NEED YOUR OPINIONS - 5'1 , 97 pounds

hey guys...i'm new to CC! just joined today!

i'm 5'1, 18 years old (19 years old in 1 month), i currently weigh 97 pounds...and i want to weigh 94-95 pounds (2-3 pound weight loss), whicih is a natural weight for my small frame ...genetics! my mom is 5'3 and weighs no more than 100 pounds.

i stop exercising/running when i started university (just finished my first year), and now i'm doing a 3 month internship in australia and find NO time for exercising and running. definitely feel i lost some of my muscle! i actually just did a celluar age test and it proved that i did.

i'm not really that unfit...i just ran half a marathon with no training...and running only twice in like 6 months...

what foods do you guys suggest? how many calories should i consume?

APPRECIATE ANY THOUGHTS/SUGGESTIONS/ADVICE.

PS: i eat alot.....i dont have much self-control with sweets...i love desserts! (i always eat more than 1200 calories)

i don't think anyone is going to condone you losing weight when you're less than 100 pounds already. there is simply no point in you focusing on losing those pounds, better to try to build muscle, improve your body composition, or have a training goal :)

My sister is in the same boat as you. I reccomend focusing on not exactly weight, but body fat %. Please dont look at BMI (it is stupid and doesnt consider your frame).

Try and eat more protein. There are some great frozed pre cooked chicken breasts that are low in fat and about 18-20 grams of protein.

You do not need to loose any weight. You may want to loose fat. Depending on your current stats. I am 4'11" 93-96 LB. You need clean/balanced eating. Whole grains, complex carbs. Limit simple carbs. Lowfat dairy, lean meats and proteins, fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy fats. The only fat you don't need is trans-fat. Avoid diet foods, sugar free foods, fat free foods, sugary drinks, fast and fried foods. I understand about the sweets. If I let myself I would eat desert with every meal. What I do is allow myself 2 cheat meals a week. I still try to make healthy choices, grilled chicken instead of fried, half the cheese, no mayo and so on but I eat desert with my cheat meal. I only get enough for that one meal and then don't keep it in the house the rest of the time. I make up my mind that I am only allow to eat desert twice a week and stick with it. Will power and determination are the key to successful weight loss and keeping it off.

Weight lifting/strength training 3 days a week. HIIT training 2-3 days a week. HIIT and lifting are the best activities for fat loss. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn just living.

 

You will not look any different losing 2 pounds. If you don't mind me asking, why do you even want to lose weight? Your BMI is barely 18, so you are already on the borderline of underweight. Also, 1200 calories is bare minimum.

Try doing strength training to gain your muscle back. You will look fitter and leaner, and also actually be healthier.

i dont really have time to workout, so i thought if i'd diet...i'd get the same results that i wanted. anyways, i'm heading back home in august, so pretty much i just want to eat healthy, shed a few pounds in the next month. i just want to lose alittle to get back to my old weight! also, think i wouldnt be as self conscious about my body if i lost alittle!

You're already underweight, albeit very slightly.
You do not need to lose more weight. You will then be more underweight.

I would guess that the body-consciousness has more to do with losing some of the 'tone' you had previously, losing weight through diet will not help you with that.

Agree or not, it is considered poor form here (and against the rules) to help someone underweight lose weight.

Original Post by pattskis:

i dont really have time to workout, so i thought if i'd diet...i'd get the same results that i wanted.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.  Many of us have learned that the hard way.  In a lot of ways, dieting has the opposite effect of excercise.  Excercise builds muscle and raises your metabolism.  Dieting burns muscle and lowers your metabolism.  So many of us strive every day to find the right balance so that we lose fat while maintaining our muscle.  If you really want to improve your body's appearance, you'll feed it properly and make time for some excercise, preferably some weight training, which will be much  more effective than running.  You don't need a lot of time, and you don't even need to do it all at once.  Can you find time in your day for 20 minutes?  You can start with big muscle groups to make the most of your time, and you don't even need weights to start out.  Squats, lunges, push ups, and ab excercises are a good way to start out.