging onto food and your metabolism is slowed. It probably isn't from the natural growth that comes with age, as you definitely don't eat enough to allow your body to grow normally. Your current calorie intake isn't healthy for your body. If you think 110 lbs is right for your height, at least wait until you're 18 or older so your body can finish flourishing, and then consult a professional.

You probably won't regain your period until you get a regular amount of fat/calories back into your diet while simultaneously easing up on working out.

If you are doing absolutely no activity, eat at the minimum 1500 calories per day, and you WILL lose weight. You will likely remain in starvation mode if you eat less than that. You will likely gain some weight while your body adjusts out of starvation mode, but the weight will come off.

If you burn 300 calories by some form of exercise, you have to eat MINIMUM 1800 calories for that day so you don't go into starvation mode.

KEY POINT: Stay OUT of starvation mode.

Secondly, you should reconsider the sound advice given to you by the above posters.

My opinion, if you feel flabby at your minimum healthy weight, weight train and eat more protein right after workouts so your body can put on muscle...don't try to just lose weight. With more muscle, you will look smaller at a healthier weight. You will also have to take in more calories if you are working out.

Original Post by lauren_x3:

... To the person who said I'm going to grow a size bigger because I'm growing, I can't. Due to me losing so much weight I have to buy a whole wardrobe at least 4 times. Before school gets back in I'm getting jeans in a size 2/4, and I probably wont get new pants until those somehow get too big. I worked so hard to finally become thin, and I'm not about to let myself balloon back up. ...

 Lauren, whether you like it or not, you are going to grow.  Parents expect to buy their children new clothes frequently when they are in their teen years.  Your wardrobe isn't going to stop you getting bigger.  Your whole body is in a critical stage of development.  Your bones, internal organs and your brain are going to continue to develop as long as you give your body adequate nutrition.  If you fail to do that the consequences are dire and life long. 

The tools here at CC are for adults.  For information about nutrition and weight control for teens, please consult the following sites:

calculator and calorie information for Teens 

Nutrition, Exercise & Weight Management for Teens

More Nutrition & Health for Teens

Dieting & Metabolism (explains starvation mode and why undereating is counter-productive)

The Body Neglected (explains what happens when you undereat a long time)

Something-Fishy.org (information about eating disorders)

It appears that you are looking for validation of a very unhealthy course of action.  We can't give you that.  We can only try to impart the information you need to be healthy.

At the age of 15, 1500 calories would be the minimum recommendation for you to eat and lose weight if you're sedentary.  Given that you're getting regular exercise, even a few hundred more calories should still cause you to lose weight.

I know you won't believe me and it is counterintuitive, but you need to eat more.  It sounds as if your body has reacted to the lower calorie diet by becoming very efficient.  You're going to have to eat enough so that your body no longer holds onto every calorie and starts burning calories.  This can take a few weeks depending on how long you've been undereating.  Yes, you might gain a few pounds during this time, but then you'll start losing them.

Your goal weight is too low for your height.  Change your focus from weight loss to building muscle and you will be a smaller size at the same weight and you might even lose a few pounds as well.  My mom doesn't have a lot of muscle, she weighs 20 lbs less than I do.  I have a lot of muscle and I wear 4 sizes smaller in clothing than she does.