eatin normally.

[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... 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".

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