TO GAIN or NOT to GAIN?

WARNING: THIS IS A HUGE POST and I am really desperate to get responses based on ALL the information I write, so UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO READ IT ALL can you PLEASE NOT BOTHER READING IT. I want responses based on all the details

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to those who take the time to read all this and offer their opinions, I REALLY want feed back so badly so ANY one who reads this all will make a HUGE difference to me!

As a personal trainer and avid health reader, I am aware of the different BMI limits, 18.5 seams the lowest that is acceptable.

Some people are healthy with BMI’s of 18.5, some are not.

I am about 166 cm, or about 5 feet 4 ½ inches, and weigh 51 kilo’s or 112 lbs

My BMI is JUST on the border of healthy

It is confusing, different websites say I need a different amount of calories to maintain

I am a small build but at my current weight I have breasts and a butt, I look curvy enough. When I go BELOW my current weight however, I DO NOT look healthy. So where I am now is obviously a cut off point between looking healthy and not.

I have an average metabolism, I gain weight easily and I lose weight easily. I do not have issues either gaining OR losing weight.

I am not one of those naturally stick thin people with high metabolisms who can eat 3000 calories or more a day to maintain - I am just naturally SLIM, with a normal metabolism and a small build, and I have nice curves at my current weight of 110 - 112 lbs.

I do no intense cardio, I do Pilate’s a few times a week which is hard core for my abdominals, and I do body pump ONCE a week, and I have a day where I do nothing.

I eat about 1800 on Pilate’s days, and a little over 2000 the body pump days

I feel fine, and I eat a lot of healthy food EVERY 2 hours, I have 54 grams of fat, 122 grams of protein and 200 or more grams of carbohydrates a day, and I never let myself get too hungry and I do not feel like I need more food! I have enough blood to menstruate but that is not a good indication of health because I have had hormonal issues and did not have proper natural periods before I went on the pill. I am having test done eventually to get to resolve my hormonal problems.

I AM CONFUSED about my NATURAL WEIGHT

I maintain on 1750 - 1800 on days I do Pilate’s OR walk for 60 minutes ( I never walk and do Pilate‘s on the same day), and I eat over 2000 calories about 2 days a week, once to compensate for the calories burnt in body pump, and once a week when I cook dinner for a friend, or go out to a restaurant, I exceed maintenance and don’t care about those days

I KNOW that weighing any LESS then 110 lbs looks unhealthy on me, and 100 - 104 is when my periods stop, but I do not feel like I am restricting my calories to be my current weight!

I AM curvy, and do not have bones protruding but my weight naturally goes straight to my breasts any way, even when I was 103 lbs due to weight I lost accidentally I still had a decent sized chest, not huge, but enough to have to wear a bra unlike some people who don’t put on weight there.

MY QUESTION IS: DO you think that I should gain a little weight, to 114 lbs PURELY to get in the healthy range a little more?

I WANT TO KNOW every ones attitude about the BMI chart, because some people don’t think it is a big deal to be on the border of underweight, while others strongly feel that a BMI of 18.5 is not acceptable for most people

I WOULD LOVE YOUR FEED BACK!

Despite all the research I have done about nutrition/health, I still do not have all the answers and there are SO many different opinions out there about weight and what is and is not healthy.

Every one is different but based on my stats about my body, small frame, height, weight, and calorie intake and activity level, do you think that what I am doing sounds reasonable, or does it sound like maintaining on about 1800 calories means that I am not naturally this thin?

Does maintaining on 1750 and over 2000 ( 2 - 3 times a week) mean I am not naturally this slim ( 110 - 112 lbs) ?

Regardless of BMI, I think the fact that you have to keep yourself at such a low calorie level to maintain that weight is a sign that your body would be happier--work better and you would feel better—at a higher weight. 

I’m not saying eat 3000 calories until you Reach X bmi.  I’m saying based purely on what your body wants, if it’s maintaining on such a low level of calories it’s making them stretch, either because it’s at too low a weight or because it hasn’t been fed enough yet.  Either case [or both] your best bet is to increase what you eat until your body can maintain on a NORMAL [not super metabolism] level of calories—that’s where it wants to be.

P.S. I read every word and even delayed my response so I could give you a "real" one, not just an initial reaction.

Thanks you for taking the time to think about the response - I really appreciate itJ

I thought that 17 - 1800 calories a day was a pretty normal amount for some one who is not active like me?

I definitely do not think it is a very low amount!

You described it as such a low amount” and I did not think it was considered low because I read about a lot of people who maintain on much less

It is so confusing because some people think 1750 - 1800 is VERY LOW, and other people think it is fine, all the website calculators tell me that a 114 lbs female at 166 cm’s will maintain their weight on 1630 OR LESS when not exercising.

I am NOT 114 lbs yet, but I have the recommended calories for some one who is 114 lbs and I still maintain a SLIGHTLY lower weight.

People say that I look healthy, and that it looks like I am naturally this weight, and that it does not look like I have to restrict calories - I certainly am not TRYING to restrict

I am not averse to gaining, but I only had a set amount in mind because I know what feels like too much for my body type from over eating and abusing my body with food in the past

I know I did NOT feel comfortable or healthy in my body when I get close to 120 lbs, and it has nothing to do with how I WANT to look, I just did not feel good physically at that weight, it felt too heavy for my body and my breasts were abnormally large ( which is not in my family) and it just did not feel necessary to be at that weight, so I know my limits

I know I am getting the right amount of protein fats and carbohydrates because I know what it feels like for my body to crave certain foods when I do not eat enough of them, it actually caused me to binge eat in the past and I resolved the binge eating once I learnt how to give my body the right amount of the macro nutrients

So I know what it feels like to not eat enough, or to not eat enough of a certain food, I am pretty in tune to my body as it is my job to fine tune it, as well as other people’s.

SO from experience I know what weight is too much, I am just trying to find out what is too little for my body type.

I ALSO know that I would not be far off my ideal weight because people say I look healthy and that my weight looks natural on me at 110 - 112 lbs

MY CONCERNS ARE: that websites developed my experts that use calculators all say I eat enough, yet OTHER PEOPLE think that 1750 - 1900 a day, which is what I have, is VERY LOW! CONFUSING!

I am interested to know people’s view on calories, and how much I eat, and what they think is low/high and what their experience has been

i personally would love to know as much about my body as you seem to!
about BMIs personally to me its jsut a number, i 'guesstimate' by BMI to be around 17.5 at the moment which is under healthy weight range. but frankly i don't care, as long as i am happy with myself is the main thing. but i guess thats also my problem. you get asked 'what would your ideal weight be?' and i don't have an answer, for me its when i look in the mirror and am happy which means i don't have a set target and i don't know how low i have to get for me to be happy. i've been lower and wasn't happy then so i don't know why i am still  low. part of me knows i should gain but then all the feelings about what people think of you come up and drives your brain crazy.
(sorry for the small rant)
i'm currently eating around 1350 cals per day and am not loosing (maybe 200gram p/week but the next week i seem to have put it on again) i am curious what would happen if i ate more, gain weight i know but how much? what level would i plateau again at? its  a tricky business...

Hotel gal - how tall are you? I am no expert but I DO know that 1300 calories is not enough unless you are a small frame and are 5 feet 2 or LESS.

If you are taller then 5’1 or 5’2 then the experts have proven that the body functions MUCH better on more calories

Your body adapts to low calories, it adapts by slowing your metabolism to conserve energy

It is CONSUSING because, as you can see from the first response I got, some people think 1750 - 1800 daily calories is VERY LOW, and some GP’s and experts think that maintaining on 1700 - 2000 is a fairly healthy amount for most women!

BMI charts can be helpful, but ultimately you need to use common sense -

being TOO over weight or TWO underweight on the BMI chart is NOT healthy, but being a LITTLE under weight if you are NATURALLY slim, and being a LITTLE over the healthy range if you have a large frame and a pre - disposed to gain weight easily, are both not critical situations

A person with a larger frame who has to starve themselves to reach a BMI of 19 usually have more problems then a naturally slim person with a smaller frame who does not need to starve to get to that weight. I eat 1750 - 1850 on days I DO NOT DO CARDIO so I am not “ starving” myself to be this weight

People with large frames can look emaciated with a BMI of 18.5 - 19, and I do not look emaciated because I have a small frame.

The trouble is that even if you feel GREAT, you can still be doing damage by being underweight - there are usually NO symptoms that anything is wrong because the kind of damage being under weight causes like fertility problems and osteoporosis do not have symptoms

Feeling great does not mean that a BMI of 17.5 is not doing damage

My BMI of 18.5 - 19 is not much higher then yours but it is JUST within the acceptable range. If my BMI was 17.5 I WOULD DEFINITLY gain to a BMI of at LEAST 18.5

PLEASE consider gaining only a TINY bit to a BMI of 18.5 - 19 and then assess how you feel and give it a think

Now that I AM at a BMI of 18.5 - 19 I am interested to know people’s opinions about maintaining on 1750 - 2000 calories ; DO you think it is restricting, or do you think it sounds like a healthy amount?

I am interested in other people’s experiences as real experience is as important as the advice experts “learn” through study

I say if you want to gain those few pounds, do, but aim to do so on at least 2500 calories.

QUOTED FROM DUPLICATE THREAD

Original Post by liveyourlife101:

Hello! :-)

I dont think i can answer all of your answers, but i do know that you are naturally that slim. Being the daughter of a GP, i know clearly that 1500-2000 is what most women maintain on, and that in her opinion, a BMI of 20 is what it SHOULD be for EVERYONE, not 18.5...

But i definately think that genetics played a blessed part in your lovely shape! :-)

You seem to have the same concerns as i do about the health aspect of having a higher BMI! I definitely think its a good thing to gain just enough comfortably to push those numbers on the scale up a bit. 

You seem to me to be doing everything great though! 

I think its a good thing for the both of us :-)

Original Post by tahitisweetie123:

hmmm...well, if you're only 112 right now & want to add just two pounds to get to a healthier bmi, then I say go for it.  Two pounds isn't going to make that much a significant change in your appearance, but you'll probably find that you will have more energy & feel a difference with those additional calories.  Just a matter of opinion.

Original Post by personaltrainer87:

 

THANKS SO MUCH for your responses!

Live your live - THANK you, I feel SO much better hearing about an expert who thinks maintaining at 1750 - 2000 calories is perfectly healthy, and not restricting myself

I am very interested to know different people’s opinions and experiences with calories, what do you consider too much or too little?

I posted this post in the weight gain area too and one person responded and said that 1700 - 1800 a day is FAR too little, and that it is restricting my body

I know what it feels like to eat too little, and to not have the right amount of carbohydrates/ proteins/ and fats , problems with this has caused me to binge eat in the past and I have recently resolved that issue by experimenting with what carbohydrate/fat/protein I need

I am pretty in tune with my body and I recognize when I crave things, and I have worked hard to eliminate physical cravings through experimenting to see what works best for me with my diet

I only want to gain to 114 because from experience any heavier does not feel necessary or good on my body.

I know that the affects of being under weight, which is what I am on the verge of with a BMI of 18.5 - 19, do not cause symptoms, so even though I FEEL GREAT and I do not FEEL like I need more food, I could still be doing damage

I just feel inclined to gain that little extra bit, JUST for assurance

 

 Do not post the same topic twice.

Lala - I did not know that you cannot post the same topic twice! I won’t do it again

I eat 2500 once a week when I eat out or cook dinner for a friend. It just does not feel necessary to eat that much every day , my body does not feel as though it needs that each day.

I am maintaining on what another website says that a 114 lbs women should, even though I am not QUIET 114 lbs, so maybe I will naturally get to 114 .

If I ever lose even a SINGLE gram I will make sure I gain it back though, I cannot afford to LOSE weight with a BMI of 18.5 - 19, but gaining MAY not be imperative; I am going to see how I feel about it and have a think.

I don't know, then. It's up to you. But personally, I think that if you want to gain you should eat 2500 to do so. Even if your body "feels" that's not right. Because it's your body, and I can't stop you from potentially gaining on less than you ought to in the end.

Thanks for your responses Ellie, you contribute so much to this site and help so many people.

I know the math - 3500 calories per pound of fat

I want to know other people’s onions and experiences on this matter more than anything else.

There is just such a myriad of opinions out there - ranging from thinking some one in my position HAS to gain weight to be healthy, to people who think it is no big deal to be on the verge of underweight.

Over time I AM going to gain to 114 to be at a BMI of 19, I will just do it in my own time, there is no need to rush, I need to get me head around it and feel comfortable with with my desision and not go into it half assed

500 extra calories a day for a week or so will add up to 3500 of fat after a while, so 2000 a day is about 500 more then what I eat on days I am not active other then Pilate’s

My advice to you is to avoid over analyzing as much as possible. Different BMIs work for different people. If you aren't missing your periods or lacking energy, you feel you look okay, and your doctor says you're fine, then why gain weight?

I can understand wanting to gain a little for backup if you get a bad case of the flu and can't eat (that's one of the reasons I'm gaining). But if you want to gain and create a huge complicated program just for the heck of it, then you should probably think a bit deeper as to why you are choosing to do this.

Original Post by personaltrainer87:

 

MY QUESTION IS: DO you think that I should gain a little weight, to 114 lbs PURELY to get in the healthy range a little more?

My concern in your post is that you constantly need to say that you are fine for the weight you listed. Like you need to reassure us, and yourself, that you are okay even though you are borderline underweight. Which may be the case, but to me it comes off as a bit of a warning signal and that you may have some deeper issues that need to be addressed.

My opinion is, sure, go and gain those extra 2 pounds. Those 2 pounds won't make any difference in how you look and absolutely no one will even notice the gain. But it will help push your BMI into a more positive direction. I would say, set a target for those 2 pounds and increase your calories accordingly. But set the goal to something in the near future, like say by Janurary 2009. As tangerine89 noted, it seems like you are making things much more complicated than it needs to be.

It is not good to over think things, so I am not, I am just putting my thoughts out there in the hope that I will get feed back from others in similar positions, to see why they gained weight, how they felt after/before and as well as other people’s opinions

I want to know weather there are other people out there like me, who have a normal metabolism but are naturally my weight /height or have my BMI of 18.5 - 19?

Do you think that only the people with VERY high metabolisms that eat over 3000 calories a day should be my weight, or are there many other people out there who have BMI’s of 18.5 - 19 who just have NORMAL metabolisms? Do you think low BMI’s of 18.5 - 19 are ONLY natural for those people with insanely high metabolisms?

I have a small frame and I am not emaciated at this weight, it looks natural and I do have nice curves.

I do not think 1750 - 1800 on days I am NOT active is restricting my body to a “ unnaturally” low weight, but I still want to know what other people think about my calorie range and weight, as there seams to be a lot of different opinions out there!

I also eat exceptionally healthy I have spent years working hard, as part of my job and part of my hobbies/natural interest, fine tuning my diet to the point were I ONLY have tastes for natural food, I only eat raw nuts, fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and lean proteins

Basically, I support my body support me to a much larger extent then MOST people do - it is part of who I am, the better the body functions the more I believe you can get out of life, so I am hardcore healthy.

I take my snacks every where and make sure I am always eating no more then 3 hours apart. I DO NOT just drop into a CAFÉ and eat their food. Ever. I know what is in everything I eat, but I DO love eating out at my favorite Greek restaurant every few months

I food combine and have found every possible way to make myself feel better, and I have stuck with SOME of the many things that I have tried in order to find the best way for me to eat

Perhaps my very clean diet prevents me from retaining anything bad in my body and makes it easier for me to stay slim?

Initially I thought about gaining a little weight JUST to avoid the possible risks with being underweight

I have never counted calories until the last part of this year so I have no idea what I can and cannot maintain this EXACT weight on

I HAVE under ate in the past, not on purpose, I just did not know how many calories I needed to compensate for being active - I started going aerobics and intense cardio like running several times a week and only eating about 1620 calories! I fell to 103 lbs and craved the food that my body needed

I worked hard to fix that problem which stopped the physical urge to binge eat, because my body now feels like it is getting enough of what it needs, and enough calories, so I never feel hungry and I NEVER crave sugar/carbohydrates or any food.

So I know how to give my body what it needs, and I know how I feel when I do not give it what it needs.

So I now count calories to make sure I eat ENOUGH - and for a month or so I have eaten enough for a 114 lbs women according to the websites ( most websites say a 114 lbs women needs less, so I am eating the MAXIMUM amount, that only ONE website said)

I have maintained my weight of 110 - 112 lbs so far so I am going to give it time to see how my body reacts to the increase in calories.

How does that all sound?

I understand how I have come across as though I am trying to reassure myself that I am fine - I have NOT meant to articulate my concerns in that way!

I am just paranoid because the health risks of being under weight, which I am on the border of, have no symptoms

I do know that I eat enough of the right food so I am not worried about my relationship with food or any issues I may have, I have had ED’S in the past and I have worked hard to over come them and I am proud of the attitude that I have developed towards food!

I am now focused on how to be as healthy as possible, and I feel much happier that I have learnt to view food as something I need to achieve optimal health, NOT something I need to worry about or deprive myself of!

SO, I am not trying to convince myself I am fine, I am just a little paranoid that there ARE proven risks that have no symptoms, mainly long term risks

And I am also interested in other people’s opinions and experiences

It sounds to me like deep down you  know your body wants more food and perhaps a higher weight goes along with that, but maybe you're scared of that?

In my opinion and from everything I've learned, that is a dieting level of calories for a body that is working normally.  Maybe you need to eat more to just get to that point, where your body can work right enough to maintain off of more normal levels of calories--at least mid-2000's.

For what it's worth, at one time I could maintain on 1200 cals and gained quickly on 1500.  I was terrified to eat more for that very reason, but finally I got sick of having to live off of my diet food and stuff I could eat a lot of, while treasuring every last calorie.  When I finally got so sick of that life I decided to risk it and after gaining 3lbs in one week, I ended up losing those plus 2 3 months later on 2500 cals.  Later, in an effort to gain, I got my calories up over 3000 and cut out activity and ended up plateuing even at a lower weight.

I know the latter was one of those extreme metabolism cases you don't think apply to you, but at the very least you shouldn't have to have your body maintaining on a weight loss diet.

Wow if I eat less then 1600 calories I LOSE a lot of weight, so I NEED AT LEAST 1750 to MAINTAIN, and I still lose weight if I do not eat back my exercise calories on that level.

1200 - 1500 calories would make me lose A LOT of weight, I think 1200 would kill me!

I appreciate your response, but I don’t secretly feel like I need more food - I know very well what it is like to crave any type of food - I know from a lot of experience so I am definitely giving my body what it needs in terms of enough carbohydrates/protein and fats; I feel like I am having enough calories but some people think 1750 - 1800 on days I am not active is NOT enough calories!

It is interesting that some people think 1750 calories is a diet range!

I honestly do not feel like 1750 plus calories is a “ diet” calorie range! I hear people on 1200 - 1500 for weight loss and diets. 1750 onwards sounds normal for a lot of people from what I have experienced so far

I am definitely not TRYING to “ diet” I actually look forward to my lovely organic meals and I love all my meals! Restricting yourself to foods you hate just to look a certain way is no way to live!

The MID 2000’s would just feel WAYYYYYY TOO MUCH for me, there is no way I would feel happy fitting that much food in daily! And that is NOT because I am “ used to starving” I eat regular healthy meals and never let myself go hungry

I KNOW what it feels like to eat that much food and I happily eat 1000 calories at dinner at my favorite restaurant, but the mid 2000’s for me when I don’t do ANY cardio other then walking occasionally would feel like FAR too much food for my body to take in every day!

Well, after reading your last post, you appear to be fine and happy with the way you eat. Why gain weight then? Why worry about it?

Think about it...

I am happy with what I eat, and I am happy with how satiated I feel, I do not feel like I am depriving my body of food! Some people have said 1700 a day for non active days is too little, so I wanted to say that I do not feel like I need more food, and that I have a diet that satisfies me with the food I enjoy rather then restrict myself on things I hate

All the calorie calculators tell me that a 114 lbs women who is sedentary needs 1630 calories a day

Have decided to use the calculator that recommended the HIGHEST amount, and to just make sure I am NEVER under for the day, and preferably go over a few calories

If I am still hungry then of course I will eat what I need when I need it!

Thanks for all the responses, some people think I am not eating enough, and others think what I am doing is fine and that I should not try to gain weight if I feel good about myself inside, and outside

Based on the responses I have gotten, on here and in my daily life, I am going to just keep making sure I never go under the amount the calculators says I need and to focus on having the healthiest and most enjoyable diet possible

I will continue to have regular check ups at my GP but next time I will also ask if she can do tests that will asses weather I am not eating enough or getting enough of certain things

Thanks again for all the responses, it helped me asses my situation and how I feel about myself!

I will follow the advice to stop thinking about things too much and to focus on having a healthy happy life, and I will also take the advice of people who say I am not eating enough, buy eating a little extra occasionally to see if it makes a difference!

Thanks for the response!

It has been a while since I posted this, and I am just trying to do what feels right for me, using logic AND also how my body feels.

From what I have read I think 1700 - 1800 is a normal amount to maintain on and is definitely not a starvation or diet amount. I am sedentary apart from 40 minutes of Pilate’s 4 - 5 days a week and body pump only once a week, and I eat 2100 or more on the day I do body pump to compensate for calories to make sure I do not lose weight PLUS I feel more hungry on that day any way!

Doctors are actually not always clued up on nutrition - some times regular people actually know more then doctors about nutrition, as not all doctors have learnt more then the basic guidelines of the food pyramid!

I look and feel healthy , and I have decided to not try to gain weight just because of what a BMI chart says - if I look curvy and healthy then it seams like a pointes exercise to try to gain; however, if I DID gain I would welcome that, and if I LOST any I would make sure I gained it back, because even though BMI’S are not 100% accurate it is still not good to be under 18.5 , and I would not want to go below my current BMI of 18.5 - 19!