A very bizarre body?

Alright, so I've been trying to loose weight for the past...six months (I'm sixteen and 129 pounds). I haven't lost any inches, I haven't lost any pounds (in fact, I've gained pounds, from working out and building muscle). I haven't been intaking very many calories, just around the minimum, probably. I have a really, really, really reeeeaaallly slow metabolism, probably one of the slowest I know of. I can hardly eat anything without gaining weight, and lately it seems to have gotten worse. I've always been a healthy eater - I can't eat candy (it's gross), I haven't eaten fast food in years, I haven't drank a soda in years (I only drink water, tea, and orange juice), I eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, and overall I have a good diet. But combining this with a steady exercise plan, I haven't been able to loose any weight. I'd be at the gym for two hours, one hour, at least five days a week (when I can, with school things are busy so I sometimes miss a day but not often). But I never lost any weight (or inches! which is actually my goal; I'm not too concerned about actual weight because I know I will gain pounds from muscle anyway - actually, I think I've been slowly gaining inches). So I'm beginning to think that I need to eat even less calories, because I'm just not thinning down. My friend, however, has been doing the same thing as me - we both decided to loose weight together - and has lost so much weight it's not even funny. She started out bigger than me and now she's smaller than me. Me? I think I've gotten bigger. And she eats really unhealthily. So this is just weirding me out day after day - what more can I do? I honestly don't believe that I need a minimum of 1200 calories a day, because my body holds in food for a really, really long time. I have in my stomach in the evening the food I ate in the morning. So, it's really gross to eat when you already have food in your stomach. I end up feeling bloated alot because of this. Sometimes when I eat a full-sized meal I can feel the calories going straight to my thighs and arms (which is how I can tell if I've eaten too much).

So I guess I'm asking for advice on what to do. Should I be eating less? I honestly think that what the average person is supposed to eat is just too much for my body to handle. Like the people that have to eat a ton to maintain a normal weight, I think I have to eat less to maintain mine, and even less to loose weight. This isn't really hard to believe for me, because my body has already shown some strange qualities - like the fact that even with my really healthy diet and regular exercise, I have a really high cholesterol. It's not because of my weight, because even when I was thin I had a really high cholesterol. It's so strange even the doctors are baffled by it. So I suppose I need some opinions.

have your doctors ever checked you for thyroid problems?  I know that can play havoc with metabolism.

Well, for one thing I'm only sixteen - but I did go to the doctor to get my thyroid checked, but I didn't because when the doctor tried to check it, she had to stick a needle in my vein and apparently the vein kept sliding around and she couldn't get to it although she jabbed me several times. It was really gross, and I'm really afraid of needles (my only true fear) so I'm nervous to go back. But I really don't want to believe it's my thyroid, because I just want to loose weight and I don't want to have to take medication. Also I don't really exhibit any other symptoms besides the slow metabolism, which I've always been plagued with.

How tall are you?  Depending on your height, 129lbs may not make you overweight and, at 16, you are most likely to still be growing and developing.  If you continuously undereat you will depress your metabolism and set yourself up for rapid weight-gain when you do eat normally.   But if you eat normally your metabolism will speed up to match.  So you should practice eating your healthy diet but at a more normal level - 1800 cals or so - more if you exercise.   You should ask your doctor to check the bloating out, however.  Have you noticed whether certain foods make it worse?  Your cholesterol level is just a genetic funny.

I'm around 5'3", and I haven't grown since I was around 12 or 13. Also I haven't shown any signs of developing or growing lately, as I was pretty much done with that early.

But the thing is, I don't under eat. I eat normally, and I haven't lost any weight. What I was wondering is if "normal" for others is just too much for me. I've been trying that whole speeding up the metabolism thing, but it's not working.

Oh and about the bloating - bread is the worst. I know that for certain. Ugh, bread.

Your body is probably no different to anyone else's.  In fact, if you're a little heavier than your friend then you have a higher metabolism, not a lower one.  1200 calories is undereating, which if I read it right, is what you're doing?  For someone your age, 1800 is the recommended minimum.   And all people aren't built the same way so you can't fight nature.  Look at your parents, for example.  Are they stocky and short or tall and willowy? 

If bread makes you bloat then try avoiding all products made with white flour (cake, pizza, biscuits, white bread, white pasta) for a week and see if that makes any difference.  Some people have allergies to gluten which can result in digestive problems.   Other people just find white flour particularly troublesome.  Split your meals up quite evenly during the day too so that you have chance to process the food.  Sipping water can help this so try to stay well hydrated.  

You mentioned in the original post 'when I was thin'.  Have you been very thin in the past or do you just mean when you were younger?

Listen, I know for a fact that 1800 calories is way too much for me. I know from experience. And I do have a low metabolism - that's also an established fact, because I know what a high metabolism is. My sister, who is a complete stick and can eat anything she wants and not gain a thing - that's high metabolism. She burns calories just sitting around. I know I have a low metabolism, like my mother. Where my sister gets her body type from we have no idea. Also, I do try and make things so I don't eat very much all at once and spread my calories out. And I am very good at keeping hydrated - drinking enough water has always been one of my natural pluses, like being a healthy eater.

I meant thin as in a normal weight, which I was around two years ago. Since then I've been slowly gaining more and more.

Helloandgoodbye ~

Calorie Count Plus's mission is to promote healthy and sustainable weight management.

It is recommended that adults (19yr+) get at least 1200 (female)/1500 (male) calories a day.  The minimum calories often do not apply to most as most people are taller and weigh more and are somewhat active.  It is also recommended that teenagers get 1500-1800 calories per day and more when they are active.

Also, just because you have stopped growing in height doesn't mean that your body is not done growing internally.

I know that you said that you think 1200 calories is even too much for you and are wondering if you should go lower but that is not something we can or will advise to do.

Promotion of starvation diets or habits that exhibit signs of an eating disorder ("pro-ana", "pro-mia", etc.) is prohibited.

Low calorie diets fall into the above mentioned.

If you truly feel that 1800 and even 1200 calories is too much for you then there is not much we can do for you.  You need to speak to with a nutritionist.  You also should go back and get your thyroid tested.  Hopefully they will have better luck this next time.

UTR
Volunteer Moderator

You are normal weight. Your BMI is around 22.8 Not that BMI is 100% accurate, but you are smack in the middle.

What is your goal weight?

Anyone who knows me, knows that there is no way in hell I have an eating disorder. I eat perfectly fine. I'd never even consider starving myself. While my BMI is normal, I know, but for me personally I'm not satisfied with my body. It's not low self-esteem, it's just a personal thing, like I've gained weight, and I just want to loose it and get back to where I was two years ago which was also normal weight (around 118 lbs). Honestly. I really don't get why everyone here is recommending I eat more when I did and gained weight from it. Is it that hard to accept that my body might be different from the norm? I think I might just go back to eating what I want when I feel that I need to eat, because it at least worked fine before - now that I'm counting calories, it seems it's not helping one bit and here everyone's telling me something different then what I've experienced my entire life. I know you all are trying to help, and I did come here for help but I didn't expect to be put down and told that I show signs of an eating disorder...I know my body and my body isn't starving. It might be hard to believe and I'm sure it's easier just to think that I need 1800 calories like everyone else and I'm only sixteen and I don't know the right things but goodness.

I did not tell you that you showed signs of an eating disorder. 

I did tell you that we cannot and will not advise you to eat under the recommended amount of calories and doing so would be against Posting Guidelines. 

Again, if you truly feel that 1800 calories or even 1200 calories is too much for you, then PLEASE discuss this with your doctor as well as a nutritionist.  WE are not medical professionals and cannot tell you what would work perfectly for your body. 

There are also metabolism tests as well as other tests that can be performed to see if you really do need less calories than the average person.  Again, you will have to discuss these options with a medical professional.

It is possible that anything you eat makes you gain weight, as you say, because you simply are not eating enough and your body is holding on to whatever it can.

That you have a slow metabolism is not in fact an established fact just because your sister's is high. It is a fact only if there is something that has been found by a doctor to be impeding your metabolism. Otherwise, again, it may be you that is slowing your metabolism by not eating enough.

With regard to the thyroid, I have a thyroid condition and am not on medication. My doctor is cautious and did not feel it was warranted. It is not a given that you will have to be on medication if you do in fact have thyroid issues. But even if you do need medication? Get the blood tests done and take it. The thyroid is nothing to mess around with: it has an intimate relationship with some of the major processes in your body.

But I really do think the issue lies with you and not your thyroid. I am not saying that you have an eating disorder: in no way am I saying that. I am saying that you, like many other people, too, don't yet understand that you have to eat to lose weight. You notice yourself gaining weight and assume it means you have to eat less, when it very likely means exactly the opposite.

Oh, and on a related note, you may feel full because your stomach is likely shrinking due to the fact that you may not be feeding it enough.

You gained weight because your body is conserving.  After eating consistantly higher your body will realize "hey she's actually feeding me, I can let go of everything I was storing."  If you eat below your bmr your body will lower  its metabolism to your new eating level, and send out "storing" enzymes.  any time you eat above this new level your body will store every possible ounce it can no matter how hard you workout.  When you start eating correctly again initially you will gain because this enzyme is still present but once your body stabilizes it will drop the weight and then some.

I ate 1100 cals for 3 months (burning close to 2200) and I gained 15lbs, as soon as I bumped my cals to 1500 I gained about 3 lbs and then lost 10 within a few months (and that was w/o excercise, burning about 1800/day)

Yes, you do have a low metabolism because you don't eat enough.  The way to increase it is by eating!  If you continue to eat the way it sound like you are eating you will pay for it in the long run!

I don't know how to make people understand that the reason I gained weight was because I started eating around that many calories a day. And my metabolism was still slow. My metabolism was always slow, even when I ate "normal". Is this difficult to understand? Two years ago I ate less then I did when I was gaining weight (by eating around the recommended daily calories). I was happy, healthy, and had a normal weight. The reason I gained weight was because I started eating more and now I want to go back to what I was doing two years ago. But with everything I've learned and with what people are telling me, I was healthier gaining weight then I was two years ago? That makes no sense. I feel unhealthy at my weight because I became that way by overeating. I have enough of a good head on my shoulders to realize when I'm overeating and when I'm undereating. There is absolutely no way that my body needs more calories then I have been giving it the past few months. Thank you all for your advice but I am going to listen to my body and decide for myself - but certainly I will do no dangerous thing.

I was well aware of the "you need to eat to lose weight" thing, as someone mentioned. But I did, to a healthy degree, and it didn't work. And I won't let people tell me that was because I still wasn't eating enough, which I know is not true.

Clearly, you want people to tell you you need to eat less. No one is going to do that.

They all legitimately want to help, and they are hearing everything you are saying. But the answer is the same from one person to the next, and will continue to be so, because unless your doctor tells you otherwise, that is the only answer there is. If you are eating at or under 1,200 calories a day and exercising one to two hours five times a week, you would not be gaining weight unless you had a medical condition, were on medication, or were not eating as much as you should.

If you in fact do have a medical condition, you need to find out what it is, and if the doctor then wants you to consume under 1,200 calories a day, he/she will let you know. It is not anything you should ever do without medical supervision.

As far as why you gained weight when you started eating a normal amount? If you are in fact healthy, it's likely because you slowed your metabolism to a point at which even normal servings caused a gain. But again, everyone has said this. Everyone will keep saying this. Whether or not you choose to look into the thoughts in this thread is up to you.

You are not fourteen anymore.  You are sixteen NOW and your body has different needs.  It will have different needs at eightteen, twenty, twenty-five and so on.  Your body does not stop developing until your twenty-five.

It is recommended to never go below 1200 calories if you are a female, because your body will go into starvation mode and it is possible that you might gain weight, besides doing serious damage to your body. (1500 calories if you are male).

Your body needs at least 1200 calories per day to survive. Here is a very rough scientific break down provided by a dietician for a  5' 2", 19 year old female weighing approximately 100 pounds, sitting around all day and doing nothing:


-The heart needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The kidney needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The Liver needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The brain needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The skeletal muscle needs 30% of the calories (360 cals)

Reference: http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/3178 .html#6

If you are under 19 you need to add 300 calories for a total of 1500 per day.  If you exercise you need to eat back at least half of the calories that you expend.  So if you burn 400 calories in a day you need to eat back 200 calories. 

You need to learn to be happy with yourself as you are now.  Not as you were in the past.

Do not compare yourself with your sister or with your friends.  You are yourself and your body is yours to take care of properly.  The members of c-c are giving you good advice.  Please take it.  If you do not believe that they are telling you the truth then please go and see a nutritionist.

Thank you all for trying to help, but before I leave I just want to say a few things: Nothing would make me happier then to know that I need to eat more. That would be wonderful - who wouldn't like to hear that? But again, I know if I did I would gain weight because of the calorie intake. I know my body. The members of this community need to realize that there are very different body types out there - yes, possible even ones that do not fit the standards. Also, I am not comparing myself to anyone. I never said I was. My sister is different then me, and that's why I know I can't eat as much as she can and maintain my weight. It's always been that way. And I'm okay with that. And I never said I was unhappy, just that I wanted to slim down a bit. I'm not struggling with self-esteem, I just want to be fit. Goodness.

As for gaining muscle, that is unlikely if you have been pretty consistent with your workouts for six months. You may have gained when you first started to work out: beginners can often cut calories and still put on muscle because muscle is so easily gained when you are new to weight training. But it does not take long for that to change. Soon enough you get to where you cannot cut calories and build any appreciable muscle precisely because you need those calories for the very muscle you wish to build. At that point, if you are gaining weight, it is not due to muscle.

I'm an X-ray Tech and we do Upper GI (gastrointestinal) Studies as well as Gastric Empying Studies in Nuclear Medicine when the stomach is not emptying properly.  You may have something called "gastroparesis".  There is a link from the Mayo Clinic just to give you some info on it.  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastroparesi s/DS00612

Let me put this as simply as I know how.

1.  You have found that your body (5'3", 16yrs, 129lbs) gains weight when you eat 1200 calories or more per day.

2.  The standard of 1200 calories is for a 5'2" sedentary woman who is around 110 lbs to lose weight.  Given your age and the extra inch, the exercise and a few more pounds, you should be maintaining your weight at around 1800 calories per day.

These two facts do not match, in fact the calorie difference is so much that I consider it to be a sign that something is not right.  A slow metabolism would have you maintaining around 1500-1600 calories imo. This means that now would be a good time to see your doctor and get any medical ideas checked out as to what might be wrong.  A nutritionist might also be able to help you determine if what you are eating is meeting your body's needs.

Your doctor may come back and say that you're right, you just have a slow metabolism, in which case hopefully s/he will have done their thorough tests to make sure that it's not a sign of something abnormal.

Do you really want to be struggling to lose weight and not being able to eat a whole lot for the next few years, not to mention risking the disordered eating habits that frequently are triggered by a restricted calorie diet?  I suspect that your metabolism has slowed from the lack of fuel, but there could be other reasons.  If it's lack of fuel, it can be repaired but it takes a lot of energy and will power and trust to eat enough to start it running properly again.

Personally I'd look for the option that actually allows you to eat a normal and balanced diet.

 

You're supposed to gain weight as you get older.  You get denser bones, (I'm assuming you're female) fuller curves, and, y'know, grow taller.  Again assuming you're female, you'll probably get that little pooch on your stomach, that's designed to protect/help if you get pregnant.

Bottom line, you're not eating enough.