maintain at unhealthy weight

i am comfortable in my body and I eat at least 1600-2000 calories everyday. im 5'6-5'7 and roughly 105 lbs. give or take. i realize i am "underweight" but hate eating excessively therefore I dont want to devout much to gaining weight. Can I maintain this weight without any consequence if I feel okay?

Depends on what you mean by okay.

 

It's not likely to being healthy for very long. You don't mention how old you are either. 

im a 19 year old female

My metabolism changed around 25 yrs old. If you're not losing weight, you're probably fine. Small-framed?

yeah im small framed according to the wrist test

advice?

Don't worry about the number of calories so much as the quality of you food.  If you are getting all of your nutrients, if you are still menstruating regularly, have energy to do what you need to do, and your hair and skin are healthy, you're probably fine.  However, check with your doctor.  He or she can run any necessary tests and give you the final word.  We can't do that!

I weigh the EXACT same as you!

Although i am trying to gain a little bit of weight, it sounds like you are eating decently so i wouldnt worry :) x

If you feel fine and get enough nutrition, and aren't losing more, then there probably is nothing to worry about. If you're really concerned, ask to get a metabolic panel done by your doctor, which doesn't really assess metabolism but checks some blood compounds to make sure they're within a good range.

actually I stopped having my period a while ago, and have since went on the bc Yasmin...i guess it regulates it to some extent but i was actually due yesterday and am still awaiting. *frustrating*

Adding lean body mass will help increase your weight, health, and strength and will bring your BMI to a healthier range. Looking at your profile, you are 19 years old. Correct? If you are happy and healthy, and getting enough provided nutrition, I say let your body be as it is.

 

i weigh one more pound than you do. as long as you are getting enough nutrients, i think whatever your weight is is okay (that's just my personal philosophy, idk if there are effects from being underweight if one is getting enough nutrition).

It's not okay. Amenorrhea is a sign your body is too thin to function properly and doesn't have enough body fat. It puts you at higher risk of osteoporosis and you probably don't have any breasts at that weight. Are you emaciated? Cold all the time? Do you have any muscle left? Do you have energy? Are you obsessed with counting calories? These are the questions you have to ask yourself. Reading your post makes me think of my attitude before I admitted how sickly being underweight made me feel.

Being clinically underweight has medical implications in the same way as being obese has medical implications.  You can 'feel OK' in either state and continue to function reasonably well short-term but your health will suffer over time.  Being a healthy weight is not merely a cosmetic issue.

everyone, I am sorry for venting here, but, this has hit my every last nerve, and perhaps my journal would have been the approprite place to vent.

gi-jane: "Being a healthy weight is not merely a cosmetic issue." Why why, why do you continue with saying weight is not cosmetic ? This was a question from Sep. 2007 - how long have you been on CC ? I didn't see catsouva say anything about cosmetics.  If someone is young and super thin, you end it all with "cosmetics".  I haven't looked at your profile yet, but do you have detals about who you are, age, weight, height ????  I will agree with you that being "clinically underweight has medical implications in the same way as being obese has medical implications.  You can 'feel OK' in either state and continue to function reasonably well short-term but your health will suffer over time."  Couldn't you have left it at that or simply ellaborated on how being underweight would affect health over time? 

edit:  The original poster has not logged on since Jan. 2008.  I looked up your profile and you were a member in Sep. 2007 - perhaps a more appropraite time to answer.,

Playergirl ~ There were 2 other responses before GI-Janes the same day and that is what brought this thread back up.  She might not have noticed that this thread is from 9/2007.

As for maintaining at a weight that is considered underweight, that is something that will need to be discussed thoroughly with your doctor. 

Hey I'm the same: 5'6'', and 105. I'm fine, not emaciated and just right. The BMI calc says I'm underweight, but I've got a really narrow frame so...it's just not a one size fits all calculator. Everybody is different. If you FEEL underweight, like, weak, starving or something then it's probably not good for you, but if you feel good then I'd say you're fine.

Nope, "feeling" fine is not a sign of being safe, any more than an obese person "feeling" fine means that they will be immune from the consequences of their weight. (Eating too little commonly produces a euphoric feeling, for one).

Only a small fraction of women and girls will menstruate regularly at an unhealthily low BMI. Those who do, typically have PCOS. Either way, it is bad for your bones and bad for your heart to be underweight, not to mention leaving you at much greater risk of complications should you develop a prolonged illness or need any medical intervention (you have no reserves of energy at all).

Will people who are underweight and happy about it likely care about these dangers? Probably not. It's a shame, really. I'm sure that those of you who "feel fine" underweight would probably also "feel fine" at a normal weight, plus you'd be healthier. If you wouldn't feel fine at a normal weight, i.e. if you would feel bulky or fat at a BMI 18.5-20 (aka the "lowest" range of the healthy BMI, is very very slender, and which used to be considered underweight - it really is a healthy range for only the smallest-boned and smallest-framed people on the planet) - if you would feel fat at that weight, then you need to investigate that, it's a bad sign. BMI 18.5-25 ("healthy") is actually a pretty decent range of weight that takes into account natural body frames. It doesn't take into account a whole lot of muscle (which can skew the numbers at the upper end) but the lower end is 100% reliable because having too little muscle is not healthy, whereas having "too much" muscle (for the upper limit) can be a good thing. So there is no such thing as an adult woman's frame that is small enough to justify lower than 18.5 BMI in terms of health. Be skinnier if you want, sure - but know that you are at as much of an increased risk of current and future health problems as an obese person is.

I agree with marichi

You know, it is perfectly possible to have a NATURAL BMI under 18. I have my entire life and my doctor tells me constantly I am the picture of health. When my father (ironically, also "underweight", narrow-framed, and the reason I am so) suggested to my doctor that I gain weight (because I had a long flu that year, and he thought I'd heal faster or something), and the doctor said it was completely unnecessary. I used to eat (on average) 2,000-2,500 calories per day and I've never weighed over 105 lbs in my entire life (I'm 5'5"...an inch taller than I thought!). I also have always had very light periods (and why would I complain?). I've survived many injuries without breaking bones, etc.

I have become a vegetarian though and have "cleaned up" my eating, and feel 100% better for it. I lost a little weight doing so, but it wasn't the intention. However, I have no desire to regain what I lost because I like the way I look, and my new eating habits are far healthier than my old and extremely nutritious. So, I can relate the OP in this regard. Don't gain weight just because you are blessed with a miraculous metabolism. It would be a shame.