Do you think it’s okay I gained weight?

[Anonymous]

Recently, I gained quite a bit of weight. I used to be around 87/88 lbs. Now, I am 95.
It’s because I ate a lot of food and binged on food which I know is bad and I stopped working out on weekends because I was usually busy with studying and chores. I’m going to try to get back to my weight that I was though and start exercising more during winter break and cut off sweets, eat healthier and try to eat only 1 or 2 meals a day! ;D

But I just wanted to know if you thought it was ok or normal to gain weight like that?
thank you for reading!

[Sonorous]

Yeah, it's okay so long as you're not morbidly obese. And as for reducing food intake to lose weight, I'd suggest increasing the amount of dense & satiating foods (especially protein) that you're eating. And also to eat whenever you're hungry. The only thing to worry about is the caloric intake requirement. For instance, I can eat 5 meals a day & still be in a caloric deficit to lose weight. Just depends on what I eat. And ideally, you'll wanna go no more than 500 calories under maintenance level per day. Because if you reduce your calorie intake further, it will cause your metabolism to slow down & if you rebound, your hunger hormones will spike higher than they were before the calorie restriction. Which could cause an even greater weight gain due to the decreased metabolism & possible binge.

[Asker]

Oh oh thank you so much.

[Sonorous]

No prob. I also recommend using an app like "my fitness pal" to track your calories. Once you get a general estimate of how much you're eating, it will be extremely easy to remove or add things to achieve certain weight goals.

[Asker]

Thank you so much! But some older guy that I was talking with, I told him I was underweight at the time. (I was like 84lbs then) and he said “oh good! That’s good. I like a skinny girl ;) . Like is it better to be underweight? I’m still learning about my body and everything and how I should be

[Sonorous]

It sounds to me that he didn't have the best intentions for your health in mind. Because being underweight is often more immediately dangerous than being overweight. It can lead to a number of health problems, such as nutrient deficiencies, , and an increased risk of infection.

- Poor growth and development in children and adolescents.
- Delayed wound healing and an increased risk of infection.
- Decreased bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis and increased risk of fractures.
- Weakened immune system, which can cause a person to be more susceptible to a variety of infections and diseases
- Poor cognitive function and increased risk of depression and anxiety.
- Poor physical performance and reduced ability to handle physical stress.

But some people may find skinnier people more attractive so they don't care if it compromises their health. For instance, many professional models are underweight to unhealthy degrees that could compromise health, yet their employers are okay with it because their lean state may bring out more attractive qualities in them, which is more marketable.

But I think we should all strive for a healthy middle ground. Something that's not underweight or overweight. Especially at a younger/developing age. I sure wish I had known more about how to eat in the healthiest way. I probably would have developed in a better & more healthy way.

[Lookitsmadmax1994]

It's normal to gain weight. I was constantly underweight when I was younger due to me being physically active with sports. It's not too much of a weight gain either. Being underweight isn't a good thing either. For your age and height from what I googled it says 110-140lbs is a healthy weight. Do you play any sports?

[Asker]

I don’t, but I do like playing sports. I’ve just never been that good at sports. So I switched to musical instruments like piano. Which I really like doing. I’m currently around 95. Lbs. but I had no idea why but like I keep telling myself to be lower than that?

[pascal_climbs]

It all depends on your body composition. A first rough estimate is calculating your BMI. Better is to have your muscle/fat ratio measured on a special scale in a gym. That will tell you whether you are over- normal- or underweight.

[Asker]

Thank you! I just calculated my BMI and I got 16.3.

[pascal_climbs]

That is low indeed. No problem to gain weight. Ideal is between 20 and 25. But try to gain muscle instead of fat. That even helps keeping your new weight and your body will look more shaped.

[slatyb]

How tall are you? How old are you?

[Asker]

5,4 and 17

[slatyb]

5'4" and 95 pounds? Your weight is below the normal range for your height.

[Asker]

Oh thank you, I didn’t know think that was normal for me

[slatyb]

I expect you will gain a bit more weight. Don't worry about it until you get to about 130 pounds. That is still in the normal range for your height. Of course this depends on your build.

[Veronica1111]

You are skinny

[panamared1]

Should be ok if you stop