"severely" underweight since going vegan?

[Lou]

@Forest Nymph

I said that. and it was because Dr. Furhman said so (or Dr. Gregar, i forget which). and it's not that you are actually slightly underweight. its that the tables are biased upwards. So being slightly underweight on the charts is "fit" IRL.

One of the symptoms of the Female Athlete Triad is amenorrhea, but there are some serious consequences so it should be avoided. The 18% seems to be the threshold for recovery. but only certain kinds of women get FAT. Mostly athletes but anorexia can also cause FAT.

But yeah, a couple of more pounds wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[Forest Nymph]

@Forest Nymph

I said that. and it was because Dr. Furhman said so (or Dr. Gregar, i forget which). and it's not that you are actually slightly underweight. its that the tables are biased upwards. So being slightly underweight on the charts is "fit" IRL.

One of the symptoms of the Female Athlete Triad is amenorrhea, but there are some serious consequences so it should be avoided. The 18% seems to be the threshold for recovery. but only certain kinds of women get FAT. Mostly athletes but anorexia can also cause FAT.

But yeah, a couple of more pounds wouldn't be a bad idea.

Ok, it wasn't a personal attack on you, but I find this issue very concerning because it's especially common among young vegan women. 15-16% body fat is only considered "normal" for girls under 18 and the woman in the OP is married and in her twenties, and could even get pregnant, and as far I know, the normative for women of child-bearing age who are fit is between 21-25 % body fat. 21 is a lot more than 15. Of course there are exceptions, the OP could be a smaller person who is perfectly healthy as an adult woman at 18 percent, but lower than that is worrisome.

I'm not trying to be alarmist, but this often ends up being the reason why some new vegans quit, as a matter of fact. They lose too much weight, they don't get enough calories, they're on some super restrictive diet - Mic the Vegan even said Bonny Rebecca might have benefitted from a little oil or some mock meats since she was struggling on a high fiber diet with bowel issues.

Here, a pregnant woman who is extremely healthy, talks about balancing these foods has always worked and when she did tried to be more restrictive, she lost her period for six months.

 

[Oatmeal32]

Yes it is something to be concerned about it. I don't agree that your goal should be to be underweight, in fact I'm a little disturbed that anyone is saying this to you. 105 is okay for someone who is five four, but it is pretty low, and depending on your bone structure it could be too low. I don't know how big or small your frame is, and you should also know that muscle weighs more than fat.

You can stop getting your period if you go below 18 percent body fat, in fact my friend who had severe anorexia, her doctor made sure she stayed at 18.5. He wanted her at 19 but they compromised on 18.5, just to put this in perspective. The Marines is full of women who may have slightly lower body fat due to being athletic and muscular. The United States military is not a place I look to for guidance on anything, but I do think 18 percent is the line.

You may not be eating enough, or may not be eating enough fat for your activity level. You should always factor in activity level, not just body size. Good luck.

Right, in the above discussion, we factored in activity level and caloric intake. Why is this something to be concerned about based on what standard? The ADA?
I understand that amenorrhea is a risk for underweight females, but is it always the end?

I am not anorexic by any means. My last physical was 6 months ago with perfect results.

--

In conclusion everyone: There is great advice on both sides.

I'm not going to worry about it since there is no use in worrying, but I will keep a very careful watchful eye on how my body is responding to everything for a few more weeks to see if my body is just "stabilizing" and getting rid of bad fat from switching to a better diet, or if something more serious is happening such as lack of nutrient absorption.

I'm going to increase my caloric intake and continue my normal athletic regime to see if my weight stabilizes at this new number or continues to drop or if I experience amenorrhea which would be serious.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[Oatmeal32]

Right, in the above discussion, we factored in activity level and caloric intake. Why is this something to be concerned about based on what standard? The ADA?
I understand that amenorrhea is a risk for underweight females, but is it always the end?

I am not anorexic by any means. My last physical was 6 months ago with perfect results.

--

In conclusion everyone: There is great advice on both sides.

I'm not going to worry about it since there is no use in worrying, but I will keep a very careful watchful eye on how my body is responding to everything for a few more weeks to see if my body is just "stabilizing" and getting rid of bad fat from switching to a better diet, or if something more serious is happening such as lack of nutrient absorption.

I'm going to increase my caloric intake and continue my normal athletic regime to see if my weight stabilizes at this new number. If it continues to drop or if I experience amenorrhea which would obviously be serious, I will seek out help. My previous doctor said I was extremely healthy even though I was under the standard BMI.

Thanks, everyone!