advice?

[Katie_uk]

hi can any give me advice on calorie intake and exercise? i want about 15 % body fat. im 125 pounds at 5'5 and i used to be anorexic so i lost muscle, but im recovered now and i look like i have more fat then muscle! any advice? im trying to be healthy now, im not very sure about any aspect.

thanx

[black57]

Katie, the fact that you were once anorexic alarms me. What are your friends and family saying about your weight? Do you look fat to them? Although I lack your youthfulness, I am 5'3'' and my goal weight is 125 lbs although I could go down to as low as 115 lbs and still be within my range. To figure your ideal weight you should give yourself 100 lbs for the first 5 ft or 60 inches. You should then add 5 lbs for every inch above that. That would mean that your ideal healthy weight should be at a minimum of 125 lbs. What is your concept of being healthy? If you are at your ideal weight, losing weight will not make you healthier. Moderate exercise is good but get your mind off of your body. Begin to feel good about the cathedral that houses your life. That cathedral is your body. Don't compare yourself to anyone that you see in magazines or glamorized on the tellie. I can't encourage you to lose weight when I feel that your weight is right on target. I do think that you should keep up with the exercise and eating a good healthy low carb diet. But you should be maintaining the weight that you have.

Do take care,
Black57

[VickiR]

I just looked at your goal weight, and it (94 pounds) doesn't look healthy to me for someone of your height. I suggest that you talk to your doctor about a realistic, healthy goal.

"Healthy" to me, means having abundant energy for all the things I want to do with my life. I set my goal at 145 (I'm 5'6") because I know I will feel energetic at that weight. And I need that energy to support my moderate exercise habit. I'm by no means an athlete, but I do like to get out for daily walks, do yoga, weekend day hikes, and bike rides.

"realistic" means - within my actual grasp, without losing sight of the "healthy" part - meaning, I don't want to do something that will completely disallow the occasional (OCCASIONAL) chocolate chip cookie. But I also want to establish good, lifelong habits that are based on healthy proteins, fats, and carbs.

Take care.

Vicki

[Katie_uk]

i was 94 pounds two months ago, i look good that weight, that is a realistic goal, i got that way by atkins. and just need to get bk on track.

[Fhyreworks]

I'm sorry I have to disagree, there is no way 94 lbs is healthy for someone that is 5'5". My step-mother is the same height as I am, 5'3" and is VERY ILL at 98 lbs (and she is a small framed person). They are constantly trying to put weight ON her. She is nothing but skin and bones. I think there might be some body image issues if you feel you look good at that weight.

Debbie

[twistermom]

I have to agree with Fhyreworks. Maybe you should talk to your doctor. See how he feels about Atkins.

[Nessaleah]

Katie, I have to agree with everyone on this. You should absolutely talk to the doctor about your weight loss plans. When you say, "recovered," you sound as if you think that you are cured. It doesn't quite work that way. Are you involved in any sort of follow up or maintenance as part of your recovery? If so, please make contact with your support. If not, please find a support group or talk with a professional who specializes in eating disorders.

Please take care of yourself-inside and out. Especially the inside...
Karla

[Nessaleah]

One more thing re: muscle atrophy. My sister just told me that you should talk to your doctor about getting physical therapy and consider muscle building exercises rather than reducing body fat. Maybe you could consult a gym to see if you can get help with increasing muscle.

Take care

[orchidday]

Body fat percentage of less than 18.5% is considered underweight. I hope that you will consider returning to counseling because trying to achieve such a low body fat percentage is dangerous for someone who has struggled with anorexia as you have. Stay well and healthy! We care about you.

Orchid

[guitarlssn]

Body fat percentage of less than 18.5% is considered underweight.

Orchid,

You are confusing BMI with Body Fat Percentage. A BMI of 18.5 (not a percent) or less is considered underweight. For a woman, a body fat percentage of 15% is realistic. As a man, I was obese at 30%, I'm average now at 14.4% and my goal is under 10%. The husband of one of my friends has a fat percentage of about 6%, and he is muscular, tone, and very healthy.

The key is losing fat while preserving lean body mass (or the mass of your bones and muscles and organs.) This mean EXERCISE and a good, sensable diet. There's no better way about it.

One final word on BMI: it's a crock! I never pay attention to BMI measurements because they can be so inaccurate. Currently I weight 222lbs. My lean body mass is 190lbs. That means that 32lbs, or 14.4% of me, is fat. However, at 6'1", my BMI is 29.3. This means that I'm considered overweight, even though I'm not! Worse yet, if my body fat percentage was 0%, meaning NO FAT ON MY ENTIRE BODY, my BMI at 190lbs of PURE muscle and bone would be 25.1 - STILL considered overweight!!! I have a large frame and a naturally high amount of muscle thanks to my genes, so BMI does not work for everyone.

Travis

[guitarlssn]

Katie,

I would seriously talk to a personal trainer or a doctor about getting your body fat tested before setting a weight goal. Your eyes can lie to you, but the facts will not. You say to "looked good" at 94lbs, but you also admit to having had a serious eating disorder, which suggests to me that your perspective could be distorted. A good personal trainer will give you the facts without that bias. It may not be at all that you have too much fat, but rather too little muscle. In that case, the solution is to work out and rebuild that muscle.

My experience is this: Excercising more is better than ANY diet if you really want to lose weight. My weight loss progress should attest to that. I eat the same amount as ever, but I burn much of it in the gym.

Travis