teacher said she is "worried about me"?

[mira]

hey everyone,
so after class today my teacher took me aside and asked me if "im ok" and said that shes worried about me b/c she noticed I have dropped weight. now i told her like yeah i dropped some weight but its cuz i workout alot...and I like the weight I am at right now. But now I am kinda self conscious about it....

Can someone take a look at my progress pics and lemme know if you think shes in the right? I got to my goal and im just maintaining now....but the fact that she said that kinda scares me.
However, the teacher never sees me in anything other than sweats and a sweatshirt (8am class ahha) so she doesnt really know what my body looks like.

[vandalgirl59]

Well, you're an adult, so she should be able to understand the truthful explanation. However, at 5'9, and 120 lbs, you ARE technically getting towards that 'too thin' side of the spectrum. I thought you looked amazing in your first progress pics! I would be concerned if you KEPT losing weight, but you said you're trying to maintain. Have you thought about adding some lean muscle mass?

[chrisboudreaux]

i think you look good, but i always like girls that have more meat on em.

[DanceDiva]

Can someone take a look at my progress pics and lemme know if you think shes in the right? I got to my goal and im just maintaining now....but the fact that she said that kinda scares me.
However, the teacher never sees me in anything other than sweats and a sweatshirt (8am class ahha) so she doesnt really know what my body looks like.

I think you are very thin. And your BMI is underweight.

If your teacher only sees you in sweats and a sweatshirt and thinks you look thin enough to ask you about it (which IMO is hard for someone to do) and you're asking for a second opinion even though you are at your goal, I wonder if you're trying to talk yourself out of knowing that she has a valid concern about you.

Take care of yourself.

[medic24]

I agree with your teacher. I actually felt uncomfortable looking at your pix, especially after reading that you wear sweats + sweatshirts (common in eating disorder pts even if they are very slim) and have a history of anorexia. You looked much healthier in those February pix. I think you need to put on some healthy weight. Not trying to be mean at all, I just felt concerned when I saw the hipbones jutting out like that (especially after I spent some time working on the eating disorder ward in psychiatry and seen these girls).

[guest89]

You look unhealthily skinny... Now I can understand wanting to be lean, but at least have some muscle to go with it. Right now you are just really really skinny IMO.


Even in your "Before" pics you looked too thin. Right now you could probably put on a solid 20-30lbs. Not saying it has to be all fat, just sayin IMO you should bulk.

[EricaJuneBaby]

I'm sorry but your teacher is right and I am glad she said something, your after pictures are a bit disturbing it just doesn't look right, you have a little bit of muscletone but you're leaning out too much you should try to bulk up, slowly if you don't want to gain much fat.. You looked so much better in the before picture. If you maintain that weight without building more muscle you could be at risk for things like osteoperosis.
How many cals a day are you eating? Are you trying to model? You're pretty tall so that might be a goal for you, but even victoria secret models have meatier mid sections.

[mira]

im not tryin to lose anymore weight at all. i actually want to stay at where i am...or even gain a few pounds. i was cutting pretty hard for a few months because I had this big bachellorette party where id see all my old friends (it was last week). but now i have upped my cals a bit and also dropped alot of the cardio. in your opinion what would be better in terms of not gaining fat yet still being able to add some muscle tone: limiting cardio or keeping the cardio and just adding calories? i really love running (outside) so to totally cut out cardio is kinda outta the question.

[mira]

and btw the sweats and sweatshirt arnt to hide anything....its my gym clothes. i have class at 8am-10am then i go to the gym right after. they are tight sweats not baggy ones

[ongoingteabag_]

I think you look good, maybe a touch skinny to be honest. How much cardio do you do right now. What does your diet look like?

Once we have an idea we can make some suggestions.

[Ezy10z]

I think the angle of your avatar pic makes your hips stick out more than they are. I looked through your other pics that are directly in front of the cam and no angle and you looked a lot more healthy at your leanest. I think you look really fit and lean. Your March 2010 pics show that your ribs dont stick out and in your really good condition. Yes you probably look a lot thinner than someone that has a more curvy look that doesnt exercise but in my opinion I wouldnt worry to much but wouldnt go any lower than you are. In your bikini you look good and think you have nothing to worry about. It's not like your skin and bone and you still think you have nice shape but more athletic looking than someone that wouldnt lift.

[mira]

honestly i was doing alot of cardio pre-bachellorette party (usually around 4-5 days a week but pretty intense cardio...either a 4-5 mile run or a spin class). now that the vegas vacation is over, i am limiting my cardio to 2 cycle classes (i love that class), and maybe one or 2 shorter runs a week.

I dont track cals just cuz its a pain in the ass....but i eat really clean. i always start my day off with a few egg whites, and this hot cereal called "flax Z snax" (but im almost out and i cant find it anymore =( ). few hrs later i usually snack on some veggies and a buncha egg whites. lunch is usually more veggies with some form of protein (tuna, salmon, wahtever i have), and etc. its usually all the same. i dont take any protein supplements because of digestion issues....so i try to eat as many lean protein sources as possible.

do you think by just cutting back on cardio i can continue to increase muscle mass wihtout gaining too much fat? i mean to be honest, i like my weight now...although i would love to add a little more muscle (but not really mass). i am not really into the big muscular look...much more into the lean and toned look.

[mira]

haha yeah i was acutally just gunna post about my angle. i was doing that to try and force it to look like i have obliques (which are actually very tiny and i need to work on that). my hip bones dont stick out normally but the angle i am doing is kinda leaning back and to one side (cheater). i am the same weight today as i was in my bikini pics...thats why i dont understand why my teacher said that.

also... the teacher mentioned that she noticed i lost weight...but what she didnt know was that at the start of the course (sept), i had just gotten over a major alcohol problem. i basically was drinking a fifth to a handle of tequila a night (to myself) for 2 yrs straight.....so quitting alcohol had a dramatic impact on my physique

[blah-blah]

maybe its just the picture angle...but you look like you need to put some weight back on. If you look in person like the pic has you angled then I'd be concerned you were too skinny too. Kudos to your teacher for speaking up, that probably took a lot for her to mention her concerns.

...but I don't have much room to talk, just making a suggestion.

[mira]

i dont just lift up my shirt and see whats in that pic by any means. first off...that was in the morning...right after i.. ahmmm....emptied my tank? haha. if u catch my drift...

and i was def flexing my stomach and angling my body to make my stomach show definition. however if i just lift up my shirt i cant see that....that wuld be pretty scary i do agree.

I am pretty lean but I am a runner and I also weight train 6 days a week...am i supposed to be fat?
what i wanna know is if someone has reached my point (happy with weight/fat loss) and gotten to the point where they want to maintain body fat percentage...but gain more muscle. how do i go about that?
drop cardio? add calories?
i dont wanna get bulkier tho so no bulking for me.

[_tangy]

what i wanna know is if someone has reached my point (happy with weight/fat loss) and gotten to the point where they want to maintain body fat percentage...but gain more muscle. how do i go about that?
drop cardio? add calories?
i dont wanna get bulkier tho so no bulking for me.

yeh drop cardio and add calories. i'm wondering what you think bulking is, if you're saying you're curious about how to add muscle. if you add muscle you're adding bulk. if you want to add muscle you pretty much have to do a bulk cycle and then a cut. i'll leave it to someone who has actually done this to describe their experience. my particular brand of ED was/is on the other end of the spectrum and i'll be cutting for months to come, so i don't have much idea what a lean woman gains in terms of bf during a clean bulk.

if you're happy as-is, and you're still menstruating normally, fill your boots. you don't need to do nuffin' different.

[cadre]

i dont just lift up my shirt and see whats in that pic by any means. first off...that was in the morning...right after i.. ahmmm....emptied my tank? haha. if u catch my drift...

and i was def flexing my stomach and angling my body to make my stomach show definition. however if i just lift up my shirt i cant see that....that wuld be pretty scary i do agree.

I am pretty lean but I am a runner and I also weight train 6 days a week...am i supposed to be fat?
what i wanna know is if someone has reached my point (happy with weight/fat loss) and gotten to the point where they want to maintain body fat percentage...but gain more muscle. how do i go about that?
drop cardio? add calories?
i dont wanna get bulkier tho so no bulking for me.

The answer to this question is very much dependent on you. For me, I have to drop my cardio way down (maybe once or twice a week) to be able to put on muscle in addition I have to add calories. I would try different things and see what works for you.

Start with eating extra calories and see what happens. Try counting your calories so that you can get an idea of where you stand. That way you know how many calories to add.

I'm not trying to bash you or jump on the band wagon here but I would agree that you seem underweight. I've been there, it's weird to have people think you have a problem because you weigh too little. I'm not going to say that you need to put tons of weight back on but definitely see what you can do about gaining some muscle. Don't worry about getting bulky right now because that won't happen overnight if it happens at all (unlikely).

I hope that helps

[Bonny_Lassie]

i dont just lift up my shirt and see whats in that pic by any means. first off...that was in the morning...right after i.. ahmmm....emptied my tank? haha. if u catch my drift...

and i was def flexing my stomach and angling my body to make my stomach show definition. however if i just lift up my shirt i cant see that....that wuld be pretty scary i do agree.

I am pretty lean but I am a runner and I also weight train 6 days a week...am i supposed to be fat?
what i wanna know is if someone has reached my point (happy with weight/fat loss) and gotten to the point where they want to maintain body fat percentage...but gain more muscle. how do i go about that?
drop cardio? add calories?
i dont wanna get bulkier tho so no bulking for me.

As for your diet - you need to add some healthy fats. There would be nothing wrong with eating 1 or 2 whole eggs along with your whites!

As for running and weight training 6 days a week - these 2 activities will counteract each other and the result will be that you'll lose muscle mass - ESPECIALLY if you are not consuming a LOT more calories! Trust me, I've been there!

I would say drop your cardio (not necessarily completely) and up your calories.
I think you should post an honest days meal plan so folks can help you out a bit more !

[kimm4]

You're a marathon runner correct? On top of that you weight train 6x a week. I don't know too many marathon runners who are in the gym 6x a week, so I'm guessing you're not getting ready for any races at the moment?

You're paranoid at the thought of gaining any fat. You mention it numerous times in this thread.

You're underweight for your height, so yes I think you're too thin and a little too obsessed.

Just being honest.

[rob07]

I would definitely aim for cardio just about from anywhere from as little as 2-4 days a week. Since you are already lean, you could probably get away with 2 for now and that will make muscle gains come faster.

[mira]

hey thanks for all your posts. I appreciate all the input.
In response to the marathon runner question, I am not currently a "marathon" runner, just a recreational runner but I honestly enjoy my time outdoors more than I do inside lifting weights. I was getting ready for a half marathon in May but I cant participate anymore (vacation plans), so thats why I am not worried about dropping my mileage anymore.
And to answer the question about mentioning getting "fat"...obviously i care! i live in california and it JUST HIT beach season. Last year I was still living life like an alcoholic (drinking every single night until i blacked out basically) and felt very uncomfortable with my body image (alcohol = not your bodys best friend), so this year i cant wait to hit the beaches and pools!

I am going to try counting calories for a lil. I have tried before but it gets so tedious but I guess you guys are right...if I want to see results i gotta put in the work! thanks everyone.

[medjen]

I am going to try counting calories for a lil. I have tried before but it gets so tedious but I guess you guys are right...if I want to see results i gotta put in the work! thanks everyone.

Using a website like fitday, dailyplate, myfitnesspal, sparkpeople, nutridiary, etc can make it much less of a hassle.

[ives]

You might be in denial, but the objective truth is that you're underweight and obsessed with cardio, and other people (teachers, at that, who are usually pretty loath to get all up in students' private lives) are noticing.

[kimm4]

hey thanks for all your posts. I appreciate all the input.
In response to the marathon runner question, I am not currently a "marathon" runner, just a recreational runner but I honestly enjoy my time outdoors more than I do inside lifting weights. I was getting ready for a half marathon in May but I cant participate anymore (vacation plans), so thats why I am not worried about dropping my mileage anymore.
And to answer the question about mentioning getting "fat"...obviously i care! i live in california and it JUST HIT beach season. Last year I was still living life like an alcoholic (drinking every single night until i blacked out basically) and felt very uncomfortable with my body image (alcohol = not your bodys best friend), so this year i cant wait to hit the beaches and pools!

I am going to try counting calories for a lil. I have tried before but it gets so tedious but I guess you guys are right...if I want to see results i gotta put in the work! thanks everyone.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy/lean and taking care of yourself...but there's also being obsessive...2 different things.

Based on your post I lean towards obsessive...just going with my gut.

I wish the best.

[Jeanle]

Congratulations on being in recovery from an alcoholic addiction! That is a tremendous accomplishment. A healthy lifestyle is achieved with balance. Since you have experience struggining with overcoming unhealthy choices, you can draw on that experience and apply it here. You are underweight, people in your personal life and here on the forum have concerns about your health. Use the successful experience you had and examine your behaviors now, before it spirals out of control, like you have in the past. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Run if you enjoy it. Make sure you are getting adequate nutrition and proper calories. Take care of your self. You don't want to find yourself in an unhealthy position again when you've already come so far.

[Emma-Leigh]

You might be in denial, but the objective truth is that you're underweight and obsessed with cardio, and other people (teachers, at that, who are usually pretty loath to get all up in students' private lives) are noticing.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy/lean and taking care of yourself...but there's also being obsessive...2 different things.

Based on your post I lean towards obsessive...just going with my gut.

I wish the best.

^^
This.

At the moment - you have gone behind 'looking fit and healthy' and *thinking* like someone who wants to be fit and healthy... You are now looking 'unhealthy' and 'too skinny' and you are thinking like someone with obsessive tendencies too.

You may NOT have meant it to happen, but it has.
Read the warning signs now - and listen to those around you.
Less cardio (2 x a week)
Sensible weight training (4 x a week)
Rest (2 x a week)
Eat more.

Get back on track and reverse the damage before it is too late.

[mira]

hey thanks everyone. you know what i think the past couple of days i have dropped too low. i didnt realize it because i dont normally weigh myself on a scale....but i did and for some reason since last week i have dropped like 4 pounds...which is not ok due to the weight i was at before. i had midterms this week and was really stressed out....could that have been a factor in it?

anyways...i was at the gym doing a shoulder workout today and i looked in the mirror and realized like damn....you did not look like this last week. so i put the weights down and went home. i prob should have continued to work out (strength train) but i just wasnt in the mood anymore because i didnt like seeing myself thinner than i want to be.

thanks for all your help ladies.

[Iceman1800]

Tell her that martyr day is on Mondays so she doesn't need to worry about you.....

[Emma-Leigh]

hey thanks everyone. you know what i think the past couple of days i have dropped too low. i didnt realize it because i dont normally weigh myself on a scale....but i did and for some reason since last week i have dropped like 4 pounds...which is not ok due to the weight i was at before. i had midterms this week and was really stressed out....could that have been a factor in it?

anyways...i was at the gym doing a shoulder workout today and i looked in the mirror and realized like damn....you did not look like this last week. so i put the weights down and went home. i prob should have continued to work out (strength train) but i just wasnt in the mood anymore because i didnt like seeing myself thinner than i want to be.

thanks for all your help ladies.

1. you don't 'accidently get skinny' in the space of a week... the process that has occurred has been happening for a while.

2. Similarly, a mere 4 lb is not the cause << on a frame of 5'9, you need to think about another 14#


More importantly: You (and your teacher) has identified an issue... what are you going to do to turn it around?

[mira]

Um im just wondering...but what are ur stats? cuz u look thinner than i do in ur pics.

1. you don't 'accidently get skinny' in the space of a week... the process that has occurred has been happening for a while.

2. Similarly, a mere 4 lb is not the cause << on a frame of 5'9, you need to think about another 14#


More importantly: You (and your teacher) has identified an issue... what are you going to do to turn it around?