Too thin? 5'4" 112

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Quitecontrary5
Quitecontrary5 Posts: 3
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Is 5'4" female at 112 far too thin? My family is very concerned, but maybe I'm not seeing something clearly? My brother said that I look anorexic, but I didn't feel that thin. My boyfriend thinks I'm a good weight. I'm getting confused and nervous about people thinking that I have an ED.

I realize that the BMI puts me in normal range, but does it look too thin?

Thanks for your insight.
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Replies

  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
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    How old are you ?
  • Quitecontrary5
    Quitecontrary5 Posts: 3
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    28
  • TutuMom41
    TutuMom41 Posts: 278 Member
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    Its hard for people who are used to seeing you heavy to see you at a healthy weight. I am 5'6" and 128 lbs. My own mom told me I looked gaunt and friends of mine say I look frail. I was told to go back to 160. That puts me at a BMI that is overweight. Ask them if an actress or someone you know with similar stats is to thin :) I bet they will say no.
  • Quitecontrary5
    Quitecontrary5 Posts: 3
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    You know, I've actually done that. It always comes down to the fact that my family doesnt know them, so it isn't their problem what some actress weighs.

    I came down from 128 to 117. Over the last year, my first as a counselor (stressful!), I've lost 5 more pounds. Everyone is so upset because I am so much thinner. I kind of liked the size 4 jeans, but with everyone's concern, I started to think that maybe I had a dysmorphia thing happening. You've at least helped ease my mind that I don't necessarily look sickly.
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
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    It depends on your goals and your body at that weight for me I was not healthy and really could not do what I wanted physically and sustain energy levels as needed for things I do. I am now at 130 but my age is 53. I am content and healthy now and no issues. At that weight I was anemic and had issues but I can't tell you look inward and see what you are eating and whats going on in your life. Look at skin tone, BMI, blood work etc . You can have an ED and be unhealthy and still fall in line with medical charts. They are guidelines not concrete
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    Still within BMI range, but if you have difficulty lifting 20lbs, it might be time to strength train.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • TutuMom41
    TutuMom41 Posts: 278 Member
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    I am 5'6 128 and opinions are like *kitten*. Every body has one. If you are eating well and feel good you are fine. I wear a size 4 :) it feels pretty good doesn't it
  • LizMarx2014
    LizMarx2014 Posts: 9
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    I used to work out at a reasonable level and eat really well. I was 5'2", about 130 lb, which was a little overweight for me. Because I didn't get out of shape as I got older people assumed I had an eating disorder. I do not. Due to circumstances beyond my control the last few years I have put on weight and now I am WAY overweight and look it. Nobody is accusing me of being ED now

    I used to get defensive when people put me down by saying I as "following fads" or "had a bad self image" or whatever else they could think of to make me feel bad about being in such great shape because they were jealous. Some people are just projecting -- people who have food issues for real or just aren't committed to their health find it difficult to believe you really can stay fit by eating right and exercising,

    On the other hand, if you have reason to believe there is something wrong with your health or your eating habits you should see a doctor or a nutritionist. This is so obvious it seems silly to mention it, but keep in mind PEOPLE aren't doctors. Only doctors are doctors -- they have a license to practice medicine, as opposed to PEOPLE who often watch too much tv and don't know when to mind their own business.
  • sylviedroz
    sylviedroz Posts: 95 Member
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    when i was ill because of my thyroid i dropped to 98..but before that i didn't look sick until i was lower than 115lb. the moment my weight dropped to 114 i looked sick.

    so yeah maybe you'll look a bit gaunt and so on but at the same time every body is different, every frame is different and everyone carries the weight differently. so it's your opinion really. xx
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
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    I am 5'4" and used to be naturally very thin. When I was 102 pounds, that was too thin. right now I range from 115 to 120 and it seems good to me. As long as you are healthy and are happy, that is what really matters. Although recently I have started strength training (have no muscle at all) and I LOVE it. I'm gaining weight but it's muscle and I feel so much better. Building some muscle can help you look and feel healthier if you're concerned.
  • jfauci
    jfauci Posts: 531 Member
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    Depends on how you feel and how you think you look. I am 5'7" and I weigh 117. It sounds thin, but I am very muscular and everyone tells me that I look good. I wouldn't obsess too much about the number. If you feel good and look good, you're good.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    I'm not seeing a photo of you, so can't comment on how you look specifically and individually. Different people are healthy or "too thin" at different weights. I know what weight is too thin for me. I know what weight I start to feel more fluffy at. I am small framed. I am 5'2", I weigh around 102, and I can lift 1.5 times my body weight. A person can be small and strong/healthy. But, the numbers don't work out the same way for every person.
  • 68berry67
    68berry67 Posts: 7 Member
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    I am 47, 5ft 4 and 3/4 inches to be exact. I workout, 4 days of cardio, generally 2 days of weights enough to give me some muscle growth but I don't have enough time in my week to do much more. I weigh anywhere between 113-116 on any given day. MY BMI is about 18% 20% depending on my hydration and it is my goal to keep it at about that. ... When I hit 113 I became concerned I wasn't eating properly for my fitness goals, which was get off my butt and build some cardio endurance and strength. I joined MFP specifically to make sure I was EATING ENOUGH and enough of the right foods in the right proportion. I really make super sure on my gym days to eat my extra needed calories. Nobody had told me I am too thin, (I weighed 115 in high school and 123 10 months ago. It was never my goal to lose weight specifically. I do come from a family of smaller boned woman as well. Reassure your family that you are taking care to take in enough of the proper calories in the right amounts. Maybe you just need to set some new goals for fitness (weights, don't be afraid, everyone starts somewhere if you haven't already) and how you are eating. I I do eat about a gram- a gram and a half of protein for each pound I weigh. I also make sure I am eating about 35%-40% of my calories in healthy fats. You don't want to get so thin that you mess up your hormones!
  • aliakynes
    aliakynes Posts: 352 Member
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    You're barely heavy enough to donate blood so there's that.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Yeah, I have never been able to give blood. Very small people can't give blood. I was also not able to donate my kidney to a friend because my kidney was too small for her.
  • aliakynes
    aliakynes Posts: 352 Member
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    If someone I knew who was at a healthy weight lost 5 lbs in a year due to stress I would be concerned too. Hopefully you're not attempting to lose even more?

    Utilize MFP to make sure you're taking care of all your nutritional needs. If anything it will ease their worries about you having an ED if they see that you're eating enough for your size.
  • gary241069
    gary241069 Posts: 255 Member
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    http://www.today.com/health/200-pound-anorexic-obese-teens-risk-disorder-its-often-unrecognized-4B11216388

    This article here proves that anorexia is about what you eat and nothing to do with your body weight.
    My sister had anorexia. she went down to 96 lbs and her height was 5'2''.
    When we found help for her and her treatment started she went down to 84 lbs as she started to get healthier.
    But you don't have to be thin to be anorexic
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    OP - without seeing pictures, it's really hard to give an objective opinion on whether you're too thin or just fine.

    I'm the same height as Binary Pulsar, but I would look too thin at her weight, and she would look too chunky at my weight - we don't have the same frame. So the same logic applies to you - one person at your weight and height might look healthy, another person at your weight and height may look too thin. Pictures are needed to give our thoughts on this.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    OP - without seeing pictures, it's really hard to give an objective opinion on whether you're too thin or just fine.

    I'm the same height as Binary Pulsar, but I would look too thin at her weight, and she would look too chunky at my weight - we don't have the same frame. So the same logic applies to you - one person at your weight and height might look healthy, another person at your weight and height may look too thin. Pictures are needed to give our thoughts on this.

    Yeah, I agree! Well said!
  • aedreana
    aedreana Posts: 979 Member
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    Admin deleted my post because they felt I was being derogatory toward people with anorexia. So I will leave out what I said about that and just say that you are absolutely not anorexic. I am 5' 3 1/2" and have often weighed 112 in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. I am121 at the moment and preparing to diet. You'd have to lose over 20 lbs. to look anorexic at 5' 4." It is very unfair to accuse slender people of anorexia.

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