Do I need to gain weight?
ppomoberry
Posts: 21 Member
Hello all! I am currently 18 years old and am 5 feet 11 inches and as of last week Saturday weight 118.2 pounds and as of this Saturday weight 117.4 pounds. I used to do a split of Monday (Legs and Shoulders), Wednesday (bicep and back), Friday (Chest and Tricep) with Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday being my jump rope days where I would skip rope for about an hour. I recently switched to the muscle and stength three day split with dumbbells for beginners and stopped as of the last two weeks doing my hour session on Tuesday and Thursday and even today did not do my normal Sunday routine as my elbows or top near my shoulder and back arm hurt to spit the rope as fast as I normally can. I have been eating relatively the same though did feel a bit bad about eating Sunday pancakes as I did not get my usual workout in. However, I am underweight by BMI standards but I know that’s not the best tool. So here is a picture of my physique from about 3 weeks ago and should be relatively the same as I did seem to lose weight since then. I do not track my food except for breakfast as it is impossible as I do not cook my meals but they usually always consist of rice (white or white with some butter or Mexican red rice), Peruvian beans (boiled or refried), and protein (chicken breast, sometimes carne asada, sometimes wild salmon, octopus, cod, rarely chicken thighs, eggs, egg whites) and always handmade tortillas which I know are carb heavy as they are thicker than factory ones which is why I’m concerned that limiting my cardio will cause significant weight gain due to the carbs in handmade tortillas and I can go through 3-5 in one sitting. My snack is usually 350g of strawberries on weekdays and I will eat an apple if I did not go to classes that day. When I have classes my lunch is usually left over protein or canned tuna with broccoli, sugar snap peas, and cauliflower.
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Replies
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What does your doctor say?7
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Yes. I would highly recommend you see your doctor.7
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What does your doctor say?TavistockToad wrote: »Yes. I would highly recommend you see your doctor.
The doctor that I saw all agree that he is not the most reliable in anything and recently got switched due to moving out of that age range for doctors. He said something about being on the low end of the percentile and monitored my weight for a month and at the end of that month I ended up losing weight and he told me to ensure that I eat or I’ll end up like my sister (she has anorexia) but I do eat but now that I’ve limited my cardio I am concerned about keeping my diet as it is high in carb and also high in protein. Does my body need all these tortillas or should I limit them but I am so accustomed to them that I’m not sure. I obviously don’t have much muscle which I am trying to build (but not excessive just tone).
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Why would you be thinking about restricting your diet even further (tortillas, high protein) if you're already underweight? Sounds like you need a new doctor, perhaps one that has a specialty? If you like the control that having a strict eating routine gives you, and you like specific goals (like a certain number or a certain BF percentage), that's probably the way to go.8
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Don't limit the tortillas. You are under weight. Please be careful to refuel your body if you want to keep up with your workouts. My friend is quite tiny and has a small appetite, so she often brings a little ensure or boost drink to have as a snack at work. If you see certain foods as "bad" perhaps something like that would help? You mention your carbs and protein, and only 2 fruits as snacks. Are you eating vegetables or other fruits? What are your favorite foods? Can you add more of those to your day?8
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DancingMoosie wrote: »Don't limit the tortillas. You are under weight. Please be careful to refuel your body if you want to keep up with your workouts. My friend is quite tiny and has a small appetite, so she often brings a little ensure or boost drink to have as a snack at work. If you see certain foods as "bad" perhaps something like that would help? You mention your carbs and protein, and only 2 fruits as snacks. Are you eating vegetables or other fruits? What are your favorite foods? Can you add more of those to your day?
Well breakfast is usually either scrambled eggs, turkey bacon with Ezekiel bread or sweet potato or I will have two slices of Ezekiel bread with some pbfit, banana, and a protein shake. I don’t eat any vegetables when I don’t have classes but when I do my lunch is left over chicken or canned tuna with broccoli, cauliflower, and some sugar snap peas.
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Everything you are eating sounds healthy. You can just either eat larger portions or add something higher calorie, like butter, cheese, a glass of milk, nuts, etc. There is no need at this point to eat anything "light" as in low or non-fat or lower calorie version.5
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DancingMoosie wrote: »Everything you are eating sounds healthy. You can just either eat larger portions or add something higher calorie, like butter, cheese, a glass of milk, nuts, etc. There is no need at this point to eat anything "light" as in low or non-fat or lower calorie version.
I do have a low fat diet and simply because I don’t have an eye for fats. The only real fats I get are from eggs, refried beans, rice (depending on which one was made that day) and any residue from avocado oil spray. I have limited cardio but is that the best choice? Should I still do cardio or wait for weight gain from strength training?1 -
You need to eat more. You have a low body fat but you could do with adding muscle.
If you are unable to eat more food then please cut back on activity so that you put weight on.
Good luck and don’t avoid carbs5 -
ppomoberry wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »Everything you are eating sounds healthy. You can just either eat larger portions or add something higher calorie, like butter, cheese, a glass of milk, nuts, etc. There is no need at this point to eat anything "light" as in low or non-fat or lower calorie version.
I do have a low fat diet and simply because I don’t have an eye for fats. The only real fats I get are from eggs, refried beans, rice (depending on which one was made that day) and any residue from avocado oil spray. I have limited cardio but is that the best choice? Should I still do cardio or wait for weight gain from strength training?
You can't gain weight from strength training unless you are in a calorie surplus and lifting progressively. I'm not sure what you mean by not having an eye for fats...you don't like them or you don't know what a serving looks like? Fats are essential to your health and also the easiest way to get more calories. Do you like nuts? Milk? More eggs? Ice cream?6 -
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DancingMoosie wrote: »ppomoberry wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »Everything you are eating sounds healthy. You can just either eat larger portions or add something higher calorie, like butter, cheese, a glass of milk, nuts, etc. There is no need at this point to eat anything "light" as in low or non-fat or lower calorie version.
I do have a low fat diet and simply because I don’t have an eye for fats. The only real fats I get are from eggs, refried beans, rice (depending on which one was made that day) and any residue from avocado oil spray. I have limited cardio but is that the best choice? Should I still do cardio or wait for weight gain from strength training?
You can't gain weight from strength training unless you are in a calorie surplus and lifting progressively. I'm not sure what you mean by not having an eye for fats...you don't like them or you don't know what a serving looks like? Fats are essential to your health and also the easiest way to get more calories. Do you like nuts? Milk? More eggs? Ice cream?
Yeah I generally don’t like them as I like volume in my foods so I tend to avoid them for that reason also yeah just not a huge fan of them taste wise. However am I like severely underweight is my question as I seem to keep losing weight add a steady pace. Is that bad per say?
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I'm a little concerned you are slipping down the same slope as your sister. You are underweight and still losing and yet are concerned about eating tortillas if you stop doing cardio. You feel guilty eating pancakes when you didn't get your workout in. EAT THE TORTILLAS AND PANCAKES! You WANT to gain weight. Continue lifting weights as that will help you add muscle as well, but you are going to need to eat more than you are now. Perhaps there is a dietician or counselor at school that can help you as well.20
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ppomoberry wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »ppomoberry wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »Everything you are eating sounds healthy. You can just either eat larger portions or add something higher calorie, like butter, cheese, a glass of milk, nuts, etc. There is no need at this point to eat anything "light" as in low or non-fat or lower calorie version.
I do have a low fat diet and simply because I don’t have an eye for fats. The only real fats I get are from eggs, refried beans, rice (depending on which one was made that day) and any residue from avocado oil spray. I have limited cardio but is that the best choice? Should I still do cardio or wait for weight gain from strength training?
You can't gain weight from strength training unless you are in a calorie surplus and lifting progressively. I'm not sure what you mean by not having an eye for fats...you don't like them or you don't know what a serving looks like? Fats are essential to your health and also the easiest way to get more calories. Do you like nuts? Milk? More eggs? Ice cream?
Yeah I generally don’t like them as I like volume in my foods so I tend to avoid them for that reason also yeah just not a huge fan of them taste wise. However am I like severely underweight is my question as I seem to keep losing weight add a steady pace. Is that bad per say?
you can have volume to your meals AND add the fat. Oils like olive and avocado are pretty mild in taste. Don't worry about gaining at a steady pace, at this point you just need to see the scale go up to reduce the risk of potential internal issues. Please see a therapist.5 -
Eat everything. Anything and everything. Nothing should be off limits. Do you know how many calories a day your eating?3
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Yes, you are seriously underweight with a BMI of 16.5 and that is bad per se. Being significantly underweight is more dangerous than being morbidly obese, in terms of health risk. It’s troubling that you express concern about eating pancakes and tortillas - you do not need to be afraid to gain weight, and you should eat all the pancakes you want and enjoy them without fear of gaining too much weight. Since your doctor has already spoken to you about the possibility of anorexia, I recommend you contact him again and ask for a referral to someone to talk to about this. Then show this person the post you made so they know what is on your mind. Get some help from someone local, not just people online.ppomoberry wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »ppomoberry wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »Everything you are eating sounds healthy. You can just either eat larger portions or add something higher calorie, like butter, cheese, a glass of milk, nuts, etc. There is no need at this point to eat anything "light" as in low or non-fat or lower calorie version.
I do have a low fat diet and simply because I don’t have an eye for fats. The only real fats I get are from eggs, refried beans, rice (depending on which one was made that day) and any residue from avocado oil spray. I have limited cardio but is that the best choice? Should I still do cardio or wait for weight gain from strength training?
You can't gain weight from strength training unless you are in a calorie surplus and lifting progressively. I'm not sure what you mean by not having an eye for fats...you don't like them or you don't know what a serving looks like? Fats are essential to your health and also the easiest way to get more calories. Do you like nuts? Milk? More eggs? Ice cream?
Yeah I generally don’t like them as I like volume in my foods so I tend to avoid them for that reason also yeah just not a huge fan of them taste wise. However am I like severely underweight is my question as I seem to keep losing weight add a steady pace. Is that bad per say?
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ppomoberry wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »ppomoberry wrote: »DancingMoosie wrote: »Everything you are eating sounds healthy. You can just either eat larger portions or add something higher calorie, like butter, cheese, a glass of milk, nuts, etc. There is no need at this point to eat anything "light" as in low or non-fat or lower calorie version.
I do have a low fat diet and simply because I don’t have an eye for fats. The only real fats I get are from eggs, refried beans, rice (depending on which one was made that day) and any residue from avocado oil spray. I have limited cardio but is that the best choice? Should I still do cardio or wait for weight gain from strength training?
You can't gain weight from strength training unless you are in a calorie surplus and lifting progressively. I'm not sure what you mean by not having an eye for fats...you don't like them or you don't know what a serving looks like? Fats are essential to your health and also the easiest way to get more calories. Do you like nuts? Milk? More eggs? Ice cream?
Yeah I generally don’t like them as I like volume in my foods so I tend to avoid them for that reason also yeah just not a huge fan of them taste wise. However am I like severely underweight is my question as I seem to keep losing weight add a steady pace. Is that bad per say?
If you like volume with your food, then eat larger portions and servings of what you are eating now. You don't need to eat different foods, but you need to eat MORE food.
If you have a hard time doing that, ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian *and* a therapist.1 -
You've asked this same question here at least once before. Why the hesitation to listen to the previous advice?15
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You need to see someone for your disordered thinking. You keep asking if it is bad what you weigh - yes it is bad, you need to eat a LOT more as you are severely undereating and you definitely look like you are under nourished. At 5'11", you should weigh close to 170. You aren't going to gain any weight from weight lifting with such a huge calorie deficit. You need to eat at a surplus of calories.11
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Another thing to bear in mind is that at 18, your body is still growing and developing. And you are definitely undernourishing it at a time when that could have permanent consequences.
Please eat more. I'm very concerned for you. As others have noted, you should strongly consider getting a referral to a dietician who is familiar with eating disorders as well as a therapist.
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Thank you all for the advice! I have kept cardio limited and did my weekly weigh in and went from 117.04 to 117.06; however, I’m not sure if I did go up in weight my scale says it is muscle mass but I’m not sure. I am also certain I ate less this week simply due to time restraints but maybe the minimal cardio had to do with it. Also I have noticed that it costs me trouble to move my body around till it gets truly warmed up and when I stop moving it takes effort again (side effect maybe). Also the past two nights I haven’t slept well who knows if that also accounts for the 0.2lb weight gain.
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What scale or app is it that gives you all that information?
Please put on some weight2 -
I would reccomend you put on some weight. You have a bmi of 16.5 and a healthy bmi is 18.51
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No cardio. Not minimal. None. Not right now. Peanut butter sandwiches. Calorie Dense food. Lots of carbs , fats and protein. Donuts and ice cream if you have to. you still haven’t said how many calories a day you eat but whatever it still is, is not enough.11
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Okay, you’re dropping into the 3-5% essential body fat level for a male, below which essential functions of the body start to be affected and if you keep losing weight you die. Please stop whatever you are doing right this instant and go talk to your parents about this.17
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Not to scare you (well, maybe a little), but my younger brother is your height and weighs about 140 lbs. His doctor told him he needed to put on weight immediately or risk his internal organs shutting down. Please talk to your parents and a counselor asap.11
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You might be having trouble moving and staying warmed up because your body weight and fat is so low that it is trying to conserve energy. Please eat more and take a break from the exercises until your weight has normalized.3
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What scale or app is it that gives you all that information?
Please put on some weight
RENPHO scale that shows you your weight and then transfers what I assume are estimates to the app on the phone of fat, muscle and what not.rheddmobile wrote: »Okay, you’re dropping into the 3-5% essential body fat level for a male, below which essential functions of the body start to be affected and if you keep losing weight you die. Please stop whatever you are doing right this instant and go talk to your parents about this.
The scale does say around 5% body fat but I don’t necessarily know of its accuracy I think a dexa scan would be necessary for that matter.
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FFS man.
You need to add several LBS. Consistently. Over weeks and months.
The oz you are playing with is just playing with daily fluctuations.
If you're already eating volume you need to densify the calories in your volume.
Which part of adding weight do you not understand involves extra Calories that result in added weight? As someone mentioned above: eat and drink anything and everything.
AND
If you are finding yourself unable to do it... does this not tell you that it is time to ask for help in real life?14
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