Healthy Weight Maintenance/Nutrition Concerns

surfgirlusa_2006

Hi all,

I've been on a weight loss journey for almost 11 months now, and would like some advice.

In those 11 months, I have been quite successful (I went from 142.5 to around 105-106, and am 5'4"). I feel a million times better, and am much more confident in my appearance. However, now I am concerned about going too far in the opposite direction.

I'm not interested in losing more weight, since I am already at a low BMI of 18ish; however, I worry about increasing my calorie intake, since I don't particularly want to regain a great deal of weight, either. I currently consume around 1270 calories per day, and am trying to make sure I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and even a treat (banana bread is a favorite right now, I must confess). Exercise typically consists of a half hour "power walk" (4 miles per hour) a few days a week, in addition to the normal everyday activities such as cleaning, gardening, etc.

While I feel good, I have noticed a few mildly troubling things. First, I am often a bit on the chilly side. I've always been someone who gets cold easily, but it happens much more quickly than in the past. Second, I have dry hands (the rest of my skin is fine; the hands are the only issue). Third (and my apologies for the amount of detail), my period is a week late. I have read that this isn't a huge concern until it happens for three months, but I would prefer to nip any potential issues in the bud sooner, rather than later. Pregnancy is not at all a potential reason for lateness in this case.

My question is, how much should I worry about developing an eating disorder/these physical symptoms at this point? While I do track my caloric intake and am pretty strict about sticking to that 1270 calories, I don't over-exercise, hide food from others, refuse to eat, or engage in other behaviors typically associated with an eating disorder. I eat three meals and a snack or two, and really just focus on trying to make healthier choices (i.e. if I know I want steak and mashed potatoes for dinner, I'll watch my portion sizes and have a lighter meal for lunch).

I'm 24 if it makes any difference, and also have a fairly small frame. I did have some issues when I was 9, but I'm not currently engaging in those destructive behaviors (back then, I tried to cut back my fat grams consumed to 30 a day, then 20, then 10. I only wanted to eat Cheerios and salad, and exercised all the time).

Advice/insights regarding healthy weight maintenance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, and my apologies for the long post!

surfgirlusa_2006

Bump.

LiddyBit

Well, I would ask you this - What are you afraid will happen if you loosen up on your 1270 daily calorie limit? What is the worst thing that could happen if you gain back 5 pounds? These are things you may want to talk over with a therapist. I'm not saying you should gain weight if you don't want to, but it sounds like these are potentially complicated issues for you. I mean, is this healthy weight maintenance? Not especially. But it doesn't sound like that's what you really want.