So after hesitating a lot, and some kind words from my friends here, I finally decided to post my situation and seek your help. I will try my best to explain (this one is long, apologies, and bear with me please).
So I have been strength training with FB for the past 6 month. Clubbed with this is that I do every workout low impact (zero jumps). So what resulted (or how I understand it) is it seems I have lost a lot of fat and hardly built any muscles. Due to low impact, and thanks to Fitbit, it seems I stay mostly in Fat Burn zones during my workouts (hardly reaching or staying in Cardio). I am not new to exercising, but to strength training, yes. I do feel there has been a lot of progress, my muscles feel tight and my endurance has greatly improved (I used to run even 5kms regularly, have stopped since a year due to back problems).
Now why am I suddenly thinking about all this? A few reasons actually, and certainly not sudden. One, I don't feel strong, barely comparable to any of my peers who do not exercise at all 🙄. I know comparisons aren't good, but all I am trying to say is I come across as someone maybe 'fragile' (maybe I am 🥺). I don't want to be though. When I swim too, I feel I just can't, I 'feel' the lack of energy to push forward. Two, my closest friends who mean the world to me and are always kind to me, have been saying that I look 'sick' now -given I have been sick for about 2 weeks now, but they are concerned. Three, my before strength training pics, I do have nice cheeks 😏 well not anymore 🙄 Where can I get my cheeks back!!! Four, while I haven't lost any weight, or gained any, I have dropped down sizes in my dresses significantly. Five, my food intake is comparable to a 11 year old, or maybe they'll fare better than me 🥺.
Now Food: While my quantities are small (always have been since I was a kid), my appetite is fine, or actually I am indeed hungry all the time. Guess they are interlinked. I am not a great cook, but I am not into junk and I manage to fix myself meals every night at home. Mostly healthy. I eat a lot of veggies, soft boiled eggs, and in meat sometimes chicken, that's all. So I don't know what to do. It really is uncomfortable to eat more than I eat currently. If it matters, I once tracked Calories for 2-3 days, I guess I am around 1800-1900 Cals. (Although when I visit my parents for 2-3 weeks, I am literally eating a lot more than I do now, and by end of those weeks I can manage slightly larger portions).
I am 5'5 and weigh about 58 kg (most of it is bone weight per my doctor) and I am really lean now (if not skinny).
My question here is: I want to be able to understand my situation and fix it. Should I simply up my portions and eat more, is it just that? Should I include more fat? (Embarrassing as it may sound, I am not very knowledgeable about food properties and portions, sorry). I want to stop feeling this way 🥺, and I want to feel healthy and actually be healthy. Given all this, my immunity seems low as well.
lastly: Although I am not super conscious of body image, I am very conscious of not wanting to look 'sick' or 'tired' all the time, more importantly not feeling such 😖. My sleep is in order and so is my exercising. Although my mental health isn't at its peak currently. So, at this point you know, any and all help as suggestions is sincerely appreciated.
Thanks a ton for reading through my rambling. And it is only here at FB that I could write all this down without fear (while I still feel slightly vulnerable) to seek help 💜
(*now that I have posted this, I am off to disappear into thin air...)
I could use some help 🥺
Hey all,
So after hesitating a lot, and some kind words from my friends here, I finally decided to post my situation and seek your help. I will try my best to explain (this one is long, apologies, and bear with me please).
So I have been strength training with FB for the past 6 month. Clubbed with this is that I do every workout low impact (zero jumps). So what resulted (or how I understand it) is it seems I have lost a lot of fat and hardly built any muscles. Due to low impact, and thanks to Fitbit, it seems I stay mostly in Fat Burn zones during my workouts (hardly reaching or staying in Cardio). I am not new to exercising, but to strength training, yes. I do feel there has been a lot of progress, my muscles feel tight and my endurance has greatly improved (I used to run even 5kms regularly, have stopped since a year due to back problems).
Now why am I suddenly thinking about all this? A few reasons actually, and certainly not sudden. One, I don't feel strong, barely comparable to any of my peers who do not exercise at all 🙄. I know comparisons aren't good, but all I am trying to say is I come across as someone maybe 'fragile' (maybe I am 🥺). I don't want to be though. When I swim too, I feel I just can't, I 'feel' the lack of energy to push forward. Two, my closest friends who mean the world to me and are always kind to me, have been saying that I look 'sick' now -given I have been sick for about 2 weeks now, but they are concerned. Three, my before strength training pics, I do have nice cheeks 😏 well not anymore 🙄 Where can I get my cheeks back!!! Four, while I haven't lost any weight, or gained any, I have dropped down sizes in my dresses significantly. Five, my food intake is comparable to a 11 year old, or maybe they'll fare better than me 🥺.
Now Food: While my quantities are small (always have been since I was a kid), my appetite is fine, or actually I am indeed hungry all the time. Guess they are interlinked. I am not a great cook, but I am not into junk and I manage to fix myself meals every night at home. Mostly healthy. I eat a lot of veggies, soft boiled eggs, and in meat sometimes chicken, that's all. So I don't know what to do. It really is uncomfortable to eat more than I eat currently. If it matters, I once tracked Calories for 2-3 days, I guess I am around 1800-1900 Cals. (Although when I visit my parents for 2-3 weeks, I am literally eating a lot more than I do now, and by end of those weeks I can manage slightly larger portions).
I am 5'5 and weigh about 58 kg (most of it is bone weight per my doctor) and I am really lean now (if not skinny).
My question here is: I want to be able to understand my situation and fix it. Should I simply up my portions and eat more, is it just that? Should I include more fat? (Embarrassing as it may sound, I am not very knowledgeable about food properties and portions, sorry). I want to stop feeling this way 🥺, and I want to feel healthy and actually be healthy. Given all this, my immunity seems low as well.
lastly: Although I am not super conscious of body image, I am very conscious of not wanting to look 'sick' or 'tired' all the time, more importantly not feeling such 😖. My sleep is in order and so is my exercising. Although my mental health isn't at its peak currently. So, at this point you know, any and all help as suggestions is sincerely appreciated.
Thanks a ton for reading through my rambling. And it is only here at FB that I could write all this down without fear (while I still feel slightly vulnerable) to seek help 💜
(*now that I have posted this, I am off to disappear into thin air...)