Questions about Calorie Intake

I'm a 19 year old male and I weigh between 125-130 lbs (6'1'').  I know I'm underweight and I'm trying to slowly gain some healthy pounds (muscle).  My BMR is about 1600 per day and I'm only eating about 1500 calories a day if I'm lucky.  I'm afraid if I add too many calories, my metabolism wouldn't be able to take it and I'd gain bad weight.  Is there any way to slowly add calories to build my metabolism back up a bit?  I try to workout 4-5 times a week, so I'm not completely sedentary.  And also, if I'm eating below my BMR on a daily basis, is that bad for my health?  Any help is appreciated.

1) If you are taking in 1500 and want to increase to 1600, then 100 calories certainly would not be adding too many calories. You could do that in one day--no need for a transition.  But the 1500-1600 can not be accurate.

2) Are you certain that the 1600 isn't just sedentary and does not include your calorie burn from activities?  In other words, I find it difficult to believe that you only need 1600 calories a day, let alone only 1500.  What calculators did you use to arrive at those figures?  I estimate that you should be consuming 2200 calories or more, so redo your figuring. 

3) I recommend you jump start your metabolism with a really healthy, high protein breakfast. 

4) Of course, if you eat below your BMR on a daily basis it's bad for your health, because you will continue to lose weight. 

5) There is no way that you are going to gain bad weight, if you eat healthy, exercise, and take in ENOUGH CALORIES.

6) I don't know what kind of workouts you do, but if you do some weight-training and take in enough protein from a healthy diet, you will gain weight with your added muscle.  You also will need to take in enough calories, since as you sleep, the body will burn extra calories rebuilding your muscles.

That is definitely wayyyy too few calories for someone of your age, activity level, and stature. A male under 21 needs a MINIMUM of 1800 calories while SEDENTARY. Eating below your BMR on a consistent basis is a sure fire way to put your body into starvation mode, in which it will store much of what you eat as fat. Your BMI is also well below what is considered a healthy weight. I highly suggest you stop exercising and increase your intake up to, at the very least, 3000 calories per day. You might find that the weight comes on quickly at first, but if you stick to it, your metabolism will speed up, heck you'll most likely need even more to gain. You didn't specify what type of exercises you're doing, regardless, at your weight, it's doing more harm than good. Once you reach a BMI of at least 19, you can resume exercising, and possibly start weight lifting to put on some muscle. I wish you the best of luck!

Original Post by goldenboy08:

I'm a 19 year old male and I weigh between 125-130 lbs (6'1'').  I know I'm underweight and I'm trying to slowly gain some healthy pounds (muscle).  My BMR is about 1600 per day and I'm only eating about 1500 calories a day if I'm lucky.  I'm afraid if I add too many calories, my metabolism wouldn't be able to take it and I'd gain bad weight.  Is there any way to slowly add calories to build my metabolism back up a bit?  I try to workout 4-5 times a week, so I'm not completely sedentary.  And also, if I'm eating below my BMR on a daily basis, is that bad for my health?  Any help is appreciated.

Of course it is bad for your health; as is being underweight. As a teenage male you need to start eating around 3000+ to gain whilst sedentary, therefore you will likely need more as someone who is both taller and not sedentary.

There is no reason to think that your metabolism 'will not be able to take it' - what gave you that idea? BMR is also what you would burn in a coma; so your daily burn will be several hundred calories higher just being sedentary and awake and several hundred more again through exercise. If you were a healthy weight I imagine you would be able to maintain on 3,000 at least pretty easily. When you weigh more your BMR will also be higher.

When you are underweight, there is no such thing as gaining 'bad weight' - you need more of both fat and muscle, and gaining neither is a bad thing. When you gain weight from being underweight you will gain muscle as well as fat whilst totally sedentary. This is because starvation causes your muscles to atrophy or waste away, and so part of the weight gain process involves repairing/regrowing those muscles, ie muscle gain. You will also gain more muscle simply because your body requires more of it to support your body at a higher weight.

Exercising while underweight is incredibly dangerous. Your muscles are weak and more prone to damage - and this includes your heart. Your bones are also weak. Because exercise slows your rate of gain, and when you gain weight you gain muscle, you are worse off in terms of gaining muscle if you continue to exercise. It's really important that you stop.

I would suggest adding calories in 4-500 increments daily. Doing so any slower is just delaying the process. I also strongly suggest you get outside support from a doctor, nutritionist, therapist or from an eating disorder facility.

Original Post by goobyb:

That is definitely wayyyy too few calories for someone of your age, activity level, and stature. A male under 21 needs a MINIMUM of 1800 calories while SEDENTARY. Eating below your BMR on a consistent basis is a sure fire way to put your body into starvation mode, in which it will store much of what you eat as fat. Your BMI is also well below what is considered a healthy weight. I highly suggest you stop exercising and increase your intake up to, at the very least, 3000 calories per day. You might find that the weight comes on quickly at first, but if you stick to it, your metabolism will speed up, heck you'll most likely need even more to gain. You didn't specify what type of exercises you're doing, regardless, at your weight, it's doing more harm than good. Once you reach a BMI of at least 19, you can resume exercising, and possibly start weight lifting to put on some muscle. I wish you the best of luck!

True, but that is to lose weight, not maintain... and certainly not to gain!

Original Post by merylwhite1:

Original Post by goobyb:

That is definitely wayyyy too few calories for someone of your age, activity level, and stature. A male under 21 needs a MINIMUM of 1800 calories while SEDENTARY. Eating below your BMR on a consistent basis is a sure fire way to put your body into starvation mode, in which it will store much of what you eat as fat. Your BMI is also well below what is considered a healthy weight. I highly suggest you stop exercising and increase your intake up to, at the very least, 3000 calories per day. You might find that the weight comes on quickly at first, but if you stick to it, your metabolism will speed up, heck you'll most likely need even more to gain. You didn't specify what type of exercises you're doing, regardless, at your weight, it's doing more harm than good. Once you reach a BMI of at least 19, you can resume exercising, and possibly start weight lifting to put on some muscle. I wish you the best of luck!

True, but that is to lose weight, not maintain... and certainly not to gain!

 I was simply showing what the absolute minimum for someone in his age group is, to put into perspective how much lower his intake is compared to the minimum.. ;-) But yes, you're absolutely right. That's not even close to what he needs to gain!! Like you said, the minimum to gain is no less than 3000 calories.

As you're quite badly underweight.... by at least 25lbs.... and your BMI is below 17 I'd strongly recommend that  you talk to your doctor immediately, get some idea of your state of health and as much professional input as you can.    When people are as badly underweight and as malnourished as you are it often affects the muscles of their body, not least the heart muscles..... weakening them.  So please stop exercising or you could find your heart suddenly stops.   

Malnutrition will have affected you mentally as well as physically.  Those fears and anxieties you have about gaining 'bad weight' etc. will not be helped by being constantly starved.  A starved brain is a very irrational illogical one.

And finally, disordered eating is a serious medical condition.   It can be successfully treated with psychological and practical therapies, some as an in-patient, but you need to start the ball rolling by seeing your doctor.  

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Thank you all for your support and help.  I really don't exercise THAT much, more like 3-5 days a week and it's not real vigorous exercise either (usually just 15 minutes on an elliptical machine, with free weights, push ups, and crunches).  I get light headed a lot and I feel like I rarely have energy for doing simple things such as walking around at work (I work at a hardware store so I carry heavy objects on deliveries and such).

How many calories should I be taking in at a sedentary level?  I'm hearing 1,800 and 2,200.  So which one? 

It's not normal for people to get dizzy like that. It's definitely a sign that you're very malnourished.

1800 calories is the absolute minimum a teen male can eat while losing weight. But in your case, since you're so tall and you really need to gain weight, I recommend 3000 calories at the very least. You'll no doubt find that your body adjusts quickly to that amount, and in that case, you'll need to increase.

Even exercising 3 to 5 days a week is not considered sedentary. To be considered sedentary, you'd literally have to be stuck in bed with a coma. Someone with a job like yours that also exercises in their own time would need a very large amount of calories to maintain.

It will be very difficult for me to eat 3,000 calories a day (considering I eat around 1,500 a day now).  Should I slowly add on calories each day so that my stomach will get used to me eating that much?  I sometimes struggle to eat 1,500 so eating 3,000 calories a day is mind-boggling.

Original Post by goldenboy08:

It will be very difficult for me to eat 3,000 calories a day (considering I eat around 1,500 a day now).  Should I slowly add on calories each day so that my stomach will get used to me eating that much?  I sometimes struggle to eat 1,500 so eating 3,000 calories a day is mind-boggling.

 You can increase in increments if you wish.. Just try to at least be at 3000 within a few days. 

3000 might seem like a lot if you're eating bulky, low cal foods such as veggies and fruits. Try eating low bulk, calorie dense foods such as peanut butter, nuts, avocados, full fat dairy, etc. There's a whole list of high cal foods in the weight gain forum. Good luck!!