Ok, I feel kind of bad posting this and thought long and hard before I did - part of me feels embarrassed and wonders how much of a problem this really is.

I started out in August 2009 and have lost about 22 pounds to get to my current weight of 128. But yesterday I was out with friends and some photos were posted today and I got the shock of my life. I looked skinny. Too skinny. My face looked drawn and my body bony. I have been getting worried comments from co-workers in the past few weeks telling me stop losing weight. Thing is, I have stopped. Or I thought I had. I'm not trying anymore but it seems out of control. I've upped my calories a lot since I started. When I wanted to lose it was 1200 a day.

My week goes as follows: Mon 1500, Tues 1550, Wed 1700, Thurs 1550, Fri 1500, Sat 2000, Sun 1700. I go to gym 4-5 times a week for 2-3 hours a session (the two 3 hour sessions include an hour stretch class so isn't strenuous). I do HIIT twice a week, resistance training 4 times a week for 40 mins each time and steady rate cardio the rest of the time. I only started lifting 3 weeks ago to tone up more and that's when I started to lose inches. My weight's the same but I look a lot thinner than 3 weeks ago. I just don't know how to stop because as said above, I think I eat enough and always feel satisfied.

Just an idea of my typical weekday:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup oats, 2/3 cup milk, 2 tangerines

Lunch: A shrimp salad (carrots, lettuce, tomato, cucumber), 1 apple, laughing cow cheese wedge.

Snack: 100g fat free flavoured yoghurt, 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, 1/2 cup grapes 12 peanuts (I cut this all up to make a fruit salad), 10 almonds

Dinner: About 100g chicken breast and 2 cups of mixed vegetables cut up to make a stirfry, a fruit, a cup of tea with a little milk.

Snack (usually after gym): a fruit, a cereal/energy bar and usually a cup of low fat custard.

I avoid bread and pasta totally during the week and have rice once a week. Some days I eat fish or a 3 egg omelette with loads of veg for dinner. On weekends I relax the rules and usually treat myself to a meal out (yesterday include a bagel with salmon and cream cheese and apple and cinammon pancakes for dessert).

I really need some help figuring out just what is happening. I'm ecstatic to have lost weight and terrified of gaining it back but I am quite worried now. I''d really appreciate any advice, input or critique.

I'm curious to see answers too...same thing happened/is happening with me. I've been maintaining a weight of 138-142 for well over a year, but there's been more inches lost in that time and people all over the place are telling me "stop losing weight." Same situation as yours...

Okay - first, don't forget your new face is new for you. You are used to how you looked before. There's a chance you look fine, but it's just a surprise.

If you are really unhappy with your current look:

I don't know about your build and you didn't share the photos, so I only have my reference. I am 5'7" and my goal is 130. You are an inch taller and your goal is 5 lbs less. I know that I have a very small frame (tiny wrists, fingers, shoulders) and 130 is slender on me. I can only guess from my own experience that 125 would be very slender on you.

You have a lovely, healthy eating plan, but maybe it's time to move into maintenance? I do understand it is scary, I was terrified. It's actually easy to add super healthy calories to your day. Maybe a spoonful of peanut butter in your oatmeal and some sliced avocado in your shrimp salad? Just an extra hundred calories a day until you get used to how that feels, and then add another hundred extra healthy calories a day.

If you don't feel happy at 128, try 130 for a month or so.

I was half afarid someone would say maintain Glory! I just don't know how to fit all that food in! I'm a similar build to you. Tiny wrists, narrow shoulders, thin legs. So I guess 128 is pretty thin.

I've attached photos. I hope they open up. The two upper body shots are yesterday - where it hit me I look thin and drawn. That said, I had a terrible night's sleep the night before so maybe that'spart of the reason. The group shot (I'm in purple) is from about 4 weeks ago before I started resistance training and I think I look better.

Thanks for the input I realize I may have to put my fear aside for the sake of my overall health and appearnace and make an effort to up my calories.

i looked at your pics and you look fantastic.. your face isnt to thin its very pretty actually

Wow, Mindi really? And you're 10 or so pounds more and you get that from people? Ok, clearly I need to think about making some changes and possibly gaining a little weight. Or at least maintaining. It's so hard to convince myself to do that though when I've spent the best part of a year thinking and doing the complete opposite. Sometimes I feel as if I can't win!

Hmm... well I'm no calorie math expert, but... I was thinking your calorie intake was fine until you listed the exercise. That's A LOT of calories you are burning. An hour of cardio should be at least 300 calories, and that's not counting your weight training and stretching. Building muscle takes a lot of nutrients. Your 1500 calorie day could easily be less than 1000 when you subtract the work out.

When one is that serious about fitness, you really need your diet to reflect and match it perfectly. My guess would be that you need a lot more protein. I think you need to talk to a nutrionist or exercise expert about your diet. I don't think you'll gain any weight if you change your diet to more actively reflect how much you work out, and I think you'd probably feel/look healthier.

Just my two cents. As I said, I'm no expert, but I have read a lot of advice and articles on healthy weight people who work out 2-3 hours a day, and their diets are a lot different from yours. I would check into it at least, no harm in making sure your body is getting what it needs!

Thanks Nitenurse - that's lovely of you to say Yes, I'm mostly very happy with the way my body looks. It's just comments from friends and co-workers (all sincere, honest, wonderful people) have been bugging me a bit over the past few weeks. That said, they were used to a different, more solid me!

Also, with yesterday's exhaustion and the camera angle (I hope!) I'm feeling a little paranoid. The 2 pictures here is a me from maybe 5-8 pounds ago - I think I prefer this me. My face is fuller. Maybe I should ry to go back to that...

Eek, I should probably take these down after we exhaust the thread! don't usually post photos but I think it may really help me when it comes to getting advice.

No. 1 - You look great! But maybe 128 is too small for you. I'm 3 inches shorter than you and a medium build and my target weight is 125-129 but I don't think I can or would want to maintain that weight.

No. 2 - Never feel bad for posting, thta is what we're here for. Support doesn't just stop at your goal.

No. 3 - You eat less cals that I do for losing so it's likely you need to up your cals more to stop losing inches from all the exercise you are doing.

No. 4 - Hang in there. All of this is a learning process, even maitenance. You just have to do what is right for you and your health. Good luck!

Thanks for that advice Gold. I think you make a very good point. I do exercise a lot - it's something I love so I'm sometimes unaware of how intense my workouts get because my level of energy is usually very high. I guess I do need to fuel that more sufficiently. I will definitely do some research in the next few days and then possibly speak to someone about it. My training is a huge part of my life and i don't want my diet to adversely affect that.

Thanks ncuneo Wow, I'm constantly amazed at how wonderfully supportive everyone is here. It really makes me feel good and the advice is great. I think it's so much easier and better to come here than to ask friends or family who are very subjective. I feel like I have something to work with and a lot to do and think about now, and that really helps me

Hey Tagan- none of the pictures were up when I initially hit reply. Just want to say that I personally think you look great in all of them! I would still double check the diet versus workout numbers, but really, I don't think you look "too thin" at all! You should be very proud of your accomplishments! (First time I've used that smiley! Felt appropriate...)

People like you that meet their goals of a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle really give me courage and motivation.

Aw thanks so much Gold. I'll put it partly down to feeling awful yesterday then!

Know that I'm rooting for you and everyone every step of the way. All of you give me so much too and it's so great to come here for advice from like-minded people who know exactly how challenging and at the same time rewarding a weight loss journey can be. I wish you all the best

Just a thought...the first profile picture makes you look green. I don't think you're really green. Perhaps that is why you think you look sickly. I think it may just be poor lighting or something.

I think you look awesome! I think you could happily go either way, maintaining or gaining a touch. I think if you're not hungry and are getting proper nutrition you're probably gold.

It sounds like you're really into fitness. And that's great. Why not find a trainer who can work with you to make sure you are getting the proper nutrition for all the work you want to do? And/or begin studying up around the internet at locations which are more fitness-focused than 3FC...particularly areas where men and women who are more seriously into athletics hang out.

I would also say that you should be listening to your body. You say you have a lot of energy--that is good. But are you also sleeping well, and enough? Do you feel like you are able to relax and have a good time when you want to? Do you give your body rest days from all the work you're demanding of it? How is your mental state--are you obsessed with weighing yourself, or overly worried about every little bite you eat?

When your food and exercise and your mental state are in balance, then I think your body will find the weight that it should be. And that weight is not something that anyone else can dictate to you. But, you do need to be cautious and careful with your body, and treat it well, rather than taking out your fears of re-gaining weight on it.

Lol at Eliana! You're right! Thelighting in the restaurant was a bit strange

WarMaiden, I am working with a trainer at the moment. He's been really helpful as far as getting me into resistance training and stretching is concerned. I sleep wonderfully for about 7 hours a night and am pretty relaxed most of the time. Actually, I've never felt better!

But admittedly I have an obsessive personality. I don't worry much about the scale (I only weigh myself every now and then). The numbers I feel don't really reflecct the amount of exercise I do. I've been at the same weight since about December but look much thinner so it's inches lost. I do often worry about what I eat - I'm trying to work past the guilt when I do treat myself and I'm making progress. I've come to realise that losing weight is not just a physical journey but a mental and emotional one too - I'm working towards getting all the aspects in harmony and working for me. All in all I think I'm quite a rounded personality - exercise and what I eat is not all there is to my life