Is 5’7 160 too skinny?!

5’7 male, 21 YO. SW: 286. CW: 160. In the last year i’ve lost over 100 pounds. Went for my physical today and my doctor said I’m too skinny and I look frail. I personally don’t think I look frail. I fit into Small clothing now but I’m also a small dude. My doctor said he would send me to an eating disorder clinic if I don’t put on 10 pounds. He said I was fine at 190 but I was incredibly unhappy and he was upset I decided to lose more. Here’s the issue. I’m happy at my current weight but I’m afraid of maintaining. If I just start eating 2000 calories a day will I be gaining? Will I just maintain? I’ve worked so hard to get here and don’t wanna go back. From XXXL to small, to actually having success with women. Any advice?
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Replies

  • Hi Jake,

    I can't tell you if your current weight is unhealthy because I am not a doctor; however, your doctor has said he thinks you have lost too much weight. I would suggest listening to your doctor.

    You may want to take him up on the offer for an eating disorder clinic anyway. You said you were unhappy at 190 which your doctor said was a healthy weight. You also said you are afraid of maintaining your current weight which is worrisome.

  • Jenn3452
    Jenn3452 Posts: 23 Member
    How may calories are you eating now? Are you building muscle? I would stick around 2000 It wont make you gain weight you are a young male which works to your benefit. As you age you may want to decrease in calories but right now at your age and weight I think you would be fine. You should be proud of losing all that weight but being healthy isn't just about the number on the scale. Best of luck :smile:
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Not at all. It all depends on body type though. I know guys that height at 140lbs that are very fit and healthy looking.
  • healingnurtrer
    healingnurtrer Posts: 217 Member
    I would see a new doctor. You look great. Good luck transitioning to maintenance.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    NOT too skinny!

    Makes me wonder about your doctor's judgment, though...He thinks you're better at 190 at 5'7"? Wow. My husband is 6' and 190, and his doctor doesn't want him any higher.
  • SuziQ113
    SuziQ113 Posts: 1,520 Member
    From your pictures you do not look frail. That said, you stated you are afraid of maintenance and you have had rapid weight loss which could equal an eating disorder in the near future. If you have been with your doctor for a long period of time, he may just be expressing a concern and does not have a good bedside manner.

    Question, did your doctor draw blood and complete a full panel to make sure your vitamin, mineral, body functions, etc. are in proper order? If not you may want to either ask for full blood panel and/or get a second opinion.

    What I have done in the past to determine my "maintenance" caloric intake is I added 100-200 calories to my daily calories. I ate that amount of calories every day for a week. I checked my weight at the end of 7 days. If I was still losing I did the same the following week. I continued the process until I stopped losing and hovered around 2 pounds over/under my goal weight. It is a process. Example: Current calories 1200/day. Week 1 - 1300 calories per day; week 2 - 1400 calories per day, etc. Since all of us have different bodies and activity levels this is a personal measurement.

    Do not be afraid of maintenance! You have worked hard to get to this point in time.
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  • Tic78
    Tic78 Posts: 232 Member
    Well done on the weight loss. I agree with the others that your doctor is in the wrong. It's likely he's a little heavy himself. Other thought is perhaps he was concerned with your calorie intake or speed of weight loss. Maybe he thought you were too fixated on low calories?

    I know we are all different with different goals but I am 5'10 when I weigh 160lbs I am around/sub 10% body fat. I wear mainly large t shirts but I can fit into some mediums if they are loose fit but I dont look to skinny imo. Calorie wise I cut on 2100-2300 and maintain about 1000 calories higher. I would recommend lifting weights for body recomp if that's something your interested in. If not I'd be tempted to aim for a bmi of 22.5-23.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Great job! I'm thinking you might "look frail" because of loose skin and lack of muscle. Start lifting! Bump your calories by 100 or so a day per week until you find maintenance. Your skin will continue to tighten over time. You might also want to find a new doctor, but it is also possible that he is just surprised at the quick change in your appearance.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    OP: Based on the photos you posted, you are still overweight and are definitely NOT "thin or frail" as is confirmed by your BMI.

    Your photos also confirm the presence of excess BF and a lack of muscular definition. So, you would definitely benefit from a wt lifting program as I suggested previously.

    Your goal of 155 is a good stating point for this effort but I think, as happened for me after I made progress, that you may want to lower your goal wt later.

    When I started my wt loss and stength development efforts at 196 down to 160, I've was losing wt on 1800 cals/day but as I lost fat and became more fit my cal consumption has dropped to an ave of about a 1600 cal/day at my current wt of 150 w/o any medical or physical issues arising as a result.

    However, everyone's cal intake needs differ and I'm not saying that you will be able to lose/maintain your wt at the same levels.

    What I am saying is that your cal intake needs will chg and vary depending on the chg in your wt and physique and will require constant adjustment as you progress.

    Just keep this in mind. Nothing in a wt loss/body building effort remains static.

    Good luck!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    edited October 2019
    Skin will tighten (to a degree) and things will redistribute (slightly) over time. Whether you maintain for a bit or a longer length of time you can evaluate once you start maintaining and strength training. You can then see how you feel and decide where to go from there.

    Weight fluctuations happen, especially when you introduce more food and different training. Don't go in a panic because of a single weight reading. Understand your weight trend and that when you're strength training you're carrying some extra non fat weight.

    While 100 Cal increases each week may be appropriate in some cases where you're seeking maintenance, if you were going from 1500 to an expected 2500+ you're looking at 10+ weeks, so it would not be appropriate. I would start with ~500 and then 200 a week till you hit 2400-2500 and then evaluate again whether to stay put or go up or down by 100s or 200s