weight

[run it, ride it]

okay--I've been there. High performance athlete (varsity running), 5'5", 115lbs, 17% body fat. Yes, even -heavier- than the original poster. But that was muscle, and let me tell you, my genetics do NOT dictate a thin build.

I looked like a freak. My period stopped, I lost my boobs; I -thought- I was eating too much because I kept collecting fat around my jaw and middle, but that was just my body going into starvation mode. I had to stop running due to injury; thought it would be a few weeks offtime.

Two years later, I think I -might- be ready to go back into light speed training. But with my injuries I simply cannot push the speed. Cycling has been a godsend: non-impact excercise that I can't hurt myself with the same way I did running; easy on the asthma; builds all the right muscles. When I was too injured to run a track practice, the workout was modified and I sentenced to the stationary bike. Now, I hardly think of cycling as a second-rate sentence!

I am finally getting my curves in the right places. The weight under my chin is dissipating. I know when I'm hungry and don't just have to guess. My metabolism isn't going to speed up any and my digestive system is a nightmare, so I have to be extremely careful of what I eat--but damn it, I look like a girl!

I look THINNER now at 124lbs because I have a jawline and a waistline. My hormonal levels are normal. I feel emotion again; trust me, going from 'training too hard to feel anything' to 'experiencing all repressed emotions from aforementioned time period' is no walk in the park.

What I'm trying to articulate is: DON'T push your body past its normal function. Doctors will tell you it's 'normal' for high-performance athletes to stop menstruating. Normal does not mean healthy. Your hormonal levels are worth more than a few percent body fat.