eatin normally.

[letsride89]

ok my lovely TE friends...i got another thread for you to ponder on!

I am 19. i weigh in at 103-105 lbs. I used to weigh about 115, then i got my bike =) i ride 3x a week for about an hour each...and on saturdays about 3 hours. i like my weight at 103-105. i look decently athletic and not too skinny either! If i gain some weight, makes me think less of my appearance.

Since i got my bike, my periods have been really messed up. I was having 2 periods a month....tons of hair loss, always cold, moodswings, getting sick before my periods..etc.

So my doc tested me for thyroid (i'm all good there!) so she put me on birthcontrol. YIKES! I have been taking it for three weeks and either i gained 4 lbs from it, or i gained 4 lbs from water weight from my period.

I concern myself with food quite a bit. i want to learn to eat and be healthy, but also not become a freak that doesn't ever live a little. when my family orders pizza, i stick to the salad bar. If my mom makes beef speg. with tons of grease, i make a turkey burger.
Breakfast: 300 calories
Lunch-500 calories
Dinner-600 calories

thats about how my day goes. and the meals aren't fatty or anything. I'm lactose intolerant and i have IBS so that means no cheese and no fried foods.


my question is..where do i draw the line? with this birthcontrol, i want to eat more...but i dont want to gain that weight so i have been ingoring the cravings...Tell me its ok to eat some pizza (no chz :) with my family every now and then....tell me its gonna be ok if i have a peice of cake for my sisters birthday party!

thanks girls!!!!!

So there is a little bit of my background.

[tulip]

I encourage you to go talk to a counselor about your food issues. You are not eating enough food. Period. You obviously know something is up or else you would not have posted your post.

Being healthy--mentally and physically--is #1. Go and get help in order to do that. Please. Keep us posted.

[letsride89]

woah! seriously? what kind of counselor? i didn't know it was that bad...?

[indysteel]

I second what Tulip said. You aren't eating enough, and your recent issues with hair loss, mood swings and the like could be signs that you also don't weigh enough. How tall are you? Have other people made comments about how thin you've gotten? Do you find yourself defending your weight and size with friends and family members? Do you consciously exercise more if you feel like you've cheated on your diet?

From the time I was 14 until I was well into my 20s, I suffered from what I would call disordered eating. I wasn't technically thin enough to be an anorexic--although I was pretty darn thin at times--but my fixation on food intake, a distorted view of my body and size, and a reliance on diet and exercise to control stressful events all indicate that I had an eating disorder. I so wish that I'd sought help when I was your age and learned how to deal with the emotional issues in my life and family in a healthier way and to see food and exercise as positives rather than things that had to be controlled.

I urge you to talk to a counselor, a trusted friend or family member, or your family doctor about how you're feeling about food and your body. Short of that, please talk to a nutritionalist about how to maintain a healthy, balanced diet that has enough calories in it to sustain your body and activities.

Hugs,

K-

[letsride89]

hey girl,

i am 5'3. i am built small (if that makes sense) i have a tiny bone structure. The comments that i have gotten are "you look great". i have gotten "you look so toned!" and the toned ones are the ones i like to hear.

Yes, i have had people tell me not to lose any MORE weight, but people haven't said that i have gotten too skinny. That's why i didn't think i needed to see a counselor...bc of the fact that i DONT wanna lose any more weight. i just dont want to gain any...

im kind of in the middle here because i do have a fixation on food...and i think about it a lot...but its not BAD thoughts. i actually look forward to meals and i love to cook!! i like learning how to make dishes healthier for me....

i do think it would be a good idea to see a nutritionist...now i just gotta find one :)

you girls rock...

and here's a hug to you, too!

[Biciclista]

ok, I'm going to pull a "when i was your age"
because we are exactly the same size.

WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, I NEVER counted calories. I ate when I was hungry. I had no idea how many calories my meals were. You are way way too concerned about what people are saying to you. You could stand to gain 10 pounds and you will STILL get comments about how toned you are because you ARE TONED.

If your hair is falling out, your body is saying, I have to make a choice between LIVING and holding on to this hair. That is malnutrition. SO EAT and quit fussing about it. And yes, if simple common sense isn't enough, I agree, you need to see a counselor.

[firenze11]

I would think about talking to your doctor about this a bit more and consider a counselor or nutritionist. Disordered eating comes in a bunch of varieties, not just the anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorders we hear about most. And people of all shapes and sizes can have them.

Obviously, I don't know you, so I don't want to make any judgment on your eating, weight etc. It seems your other symptoms could be warning signs from your body, but maybe not. I think that it is great that you're wondering about this, because that's a really important part of taking care of yourself, and it might be a bit of an alarm bell for you to evaluate further. Talk to friends and family, find out what they think.

I had a very close friend who started exercising and eating well, she lost about 30 lbs and looked great. After awhile she started worrying about gaining it back and about controlling food and exercise. When she finally saw the doctor about it she was diagnosed with "eating disorder not otherwise specified." Without any real treatment it progressed into anorexia. It was heartbreaking to see her go through this and now I'm pretty much anti-diet. I figure eating what I want in moderation with proper portions will get me to and keep me at a healthy weight for my body (and it is doing that). And, yep, that includes a piece of cake, pizza, and ice cream every once and awhile if I crave it.

When my friend was having problems I went to Something Fishy (http://www.something-fishy.org/) quite a bit to help me understand what she was going through and what I could do to help. It has tons of great info, check it out if you want. :)

[smilingcat]

AYEEE KARUMBA!! (or however it goes). I'm adding my voice behind Tulip and what others have said. I'm not much taller than you at 5' 4" or there abouts.

And when I weighed in around 106-107 pounds (remember I'm only an inch taller than you), I was wayy too skinny. I was more of a runner back then. And your comment about people not telling you to lose weight, well they don't start saying that until you are really anorexic. And when I gained my weight up to about 116 pounds then my family and my friends commented that they were worried about me at 106 pound. My fahter even said that I looked like an Auswitz (sp) prisoner.

If you want to be athletic, there is a minimum body weight you need. Hair loss, two periods in a month, mood swing all points to your body being starved. And even if you are thin frame, you should weigh around 110 pounds at absolute minimum if you want to stay athletic.

And take heart on what Bicilista had to say about common sense.

Now go and enjoy food. Have your mom make you a turkey meatloaf, matloaf sandwich, and with the holiday season soon to be upon us, FEAST! and enjoy the holiday season. Stop worrying about how heavy you are. Put away that scale that is acting as a shackle on your feet.

We care about you,
Smilingcat

[indysteel]

Okay, maybe it's not "that bad," but it may not be "that good" either. One point I want to emphasize is that you can be at a normal/healthy weight and still have some "disordered eating" issues. At some of my worst times, I weighed about what I do now (which is "normal" for someone my height). The difference between now and then, however, is how preoccupied with food and/or gaining weight I was. I don't think about it much at all now and only occassionally get on the scale. Back then, however, I kept a very close eye on my weight, weighing myself multiple times a day. I also thought about food ALL the time. What I could eat, when I could eat, how I would feel if I ate, how much I'd have to exercise if I ate. Etc., etc. And, yes, I liked to cook at the time, too. Looks can be very deceiving.

My best advice to you is to put the scale away for the time being. Unless you're actively dieting--which I don't think you should be--weigh yourself no more than once a month. Stop counting calories and instead think about eating moderate portions and a balanced diet of whole grains, fruits and veggies, and lean protein. Think of food necessary as fuel for all the things you want to do each day. Exercise for pleasure and health and not as a means to burn what you ate the night before.

If you still find yourself preoccupied with food or with anxiety over gaining weight then, yes, you should talk to someone.

More hugs!

[Crankin]

I agree that you should see a doctor first. But, someone who knows about athletes and nutrition and can deal with your IBS, etc. For someone that is young and very physically active, that weight is not that low. But, the fact that your body is rebelling by having messed up periods, hair falling out is a warning sign that you aren't getting enough food or some nutrients! A lot of MDs do not know how to treat eating or nutrition issues...
I second the counseling and nutritionist. I went through the same thing as you when I was in my early thirties. I was not dieting and lost a great deal of weight from teaching aerobics. Everyone thought I had an eating disorder, but it was just the exercise. It's hard not to get caught up in thinking about food all of the time when you are getting compliments about how toned you look...
Of course, I still obsess about food, but so does everyone else in my family (we like to eat and cook, but not gain weight).

[letsride89]

holy moly

you girls are awesome. all this advice seems so loving and i don't even know you all! what you girls are saying about not worrying about food and calories sounds so good. i think this week i am going to do what all of you are saying and only worry about portion control and eating healthy foods. not so much calories and things like that. Thank you so much for what you have been saying. it has put my mind at ease seriously. I look to God for help and i know he's given me you guys to whip my butt when other people wont! Thanks for the butt kicking and the advice on getting my body back to normal!!!!

sometimes we all need a good slap in the face. it helps to know that i'm not alone and many of you have gone through this too....

[Smilie]

Everyone has good advice. I only have to add, everything in moderation. Have a slice of pizza, but not 4 or 5. Have a piece of cake, not half the cake.:D

[Colleen]

I just wanted to add a little support to this thread too. I won't add my story since it is almost the same as what Smilingcat wrote.

Letsride, I think even if you think you can turn things around on your own, you shouldn't be afraid to go seek an outside opinion or help. It is really helpful to talk to a doctor, nutritionist, counselor (or all three!). I'm not sure if you're at a college campus, but I found that the nurse practitioners who work with a lot of female students/athletes can be very good at helping you.

In the meantime, you shouldn't ignore those hunger cravings! They aren't the birthcontrol speaking, but your body telling you that it is hungry. Maybe if you tried adding some snacks throughout the day you could add more nutrition and more food. Then you will have more energy and your hair will stop falling out!

I'm glad you aren't afraid to ask other people for help and advice. Keep us updated!

[emily_in_nc]

It definitely sounds like something is not quite right (re. the periods, hair falling out, etc.), but unlike some who have posted, I don't find your weight to be alarmingly low. I am 5'2" and 103-104 lbs with tiny bones (bird wrists, small ankles, narrow hips) and am never told that I am too thin. I'm actually curvy, and in fact, now that I'm in my mid 40s, I've got quite a bit to pinch around the middle and "love handle" area and am trying to gain more muscle, because it's certainly possible to weigh relatively little and still have a higher body fat % than ideal. I've been this weight for years, am very active, don't count calories, eat what I want, almost never even catch a cold, and have very normal periods.

So, while I'm not at all alarmed by your weight, the other health issues do suggest that something is amiss. With the diet you quoted, you certainly need more calories since you're riding, being active, and are young so naturally have a high metabolism. I don't count calories, as I said, but I'm quite sure I'm eating ~1600-2000 calories a day, and more on the days I work out intensely. One way to get more calories in is to eat SNACKS! Our mothers may have told us they are bad for us, but healthy snacks are just that -- healthy! I eat fruit, nuts, yogurt, etc. for healthy snacks, several per day. I have a fast metabolism for my age so end up eating every couple of hours. I eat small to moderate healthy meals (I avoid restaurant meals, fried foods, etc.), so snacks are a must to keep up energy and keep hunger at bay.

Good luck and please keep us posted!

[malkin]

Hey Kid!

Eat! Drink! Be Merry! Carry on!

Keep up the good work and get some help when you need it!

[shootingstar]

I'm glad you like to cook, letsride..that's a good sign that you take an interest in how food is prepared for your needs.

Just get good balanced, nutritious meals. Don't eat junk food but have fun and relax with your food in terms of what you choose/make and eat. Do you cook or someone else?

At 19, you're too young to mess up your periods now...having 2 periods per month sounds like a hassle anyway. No girl needs that. So do something about that is long term with your diet.

I'm 5'1" at 98-100 lbs. I have small bones. I eat less than when I was 19 because my metabolism is slowing down abit now. At 19 I ate alot more and would shock alot of men of the volume I ate. I was approx. 93-95 lbs. at that time. I was less physically active but then my diet at that time, had very little sugar compared to now. I've always been small but never considered anorexic because I ate fairly healthy portions. I've never calorie counted ..yet.

My periods have been normal, no cramping nor pain/headaches, but I could never predict on exact day or wk. when things would start. That's ok, it's just me. Perimenopause looks pretty gentle and calm to me now...thank goodness..so far. (just to reassure you that it might take time for your period to readjust its cycles...but for some women it's never dead-on reliable/perfect cycles...but still healthy to have at least 1 period, for normal duration each month. Confirmed for me after thorough gyno checks.). No I do not take birth control pills to realign my periods. I was suggested this by a physician...who didn't push me on this (actually the physician didn't sound totally convinced about this method...) ..so I never took the advice. That was years ago.

Best of luck. You will get so busy in life that your diet path will align right. :)

[BarbaraAlys]

There is a very good fitness/nutrition site, http://www.hussmanfitness.org.htm that includes a BMR calculator. BMR is Base Metabolic Rate...or the calories you burn just being a live, not doing anything at all.

When I put in your stats, guessing your body fat percentage at 16, the calculator came up with 1322. That indicates your body needs about 1322 calories just have the energy to sit on the couch and breath. The site suggests that you keep your calories around 1450 if you want to loose fat, and between 1590-2120 to gain muscle.

Taking this information I would say that you are most likely not eating enough, and with your IBS you are most likely not getting enough fat in your diet. We need fat...not as much as a whole serving of french fries contains, but a certain amount. My guess is that you do not need to loose any fat, but might like to gain some muscle, so going a little higher in the calories and working your muscles might be a good plan for you. Also, think about suplementing with EFAs, essential fatty acids. I've heard several people with IBS say that it has helped them.

Listen to your body, not the scale.

Barbara

The best way to use a scale: find a flat surface, like your driveway...then run your car over it!

[Aggie_Ama]

Stepping in a little late. First I don't find your weight too off for height. I am 5'2" and when I tried before I got down to 125. That is where my CURVY body stopped losing. But my college roommate with no curves was 5'2" and 104 lbs. So it is all relative.

The hair loss should be a red flag though. The multiple periods too. A nutrionist is a must if you have IBS. My husband has Crohn's and I get to witness weekly how it hurts him when his body attacks from the inside. I know with your condition you probably eat what keeps your tummy from waging war, DH does as well. But I would keep a food diary, talk to a nutrionist. It helped DH a lot to see one and he kind of knows now what triggers his Crohn's pains.

You might have to eat more but eat better choices. You might be 110 but firm and happy. Remember 110-115 on an active body is going to look different. Sounds like maybe you have some deficiencies in vitamins/nutrients/calories and a nutritionist might be a helpful stop if you are serious about eating right. DH's was covered by our insurance since he has Crohn's so it wasn't too expensive and very helpful.

[michelem]

letsride89,

I'm around shootingstar's size, having gained around 10 pounds in the last year or so. Growing up, I was always at the bottom of the percentile charts in both height and weight. Ballet and competitive ice skating in my younger years, and in the past couple of years I've taken to cycling and running (I'm now nearing the big 4-oh -- yikes!). Last year, when cycling and 1/2 marathon training, even though my weight stayed the same, I believe my bodyfat percentage must have dipped below the safe level because I lost my periods for a couple of months. This is especially not good for me as I have osteopenia (runs in my family). I became embarassed of my "stick arms" and would wear long sleeves even in the heat of summer. In the past year, I've been seeing a doctor that specializes in nutrition and she has helped me with digestive issues that were causing malabsorption (basically, a lot of my calories were going right through me). She also got me doing weight training. I've gained muscle, but I believe also fat (which I needed). I still fit in the same size clothes I fit in 10 pounds ago, but I no longer feel embarassed to wear running shorts or t-shirts to the gym (don't get me wrong -- I'm kind of "prudish" and don't like to wear revealing stuff!).

So, today, I got my bodyfat tested for the first time. I don't know how accurate it is because it was the underwater weighing and I got all panicky being under water and having to blow all my air out and stay under. But, here's what I think you may find helpful: along with my bodyfat and lean muscle measurements, I was given info on my base caloric needs and my caloric needs with exercise. This was based on my particular age, total wieght, bodyfat percentage, and lean muscle percentage, but at least it will give you an idea. My BASE caloric needs (if I'm just lying in bed) are 1379 calories per day! Just to function throughout the day at a moderate activity level (not including "exercise"), I need about 2000 calories per day! Add exercise to that and I need even more (for my particular stats, cycling at 14-16mph burns approx 450 cal. per hour, running an 8 minute mile burns approx. 570 cal. per hour).

Anyway, I hope you get the picture that your body is probably starving for nutrition at this point. My dr. told me that even if I ate the amount of protein my body needs to build muscle, if I wasn't getting enough calories (either through eating or through absorbing them) then the protein wouldn't go toward building muscle, but rather just toward keeping me alive.

I really don't know how many calories I eat per day, but I'm in the midst of keeping a 10-day food diary for my doc and will be sending it to her for analysis, along with these test results. I certainly don't want to end up like my aunt and break a bone just by rolling over in bed! My period has been regular for at least 10 months or more now . . .

Okay, so hope this helps a bit. I highly encourage you to seek out a dr. who can give you some guidance on this stuff. Be very honest about your activity level and intake. I'm suspecting that your body is probably shocked by the rapid increase in activity level and lack of parallel increase in calories and that is why things are out of whack with your periods, temperature regulation, and hair.

Oh, one more thing: I'm wondering what has changed from a few months ago when you posted that you wanted to gain back about 10 pounds of muscle? Now you are saying you don't want to gain any weight? I do have to say that I really enjoy feeling stronger. I'm doing the 100 push-up challenge and my last go-round of "big-girl" push-ups was week 4 day 3: 29-33-29-29-40 (okay, so I had to stop a couple times during the last set and rest at the top, but I still eeked out all 40)! I still take ballet, and, while I may not be as thin as the adolescents, I am not an adolescent!

Good luck to you! By the way, what college do you go to?

[squirrell]

Everyone's already said it but I'll add my voice--you are not eating enough. Sounds like you are basically starving your body and the hair loss is a symptom of that. You're eating about 1400 calories a day? You should be eating at least, I'm betting, 2000 or more given your age and that's not even counting for your exercise, which would add in even more calories a day. Shoot, I bet you could eat 2000-2300 and still lose weight (and that's not even "eating back your exercise calories, which you need to do). And, at your point, losing weight is not goo. Seriously, talk to your doctor about nutritional information.

I am trying to lose weight, and I use myfitnesspal.com. If you want to go there, sign up, it's free (and no, they don't pester you with emails, offers, etc.), and when you set your goals, choose "maintain weight." Input your age, sex, etc. and it will show you how many calories a day you can eat and not lose. I love myfitnesspal because you input your exercise and it "adds" it back in to remind you to eat what you exercise so you don't starve your body. If you're trying to lose weight, the needed caloric deficit comes from cutting back on eating, not exercise.

And, remember, you don't have to be "skinny" to be healthy!!

[Miranda]

You have really good advice in this thread. I hope everything works out ok for you.

I've been both extremes of too heavy and too thin. Been on all kinds of diets, and not. Probably one of the best diet books I ever read was the SouthBeach diet. DH was "suppose to" be on it for his cholesterol. Yea, well:rolleyes:... BUT, the doc's theory made a lot of sense to me on the good and bad carb crashing cycle with the blood sugar. Other than that thought, I find I've done "best with less". By that I mean...

For me, I think the more I pay attention to something, the worse it gets. Yes, I'm prone to be a more type-a neurotic compulsive person. When in therapy for something else (not weight) I had the shrink tell me "middle of the road... try to be less extreme, and strive for that... ". My conclusion is this: middle of the road is not a one stop destination, it's a life long journey.

I do best when I just eat whatever I want, whenever I want, and if I really want it. NOT because....
1) it's the strike of six and dinner time, so eat
2) it's not the strike of dinner time, so do not eat
3) (the worse from surrounding idiots, omg) "that's not on your *diet* etc., are you suppose to be eating that? or...
4) "...come on EAT the *whatever it is* with us!..." Just because of the peer pressure

If I feel like I am craving red meat, I do not analyze anymore "hmm, that's how many whatever it is that's suppose to be bad for you, and should I eat it, and how many ounces, etc."... I just eat it. I eat enough until my body isn't crying out for it. If my body is done, I don't clean the plate either just because it's on there. I think, "ahh, that red meat was yummy, my fix is "fixed", I'm done now:cool:".

So hun... my humble opinion is if you want that pizza... eat it!!! (((hugs))) Miranda

[TahoeDirtGirl]

There is a very good fitness/nutrition site, http://www.hussmanfitness.org.htm that includes a BMR calculator. BMR is Base Metabolic Rate...or the calories you burn just being a live, not doing anything at all.

When I put in your stats, guessing your body fat percentage at 16, the calculator came up with 1322. That indicates your body needs about 1322 calories just have the energy to sit on the couch and breath. The site suggests that you keep your calories around 1450 if you want to loose fat, and between 1590-2120 to gain muscle.

Taking this information I would say that you are most likely not eating enough, and with your IBS you are most likely not getting enough fat in your diet. We need fat...not as much as a whole serving of french fries contains, but a certain amount. My guess is that you do not need to loose any fat, but might like to gain some muscle, so going a little higher in the calories and working your muscles might be a good plan for you. Also, think about suplementing with EFAs, essential fatty acids. I've heard several people with IBS say that it has helped them.

Listen to your body, not the scale.

Barbara

The best way to use a scale: find a flat surface, like your driveway...then run your car over it!

Barbara, thanks for that website, worth checking out.
I'm going to take your advice on the scale. But my driveway is sand so it might not damage it like I would like to....

FWIW Most of my life I had 'stomach problems'...and found that when I just ditched the packaged foods, it got better, and then going a diet of mostly chicken and fish, it did even better. Definately see a nutritionist as I lucked out and did it on my own but fiber and eating lots of vegs and fruits helped me out a lot. I just eat too many I suppose :D

[letsride89]

hey girls!

First of all, I want to say how much i appreciate you ALL! every one of you has given me awesome advice that i really needed to hear. I couldn't say thank you enough!!

The update:
I talked to my dad about seeing a nutritionist and he quickly reacted. He was so into it. He thinks it's such a great idea and he even went online to find me one in the area. He knows that i want to look good and eat normally, but healithy. He wants me to go see her right away. He has already called and told her about me, all i have to do is call and set up an appointment.

When i told my boyfriend, he even offered to pay. He said if he could spend 6000 dollars on his bike, he sure enough can spend teh 135 for his baby to feel better. lol

So anyway, thanks so much girls for your advice and concern, it really means alot. i can't wait to get my butt in gear and start eating stabily!!

Im sorry for the confusion when i said i didn't want to gain weight, what i meant was i didn't want my bodyfat percentage to increase. Competely wrong wording and i apologize!!!

[tulip]

Hi letsride! So glad to hear that you are taking some steps to a healthier you! The reaction of your dad and boyfriend ought to be clear enough--they support you all the way, as do we.

Please don't take this the wrong way--what you are doing is great. It's just that you seem to be really concerned about the numbers, whether pounds or body fat percentage. I hope that with the help of your nutritionist you can adjust your thinking to focus on the Qualitative aspects of your good health as opposed to the bottom line Quantitative results (numbers).

Keep up the good work. We are behind you! :)
-Julie

[letsride89]

aw hey thanks tulip...

ill have you girls know that last night my dad and i went to a fall festival at his church and i didn't think twice about getting a bowl of chili and a piece of pecan pie...and it was GOOD!!!!

;)

[tulip]

Just checking in, letsride. I hope you're doing well.

[pardes]

ill have you girls know that last night my dad and i went to a fall festival at his church and i didn't think twice about getting a bowl of chili and a piece of pecan pie...and it was GOOD!!!!;)

Letsride, I admire your spunk AND your ability to hear what everyone advised in this thread rather than getting defensive or just blowing everyone off. Everyone jumped on the band wagon because your physical symptoms were alarming and it did seem you were more interested in looking a certain way for others rather than listening to the very noisy red alert signals from your body.

You are young, vital, and active and the 1400 calories you were consuming was not enough to keep up with rebuilding your tissues and keeping you healthy. Whether you need a counselor or not or a nutritionist or not is for you to decide but my advice would be to treat your body like it was your best friend. It really is, after all, your best and closest friend.