well i have recently lost 20 lbs. i am 5'2 and i weigh about 100 lbs. my parents think that i am too skinny and need to gain weight but i dont think so. i am happy where i am. i try to eat healthy things and exercise. my mom always says well u need to start eating bad foods like fried fish and blah blah blah. i am so scared of gaining weight i dont know what to do. but i was wondering if i do occasionaly have to eat fried foods for dinner and things that may be unhealthy will i gain alot of weight back

First of all, the best test of whether you are/arent at a good weight is to ask a health professional.

Secondly.. occasionally it is okay to eat things that you normally might not as long as you use portion control and stop when you are full. The problem with most "bad" foods is that people eat too much of them. For example.. a piece of cheesecake at many restaurants is actually the equivalent of 4 servings of cheesecake!

Thirdly - PLEASE remember that weight is not all there is to it. Remember - muscle weighs more than fat does... so weighing more might be a GOOD thing. Again, ask a personal trainer/doctor/nutritionist. If you can get a fat percentage, thats always helpful. It would be better to weigh 130 pounds and be healthy with toned muscle than to weigh 120 and have no toning and a lot of fat.

Lastly, please be careful when becoming too obsessed with a number on a scale. It really can lead to eating disorders, etc because you may begin to look at yourself unrealistically. That's why I'm pushing for the medical professional opinion. That way you get someone unbiased who is looking out for your healthiest best interest.

hello...well i learned the hard way that scales are really not the best indicator to how 'healthy' your weight is ....i was at around 87lbs (i am 5'2) like you and really just sick looking, i recently went over some older photos and it just looks nasty, i went into treatment for a month, because of heart problems

but, just because you might gain weight does not mean that you have to in an unhealthy way....i hated hearing from my parents that i should eat something like fries, cookies, ice cream, whole milk, steak...just because i was underweight...i actually think that in a way food issues are similair in lots of eating disorders...whethers its bulimia/binge eating/anorexia....its a sense of control...lack of control...and regaining control..often using food as a physical manifestation of emotion...

anyways point it, if eating fried stuff makes you feel awful, dont eat it, if your parents think you need more body weight let them see that you are eating healthy, and more importantly that you are eating...

right now i am trying to put on a little muscle and fat, but rather than trying to do it quickly, like eating fried food and junk, i just want to put it on in a healthy way...exercise and eating right...

anyways good luck, and dont let the numbers on a scale run your whole life...its just not worth it

Hi!
You might want to check some of the nutrition sites on the net which give lots of good information about body weights and how much to eat and stuff like that. A good place to start is www.nutritiondata.com

If you are 5'2" and 100 pounds, you are on the absolute lower limit of healthy body weight, so if you lose more, you may be putting your health in jeopardy. Most places say that at 5'2", a healthy weight ranges from 105-135 pounds. You are probably o.k. at 100 because you are a teen (I'm assuming), but don't be alarmed as you get towards age 20 and put on some pounds, because that is what is normally supposed to happen, because adult women NEED a bit of fat to maintain healthy hormone levels. I like what one of the other people here said about not becoming obsessed with the number...it's all about health!

Just make sure that you are eating enough. At your height and weight, you should be getting a minimum of 1500 calories a day, and if you are active, like in gym class or sports teams, you need to eat more. Nutritiondata.com has an online calculator which may give you some good guidelines. It sounds like you are already interested in eating healthy stuff, keep it up!

I agree with the need for a medical opinion here. A good weight may mean 100 pounds, or it may be more closer to 105 or 110 depending on your body frame. Height is not the only issue here.

If the doctor thinks that you have lost too much weight, and that 100 pounds is too thin for your frame, a small weight gain of 3-5 pounds could make a big difference since you are only 5'2".

If you are happy where you are now, and the doctor thinks you are at a healthy rate for your height, I think it may be time for you to change your eating habits to facilitate "maintenance" of your weight, rather than still eating to "lose" weight. Once you lose weight, you don't have to eat as low calorie as you did when you were losing. You don't want to go back to eating the way that you did before, but you can eat a little more now to MAINTAIN your weight loss.

For instance, say you were eating about 1400 calories a day to lose the weight that you did...to maintain your weight loss you can up your calorie intake a little bit to maintain it-in other words, not gain any back, but not lose any MORE. If you were eating 1400 a day, try eating 1600-1700 a day to maintain.

I do have a method that really worked for me in the past for maintenance. (I lost weight and made it to my goal weight and into maintenance-I had another child, so that is why I have to lose again.) Rather than upping my calorie intake a little every day to maintain, what I chose to do was to eat like I did for weight loss all week long (Sunday-Friday) and have Saturday as a "free" day. This meant that I ate like I did when I was losing all week long, but on Saturdays I ate what I wanted (even some bad stuff here and there) and didn't worry about it. Saturdays worked for me, because I went out more on the weekend and there were more temptations. On weeks where there was an "eating" holiday like Thanksgiving, I just had my free day on the holiday instead of Saturday. I successfully maintained using that method.

If you are wanting to maintain, one of these methods might be an answer for you. You might also discuss this with your mom to ease her concerns. Tell her that you have been working on a plan to keep the weight off, but not to lose any more weight, and it may make her feel better. (She may be worried about you losing MORE.) Tell her you are going to stay on plan, but up your calorie intake slightly, or talk with her about having a "free day" instead once a week. Agree to have a check up with the doctor just to make sure that you are truly not "underweight" at this point. She may become more supportive of your efforts.