Underweight???

Hey everyone, I'm new to the site but I've been browsing and following alot of these topics for awhile now. I'm 17 years old, about 5'8 or 5'9 and I weigh anywhere from 126 to 128. Some websites classify me as underweight and others say I'm in a healthy BMI range. I typically eat around 1600 calories... basicaly because I'm a vegetarian so it's hard to get alot of calories in by the end of the day. I also lost about 30 pounds from June to October and I have a bit of a fear of gaining weight. I'm pretty sedentary, I don't typically work out. Although I feel happy with the way that I look now, I havn't had my period since September... so it's been gone for about 4 months now. I've noticed that many other women on this site have the same problem, but I know that it isn't a good thing and it means something is wrong. So basically I'm wondering what you all think about my weight compared to my age and height? Am I underweight? Does my weight loss have to do with my period loss? (I'm definitely not pregnant and I'm not on any birth control or anything, and my periods before my weight loss have been quite regular).

Thanks in advance : )

Well, you are older than me I'm 16 I'm 5'8" and I'm 107 which is definitely underweight. I don't think it would hurt you to gain weight in the least though. If you underweight though I'm not sure. BMI is  not very trustworthy. Loosing your period could be from malnutrition or over exercise even a common thing like stress. If it keeps happening then talk to your doctor.

Well I'm confused with the term "malnutrition" and if it pertains to me because I'm a vegetarian and I typically eat pretty healthy. I love my salads and veggies and fruits, and I try to get alot of that in my diet. Plus I take a multi vitamin everyday. Is there anything else that is involved with malnutrition that I'm not aware of? I know I didn't lose my period due to over exercise, and stress shouldn't be an option... I'm a senior this year and life is good!!!

 I've been to the doctor and I got my blood drawn and my thyroid level and everything is normal, so I'm pretty sure it has to do with my weight.

I'm not sure about what the exact terms would be of malnutrtion. If you eat salads and stuff and have a pretty good calorie intake then I doubt that is the case. Maybe it is your weight. Sorry, I don't have the answer I hope you can figure it out with your doctor or gain some weight either way.

Thanks for your input! If anyone else has anything to add, please feel free! I'd love the advice!

salads and fruit and things like that are "healthy" but you need to have a balanced diet to be truly well-nourished. it's possible that you're not eating enough protein and fat to get your period. your weight sounds fine and you look healthy in your picture (i don't know how recent it is) so the only problem i can see is that your diet isn't supplying all of the nutrients you need. of course, since you're young the irregularity could be entirely normal. if you're really concerned you should talk to your doctor about it and show him/her a sample of your diet. good luck!

I can't tell if you are underweight or not. I think I am though. I am 5-4 and I'm 116 lbs! I try to eat at least 1600 calories but with my busy schedule I don't eat even half that much! I'm trying to eat more and exercise more. And I'm new to the site too!

im 5'7.5, 18 years young and 118lbs.....

I dont think you are eating enough because i need 2000 calories just to maintain my weight. I also do have my period & when i was undereating i didnt have mine...so your loss of period could be do to you not eating enough.

Right now im consuming 2300 calories to GAIN WEIGHT. and work out 3-4 times a week :).

To answer your question..i dont think you are underweight but it doesnt hurt to gain a lil more IN MUSCLE ofcourse and get toned =]

salads and veggies and fruits are great, but you also need to get some healthy grains and healthy fats in there! i don't think you are necessarily underweight, and 1600 calories a day is a perfectly reasonable amount, but if you are missing your period, then something is wrong.  

i'd suggest adding some nuts, olive oil, dairy (if you eat dairy) etc. to your diet to get some healthy fats in there. it also couldn't hurt to talk to your doctor!  

Question: do you WORK to be skinny? Look in the mirror how do you feel about yourself. Do you try to eat less? Do you want to be skinny? ( I know you said your scared of gaining weight but do you take measures to control that, like eating less)

If your just plain skinny and you think you eat enough, then I'd say your fine. If you WORK to be that skinny and have so forth lost your period, you may have issues you should talk to your doctor about.

I'm 20, 5"8 and 120-125 lbs. I'm underweight. But I have my period regularly, I eat about 2,000 cal a day and I don't limit myself. I eat meat and chocolate. I try to get my nutrients too ! But when I look in the mirror I see proportions, I'm small, always have been, I'm normal! And fit!---- and I DO HIGHLY recommend changing your habits!!!!! GO TO THE GYM GIRL!! pack on some muscle!

The fact that your asking if your underweight probably means you are. The only person that can tell you if your at a healthy weight is your own body!!!

Some sites have 18.5-25 as a healthy BMI while others (like here) have 20-25, so that is why you are getting conflicting reports. Yes vegetarians can be malnourished (I had a friend who ended up in hospital because he didn't eat enough protein and his body got mad at him) so just make sure at least 8% of your diet is protein and get some healthy fats in there too (go nuts!).

 

Yes, you are probably underweight. You may be close to a healthy weight, but you could have more muscle and less body fat. The body needs a certain amount of actual body fat to menstruate.

Also, are you getting enough iron in your vegetarian diet? Unless you are taking an iron supplement, I find it hard to believe that you get all the iron and nutrients you need from 1600 calories. You should also be eating 20-30% of your calories from fats. Check the analysis page and look at your percentages. To see if you are getting enough iron and calcium, hover your mouse arrow over the date on the analysis page. :)

Hmmm...you are underweight, eat vegetarian, and only get to about 1600 calories a day...I've been dealing with similar problems, so my dietician has suggested that I get to a healthier weight by increasing my caloric intake (to about 3000), and that I eat more servings (about 8 = 800 calories) of fat a day.  The increase in fat will allow your hormones to work properly, and the increase in calories will give your body the energy to do so.  If you're afraid of looking "fat" you can tone your body with some resistance work-outs (such as weight lifting) or some body-weight excerises (I do alot of push-ups and sit-ups).  The increase in muscle will make you stronger, and it will probably boost your metabolism.  Also, missing your periods over a long period of time can lead to alot of horrible bone conditions in the future, so its important to take calcium supplements as you recover.  Hope some of this helped..take care of yourself :)