New and not sure what to do

[Shawni2]

I am a vegetarian in the process of becoming a vegan. I am a 97lb, 5'4", 31 year old female who wants a body builder butt, legs, thighs and abs (not so much upper body). I still want to look feminine, but would really like shapely legs and glutes. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm going for bulk. I'm very lean, and have been doing yoga and Pilates forever. I'm very tone, but no bulk. Most other sites suggest meat based protein. I just can't do it. I haven’t been a vegetarian long. Today I tried eating cage free eggs. I feel sick. I don't know how much protein I need to bulk up. I don't know if I can eat enough protein from nuts beans and soy to get what I need. Also I heard eating certain things at certain times (pre/post workout) is something to be concerned about. I consume under 1000 cal. daily. I don't eat sat. fat (little to none). I don't consume much carbs. If I eat more than 1 3/4 cups of food I feel sick. Don't want to use steroids or any unsafe fake chemical supplement. ANY ADVISE?

[Veganator]

low body weight may be due to deficiency of nutrients in iron, vitamin B12, poor quality proteins, worm infestation, malabsorption syndrome,poor dietary habit, low appetite.

 

Alot of ppl don't take parasites into consideration but they could be blocking ur nutrients. Alcohol consumption can trigger low appetite. Also, lack of variety could make you feel unmotivated to eat. You definately can gain weight through varieties of nuts and if protien is your concern almonds are excellent. I personally take in brown rice and beans, lentils are great.

 

Trying flushing your body maybe a water fast if possible or search for detoxifying mixtures that clean the blood and digestive system.

[Fallen_Horse]

low body weight may be due to deficiency of nutrients in iron, vitamin B12, poor quality proteins, worm infestation, malabsorption syndrome,poor dietary habit, low appetite.

 

Alot of ppl don't take parasites into consideration but they could be blocking ur nutrients. Alcohol consumption can trigger low appetite. Also, lack of variety could make you feel unmotivated to eat. You definately can gain weight through varieties of nuts and if protien is your concern almonds are excellent. I personally take in brown rice and beans, lentils are great.

 

Trying flushing your body maybe a water fast if possible or search for detoxifying mixtures that clean the blood and digestive system.

Oh my god I can't agree with any of this. Worm infestation? Parasites? Water fasting? Please no.

 

 

To the OP: Odds are good that you haven't built much muscle mass due to the VERY low number of calories you are getting. Not only will you need protein to build mass, you will need CALORIES. Your body is starved, you are rather underweight (BMI chart says 110-145lbs is optimal). You need to eat more. If it sounds like I'm criticizing, well, it's because I am trying to be honest and forthcoming. It sounds like you have a good history with exercising and taking care of your body that way, but you also need to feed it! Beans and soy products are a great way to start...

[Pofi]

I have to agree with the others, you need more calories...especially if you want to get more active.

 

The calculator at Nutritiondata.com tells me the following:

 

Your BMI is 16.6 which is lower than the normal BMI for an adult woman of your height of 18.5 to 24.9.

 

If you would do nearly nothing you already need about 1717 calories and if get more active you'll need about 2137 calories or more.

 

So you need to get much more calories. If you are feeling full rather fast, like my mum does, you'll need to eat more often during the day and go for foods with higher calories. You can use the nutrient search tool to search for foods that fit you and your needs, e.g. the foods highest in calories.

 

If you don't increase your intake of calories and nutrients with that, your body will try to take what it needs from the rest of your body e.g. your muscles.

 

Also try to eat a healthy mixture of carbs, fat and protein. Otherwise it is of no importance how much protein you eat, as the deficit in the other areas can prohibit the absorption of the protein or lead to other unhealthy imbalances. And don't worry about fat. As long as you stick to the "healthy" fats you are fine, especially if you are active.

 

If you have further questions how you can proceed, I'm sure we have enough members that are willing to answer those questions as well.

[Octopussoir]

Welcome. Good luck with your journey. Lots of helpful people here!

[lobsteriffic]

If you are looking to bulk up you are going to need to eat more calories than it takes to maintain your current body weight (much more than you are eating now) and you are going to have to lift heavy weights. For protein, things like beans, lentils, tempeh, tofu, edamame, and protein powder are good choices. Like pofi said, make sure you are also getting healthy fats (flax, nuts, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, etc) are carbohydrates (whole grains). You also want to make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and veggies for your nutrients. Since you get full so easy, eat very calorie dense foods.

 

I'm not sure what type of weight routine to point you toward since you are so underweight and you are undereating by an awful lot. Perhaps someone with more experience can chime in there. This site has good info for beginners to weight training:

 

http://www.stumptuous.com/

[Marcina]

I would definitely suggest putting on some weight. 97 pounds is underweight for your height, and will make it very difficult for you to recover from exercise, and makes you more susceptible to illness.

 

The good thing about weight training is that it will increase your appetite. Start off slowly though, and avoid cardio. Eat lots of calorie dense foods like oatmeal, nuts, avocado, etc. and eat as often as you can. That way, you won't make yourself sick by eating big meals but you'll be getting the calories into your body which it so desperately needs.

 

I used to be underweight just like you, and the advice I gave you is what helped me put on the pounds

[Veganator]

low body weight may be due to deficiency of nutrients in iron, vitamin B12, poor quality proteins, worm infestation, malabsorption syndrome,poor dietary habit, low appetite.

 

Alot of ppl don't take parasites into consideration but they could be blocking ur nutrients. Alcohol consumption can trigger low appetite. Also, lack of variety could make you feel unmotivated to eat. You definately can gain weight through varieties of nuts and if protien is your concern almonds are excellent. I personally take in brown rice and beans, lentils are great.

 

Trying flushing your body maybe a water fast if possible or search for detoxifying mixtures that clean the blood and digestive system.

Oh my god I can't agree with any of this. Worm infestation? Parasites? Water fasting? Please no.

 

 

To the OP: Odds are good that you haven't built much muscle mass due to the VERY low number of calories you are getting. Not only will you need protein to build mass, you will need CALORIES. Your body is starved, you are rather underweight (BMI chart says 110-145lbs is optimal). You need to eat more. If it sounds like I'm criticizing, well, it's because I am trying to be honest and forthcoming. It sounds like you have a good history with exercising and taking care of your body that way, but you also need to feed it! Beans and soy products are a great way to start...

 

I'm not sure why my information isn't agreed with but, I will say. Through everyones lives we have many oppurtunities to throw our bodies off course and western philosophy normal is into treating symptom not the source of a problem. I don't know your history or your current habits. But, I'm sure even if any of the things I suggested you didn't fall under, being in good health rather than just trying to pack on pounds should aid you in your goals. Hope we all didn't confuse you!

[robert]

Welcome to the group!

 

I hope you get your questions answered.

 

All the best and welcome aboard!

[Pofi]

low body weight may be due to deficiency of nutrients in iron, vitamin B12, poor quality proteins, worm infestation, malabsorption syndrome,poor dietary habit, low appetite.

 

Alot of ppl don't take parasites into consideration but they could be blocking ur nutrients. Alcohol consumption can trigger low appetite. Also, lack of variety could make you feel unmotivated to eat. You definately can gain weight through varieties of nuts and if protien is your concern almonds are excellent. I personally take in brown rice and beans, lentils are great.

 

Trying flushing your body maybe a water fast if possible or search for detoxifying mixtures that clean the blood and digestive system.

Oh my god I can't agree with any of this. Worm infestation? Parasites? Water fasting? Please no.

 

 

To the OP: Odds are good that you haven't built much muscle mass due to the VERY low number of calories you are getting. Not only will you need protein to build mass, you will need CALORIES. Your body is starved, you are rather underweight (BMI chart says 110-145lbs is optimal). You need to eat more. If it sounds like I'm criticizing, well, it's because I am trying to be honest and forthcoming. It sounds like you have a good history with exercising and taking care of your body that way, but you also need to feed it! Beans and soy products are a great way to start...

 

I'm not sure why my information isn't agreed with but, I will say. Through everyones lives we have many oppurtunities to throw our bodies off course and western philosophy normal is into treating symptom not the source of a problem. I don't know your history or your current habits. But, I'm sure even if any of the things I suggested you didn't fall under, being in good health rather than just trying to pack on pounds should aid you in your goals. Hope we all didn't confuse you!

 

Probably because Shawni2 clearly stated that she consumes under 1000 calories daily and that is a more likely cause for the low body weight. The things you mentioned can be a reason for low body weight but if there is a more obvious reason, that should be corrected before other measures are taken.

[Marcina]

low body weight may be due to deficiency of nutrients in iron, vitamin B12, poor quality proteins, worm infestation, malabsorption syndrome,poor dietary habit, low appetite.

 

Alot of ppl don't take parasites into consideration but they could be blocking ur nutrients. Alcohol consumption can trigger low appetite. Also, lack of variety could make you feel unmotivated to eat. You definately can gain weight through varieties of nuts and if protien is your concern almonds are excellent. I personally take in brown rice and beans, lentils are great.

 

Trying flushing your body maybe a water fast if possible or search for detoxifying mixtures that clean the blood and digestive system.

Oh my god I can't agree with any of this. Worm infestation? Parasites? Water fasting? Please no.

 

 

To the OP: Odds are good that you haven't built much muscle mass due to the VERY low number of calories you are getting. Not only will you need protein to build mass, you will need CALORIES. Your body is starved, you are rather underweight (BMI chart says 110-145lbs is optimal). You need to eat more. If it sounds like I'm criticizing, well, it's because I am trying to be honest and forthcoming. It sounds like you have a good history with exercising and taking care of your body that way, but you also need to feed it! Beans and soy products are a great way to start...

 

I'm not sure why my information isn't agreed with but, I will say. Through everyones lives we have many oppurtunities to throw our bodies off course and western philosophy normal is into treating symptom not the source of a problem. I don't know your history or your current habits. But, I'm sure even if any of the things I suggested you didn't fall under, being in good health rather than just trying to pack on pounds should aid you in your goals. Hope we all didn't confuse you!

 

It sounded like you were trying to diagnose Shawni with a problem she doesn't have. The odds of her having a parasitic infestation are very slim. If she had a worm problem, I'd sure she'd notice her health declining rather quickly, and a distended abdomen among other things. Also, she stated that she eats under 1000 calories a day so it's pretty obvious why she's underweight.

 

Quite honestly, if you think Shawni has a health problem, you should encourage her to go to the doctor. If you have a problem with modern medicine that's your choice, but don't give potentially dangerous advice to a person (water fasting) to someone who just needs to eat more. She can still gain weight while eating healthy. People do it all the time.

 

FYI: The blood cleans itself. That's what kidneys are for.

[apple]

I'm not sure what type of weight routine to point you toward since you are so underweight and you are undereating by an awful lot. Perhaps someone with more experience can chime in there. This site has good info for beginners to weight training:

 

http://www.stumptuous.com/

 

I'm liking this site!!

 

Shawni2, I second most of what has been said here. You'll see significant progress if you eat some more calories. 1 3/4 cups of food can turn into a LOT of calories if you know what to pick! Try drinking smoothies too--bananas and strawberries and your choice of veg-milk is a good combo to start with.

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum!

[Tasha]

Hello, Welcome