Hi I'm new to the forum and I'm wondering whether I should continue my weight loss goals to become 99lbs. I'm 5'5 and currently 106lbs. I don't want anybody to think I'm here just so ppl will say OH UR SO SKINNY because I don't. I have always had a very small frame since I was a child, and I had lost 7lbs. over a course of 6 months. I've always been sorta moody and I think its because of my eating habits. I just used the food log thing and it said that I was only eating 1000 calories per day. I usually have coffee, 2 pizza slices, an apple, doritos and either a baked potato or spaghetti for the entire. I'm starting to wonder if I'm just not naturally small. I've been eating like this when I was a child, so I never noticed how eatibng habits could affect me. I usually excersise on the elyptical for an hour everyday, and I'n going to stop my weight loss goals, but I was wondering what foods I should eat to stay healthy and get in 2000 claories a day while keeping my weight in the 105-115 range?
You are going to get attacked for this question...I'd delete it if I was you.
Start by developing a healthy eating habit with regular meals, breakfast!!, healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, wholegrains and energy-dense natural foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, oils, dried fruit... . And cut back on your exercise - 1/2 an hour a day is enough. Aim for at least 2200 cals a day for a while. It's going to feel strange, but you've got to persevere being conscientious about finishing what's on your plate, eating at set times of day, fitting in the snacks etc. Being underweight has long-term health implications, both physical and mental.
Original Post by minie13:
106 is already underweight for your height.
You are going to get attacked for this question...I'd delete it if I was you.
Why would anyone attack her?! She recognises shes not eating enough and her goals may not be healthy - she is just asking for advice.
I agree with gi-janes idea about seeking a check up so a trained professional can determine a healthy weight, and in the meantime attempt a more balanced and calorie dense diet.
Hi There,
I will start of by saying, that I don't think you are here for anyone to comment on how thin you are. You are just naturally small.
You don't need to lose any weight. I checked the Canadian Government website and used their Body Mass Index, at your current weight, your BMI is at 17.6. You are underweight and at an increased risk of having health problems. You are at the same risk level as someone who is overweight
Maybe, insted of focusing on losing weight, you migh want to focus on eating healthier.
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids /guide-ld-adult/bmi_chart_java-graph_imc_java _e.html
Hi and welcome to Calorie Count Plus. I am really glad you have come to this fabulous resource of a website for help.
As some of the other posters have said 106 lb and 5'5" is already quite underweight. You do not need to lose anymore weight and really should not lose anymore for your own health.
Calorie Count Plus's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management.
Therefore we cannot support you and it would be against posting guidelines of this website if you continue to have weight loss goals which are so unhealthy.
But to get HEALTHY, the first thing you need to do is eat more than 1000 calories. Women need to make sure not to eat less than 1200 calories and teens should eat 1500-1800 calories MINIMUM. Undereating for a long time can have absolutely deleterious effects on your health. I don't know how old you are but assuming you are still a teen these are formative years for your bones and body and undereating can lead to physiological deficits later in life (osteoporosis for example).
Why must I eat at least 1,200 calories a day when I want to eat less?
In order to get the daily food servings you need for a balanced diet, it takes about 1200 calories a day. With careful planning, you could have a balanced diet on 1000 calories, but the restrictiveness of a very low calorie level can lead to binging and weight cycling, which will take you further from your weight loss goal. What's more, very low calorie diets can cause excessive muscle breakdown and metabolic adaptations, which can drive down your calorie requirements. In the end, you'll need fewer calories to maintain a higher weight
Your body needs at least 1200 calories per day to survive.
Here is a very rough scientific break down provided by a dietician for a 5' 2", 19 year old female weighing approximately 100 pounds, sitting around all day and doing nothing:
-The heart needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The kidney needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The Liver needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The brain needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The skeletal muscle needs 30% of the calories (360 cals)
I understand how you feel. I too was an extremely slim teen and was not quite ready for when I "grew up" finally and gained weight. However, it's part of life to mature into a grown woman and you will look fabulous.
To answer your question, you can eat 2000 calories a day EASILY and stay within a healthy weight range for your height. Eat loads of fruit and vegetables, healthy grains, 25 g fiber a day, good proportion of protein and fats (I like 50% carb, 25% fat, 25% protein for myself).
You can do this!!! Slim and healthy is achievable!! But please, do not lose anymore weight!
Original Post by dayzeeland:
Hi I'm new to the forum and I'm wondering whether I should continue my weight loss goals to become 99lbs. I'm 5'5 and currently 106lbs.
[snip]
I have always had a very small frame since I was a child
and I had lost 7lbs. over a course of 6 months.
I've always been sorta moody and I think its because of my eating habits.
I usually have coffee, 2 pizza slices, an apple, doritos and either a baked potato or spaghetti for the entire.
I'm starting to wonder if I'm just not naturally small. I've been eating like this when I was a child, so I never noticed how eatibng habits could affect me.
I usually excersise on the elyptical for an hour everyday
I'n going to stop my weight loss goals,
I was wondering what foods I should eat to stay healthy and get in 2000 claories a day while keeping my weight in the 105-115 range?
I took liberty to take your post apart because things don't add up here.
1. First, you state that you did have weight loss goals, that is how you got to 105 lbs which is dangerously underweight. Then, you ask whether you should get even lower.
2. Then you go on to say that you have always been like this and you have always eaten very little. But are you sure this is true? I can imagine that you have a small frame and you have a small body type. But first you say you have been dieting for months, then you say your eating habits are unchanged???? hm.
3. You list some food items which are blatantly unhealthy and I don't think you don't know that.
4. You say you work out on the elliptical for an hour every day. I wonder where you get the energy for that. I also wonder whether you have done that since you were a child as well. I think not.
5. You want to know if it is possible to eat well, eat enough, be healthy, and still maintain an unrealistic and unhealthy weight. You know this question is pointless, you cannot be healthy and unhealthy at the same time.
6. You say you suspect your mood is affected by your eating habits. That can be the case, but I think the opposite is true. Because if there was nothing wrong with your mood, body image, and way of thinking, you would not be pursuing such self-destructive ways. And yes, what you are doing is very harmful to your health and can destroy it in the not so long run!
In short: you have had the diet-mindset for so long you can no longer snap out of it on your own. I do believe you need to see a doctor who knows something about eating disorders.
That is the advice I can give you. Please stop now, you need to be healthy for life!!! I guess you are young - but do consider that this is the body you will have at 30, 40 and over, and you have to take care of it! Life is more than weight and dieting.
Ummm yeah I don't think I was clear on a few points. to the poster above^^^
1. I never said that I dieted, all I did was do like 10293084932 crunches every day along with the elyptical. Besides I said I lost SEVEN pounds during SIX MONTHS. I don't honestly know why that would be unhealthy. I also said that I realized that it was unhealthy to go that low, so I was asking how I can improve my health by what foods I should eat.
2. Point blank, I'm asian. In our community, any sign of fat isn't really considered attractive. My mom always fed me three square meals when I was a child with no snacks. I had no choice in what I ate. I also said I never dieted, losing weight does not equal diet.
3. I didn't know to what degree the foods that I eat are unhealthy, but I attend Northwestern and have advanced standing. I'm 19 years old and already a junior with a demanding schedule. Its not exactly easy to have fresh and healthy food to eat as a college student.
4. I'm barely doing the excersise I used to in junior high and highschool. During junior high, we ran the mile EVERYDAY as a warm up. In highschool, we ran three miles consecutively every week in gym, and gym was required every year. I was also a state-ranked soccer player AND a hip-hop dancer in high school, so you can imagine the rigor of my excersise.
5. I do know I don't have good eating habits, but thats why I'm here. I'm just asking how to eat healthy and maintain a weight of 106-115ish. That is a perfectly normal weight for my stature and structure. The highest weight I've been in my entire life is 117, and that was because I tookup anaerobic excersise.
I don't have an eating disorder. I wouldn't be on this site asking the question I'm asking if I did. Most people become overweight by eating too much, but I never really had the option to eat more, so how could I honestly differentiate between normal eating and not? I'm just trying to better my health.
as an asian your weight is going to be lower than us denser boned caucasians or those of african descent with even denser bones.
since you are at a major university with a good health center, i would do a walk in or something with the nutritionist/dietician. he or she can help you plan out a sensible eating schedule for your weight, age, and activity level.
i think the first thing you need to work on is getting more nutrients into your diet. the calories will come as you eat healthier. i know that northwestern has pretty cruddy food, like most universities, but they do have a salad bar. add a handful of broccoli and a handful of spinach to your salad and you have already made your diet 2x healthier.
with your coffee in the morning, add a yogurt or apple with cheese or a bowl of oatmeal. you dont seem to have any dairy in your diet. if your tummy cant have it (dairy), skip it, but take a calcium supplement and make sure you get those dark green veggies.
dinner, switch to a sweet potato if they have it, if not, add some carrots or squash to your diet. have another salad or some of the veggies from the salad bar or the hot section. mix green beans to your pasta.
the best way is to just keep trying things to find things you like, and make a concerted effort to get the veggies in. Five to thrive and Nine to Shine.
edit: typo
2nd edit: dorm room food. get some of those tangelos. they are super yummy and very good for you (100 cals, fiber, vitamin c) as well as last FOREVER even in minifridge. you can also get some of the organic soups that are like ramen but better for you to eat a little more healthy on the run or get a few more cals in you. sodium is high for those though. several makers of soup also make delicious butternut squash soup in a container. i prefer the vegan kind with no milk added to it (i think it tastes better) but they are all pretty good. you can add a bit of curry powder before you microwave it and serve with yogurt or sour cream if you want. dip bread in it, delicious.
Dayzee - please get your iron levels checked, I can almost guarantee that you are anemic based on your diet consisting primarily of starches (pizza, potatoes, chips...) and this is probably why you are feeling moody. You need to eat LEAN PROTEIN (Tilapia, Orange Roughy, Chicken Breast), GREEN VEGETABLES (Brussels Sprouts, Spinach, Asparagus, Green Salads - not iceberg), GOOD FAT (Black Olives, Avocados, Nuts 1/4 cup, Goat Cheese), and DAIRY (lowfat yogurt, reduced fat cheese, 1% milk). Hope this helps - please get yourself checked, I'm concerned about you!
i think 115 would be a healthy weight, and you seem to as well.
as far as healthy eating, i am also a very busy college student, so i understand that it can be hard to eat healthy. my student union has a deli counter where you can custom order a sandwich or wrap, and they have a great, fresh variety of stuff. that's what i do when i'm stuck on campus. otherwise, stock up on frozen chicken breast and frozen veggies, rice, keep some kashi or amy's frozen dinners on hand, etc. have a big breakfast to keep you going through the day: oatmeal, yogurt, high-protein/fiber cereal are all good choices. you may have noticed that the same food you've eaten all your life is affecting you differently because a) your metabolism isn't as fast anymore and b) you aren't as active as you were
dayzeeland - I completely understand what you mean about being Asian. I feel like a pariah because I'm overweight while my other Asian friends are slim and fit.
Anyway, I think it would be a good idea to be around 110-115lbs - especially for your height. Try eating more often during the day. For me, it's difficult to eat a lot all at once. So, in order to get all the calories I need, I eat every 2 hours (regular sized meals). If you're like me and can't really be bothered with checking the grams of fat/sodium/sugar/protein (and all that crap) in everything, eat more carbohydrates. They seem to have more calories in them.
I really don't want to get yelled at here, so I'm not going to give any more advice, lol, especially since I'm not an expert on the subject.
Good luck!
if you actually have been eating about 1000cal since you were a child, i am surprised that your hair hasn't all fallen out and that you are still getting your period... or am i wrong? also if you were eating 1000cal since a child, you wouldn't have even gained to your 'highest' weight on that amount.
there seems to be a lot of flaws in your post, but most have already been covered.
although it is nice to hear that you know you need to eat more and not lose weight.
I understand that this may be a cultural issue, but that does not make it safe by any means. You aren't going to get a whole lot of people who are going to promote you to lose weight - in fact, you are going to get the opposite because that is what is safe. What good is a thin body if its in a casket?
You just asked two different questions in one post... you start off asking if you should keep your weight loss goal of 99 lbs (which is ridiculous and you know that). Then you ask how to keep your current weight.
My brain hurts after reading your post (coming from a recovering ED patient).
Original Post by dayzeeland:
Ummm yeah I don't think I was clear on a few points. to the poster above^^^
1. I never said that I dieted, all I did was do like 10293084932 crunches every day along with the elyptical. Besides I said I lost SEVEN pounds during SIX MONTHS. I don't honestly know why that would be unhealthy. I also said that I realized that it was unhealthy to go that low, so I was asking how I can improve my health by what foods I should eat.
2. Point blank, I'm asian. In our community, any sign of fat isn't really considered attractive. My mom always fed me three square meals when I was a child with no snacks. I had no choice in what I ate. I also said I never dieted, losing weight does not equal diet.
3. I didn't know to what degree the foods that I eat are unhealthy, but I attend Northwestern and have advanced standing. I'm 19 years old and already a junior with a demanding schedule. Its not exactly easy to have fresh and healthy food to eat as a college student.
4. I'm barely doing the excersise I used to in junior high and highschool. During junior high, we ran the mile EVERYDAY as a warm up. In highschool, we ran three miles consecutively every week in gym, and gym was required every year. I was also a state-ranked soccer player AND a hip-hop dancer in high school, so you can imagine the rigor of my excersise.
5. I do know I don't have good eating habits, but thats why I'm here. I'm just asking how to eat healthy and maintain a weight of 106-115ish. That is a perfectly normal weight for my stature and structure. The highest weight I've been in my entire life is 117, and that was because I tookup anaerobic excersise.
I don't have an eating disorder. I wouldn't be on this site asking the question I'm asking if I did. Most people become overweight by eating too much, but I never really had the option to eat more, so how could I honestly differentiate between normal eating and not? I'm just trying to better my health.
1. I am still left wondering why you were doing those x number of crunches and the elliptical - for the sake of fitness? Didn't your body give you any signs of inadequate energy intake?
2. OK, so you are Asian. That still does not explain why you should eat so badly. (I'm European, fat is not considered attractive in my culture either but malnutrition is known to be fatal.)
3. If you are such a good student, don'T tell me you never heard that a diet consisting of coffee, pizza, and the rest of what you listed is unhealthy. You can't pick up a magazine or go on msn.com without reading something about a balanced diet!! Food pyramid, nutritional information label on foods - don't tell me you never heard of these while making it through high school and your first year at Northwestern!
I am a grad student, I know what it is to have a busy student schedule. But I also know that in Western Europe/the USA, even students don't have to hunt in the wee hours for healthy food. If you have time to work out on the elliptical for an hour, you have the time to go grocery shopping (approx. 30 mins, and you only have to do it once a week. Also good exercise for legs and arms.)
4. Great, you have been active all your life. Just out of curiosity: have you had health problems earlier? Do you get your period regularly? Have you had your iron levels checked lately? Please understand, I am not being nasty, your post simply reminded me of the female athlete triad (google it).
Proper nutrition is even more important when you are active.
5. Well, I run your data through "expenditure" (in the "tools", top menu) and a female, 19, 5'5", 115 lbs, moderate activity should eat 2100 calories every day. If you are highly active, the number is 2300 calories.
So there is *no* need to starve yourself to be a healthy weight. You can eat 2000 calories of healthy, nutritious food, vegetables, whole grains, protein, fats every day and be very slim. 115 lbs give you a BMI of 19. That is as low as you should get, and if you are as active as you say, most of this weight will be lean mass anyway, not fat.
Eat lots of good whole grains like oatmeal, pacific salmon and skinless chicken breast, yum yum.
For meal supplementation, protein powder with oats and water in a shaker, shake and drink. If it works for professional athletes, it will work for us!
Firstly, let me say that you are underweight, by far.
Secondly, that is no diet.
Thirdly, it appears that only you have the problem with your weight, not anyone else. We are living in a place where Ethnic Diversion is a common practice, no-one will care if you're coloured/asian/white and overweight, they would only see the latter.
Anyway, If you have been living on so little calories a day (and a lot of starch) then gradually take more protein, fibre etc. You will gain a bit of weight (and by the by, that's good!) But once your body has reached where it should be, you'll be able to eat whatever springs to mind and maintain.. provided you are active and don't over-do it!
And during that visit, discuss what your current body fat % is and see if you are a healthy weight already or if you need to make changes to be healthy. And IF you are healthy at 106 Lbs at 5'5", you might want to re-think why you have a 2-digit weight goal. If it's for looks, you might want to re-ask yourself what it is you are trying to acheive. Otherwise it sounds like you just want a 2-digit weight number without really addresses your real desire.
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