do i really need to gain weight?

im a female, 5'7, 115lbs. i workout 5-6 days a week for at least an hour. at least 4 of those days are running if not all part of it. i do a 15 minute weight circuit 3 x a week and am currently trainin for a 1/2 marathon.

do i need to gain weight? i feel uncomfortable at any other weight higher than what i am now.

You are at a BMI of 18, so yes, you do need to gain. I know it might seem scary and uncomfortable, but with you being a runner, it is imperative that you get your body weight up since you are likely at a super low body fat %...do you get your periods? Are you eating at least 2300 calories? That's how much you burn daily, so if you're eating less than this amount then it's likely that you're forcing your body to stay the size it is and it's unnatural. Now if you're eating 2300 calories, and maintaining then by all means, maybe your weight is ACCEPTABLE but ideally for your health you should gain.

How do you know you are only comfortable at this weight? have you weighed more in the past? you might be surprised to see that it doesn't bother you that much and it isn't that noticeable. 119 is the minimum weight to get you at the border of underweight and normal, but a BMI of 20 would be even better.

i used to be 135lbs. i was skinny my whole childhood. always the skinny kid... then i hit puberty and by my freshman/soph year in high school i was 135-140lbs. i hated my body. i wouldn't wear shorts, 2 piece suit, i felt so uncomfortable. i started running and working out it in my off seasons for my sports and just started eating healthy.

soon that spiraled out of control and i dropped from the beginning of my junior year i was 140lbs to 105 by april in my junior year. there was a point where i would eat maybe 800 calories a day. workout 90 minutes a day for a while. then i kind of came to my senses, started eating more like 1800 calories a day, cut back on workin out but still kept loosing weight to reach that final 105lbs. then i saw a picture of myself in a bikini and cried and how disgusting and skinny i looked. i have since gained 10 lbs and have weighed more recently and just feel bloated and self-conscious.

my calorie intake vaires now anywhere from 1200 calories - 2500 calories. i wish i could really work with my diet to see what calorie value i maintain at but being in college, pressures are there, i drink occasionally and it seems i can never keep a stable diet without going out once or twice a week and alcohol calories interfering.

i don't know honestly if i get my periods anymore. during my lowest weight i was on birth control pills and i had to switch pills. then durin the switch i lost my period for 7 months, finally my doctor just told me to start taking the new pills instead of waitin for my next period. im still on bc and sometimes don't get my period even on the pills, but that has been around finals in school or when im extremely stressed out.

1200-2500 is too big of a range and my N told me to maintain a normal weight at 5 7 most need at least 2300 so for weight gain plus that high of activity you need way more. Your activity is too high for sure right now.

Now feeling self conscius and bloated. I can understand cause I feel that too but it is because it is a change to both mind and body. There is unknown but you have to remind yourself of health is the goal. I think you need to become consistent with cals and lower your activity. This is going to create anxiety probably. Can you come up with a base meal plan every day and then work on increasing to gain?What do you feel you eat most days in that range?

You are probably maintaining this weight in a very unhealthy manner, if you are maintaining while not consistently eating 2500 with your activity level then it is a sign of a blunted metabolism and unnatural body weight. You should be able to eat 2000-2500 consistently and maintain if your body was at it's ideal weight. 

You said you hit puberty, a time of growth, and were 135-140...that sounds more like your healthy weight and at 5'7 there is nothing wrong with that weight whatsoever. Maybe you were uncomfortable with the changes but you have essentially stifled the growth of your internal organs and I wouldn't be shocked to know that you might have done some internal damage. If you haven't then you are very lucky but taking matters into your own hands by restricting can prevent you from ever having kids by inhibiting the production of the proper hormones necessary for child birth, the growth of your internal organs, and proper menstruation. It is vital that you let your body decide what is healthy and stop attempting to control your weight. 

I can understand if you don't want to weigh 135-140 again, but at least eat a sufficient amount for a while and let your body recover. I doubt that you would gain very much and an extra 10-15 pounds on  you would be so beneficial, you have no idea. I'm sure you would look much better too. Like you said, when you were really thin you looked sick and maybe you still don't see yourself completely correct and have a distorted view of your body. 

I think it's worth eating your actual maintenance amount and letting your body decide what is appropriate, which might not be half as bad as you think it will be...in fact, if you open up to the idea you will have more energy, be much happier, and healthier!!

Well, hey there. I too am 5'7", and I used to weigh somewhere around your current weight. I promise you, it's not healthy. My dietician says that an ideal weight for our height is 135. I know you say when you were 135 you still felt chubby and unhappy. Were you weight training at the time? Were you eating healthy foods and a balanced diet?

Even if you don't want to gain all the way back up to 135 (I do. c:), I suggest that you get up to at least 120-125, or until you start getting your periods back. If it makes you feel better, you can try to gain some of that in muscle by strengh training--the best method for that is to do fewer reps using more weight. This will give you a more muscular, toned physique that might inspire you to gain even more.

chrissy do you have any other advice on how to deal with alcohol/ pressures in school. i'm not drinkin right now because i'm training for a 1/2 marathon and i feel it interfers with my training. but its so hard and i get confused. none of my roomates ever ate as much as i did, but then i was eating healthier and it wasn't enough calories...

uhh im just so confused and scared.

in terms of alcohol, just drink in moderation. Have 1-2 drinks and that's it, account for it, plan for it, and stick to it. Drink slower than everyone else and don't make it a habit. Try to minimize partying if you find yourself getting out of control. 

You just need to make sure that you are eating enough actual food, regardless of alcohol consumption...your caloric intake is too low for the amount of training that you do and you could really gain a few pounds, it will be okay I promise. I know it's scary but once you accept it and embrace it you will love the curves...breasts, and hips are attractive features of being a woman...dont fight it, we are naturally built to be a bit more curvy than boys. I love my new body and honestly I haven't been more confident in a long time, maybe it's because I'm now dating more and I realize that people who never knew me when I had my ED find me attractive now so it's not like I'm fat and undesirable regardless of how I feel. I don't see myself accurately is what i'm trying to say. On some level my confidence is based by the affirmation I get from others and this is very very bad but I recognize this and am working toward accepting myself wholly and completely without the need of outside confirmation. 

Just resolve to get HEALTHY, not remain unnaturally thin. The way you are treating your body is anti-health and I know that your intentions are good but please just try to think more rationally!! If you need support I am here, feel free to message me!

Hi, I'm a runner but I'm not training for a half marathon. However, I log about 30 miles in a week sometimes less though if I'm being lazy :)

I recommend that you visit an actual runners site. Or pick up runners magazine. You need to learn proper nutrition for it, and those people can give you advice on actual calorie needs and everything for doing a half marathon. Besides if you are trying for that, you need more guidance than most people on here can offer.

If you feel like your sessions are suffering (exhaustion, early fatigue, hitting the wall too soon) than I advise you to up that intake.

I didn't get my periods during exams, the time before and after, about 4 months. And I probably wasn't eating quite enough for my runs.

I will say though that most runners (or athletes for that matter) have a lower body fat. Runners body: Thin upper body, muscular legs. So they probably will be closer to the underweight side of the chart. This doesn't mean though that they don't eat enough. They must to do well.....they just run so much and get great metabolisms that after awhile weight doesn't stick. Hence, the wiry, lean body types.