am i healthy? should i gain weight?

jesparkman42
jesparkman42 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 19 years old and i have a bit of a problem. I've never been over weight. I'm 5'4" and my highest weight is about 110 pounds ( in middle school). I am very small boned. I've NEVER liked my weight and had a constant pressure to be thin/ stay the same weight. I cheered in high school so I watched what I ate and exercised and what not- i was about 102 pounds throughout high school ( i got a little lower once but i soon returned to about 102.) my freshman year of college I went in weighing about 99 pounds. with the change in lifestyle i got up to about 107. I decided to lose some weight this summer. I dropped to 95 pounds. I now am about 97. i count my calories on here and I feel bad when i go over.

I BY NO MEANS HAVE AN EATING DISORDER! i like food... a lot haha. My boyfriend and my parents have started to say comments about gaining weight but my question is... should i? I don't want to be the skinny girl that got fat in college :( I think i'm fairly healthy and fit. I have a period. I exercise a few times a week. I even have visible abs. what should I do?

Replies

  • mcjabber
    mcjabber Posts: 374 Member
    If you're really worried about health, see a doctor (a campus doctor maybe?). They'll be able to give you a better answer than any of us. Do your stats seem low to me? Yes, but there are so many factors that I couldn't possibly weigh in with any real authority!
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    Your BMI is 16.6 which is considered underweight, so using that as a guide I would say that you might should gain a few pounds. 108 puts you at the bottom of the Healthy range.

    I do definitely understand wanting to stay at the low end of healthy, because I too am small boned, and even shorter than you. When people find out my weight they often comment on how low it is (and I am right in the middle of Healthy). But smaller frames really do have to stay on the low end of things to look good.

    It sounds like you are fairly health, though. I would look just into doing some resistance and strenghth training as you add a bit of weight. With your nice figure already you wlll end up with an awesome body. You can add weight the right way, instead of having to try to burn off the fat like so many of us here!
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I would urge caution in using BMI to determine whether one is over- or underweight. BMI is inaccurate for small-framed people the same way it is for muscular people.

    First of all, keep in mind that you are 19. You have a body that is likely not fully mature. It might be a lot easier for you to naturally carry less weight.

    Secondly, everyone has an inherited body type, just like eye color, etc. So, the fact that you are naturally thin and have a small frame might just be your "normal".

    Having said that, the flip side is that you are 19 and naturally lean and I'm not sure this is really the time to "feel bad" if you "go over" your calories.

    Again, given your age, this is not a time to overreact. I am not in favor of "gaining weight" for gaining weight's sake. There is nothing inherently wrong with being thin and having a low body fat %, as long as you are not doing it for the wrong reasons or not engaging in extreme/unhealthy habits to achieve it.

    In general, however, I would recommend that you have a conversation with a registered dietitian (maybe through your school?) who could talk to you about your diet and recommend an appropriate calorie intake. I would also recommend following a resistance training (weight lifting) program to increase your muscle mass and to "gain weight" the right way. Whether it's "normal" or not, having a small frame and being a "lightweight" does put you at long-term risk for osteoporosis and even sarcopenia.

    You may find that your body naturally "fills out" a little in the next few years. In any case, I would recommend that if you decide to "gain weight" you do it in a planned way that improves your overall fitness and health. I think it is more important at this point in your life to focus more on a healthy lifestyle and less on your scale weight.

    My $0.02, FWIW.
  • bingefreeaubree
    bingefreeaubree Posts: 220 Member
    The best bet to see where a healthy weight for you would be not by BMI, but by looking at your growth charts. You can call up your doctor and he/she can print this out and get it to you without even scheduling an appointment. There's a graph plotted with your weights all as you're growing up and it'll show you about where your projected weight is for your current age. :smile: Being under 100 pounds at 5'4 even though you still have your period could bring some unhealthy problems in the long run. I suggest getting closer to 105 or even 110 and then just adding in a lot of strength training to tone up your body. I looked heavier at 110 than I now do at 120 being toned by doing Insanity and hitting the weights at the gym. This way, you'll be at a healthy weight but still have a rockin bod since you're so toned.

Categories