i'm new to this and have only recently become interested nutrition, diet and fitness but plan on keeping that way for life.

not to rant, but i have always had a smaller build even when my diet and exercise were "lacking" (ice cream at 3 meals a day, months without lifting a finger) and i have fluctuated a lot in weight (from 107-130 within months) i typically average around 120 (but the 130 weight gain is what prompted me to become interested in nutrition)

currently i've been able to cut down to about 112 lbs, and i want to try and get to 108 lbs. i eat healthy (with a BIG sweet tooth), i run a LOT, and i lift (even though when i slack, i slack on my weight training)


[i picked this target weight since it is what i used to weigh before i slacked off on keeping a healthy lifestyle]

right now i keep about a 1300 caloric intake (net calories- i eat more when i work out)


i fear i am slowing my metabolism down too much.

i also want a lower fat percentage. i'd also like some advice on getting rid of sweet tooth(without artificial sweetners).

also, is my goal weight of 108 unreasonable? i want to get to a weight i can maintain[or what was the point of losing weight, you know?]. even though it is very small it is not unhealthy for my height. (edit: i'm 5'4 1/2)


other dilemmas: i'm also going to college and i am scared about the "freshman 15." any advice?

also, i no longer menstrate. is that an indication my body fat is too low? (i am at like 16% body fat- not unhealthily low)


ALSO: my friends all make me feel like i'm crazy because i am so careful about what i eat. they make it seem like i have a problem just because i dont want to eat ice cream sundaes all the time. i don't know how to deal with people who view eating right and exercise as "anorexia" and not as a healthy habit.

How tall are you?...108 sounds dangerously underweight in my opinion, although you did say you had a small build...and 1300 kcals per day isn't nearly enough either!

Please post a sample of what your daily diet looks like and also what you do for exercise.

Truthfully the "freshman 15" happens to some, but all the walking I had to do counteracted that so I stayed relatively the same...lots of people who were active in HS aren't so active in college, but I wasn't active in HS so the walking (esp. uphill every morning) really did good for me.

A "sweet tooth" isn't something that you can turn on and off like a lightswitch, nothing is going to "get rid" of it...but there are certainly healthy things you can eat that are sweet.

Your friends are going to razz on you because it makes them look bad for eating poorly. Thats just life...

Ok, in your profile it says you are 5'4"..and you want to weigh 108?! That is TINY!

Look, I don't know how else to say this..but its doubtful you'll ever be healthy at that weight..and eating only 1300kcals per day is just far too little and additionally you've already been wondering if you might not have enough body fat...that kinda seems like bad news to me!

I think its great that you want to become more interested in fitness and nutrition, but the goal of fitness and nutrition is to become healthy. Sure, part of that is aesthetic but mainly the goal is to preserve health. You're young, so you've picked a good time to get interested in having goals like that. For that, I commend you...but I have to question the reasons for your fitness/nutrition goals...

I assume you are more interested in looking like you weight 108 than actually weighing it? If so, I'd eat a little more and be dilligent with your weight training for a few months and see if you shrink and become leaner (although you might not actually weigh less).

As for the sweet tooth, I think once you change your diet for the better your body may naturally stop craving those things so much. I guess I am lucky because I don't like most of the "problem" foods people seem attracted to. But I recall when I was much younger certain things tasted really good to me that now seem way too sweet, salty, or greasy. So maybe just try to cut back and see if the cravings diminish over time.

Consistency is critical, so develop a plan and stick with it for at least month or two and see how it's working :)

So you aren't menstruating anymore? Just all of the sudden since you dropped some weight? Thats a bad sign.

Best way to satisfy "sweet tooth" is have a cheat day (sunday is my day of choice). This is where you can indulge in anything sweet i.e. pudding,cakes etc. Just be sure not to over-indulge.

Right,as of now your BMI is approximately 18.6
(you need to consume more calories)
Underweight < 18.5
Normal 18.5-24.9
Overweight 25.0-29.9
Obesity 30.0-39.9
Extreme Obesity >= 40


I would keep daily calorie intake to 1536 MINIMUM (depending on daily activity levels).

Here's a sample nutritional plan:

40% Protein / 40% Carbohydrate / 20% Fat
CALORIES (daily) = 1536

PROTEIN = 614 (calories) (Which Equals) 154g

CARBOHYDRATES = 614 (Which Equals) 154g

TOTAL FAT = 307 (Which Equals) 34g


Although eating healthy is far better for you than eating unhealthy,you are still very young. My advise would be not to concern yourself too much with calorie intake,just eat healthy(if that's what you want) and eat well. Your weight could easily reach 130lb and still you would remain well within the "normal" BMI range. :nod:

thanks! yeah, i just turned 18 this year and finally realized that i was going to have to change my lifestyle if i wanted a long happy and healthy life. the only reason my goal weight was so low is that is what i used to weigh before i started to eat really unhealthy. i didn't realize it was so low, especially since my body doesn't look super thin or stickly or anything.


i find it hard to eat so much protein in one day, any advice on ways to upgrade my protein uptake? :)

thanks! yeah, i just turned 18 this year and finally realized that i was going to have to change my lifestyle if i wanted a long happy and healthy life. the only reason my goal weight was so low is that is what i used to weigh before i started to eat really unhealthy. i didn't realize it was so low, especially since my body doesn't look super thin or stickly or anything.


i find it hard to eat so much protein in one day, any advice on ways to upgrade my protein uptake? :)

I think cessation of menstruation has more to do with how and how fast fat was dropped over the actual % (Of course, at a certain point it will anyway). I know I lost my period when I did too much intense running as a teenager and dropped weight unintentionally, but later I was a lower body fat and it did not stop. As for your weight goal, 108 is very slight on most people your height. Even if you have a very tiny frame that naturally comes near that weight it would be healthier to try and add some muscle to it and make sure your fat % is not too low.

I think cessation of menstruation has more to do with how and how fast fat was dropped over the actual % (Of course, at a certain point it will anyway). I know I lost my period when I did too much intense running as a teenager and dropped weight unintentionally, but later I was a lower body fat and it did not stop. As for your weight goal, 108 is very slight on most people your height. Even if you have a very tiny frame that naturally comes near that weight it would be healthier to try and add some muscle to it and make sure your fat % is not too low.

I agree with the above in regards to loss of menstrual cycle. I have lost my period only twice in my life--and both times coincided with a sudden increase in cardio activity and pretty fast fat loss (Army basic training and last year during a 2 month block of turbo cardio to burn off stubborn body fat while still lifting 3x/week). After I cut back on the cardio, my cycle started back up again even though I was at a lower body fat.

I agree with a few other people here that 108 seems awfully low - When I was at that weight (back in high school, about 4 years ago) I thought it was perfect, but now I look at pictures and realize I was way too skinny. And keep in mind, muscle is denser than fat, even though you might gain weight, you will be slimmer and wear smaller clothes. I also agree that you are not getting enough calories- if you starve your body, it will want to hang onto the fat. Using the harris-benedict equation, your BMR is 1436cal - so that's if you did nothing but sleep all day. I'm not sure how many calories you need, but I would think at least 1500-1700.