getting in shape from being underweight

Hi, I'm new at this message board and I am trying to recover from anorexia. About 2 months ago, I made the switch to veganism. I have gained weight and I am now 98 pounds at 5'5". Now I would like to work at getting in shape. My body fat is very low. I had it tested by a nutritionist and he said it was 5.2% but I think I look 'skinny fat.' I don't know, it could just be my eating disorder talking since I was so underweight before. Anyway, in college I used to run 6 miles a day and I would like to get back into it as well as build some muscle. I was wondering if anyone has experiences of getting in shape while still being pretty underweight and how I should get started? I would like to work with a personal trainer but I can't afford it right now so I've had subscriptions to Women's Health and Oxygen magazine as well. I view these as my training and nutrition tools. Obviously, I modify a lot of food recipes and make them vegan as well as relying on websites like http://www.goveg.com, http://www.fatfreevegan.com and others. I like to do a lot of cooking and I hate relying on the processed vegan foods that are available.

Right now I get my bread from whole foods from the bakery. Sprouted grain or something like that is vegan. I just make sure I ask for the vegan bread when I go there. I also eat lots of avocados and cook with olive oil for my healthy fats. My one downfall for processed vegan foods is vegan mac and cheese from veganessentials.com as well as making vegan grilled cheese sandwiches with vegan cheese and vegan butter. I also make lots of smoothies at home. I try to avoid going out to eat because unless you go to a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, there are not a lot of options out to eat... I also try to eat organic as much as possible but I'm on a strict budget so that can be difficult at times. Farmers markets are my friend.

As far as training goes, I have had a gym membership for quite some time but for most of the last year I have been too sick to work out. I feel a lot stronger now especially since I have chosen to go vegan as part of my recovery from this horrible disease. I am going to the gym today with a friend and my goal is to do 30 minutes on the elliptical to start.

Anyway, I will take any and all advice I can get about nutrition and exercise at this point. I don't really know what or how much to eat. I don't really want to gain anymore weight at this point in time. Basically I just want to get really toned and get my heart and bones in good shape. I have lots of health problems because I have had anorexia for 16 years including having osteopenia. I really need to work on building bone mass because obviously I don't want this to progress into osteoporosis. Unforuntately, I am only 27 and the drugs they offer to reverse bone loss are non-prescribable for people my age because the long term side effects of them are unknown. They are only approved for people over 50 and I have not been able to get a doctor to prescribe any for me. I know weight training and walking/running or weight bearing cardio is good for building bone mass.

I would also be interested in knowing what supplements I need to take in to transform my body from being untoned to toned and what will help give me energy besides food for muscle growth and cardiovascular endurance via running.

I hope I will be welcome at this board. I already have lurked quite a bit and really like the vibe I get.

Getting into the sport of bodybuilding is just what you need.

When i was 16 i thought the same sort of way and only ate 2 times a day and weighed 60kg(i was close to 90kg at 14).

When football season came around again i was getting hammered at training and in games because i was to thin and weak and life became miserable.

So i started to lift weights a few nights a week and eating more.Reading bodybuilding magazines helped at the time too because i didn't have the internet.

In a year i gained 20-25kgs and had the most fun i ever had playing football because i was doing well with the stronger body.

Don't be afraid to eat fats because you need them to have normal hormones.

Lift and eat like a bodybuilder and life will be of a better quality.

Welcome Caroline; are you lifting any weights or just cardo? What's your daily food log look like?

Supplements: for vegans recommend take B12 supplement or a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement.

"What will help you get energy besides food?"

-Make sure your getting a good sleep

-drinking enough water

-iron deficiency, take iron supplement or increase foods containing iron

-insufficient protein

-eat wholegrain breads, lentils, legumes and other starchy vegetables

velvetvoices Well, I just started yesterday. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and that really wiped me out. I was ready for bed at 6 pm, but unfortunately I had to work until 9 pm last night so I was dead tired. I'm going to the gym later and I plan on doing another 30 minutes plus weights. I'm trying to take it slow because in the past I work out way too much and then I burn myself out. I want this to be a permanent lifestyle change for me. I'm 27. I need to get in good patterns now.

I've had a history of having low b12. I used to take b12 shots from the doctor twice a week. I'm not sure what my levels are like now but that was a couple years ago. I have a real problem intaking enough protein. I know this will be vital for me to not only get healthy but get the body I want. I have soy protein powder and I plan on making at least one shake a day.

My daily food log is pretty pathetic right now. I was doing really well with eating. Eating about 1800-2500 calories a day which is what I need to maintain my weight. (I've had my metabolism checked), but the last few weeks its been really difficult for me to eat that much. Yesterday I only ate 1200 calories and I definitely got almost no protein. I don't really have a solid food plan, but I'm seeing my nutritionist next tuesday and I hope to get a better plan then.

coldfission Thank you for your input. I don't have a problem eating fats. I love avocados and olive oil but it seems like a lot of people on this site only eat fats very sparingly. I don't think that's good either. Ideally I like to consume one avocado a day and its never done me any harm. I really wish I could invest in a personal trainer right now but I don't have the extra money.