When is thin TOO thin?

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  • acting101girl
    acting101girl Posts: 19
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    My mom was 5'9 and 115 her whole life but gained to 120 now that she is older! So I think when I get older I will also put on some weight! Also my dad was always very thin and could never gain weight haha but now I eat more than anyone in my entire family!
  • Giantess
    Giantess Posts: 213 Member
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    Something important that no one has mentioned is that you need to ignore your dance teachers.

    I spent 16 years as a ballerina, and when you get the the competitive end of things, Anorexia and Bulimia become an almost enforced lifestyle. I remember teachers walking through our ballet summer camp and removing everything from our lunch boxes except one piece of fruit or lean meat.

    A friend of mine, dancing with a company, put on 5lbs over Christmas, and her director told her she looked pregnant and gave her role to someone else.

    These dance-culture behaviors need to STOP. They are unethical, cruel, and inhumane. So if anyone--teachers, directors, your fellow dancers--are daring or taunting you to stay below a healthy weight, please, please ignore them. This culture needs to change, and you will still have opportunities to dance professionally at a healthy body weight--I have many friends that had great careers with slender but healthy bodies.

    It is a great step to be here, and your attitude sounds fantastic. Please keep it up! Feed your body--you will find your dance performance is enhanced with all the muscle and energy you can build!
  • acting101girl
    acting101girl Posts: 19
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    Oh my gosh!! That is aweful!!! I luckily haven't dealt with anything like that at all! I am not to a professional level of dance & I would not put up with that!!
  • TAnne123
    TAnne123 Posts: 21 Member
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    The BMI scale was developed for statistical purposes in charting large groups- not meant (and shouldn't be) used to judge an individual's ideal weight, as height is just one of many factors... Science stuff aside, I love that MFP asks you if you want to lose, maintain, or GAIN weight. It just so happens in our society, most people want to LOSE weight. Many members of MFP are here to maintain or gain. When is fat TOO fat?
    I applaud your effort to be healthy and to reach your personal ideal weight. However, this topic is misleading in my opinion. People come in all shapes and sizes.
    But almost no one develops amenorrhea by accident except for athletes training at the pro level. I guess it's possible. I'd recommend talking to your GYN if your period doesn't come back after a 5- 10% body weight increase.
    Good luck with the meal plan!
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    I am around 5'6 and 96 pounds. And I do not have periods. My bmi is around 15.9-16.

    woah. Yea, I'm 5'6, and couldn't imagine myself below 150, and would think 130 was too thin on me..... At this height, if you are under 100 you are definitely too thin, I'd think under 120 would be too thin, but that's just me. You an slowly up your calories and put on some healthy weight - but also exercise, because at that weight, you probably need to build some muscle too, that will be healthy good weight that will look good on you. :)
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I know someone who got so thin she lost her breasts. She just had nubs. She still had her period though, or at least I assume so since she got pregnant shortly after that. She's still very thin, but forces herself to at least be withing the healthy range for BMI so no one talks to her about going to the hospital. It must be terrible to live this way.
  • Living4Liz2012
    Living4Liz2012 Posts: 312
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    When you can start seeing every bone in their body or a lost of a normal TOM:(
  • LindaCWy
    LindaCWy Posts: 463 Member
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    In your opinion when is thin too thin? When you lose your period? When your friends and family start commenting on your thinness?
    When your bmi is low? I am trying to gain weight because I am too thin. Some people might think its crazy to try to actually try to gain weight but appently I am too thin. What is your opinion on being too thin?

    It's probably just as unhealthy as being "too overweight".
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    In your opinion when is thin too thin? When you lose your period? When your friends and family start commenting on your thinness?
    When your bmi is low? I am trying to gain weight because I am too thin. Some people might think its crazy to try to actually try to gain weight but appently I am too thin. What is your opinion on being too thin?

    My mother commented on my being "too thin" when I was 132 pounds at 5'3" so that isn't always a good indication, though in many cases shouldn't be brushed aside.

    If you aren't having a period, you are definitely too thin.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I know someone who got so thin she lost her breasts. She just had nubs. She still had her period though, or at least I assume so since she got pregnant shortly after that. She's still very thin, but forces herself to at least be withing the healthy range for BMI so no one talks to her about going to the hospital. It must be terrible to live this way.

    Some women just have really small breasts. I had a friend when I was a kid whose mother basically had raised nipples, but she was a healthy weight.
  • turningstar
    turningstar Posts: 393 Member
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    ^^^ I understand your point about not taking the b.m.I. scale as gospel, but under 100 lbs for someone almost 5 and a 1/2 feet tall is too low, no matter what the b.m.I. scale says.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    In your opinion when is thin too thin? When you lose your period? When your friends and family start commenting on your thinness?
    When your bmi is low? I am trying to gain weight because I am too thin. Some people might think its crazy to try to actually try to gain weight but appently I am too thin. What is your opinion on being too thin?

    _______________________________________________________________

    A person is "too thin" when his or her body fat percentage is at or near essential levels: 13% for women and 5% for men. A person can also be too thin, in my view, when (s)he has a relatively low BMI but relatively high body fat percentage -- a disastrous combination.
  • Brittmy
    Brittmy Posts: 141 Member
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    Wow! Good for you for taking a step towards health, in whichever direction. :flowerforyou:
    While our culture seems to stress losing weight, many seem to forget that your body needs essential fats to run smoothly, and for all of your organs and body processes to function correctly. While aesthetically, many people have their own opinions of what constitutes the ideal body weight, and look, it sounds like your body is telling you that have lost too much essential fat. It seems like you are on the right track, and are talking to your doctor now, which is great!! Feel free to add me if you need support. Gaining weight can be just as tough as losing, and I would be happy to help!
    ~Brittany
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
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    I would suggest reading Portia Derossi's book "Unbearable Lightness". Hopefully this will help you wrap your head around a healthy weight. From your pictures, not only does it appear that you are very skinny, but you have no muscle. Your thighs look about the size of my arms. Good on you for knowing you need to gain weight. I would personally recommend at least 20, but I'm not you, and I'm not your doctor.

    Good luck!
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
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    Yes, when you have lost your period through weight issues then you are seriously underweight and need to talk to your doctor who will help you. Too thin is when you are not getting enough nutrients to run your body correctly, loosing your period is a very serious thing and you have some potential dangerous health problems building up. But for me, too thin is when bones become obvious. When you have animals healthy weight is when you can feel bones by applying a small amount of pressure but they are not obvious or protruding, nor do you have to actually press down and look for them. The same is true from humans, bones should be close to the surface but not obvious. Obvious bones - too thin,
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    I think you're on the right track with a bit of weight gain.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I was 86#, 5'7" when I graduated from HS. I grew 7" in one year... my joints took a beating as a result and I broke my knees leaving me immobile for months and even thinner. Sometimes, someone as young as you is naturally very thin and you will grow into it. You sound healthy, mentally and physically... don't beat yourself up about it. And enjoy eating some extra sharp cheddar cheese and steak :bigsmile:
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
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    At 5'6" a good, healthy weight would probably be 120ish (in my opinion). My mom is 5'5" and looked sickly thin at 115. And I know what sickly looks like as I was anorexic in high school. Of course, I am catering that to what your body type seems to be. For me, if I can APPEAR healthy at very low weights because I am curvy, but I personally wouldn't want to weigh below 140. My goal is 150 but I want to see how I look/feel there. It would be nice to have more cushion between my weight and top end of what is considered healthy. I'd like to have a body fat % between 22 and 24%.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    I am sorry to say but you are WAY too skinny!! 96 lbs at 5'6" makes me think that you may have anorexic tendencies.
    Why would you say this? She hasn't said anything that indicated an eating disorder. I had similar stats when I was her age. It's very difficult for some people to gain weight.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I am sorry to say but you are WAY too skinny!! 96 lbs at 5'6" makes me think that you may have anorexic tendencies.
    Why would you say this? She hasn't said anything that indicated an eating disorder. I had similar stats when I was her age. It's very difficult for some people to gain weight.

    What she said.... Being really dang thin at the age of 18 isn't unheard of.

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