Diet changing dilemma.. HELP

wanchimiedes
wanchimiedes Posts: 1 Member
edited February 10 in Food and Nutrition
Over the last 6 months I lost around 18 kg - I used to be 76 kg and now I'm 58 (=128lbs) I'm 18years old and 159 cm.. (most of them from jjune till october).. I was on Eat to live, then I was "carb-cycling" and spent the last 2 months being a strict paleo-an. Anyway, since September my periods have been further apart and weirder and they stopped althogether since November. I'm also anemic now - I wasn't when I was overweight-. I've been doing loads of cardio: running, curves circuit training.. and some resistance training.. i'm also on a ridiculously low cal diet (1000-1500 cals per day). I realized that my body doesnt look the was I want it to and I just wanted to know what to do now. I know I have to start weight training and eating more but I have this fear that I'll gain all the weightI've lost.
All the articles say I have to be on a surplus calorie diet.

How should I increase my calories? What should I eat?

Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • STC1188
    STC1188 Posts: 101 Member
    Two things:

    1. Your diet and training could have definitely caused the problem by basically generating too large of a deficit and certain vital processes (blood production, for instance, which your body stopped having periods in order to minimize) may have "turned off". However, talk with your doctor if you haven't about it since it could also be caused by a disease.

    2. I would make sure you are getting about ~100g protein (400 calories), 60g fat (540 calories) and fill in the rest as you please. I would recommend carbohydrates since my particular anemia (again, check with your doctor to make sure it is nothing more serious) responded well to increased calories especially from carbohydrates.

    If you have a fear of weight gain, just take it slow and up your calories 100/week. I am warning you now: you will gain weight, and it will be a combination of many factors, but it will includes some fat. The good news is that once you reach a healthy state, your body will begin to burn fat with a sensible deficit without becoming anemic, lethargic, and without as much effort (for example, when I was anemic, I could barely lose weight on 2200 calories hitting the gym everyday). Now, at the same weight, I weight train three times a week and can lose weight at 3000 calories a day.

    It is a process and will take time, but your health is definitely worth it. Good luck!
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