I'm underweight but my stomach looks big?
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BinaryPulsar wrote: »Yeah, you are underweight. You look very slim. No big tummy at all. Technically you really should at least try to gain 8 pounds or so. You can talk to your own doctor for personalized advice on that based on your frame, genetics, and personal history.
Also, I have had issues with body dysmorphia, so I understand that. But, I didn't know that was what was going on when i was younger. I was also very focused on my tummy and perceived bloating.
Yeah I know I've been trying to gain weight! I started eating higher calorie foods along with heavy weights and so far I've gained 3lbs!!
I will talk to someone about it, I just thought it would be odd for me to have body dysmorphia. I'm an artist, and amazing with proportions (not to toot my own horn) so I assumed that I saw myself at proportion as well.
It's different when viewing our own bodies. ♡
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Ok, I know some people are suggesting dance and stuff, but make sure you have the doctor's OK on it. If you're underweight, you really want to make sure your doctor checks off of any type of exercise. (And it really helps to have a doctor who specializes in ED!)
And I agree with people's post; your stomach is tinier than is healthy. I really hope you're getting the help you need!:)0 -
I agree with everyone saying to lift heavy and gain some muscle. Just wanted to give an example of what heavy lifting and a few extra pounds can do. This is Staci who decided to lift heavy and gain some weight (she's 11lbs heavier in the photo on the right):
You can read her full story here:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
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poor posture and a pevlic tilt will give you the exact issue you are complaining about.
And this is wildly odd- but true to an extent- not every womans organs sit in the EXACT same place- which means- for me- I'll never EVER have a "flat" stomach- my uterus sits to damn high- it has nothing to do with fat- or a big stomach- it's the way my body is built- coupled with a natural tendency to carry my butt behind me in a sway back manner- If I'm not careful I look 3 months pregnant- it's awful.
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But has nothing to do with fat.
Work on your weights- improve your posture. If you took belly dancing- posture with a tucked/neutral pelvis would be something you know.
So do it.0 -
If you aren't happy with your size and want to gain some weight, you shouldn't just eat more calories without focusing on where those calories are coming from. It's great that you are adding strength training to your routine as lean muscle should be where the extra weight comes from. You don't want to put the fat back on that you worked so hard to get off. I would recommend eating more lean protein (beans, poultry and fish) and eating more often (albeit smaller meals) throughout the day. It's harder for women to put on lean muscle than it is for men but it can be done. You should also keep up a cardio routine but do it for maintenance and not weight loss and start lifting heavy weights with lower reps. Find what works for you. In the end, you have to be happy with your appearance, whatever that may be.0
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If you really can't stomach more food, my suggestion is to stop running (and burning the 300 calories) and eat the same amount (not net, but gross) that you would if you were running (so continue to eat about 2100 calories per day). Don't add in other exercise to make up for it. This way you're effectively eating 300 calories more. It probably won't be enough to make you gain weight since you're losing weight eating how you are but maybe you can stop yourself from losing more.
I think you know very well that eating 1800- 1900 calories net is NOT maintenance for you and that you will NOT gain weight eating that much (with or without weight lifting), simply by looking at the fact that you've lost weight eating the way you do.
You're gorgeous, so don't worry about that part!0 -
I get that eating 2100 feels like a lot. But you still need to eat more. Liquid calories are your friend. Drink an extra glass of whole milk with a scoop of protein powder and that's easily 250 calories right there. I have bulked eating 2600 calories and know women that have eaten upwards of 3,000. You can find a way if you really want to.
My other advice would be to stop doing so much cardio and focus more on weights.
Good luck!
ETA: I'm 5'8 and my maintenance is 2200.0 -
I eat really clean and I really prefer to stay away from unhealthy foods. I do eat enough calories in a day for my height though, and maybe I could use a little more while I'm lifting weights but I end up feeling sick and bloated if I eat too much.
I am also five foot eight and had a recent scare with how much weight I've lost. Go see a doctor. There could be an underlying issue as to why you lost weight without trying. For me it was a combination of salivary stones (painful swelling every time I ate) combined with the resulting stress and panic attacks from not knowing what was going on. I lost forty pounds over the course of a year, but didn't really realize it because I don't keep a scale in the house.
You could have other issues besides posture... muscle weakness from another cause, (god forbid) parasites, an enzyme imbalance that's causing poor digestion. I realize it's a pain to go in, see the doctor, especially when you feel like they won't listen to you or just throw a prescription your way. Find one that will listen and tell them what's happened. Make sure you tell them what you've been eating. I've been doing real food... staying away from anything processed, so it's a bit more hard work to get the calories we need at our height.
Also, if you're having trouble with nausea from eating too much at one sitting, switch to a four meal a day plan, or even five meals a day, but smaller. I used to get sick if I ate right away in the morning... now that I'm trying to get my weight back up, I'm making myself eat breakfast. Eventually that feeling went away, and my stomach was actually growling in the mornings instead! But I feel very full after only eating half of what I should be. It's from eating so little for so long. You're going to have to push yourself a bit.
I now eat four meals a day, and usually a late evening snack too. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon "tea" (light sandwich or something), and supper. Evening snack about two or three hours after supper... whatever will fill my calorie "quota" for the day on the MFP diary.
Western medicine sucks, but as we get older there are things even diet and exercise can't fix. See a doctor, consult them on your exercise plans, and get tests done to make sure there isn't another cause.
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I just want to add that I used to have trouble with eating. It was psychological, a stress condition. Stress can cause spasms. I would also feel nauseated from eating. Managing my stress was what helped it.0
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:noway:0
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You don't look big.
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Number of factors... and weight isn't among them, because you are indeed, as you realized, not too heavy.
Posture, frequently mentioned, is indeed a likely issue. Another is that unless you have some solid muscle there, there is no muscle to show and define the way things look, so strengthening the muscles in your core would be a good way to go. Another thing, which I didn't see mentioned, is the water retention of your body could be messing with the way you look. If you want to look more 'shredded', you could attempt to reduce water retention in your body by reducing your salt intake. At your (low!) body weight, that could quite possibly have very large impact on your looks. Especially if you are currently on a relatively high sodium diet for whatever reason.
If you want to learn a bit more, you could do some googling for "skinny fat", because that is an often used term in the body building world to describe the issue you are having. Note that the fat in that term does not actually refer to fat at all.
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I would definitely recommend lifting heavy. I haven't read through all the comments, but as people have said you are underweight. Bulk up! Seriously, it will give you the body you're looking for and be much healthier. That's one side of your problem, the other is mental and please take care of that first. You are not defined by your stomach or your weight, you are defined by your thoughts, actions and beliefs. Become the person you want on THE INSIDE and it will reflect on the outside. Blessings and love you to my friend! I can't wait to hear about your progress and successes in the future!0
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I eat really clean and I really prefer to stay away from unhealthy foods. I do eat enough calories in a day for my height though, and maybe I could use a little more while I'm lifting weights but I end up feeling sick and bloated if I eat too much.
I am also five foot eight and had a recent scare with how much weight I've lost. Go see a doctor. There could be an underlying issue as to why you lost weight without trying. For me it was a combination of salivary stones (painful swelling every time I ate) combined with the resulting stress and panic attacks from not knowing what was going on. I lost forty pounds over the course of a year, but didn't really realize it because I don't keep a scale in the house.
You could have other issues besides posture... muscle weakness from another cause, (god forbid) parasites, an enzyme imbalance that's causing poor digestion. I realize it's a pain to go in, see the doctor, especially when you feel like they won't listen to you or just throw a prescription your way. Find one that will listen and tell them what's happened. Make sure you tell them what you've been eating. I've been doing real food... staying away from anything processed, so it's a bit more hard work to get the calories we need at our height.
Also, if you're having trouble with nausea from eating too much at one sitting, switch to a four meal a day plan, or even five meals a day, but smaller. I used to get sick if I ate right away in the morning... now that I'm trying to get my weight back up, I'm making myself eat breakfast. Eventually that feeling went away, and my stomach was actually growling in the mornings instead! But I feel very full after only eating half of what I should be. It's from eating so little for so long. You're going to have to push yourself a bit.
I now eat four meals a day, and usually a late evening snack too. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon "tea" (light sandwich or something), and supper. Evening snack about two or three hours after supper... whatever will fill my calorie "quota" for the day on the MFP diary.
Western medicine sucks, but as we get older there are things even diet and exercise can't fix. See a doctor, consult them on your exercise plans, and get tests done to make sure there isn't another cause.
This was the most helpful, thank you I have increased my caloric intake and started my weight training and already I've been gaining some weight I'm seeing my doctor on the 31st as well just to make sure my body is healthy and such as well!
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I lost forty pounds over the course of a year, but didn't really realize it because I don't keep a scale in the house.
........
Western medicine sucks, but as we get older there are things even diet and exercise can't fix. See a doctor, consult them on your exercise plans, and get tests done to make sure there isn't another cause.
wait- you lost somewhere between 4 and 6 dress sizes and didn't notice you're clothes weren't falling off???
And yeah- the horrors of western medicine- chemo for cancers- and vaccines for polo and tetanus and what not- flue shots- really tragic stuff. Western medicine is the devil.0 -
I have an autistic child and I'm a stay at home mom. I wear yoga pants and tees most of the time... I don't measure the length of what's left of the drawstring, lol.0
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Lol. Of all the advice you take, it's that one.Hey sweet pea, ignore the idiot haters on here. First off, your body is beautiful and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Secondly, if you'd like to change the shape of any body part you need to develop some muscle mass. I recommend increasing your weight training to 3-4xs per week for a beginner and don't be afraid to lift a little heavier. It won't make you get "bulky" but help tone up a trouble spot. Putting weight on your abdominal exercises will really make a difference too. Heavy "russian twists" can really help change the shape of your tummy. Google "weighted abdominal exercises" and see what you think.
Hope that helps.
Thank you so much all I was asking for was help, so thank you a lot for that. I've started to do more weight training as well so hopefully I'll start to see some results in a month or two I'll definitely up my weights as well!
I love you MFP
I was taking into account the advice everyone was giving me. I was just happy to see somebody act nicer towards me rather than tell me about my "body dysmorphia" or "eating disorder". I have neither of those. Yes I am self-conscious, as is almost every other woman on the planet. No I do not need help. I am fully aware I am not fat or large, I meant that for the way the rest of my body looks my stomach sticks out a lot. Yes I now know I need to improve my posture and add more weight training into my routine. I'm just sick of rude comments and rude people. I made this post to ask for help not to be spoken rudely to.
You do have body dysmorphia. I don't know enough about you to know if you have an eating disorder, but we are the same height and you are seriously underweight, which usually means eating disorder.
Not every woman on this planet is self-conscious. I built an amazing body and love it. I don't care what others think of it, that's their business not mine.
Your stomach would look better if you increased calories and started lifting.
I don't believe I have body dysmorphia. And I do not have an eating disorder as I'm eating the recommended calories for my height
I didn't mean that all women are, I meant that its pretty normal to be a little self-conscious. I'm glad you're proud of your body mine doesn't look how I want it to yet, and I'm trying to work hard to get there.
I have started lifting but it makes me sick to eat more calories. Like I end up feeling bloated and gross if my net calories are more than 2100. (I burn around 300 a day with cardio . Thanks for the advice though!
OK, so this is going to sound pedantic, and I apologize.
You don't have a number of calories based on your height.
It's based on weight, body composition (often simplified using height and weight instead of %BF), normal daily activity, and deliberate exercise.
If you are losing or maintaining and you want to gain, then you need to eat more. Period. Maybe your %BF is lower than the height/weight estimation. Maybe your normal daily activity is higher than you put in or you underestimate your exercise or overestimate calories consumed. Who cares, it's real world results that matter.
Oh, and as far as not being able to eat more - change up what you eat. There are foods out there that aren't as satiating. Find them and eat (or drink) them.0 -
Loose fat just tone it with abs workouts.0
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If it makes you feel any better, I always have my tummy sticking out. Always has been that way, always will. I am underweight (51kg and 166cm - sorry, don't know it in pounds!) but frequently get asked if I am pregnant. It really upsets me :-(
However, since taking up weight training my posture has improved dramatically :-) Still got a long way to go, but I can see a real difference. I am currently eating 2600Kcal plus extra for exercise, lifting regularly, and loving my workouts. :-)0
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