Lea_D

Hi, I'm Lea and I'm 19.

I know that I am not 'that' big, but for me, I am so uncomfortable in my own skin and I just need support losing 5-10 pounds.

Here's my story: for years I was always super thin, I am 5'2 and since high school my weight ranged from 81-98 pounds, usually depending on how much exercise I was doing. I have been a dancer and a petite model, so I am used to my body being thin. I think I am most comfortable at around 95 pounds, because I am small boned my body looks thin but healthy at that weight. I think I was too thin when I was in the eighties.

About 2 months ago I increased my exercise a lot, adding weight training and more dancing, and my weight has gone up by a lot. I exercise for at least 3 hours a day. My appetite is enormous and I started binge eating and I am now 106 pounds. I am so uncomfortable. I know that's not a big number and a lot of people would be happy to be there, but it feels obese to me.

I have mainly gained the weight in my thighs... my upper body has stayed slim but my legs look huge and disproportionate to my torso and I hate looking at them, especially since I am always having to wear tights and short workout shorts.

Can someone please give me some support? I just want to lose a little and I need motivation and just to know that other people are in the same place as me.

Thanks,

Lea

MunaAmin

Hi, maybe you are just getting female curves. At 95lb which is 43kg, at 5'2'' your BMI is 16.9 which is well underweight.... you body is entering your reproductive age and tries to hold onto some fat so that any possible babies have a chance.

cherber

I think it may be the exercise. The legs are bigger because you are weight training. I used to work out a lot, and my thighs got bigger. The best way to gauge weight loss success is to measure your waist, hips, thighs, calves and arms. Weight gain may be muscle gain, not fat. Always talk to a doctor before trying to lose weight, even if its a small amount if you've never talked to one about it before.

stopcounting

It does sound like the exercise is what's causing you to gain weight. Here's what you have to ask yourself: is it more important for you to be strong or thin? As a dancer, I would assume that strength and stamina are more important to your future career, so as painful as it is, you might just have to live with the weight if you want to be the best dancer that you can be.

Binge eating is hard to deal with, but it helps to keep your house stocked only with healthy-ish things...that way, when you do binge, you have no chice but to binge on things like vegetables and hummus.

I'm not in your situation, but I have a friend who is a trapeze artist, and she gained some unwanted weight. After looking around, she found a personal trainer who understood the needs of her profession and made an exercise regimen that was right for her and suited her needs. You might want to consult with a personal trainer who focuses on things like ballet or gymnastics, and can better understand your situation.

canary52

I agree with with what stopcounting said. And honestly, I am not trying to be judgemental; I am just concerned, especially for one so young. 81-98 pounds for a person 5'2" even with a small frame, just seems too thin, almost dangerously so, especially the low end of that, as even you acknowledge, thankfully.

Is it possible that your weight gain is muscle? Is that necessarily a bad thing? If you feel your legs are disproportionate to the rest of you, is it not possible to build some upper body strength to balance it out?

Also I want to suggest that sometimes binge eating is a psychological thing (trying to fill a emotional hole, for example) but I believe sometimes people binge eat because they need food, having starved themselves to attain an ideal which might not be realistic or healthy. Again, I agree with stopcounting. Have healthy food available and please remember to treat yourself with kindness. You sound like you're working very hard.

midwestj

Numbers and stats aside I just want to say at 19 you should try and learn to love and respect your body, make healthy choices, don't get so focused on numbers.

Its easy for young girls to get caught up in wanting to be 5-10 lbs less, but will it really make you happy when you get there?

From a male perspective, we like curves, and we like confidence. 5'2" 106 lbs sound like a good weight to maintain to me but I'm no expert. For that height normal bmi is between 103-136 lbs.

Strong and sexy is better than thin and frail imo!

Exercising more causes your calorie needs to increase. Are you exercising daily? That could be too much.

If you want to harden your body try lifting free weights, especially squats. Barbell squats and other squat exercises will help shape your legs and reduce your waist size while building strong abdominal and core muscles.

http://strippeddownhealth.com/wp-con...uatcropped.jpg

I have posted that picture in other threads before, because this is what squatting will do for a womans body! She is lifting 225lbs!!! Thats probably more than you see most guys doing, and she is definitely not bulky.

canary52

I agree with Jason about not getting caught up in numbers. Believe me when I say that obsession with numbers is a trap that can last for years, decades even. I hope you do not fall into that trap!!!

Jason you really do like that picture, huh?

Lea, we each need to set our own standards. I am hoping for you that yours is a healthy one.

midwestj

Haha yes I do love that picture. It debunks some of the main myths that many women believe about weight training. It combines two of my favorite things, nice butts and weight lifting lol.

1. That women can't get strong, clearly they can.
2. That women will bulk up when they lift weights, NOT TRUE!

01gt4.6

I like her shorts.

insatiableone

Oh, man. I'm almost 25 now, but when I was 15-18, I was also always eager to lose more weight to be thin. I am small-framed and 5'2" and gained 60 pounds at age 18 due to antidepressants, but before that, I was 115-120 lbs. and I ALWAYS wanted to be thinner. I thought being below 110 would make my life perfect. Now I can't imagine why I was distraught to be 120 lbs. It's a healthy weight for someone our height and frame-size.

The weight range that FitDay has given me is this:
The healthy weight range for your height is between 101.1 lbs and 136.7 lbs.

So it sounds like your growing body, responding to your needs as a dancer and your increase in exercise (which may be increasing the muscle mass, NOT FAT, in your legs--muscle weighs more than fat, remember), is just trying to find a weight at which it's comfortable. I know that any weight gain may seem incredibly noticeable to you, but I can almost guarantee that no one else around you is looking at you or judging you as harshly as you judge yourself. I worry that you would want to try and drop to your prior weight--you sound like a healthy and fit young woman to me who should focus on training and strengthening your body and NOT the number on the scale! I hope that you can find it in yourself to accept those dancer's legs as a part of who you are and not a hideous deformity.

I feel like perhaps the binge eating may be a response to not getting enough calories for the growing muscles. Given that you exercise so much in a day, it's critical that you get enough calories to support development and growth and also maintain your body's normal functions. Have you tried eating several small meals a day instead, spaced out every few hours, and ensuring you have something small to eat after you work out for 3 hours? I would start there.

Good luck to you, Lea. I hope my advice helps. I can't in good conscience tell you that you should or need to lose weight--I know how it feels to want to be thinner and I now know it just isn't a healthy path to take!

J.