underweight and need advice, please help me.
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pagophagia
Posts: 24 Member
Hi, I'm having a really bad time and I'm sorry if this is really jumbled I just need advice.
In December, I started to gain a fear of gaining weight out of nowhere. My metabolism is pretty fast and I was afraid that once I hit 20 (i turned 20 in july) that meant that it was going to slow down. Obviously thats not how it works but nevertheless I started counting calories and working out a bit more to maintain my weight. At the time, I was 110-108 lbs. For some STUPID and IDIOTIC reason, I lowered my cals from 1700 to 1500,then 1500 to 13/1200,and I started working out almost every day mainly cardio. I currently eat 1288 avg calories a day. I honestly thought this wasn't a bad idea and thought I wasn't doing anything wrong because I didn't care if I lost maybe a few pounds or maintained my 110. Well, I went to the doctor today and it turns out I am 96lbs. I'm sure it was gradual and happened when I dropped my cals but I never wanted to be underweight. I'm 5'1. That is underweight.
I obviously want to gain a bit, but not much , I want to ideally be 106/108lbs again. My doc said to increase calories an work out less. How do I start, do I do it gradually, and also any other tips and advice you could offer... I don't even know what to do. How do I make sure I try not to go over my goal weight?
In December, I started to gain a fear of gaining weight out of nowhere. My metabolism is pretty fast and I was afraid that once I hit 20 (i turned 20 in july) that meant that it was going to slow down. Obviously thats not how it works but nevertheless I started counting calories and working out a bit more to maintain my weight. At the time, I was 110-108 lbs. For some STUPID and IDIOTIC reason, I lowered my cals from 1700 to 1500,then 1500 to 13/1200,and I started working out almost every day mainly cardio. I currently eat 1288 avg calories a day. I honestly thought this wasn't a bad idea and thought I wasn't doing anything wrong because I didn't care if I lost maybe a few pounds or maintained my 110. Well, I went to the doctor today and it turns out I am 96lbs. I'm sure it was gradual and happened when I dropped my cals but I never wanted to be underweight. I'm 5'1. That is underweight.
I obviously want to gain a bit, but not much , I want to ideally be 106/108lbs again. My doc said to increase calories an work out less. How do I start, do I do it gradually, and also any other tips and advice you could offer... I don't even know what to do. How do I make sure I try not to go over my goal weight?
4
Replies
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Based on your other threads, it sounds like you have anxiety around eating enough to properly nourish yourself. This is a really common problem! Be candid with your doctor about your anxieties so they can help refer you to a specialist. Good luck getting healthy! Being underweight isn't good for you so don't worry so much about going over your goal weight. What you think that is now may be really different than what you eventually decide it is.
You're right in the middle of this illness and that's not the best spot to be determining your long-term goal weight. I know "don't worry" is easier said than done, which is why you could really use professional help with navigating this.16 -
pagophagia wrote: »Hi, I'm having a really bad time and I'm sorry if this is really jumbled I just need advice.
In December, I started to gain a fear of gaining weight out of nowhere. My metabolism is pretty fast and I was afraid that once I hit 20 (i turned 20 in july) that meant that it was going to slow down. Obviously thats not how it works but nevertheless I started counting calories and working out a bit more to maintain my weight. At the time, I was 110-108 lbs. For some STUPID and IDIOTIC reason, I lowered my cals from 1700 to 1500,then 1500 to 13/1200,and I started working out almost every day mainly cardio. I currently eat 1288 avg calories a day. I honestly thought this wasn't a bad idea and thought I wasn't doing anything wrong because I didn't care if I lost maybe a few pounds or maintained my 110. Well, I went to the doctor today and it turns out I am 96lbs. I'm sure it was gradual and happened when I dropped my cals but I never wanted to be underweight. I'm 5'1. That is underweight.
I obviously want to gain a bit, but not much , I want to ideally be 106/108lbs again. My doc said to increase calories an work out less. How do I start, do I do it gradually, and also any other tips and advice you could offer... I don't even know what to do. How do I make sure I try not to go over my goal weight?
I know you said your doctor said to eat more and work out less but have you addressed your fear of gaining weight and your anxiety over it? You need to address it because it’s more of a mental struggle for you and you will keep relapsing into your old ways if you don’t get this mental struggle taken care of.8 -
Another vote for getting a referral for professional help to help you develop a better relationship with food.
Meanwhile, you can plug your stats into MFP, set yourself to gain a half pound per week, and eat those calories.6 -
i have a therapist guys, i was just scared to bring it up to her. i will now though. i never ever wanted it to be like this. i just wanted some advice on what to do. it is honestly so weird because i don't even think i look different per se, I think that I still look at least in the 100 pounds range. My arms have gotten skinnier, so have my legs but it doesn't look like a 15 lb difference. I don't know I just know that I need to gain a bit....4
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pagophagia wrote: »i have a therapist guys, i was just scared to bring it up to her. i will now though. i never ever wanted it to be like this. i just wanted some advice on what to do. it is honestly so weird because i don't even think i look different per se, I think that I still look at least in the 100 pounds range. My arms have gotten skinnier, so have my legs but it doesn't look like a 15 lb difference. I don't know I just know that I need to gain a bit....
I was in therapy off and on for decades. Once I stopped wasting time with trivial stuff and started telling them about stuff that mattered, I actually made progress.
I'm no longer in therapy.
But meanwhile, you can plug your stats into MFP, set yourself to gain a half pound per week, and eat those calories.14 -
pagophagia wrote: »I lowered my cals from 1700 to 1500,then 1500 to 13/1200,and I started working out almost every day mainly cardio. I currently eat 1288 avg calories a day.....I want to ideally be 106/108lbs again. My doc said to increase calories an work out less.
You increased exercise (I started working out almost every day mainly cardio) and lowered cals (from 1700 to 1288)... and the result was a gradual loss of weight.
*IF* you cut exercise and increase your calories by the same degree that you lowered them you will regain that weight in approximately the same amount of time (there is a difference between a single weigh in and your weight level but we can talk about that another day).
If you don't cut exercise then you will have to increase your calories beyond your original starting point, or weight restoration may take much longer, or it may not quite reach your original level.
This is one reason people often recommend that you drastically reduce your exercise if trying to restore your weight.
If you don't increase your calories beyond your original 1700, you will likely stop losing and possibly regain partially towards your original weight... but you probably won't manage to quite get there. It is however a good and minimum immediate first step to take.
So, your first step is to start eating at the 1700 you started from and to stop all the additional exercise that you introduced.
Or to start eating 2000 if you want to be slightly more aggressive towards getting yourself back to being weight restored, again while cutting all new exercise.
It is quite likely at this stage that you would benefit from a referral to a specialist. You really should go back to your doctor and ask for a referral and some help.
Please take care of yourself!3 -
pagophagia wrote: »I lowered my cals from 1700 to 1500,then 1500 to 13/1200,and I started working out almost every day mainly cardio. I currently eat 1288 avg calories a day.....I want to ideally be 106/108lbs again. My doc said to increase calories an work out less.
You increased exercise (I started working out almost every day mainly cardio) and lowered cals (from 1700 to 1288)... and the result was a gradual loss of weight.
*IF* you cut exercise and increase your calories by the same degree that you lowered them you will regain that weight in approximately the same amount of time (there is a difference between a single weigh in and your weight level but we can talk about that another day).
If you don't cut exercise then you will have to increase your calories beyond your original starting point, or weight restoration may take much longer, or it may not quite reach your original level.
This is one reason people often recommend that you drastically reduce your exercise if trying to restore your weight.
If you don't increase your calories beyond your original 1700, you will likely stop losing and possibly regain partially towards your original weight... but you probably won't manage to quite get there. It is however a good and minimum immediate first step to take.
So, your first step is to start eating at the 1700 you started from and to stop all the additional exercise that you introduced.
Or to start eating 2000 if you want to be slightly more aggressive towards getting yourself back to being weight restored, again while cutting all new exercise.
It is quite likely at this stage that you would benefit from a referral to a specialist. You really should go back to your doctor and ask for a referral and some help.
Please take care of yourself!
Thanks for the info, should I do the 1700 gradually or should I start it right away? Also, do macros really count for this or should I just forget about them and focus on my total caloric intake?0 -
Is there something else going on in your life right now that you're worried about?4
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as a way to build your cals up, I usually suggest adding 100 cals to your day for a week, following week another 100 cals, and repeat until you get to your desired intake. though there is nothing wrong with jumping right to 1700 either.2
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Not much more to advise here other than let your therapist know that you are having obsessive thoughts about calories and calorie counting and macro tracking. It's likely that you don't need to track any of these and focus on simply eating more food. It's a tough rabbit hole to get out of. It could be that you need an elevated level of care. I wish you all the best on your recovery.3
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pagophagia wrote: »Thanks for the info, should I do the 1700 gradually or should I start it right away?
In order to restore your weight you need to REVERSE the double whammy of reduced calories and extra exercise.
I am not saying that this will be easy for you because obviously something happened and all the indications are that you would probably benefit from some extra help beyond what these forums can provide.
I can only highlight the *mechanics* -- and you probably already know them.
So help me out here: if you know need to be at 1700 (and in reality well beyond that) in order to achieve full weight restoration... what would be the benefit of moving gradually?
<and please do keep in mind that just one or two days at 108 or 110 don't mean you're weight restored>
Quick Plan of action
--try to enlist some competent professional help!
--stop [today if at all possible] all additional cardio introduced in January
--stop [today if at all possible] ALL un-necessary (beyond basic health and locomotion needs) cardio
--stop [today if at all possible] eating diet food and hanging around diet and low calorie sites!
--eat to feeling full without considering your calories [starting right now]
--log after you eat ensuring you logged AT LEAST 1700 Calories, 2000 is even better, 2200 better still for right now!
--add some additional food if you haven't hit your 1700 minimum
--stop logging if it is causing you to slow down your weight restoration
--evaluate your weight trend. Are you gaining at a minimum rate of 1lb a week / 4lbs a month <-- keep increasing calories and reducing cardio till you do! You will quite likely have to increase beyond 1700 to get all the way back.
ETA: your macros matter the least. It is unlikely that you will not meet the required minimums if you're eating a variety of foods in sufficient quantity (and calories) to restore your weight.
being scared to discuss with your therapist something that is bothering you so much seems... sub-optimal!5 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Based on your other threads, it sounds like you have anxiety around eating enough to properly nourish yourself. This is a really common problem! Be candid with your doctor about your anxieties so they can help refer you to a specialist. Good luck getting healthy! Being underweight isn't good for you so don't worry so much about going over your goal weight. What you think that is now may be really different than what you eventually decide it is.
You're right in the middle of this illness and that's not the best spot to be determining your long-term goal weight. I know "don't worry" is easier said than done, which is why you could really use professional help with navigating this.
This. Great advice.0 -
pagophagia wrote: »i have a therapist guys, i was just scared to bring it up to her. i will now though. i never ever wanted it to be like this. i just wanted some advice on what to do. it is honestly so weird because i don't even think i look different per se, I think that I still look at least in the 100 pounds range. My arms have gotten skinnier, so have my legs but it doesn't look like a 15 lb difference. I don't know I just know that I need to gain a bit....
She can’t help you if you don’t put it all out there for you. She’s not there to judge, she’s there to help. And hearing about your food fears may be the thing that clicks for her and really helps her, help you.
Body dismorphia could be affecting how you see yourself. You want to be healthy and not negatively affect your body, talk with your therapist so she can help before your habits become more unhealthy. You’re the only you, you’ve got. Please take care of yourself.2 -
pagophagia wrote: »pagophagia wrote: »I lowered my cals from 1700 to 1500,then 1500 to 13/1200,and I started working out almost every day mainly cardio. I currently eat 1288 avg calories a day.....I want to ideally be 106/108lbs again. My doc said to increase calories an work out less.
You increased exercise (I started working out almost every day mainly cardio) and lowered cals (from 1700 to 1288)... and the result was a gradual loss of weight.
*IF* you cut exercise and increase your calories by the same degree that you lowered them you will regain that weight in approximately the same amount of time (there is a difference between a single weigh in and your weight level but we can talk about that another day).
If you don't cut exercise then you will have to increase your calories beyond your original starting point, or weight restoration may take much longer, or it may not quite reach your original level.
This is one reason people often recommend that you drastically reduce your exercise if trying to restore your weight.
If you don't increase your calories beyond your original 1700, you will likely stop losing and possibly regain partially towards your original weight... but you probably won't manage to quite get there. It is however a good and minimum immediate first step to take.
So, your first step is to start eating at the 1700 you started from and to stop all the additional exercise that you introduced.
Or to start eating 2000 if you want to be slightly more aggressive towards getting yourself back to being weight restored, again while cutting all new exercise.
It is quite likely at this stage that you would benefit from a referral to a specialist. You really should go back to your doctor and ask for a referral and some help.
Please take care of yourself!
Thanks for the info, should I do the 1700 gradually or should I start it right away? Also, do macros really count for this or should I just forget about them and focus on my total caloric intake?
If going up to 1700 all at once is overwhelming, do it but by bit. 100 calories a day more for a few days, and then another 100. Try slightly bigger portions, or a little more salad dressing, a couple more nuts, a little more butter on your bread, maybe a little more cheese or avocado on your toast. Or both!6
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