Being underweight is bad too

It frustrates me that there is such a huge focus in the media on the importance of overweight people losing weight, however you never hear about how important it is for underweight people to gain weight. Afterall, being underweight can be just as harmful to a persons health as being overweight. I found the following article really interesting and thought I would share it with you all. not only does it emphasize the damgers of being underweight, bit it also offers advice about how one can healthily gain weight. 

Source: http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/food-nutrition/healthy-food-choices/healthy-ways-to-gain-weight-if-youre-underweight.html

Healthy Ways to Gain 

Weight If You’re 

Underweight

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Is being underweight really a problem?

Weight loss is a serious issue in the United States. Consumers constantly see advertisements and news reports on trendy diets, flashy products and magic pills promising to help them lose weight.
Given that the ongoing “battle of the bulge” is front and center for so many people, being too thin may seem like a good problem to have. But the reality is that being underweight can cause health problems.
Fat has a bad reputation for causing overweight and obesity. However, not all fat is bad. In fact, breaking down and storing energy (or calories) as fat is just one of the many ways the body uses food to function, heal and grow.
The energy stored in fat helps you get through a strenuous job or workout. It also plays a key role in brain development, preventing inflammation (swelling) and blood clots. Fat also supports healthy hair and skin.
It’s important to understand that balance is a key in maintaining a healthy body–whether you’re over- or underweight.

How do you know if you’re underweight?

Using a tool to calculate your body mass index (BMI) can help determine if you’re underweight. Your family doctor can also help determine if you’re underweight based on your height, weight, what you eat and your activity level.

What problems can being underweight cause?

People who are underweight typically are not getting enough calories to fuel their bodies. Often, they are also suffering from malnutrition, since they aren’t taking in enough vitamins and minerals from their food. If you’re underweight, you may be at risk for the following health issues:

• Inhibited growth and development. This is especially true in children and teens, whose bodies need plenty of nutrients to grow and stay healthy.
• Fragile bones. A deficiency in vitamin D and calcium along with low body weight can lead to weak bones andosteoporosis.
• Weakened immune system. When you don’t take in enough nutrients, your body cannot store energy and may also have difficulty fighting illness. It may also be difficult for your immune system to bounce back after being sick.
• Anemia. This condition can be caused by iron deficiency, folate deficiency and vitamin B12 deficiency, resulting in dizziness, fatigue and headaches.
• Fertility issues. In women, low body weight can lead to irregular periods, lack of periods and infertility.
• Hair loss. Low body weight can cause hair to thin and fall out easily. It can also cause dry, thin skin and teeth health issues.

What causes low body weight?

Low body weight can stem from a variety of causes. While some underweight people are otherwise physically healthy, others suffer from underlying health concerns that should be treated. The following are some possible causes of being underweight:

• Genetics. If you’ve been thin since high school and being thing runs in your family, it’s likely that you were born with a higher-than-usual metabolism. You also may have a naturally small appetite.
• High physical activity. If you’re an athlete, you are probably aware that frequent workouts can affect your body weight. However, high physical activity can also flow from an active job or an energetic personality. If you’re on your feet frequently, you may burn more calories than people who are more sedentary (inactive).
• Illness. Being sick can affect your appetite, as well as your body’s ability to use and store food. If you’ve recently lost a lot of weight without trying, it may be a sign of disease, such as thyroid problems, diabetes, digestive diseases or even cancer. Be sure to talk to your doctor about sudden weight loss.
• Medicines. Certain prescription medicines can cause nausea and weight loss. Some treatments, such as chemotherapy, can reduce appetite and worsen weight loss from illness.
• Psychological Issues. Our mental well being affects every part of our lives. Factors like stress and depression can disrupt healthy eating habits. Severe body image fears and distortions can also lead to eating disorders. If you’re suffering from damaging emotional issues, be sure to talk to your family doctor. He or she can help you get the care, assistance or counseling you may need.

Is it possible to gain weight in a healthy manner?

A weight gain program may seem like an opportunity for indulgence. Just grab some French fries and have at it! Unfortunately, just as healthy weight loss requires a balanced approach, healthy weight gain means more than adding junk food to your daily meals.
While eating junk food may result in weight gain, it will not address the nutritional deficiencies that come with being underweight. Further, even if the fat, sugar and salt common in junk food don’t show up as extra weight, they can still harm your body. To maximize healthy gains, try the following tips.
Add healthy calories. Without radically changing your diet, you can increase your calorie intake with each meal by adding nut or seed toppings, cheese and healthy side dishes. Try almonds, sunflower seeds, fruit or whole-grain wheat toast.
Go nutrient dense. Instead of eating a lot of empty calories and junk food, focus on eating foods that are rich in nutrients. Consider high-protein meats, which can help you to build muscle. Also, choose nutritious carbohydrates, such as brown rice and other whole grains. This helps ensure your body is receiving as much nourishment as possible, even if you’re dealing with a reduced appetite.
Snack away. Enjoy snacks that contain plenty of protein and healthy carbohydrates. Consider options like trail mix, protein bars or drinks, and crackers with hummus or peanut butter. Also enjoy snacks that contain “good fats,” which are important for a healthy heart. Examples include nuts and avocados.
Eat mini-meals. If you’re struggling with a curbed appetite due to medical or emotional issues, taking in large portions of food may not seem appealing. Consider eating smaller meals throughout the day to increase your calorie intake.
Bulk up. While too much aerobic exercise will burn calories and ultimately work against your weight goal, strength training– such as weight-lifting or yoga–can help you gain weight by building muscle.
Before beginning any major weight gain program, be sure to consult your family doctor. Being underweight may indicate an underlying health issue, which won’t be corrected by diet changes. Your physician also will be able to help you track your progress and make sure that healthy changes are taking place.

Being skinny isn't important

As I was watching the movie yesterday, I couldn't help but notice how thin the main characters legs were and I found myself longing for her figure. But then, I asked myself how life would get better for me if I was to look like he girl in the movie and I couldn't think of anything at all. The truth is, I have looked like the girl in the movie before but I was unhappier then and hated myself more then too.

Perhaps the girl in the movie naturally looks like that but something that I must accept is that I DONT. It may be healthy for the girl in the movie to look the way she looks but for me, I cant be happy and healthy at that weight. So I have to choose, be happy and healthy at mu current natural weight or be thinner and miserable. To me, this choice is pretty simple.

And then of course, there is always the possibility that the girl in the movie is not at her natural set point weight either and that she is actually very underweight. Perhaps she has an eating disorder, or maybe she just feels pressured to make her self look the way she does because of the industry she works in. Either way I feel sorry for her if her job makes her feel as though she cant just be herself, as it probably makes her feel as awful as it made me feel.

So I know I shouldn't compare myself to the girl in the movie, or anyone at all for that matter as everyone is so different and you never know what others may be going through. Yes, skinny girls may look beautiful sometimes but so do bigger girls. You DON'T have to be skinny or underweight to be beautiful, you really can be beautiful at any size! And being skinny really is not the thing that should matter most to you in life.

This may be a little depressing to talk about but at your funeral oneday (In a long long time) do you want a loved one to stand up in front of the crowd and say how caring, thoughtful, happy, beautiful, wonderful and brave you were? Or would you rather someone stand up in front of the crowd and say, 'well I don't really have much to say about them but they were skinny'.

At the end of the day, being skinny really means nothing and it makes me so sad to think that I once placed so much value on something that actually is so unimportant. Andn I wish that I could make all of you who are currently struggling see this too. Having a successful life really does not mean looking a certain way, but instead it means being a certain way. It means being a good person who you can be proud of and who others look up to.

Havinga successful life may mean something different to everyone. It could mean having a great career, having a family, being a good person or, if ou are like me, it might just means doing what makes you happy. And I know that being super skinny does not make me happy and that it therefore will not allow me to have a good or successful life. Please, think about what I have aid here really carefully as once you realise that life without anorexia is what will make you truly happy and healthy and once being thing becomes a lot less important to you, recovery really does become possible.

Insomnia and Anorexia

I suffered from insomnia back when I was completely starving myself and trying to lose weight as well as in the more recent past when I was eating quite a bit, but obviously still not enough. The information explains why I am finally starting to sleep better now that I have significantly increased my intake and now that I am providing my body and mind with enough energy to truly repair and recover. 

I used to wake up early of a morning (like 2am) with a strange feeling which was a bit like hunger. After waking I could never fall back to sleep until after I had breakfast at at about 5am. I know now that it was my body trying to tell me that it was trying to repair and although I was eating quite a lot at that time, it still needed more energy. Now, I am eating a lot more food so my body can repair properly and I eat something just before going to bed so I no longer wake in the night unable to get back to sleep hungry.

I  found the following information from this site really interesting as it kind of explains why I have suffered from insomnia throughout my eating disorder;

How Insomnia and Anorexia Come Together

Insomnia involves difficulty falling or staying asleep. It is one of the most common complaints heard by medical professionals. It can come with some serious side effects or it can be a serious side effect of another potential life-threatening condition. Anorexia is an eating disorder in which the patient either severely restricts the intake of food or goes on a binge and then purges himself or herself after the binge. With either method presenting itself, there are dangers involved. Besides noticing extreme weight loss, there are other physical symptoms present and insomnia is at the top of the list. Anorexia and insomnia can take over your life.

How They are Linked

The brain is a complex machine, but it is also very primitive in some of its functions. Some of these mechanisms are activated when the body and brain reach "starvation mode." Finding food becomes the number one priority, everything else falls by the wayside. It even takes priority over sleep; therefore, the body gets less of a chance to do so. Trying to sleep can also be uncomfortable. The body of the anorexic has changed and it might not feel comfortable doing what it did before.

Lion on the Savannah

If you are always hungry, then your body may not be able to think about anything else. Think of it this way: you are a lion on the savannah. You might be asleep, but looking for your next kill, constantly thinking about your next meal. When you are underweight because of the anorexia, your body cannot get proper rest. It is concentrated on finding the next meal. Your body is full of adrenaline, looking for its next fresh kill.

The following information was sourced from here and explains why You need lots of energy throughout the night as well as why I am now able to sleep through the night since starting to eat more and now that I am eating closer to bed time.

Eat right before bed
A lot of our healing, repair and regeneration takes place while we sleep. It’s like rush hour for building muscle and lean tissue, so eating a healthy snack right before bed ensures a fresh supply of nutrients that are available to “go to work” inside the body. A great option that won't leave you feeling stuffed might be a small bowl of pasta saladmade with 100 percent whole-grain pasta (wheat or a gluten-free alternative), vinaigrette made with extra-virgin olive oil, chopped or shredded veggies, and a lean protein such as beans, chopped chicken breast or an organic crumbled cheese. 

So to make sure I have a good nights sleep tonight, I have eaten lots of yummy foods to ensure that I my body has enough energy to get me through the night. I try to eat nice balanced meals so that I am providing my body with all of the nutrients it needs. These photos are of my Tea and dessert tonight :)

Cheesy beef lasagna with corn, carrot and peas

Hot lemon pudding with vanilla icecream

Why having a healthy weight is necessary for a full recovery

While I am very serious about recovery, I have already started to worry about getting to a healthy weight. I have even considered stopping trying to gain weight before reaching my goal weight but know that this would be a bad idea. Afterall, as long as I am still feeling terrified about reaching a healthy weight, this is a good indication that I am still not healthy and that I need to continue repairing my body and mind. The following article sourced here explains why you should not stop gaining weight too early on in recovery and why having a healthy weight is essential for you to make a full recovery.

The Effects of Being Underweight

Most people who have an eating disorder are not noticeably underweight. Many will under-eat at times and binge eat at other times, so that weight is maintained overall within normal limits.

However, some people with an eating disorder maintain extreme control over their diet, and remain significantly underweight.

One of the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa is a body weight less than 85% of the weight expected for a particular height. This is serious, as being underweight has significant physical, psychological and social consequences, and these consequences are often seen in people with Anorexia.

The Psychological Effects of Being Underweight

Physical effects of being underweight include profound effects on the heart and circulation, muscles and bones, intestinal function, sleep and temperature regulation.

Mental and emotional consequences have also been noted. Mood is generally low, and irritability and anger are exacerbated.

There is a tendency to become socially withdrawn and inward-focussed, and people who are underweight have an increased need for predictability and routine, with difficulty being spontaneous. Thinking becomes rigid, and concentration and decision-making capacities are markedly impaired.

Preoccupation with food is usually intense, with almost constant thoughts about food and eating, such that it is common for underweight people to become very interested in cooking, recipes, cookery shows and so on, with a corresponding decrease in their engagement with previous interests and hobbies.

Obsessiveness increases, with people becoming inflexible in their routines, particularly around food. There may be rituals around food preparation, the order or way in which food is eaten, the timing and circumstances of meals, with people often needing to eat alone, and food may be eaten very slowly.

The Minnesota Starvation Experiment

An important study of the effects of starvation has had a profound impact on our understanding of these behavioural and psychological changes. This study was conducted in the early 1940’s and has subsequently been called the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. As Allied forces moved across German-occupied Europe, they encountered starved and emaciated civilians, many of whom had survived largely on bread and potatoes.

As little was known about the effects of starvation or how to deal with the re-feeding of these people, a study was conducted in which 36 psychologically healthy young volunteers were subjected to a six month period of semi-starvation, followed by a three month re-feeding period. During the starvation period the men were given about half the calories needed for weight maintenance, and most lost about 25% of their original body weight.

The physical, social and psychological effects of the starvation on participants were studied in great detail, and reported in a two-volume text called The Biology of Human Starvation. The participants:

• Developed an intense preoccupation with food, with most of their thoughts oriented towards what and how they would eat.
• Had significant impairment to their concentration, judgement and alertness.
• Ate extremely slowly, with unusual concoctions and heavy use of condiments, caffeine and chewing gum.
• Sometimes resorted to binge eating when the desire for food became intolerable.
• Became more depressed, irritable, angry and anxious, and sociability markedly decreased, with the men becoming withdrawn and socially isolated.

During the re-feeding phase the men had difficulty regaining control of their eating, and struggled to identify whether they felt hungry or full. For the majority of participants their eating behaviour did not return to normal until they had been at their pre-study weight for several months.

Clearly, as the participants in this study were psychologically and physically healthy prior to the experiment, all the behavioural and psychological features seen were direct effects of the starvation itself.

Personality Changes

The implications of this study for understanding the symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa are clear: The behaviours and psychological changes that occur in people with this illness are direct effects of being underweight, rather than being due to the illness itself, and therefore will begin to resolve once normal body weight is restored.

The behaviours and characteristics shown are not indicative of peoples’ true personalities, which are in fact effectively masked by being underweight.

It is therefore clear that the primary goal of treatment for an underweight person with an eating disorder is weight restoration.

Many of the features of his or her underweight behaviour and apparent personality change, will gradually disappear after normal weight is restored.

As found in the study participants, the body does not immediately return to being able to regulate food intake on its own, but consuming a well-balanced and nutritionally complete diet, spread regularly throughout the day, encourages the body to re-establish normal weight maintenance mechanisms.

It is very important for weight to be fully restored in order to reverse the starvation effects. If only partial weight regain occurs, the effort applied to achieve that weight gain will not be matched by equivalent gains in mental and physical health.

It is often difficult for an underweight person to engage with treatment initially because many of the effects of being underweight keep a person “locked-in” to the eating disorder, creating vicious circles that maintain the problems.

For example, the rigidity of thinking makes it difficult to make decisions or changes; the obsessional, inflexible approach to life makes it difficult to imagine eating or living differently; the social withdrawal reduces engagement with others and lowers mood; the preoccupation with food makes it difficult to consider engaging in other aspects of daily life. Support from others is likely to be centrally important in helping get through the weight-restoration stage of recovery.

Once the effects of being underweight have been reversed, other psychological factors that contributed to the development and maintenance of the eating disorder may need to be addressed, and areas of life which have been neglected will be re-developed.

If you (or somebody you love) have disordered eating patterns and are underweight, it is extremely important that you see a doctor and have a comprehensive medical assessment. Please consider making an appointment with me, so that we can discuss your situation and explore treatment options.

I always tried to tell myself that I could recover without gaining weight but I now know that this is not true. For me, recovery means becoming the same person I was before my eating disorder and as stated in the article above, this is only possible if I become weight restored. Every time I get scared and want to stop gaining weight, I need to remind myself that it simply is not an option. Reaching a healthy weight is something I MUST do in order to recover. It is something I WILL do in order to recover. 

Why gaining weight scares me

I think that the reason I have been underweight for so long and why I struggle so much to gain weight is because I remember how unhappy I was before I lost weight and am scared of feeling that way again. Most anorexics explain that while losing weight, they are never satisfied with how they look, no matter how much weight they lose. this was not the case for me however. I know that my idea of the way a body should look is very distorted but the truth is, I am satisfied with how I look right now. I like my body. And that is why I find it so hard to change it.

Before I initially lost weight I would spend so much of my day worrying about how I looked, comparing myself to others and literally hating myself.  I would compare myself to every person I met in the street and feel so envious of the girls that were skinnier then me. The truth is, now that I am happier with how I look, I don't think about these things anymore. I never try on a pair of jeans and think "I look fat in these" and I don't spend any time looking in the mirror and checking my body. Infact I havent looked into a full size mirror for over two months (since moving into my own unit) as I only have a tiny mirror in my bathroom that is just big enough for me to do my makeup in.

Not only did I compare myself to everybody I met, I would also worry that everyone was judging me and thinking that I look fat or bad. I no longer think this when I see other people. I used to hate going clothes shopping as I hated trying on clothes and being dissapointed with how they looked on me, but now I don't mind so much as I am happy with what I see when I look in the mirror. I dont want anyone to think that I am going to let these thoughts stop me from gaining weight because I know that gaining weight is something I need to do regardless but I just wanted to share my thoughts on why gaining weight is so terrifying to me.

I know that while I am 6kg underweight, my body can not function optimally. I also know that while I am underweight I probably wont be able to think rationally and get rid of my anorexic thoughts which is something I definetely want to do. Even though I like the way I look, I know that I do not look necessarily healthy. I know that other people see me as too thin and even unnattractive which is something I would like to change. I also want to gain weight for the people in my life who I care about. The people who love me and want me to get better. So even though I have lots of fear about gaining weight, I also have more reasons why I should gain weight.

Hopefully when I do gain weight I don't feel the hatred and disgust in myself that I felt before I lost weight. But If I do start to really struggle with my body image, I am not going to try and fix the problem by losing weight again. Instead I will work on learning to love myself for who I am. Bloggers like Izzy have offered wonderful advice about how to love yourself and I plan to follow this advice until I truly do feel good in my own body. I know that it is normal to feel self conscious and insecure sometimes but I just need to learn how to cope with these feeling without relapsing.