Do you have an eating disorder? Before rumors get started, I’d like to start off by saying two things: Today is not actually about eating disorders and no, I don’t have one. But the headline got your attention right?

Well a couple of weeks ago I went to my female (male) doc and the question above is what he asked me. I don’t think for one second he was trying to be rude or insulting, but regardless, it got me thinking. You see I’ve always been a petite girl at 5’4” and as an adult, a comfort zone weight of 108 lbs. That’s my weight when I’m eating 5 small healthy meals a day, working out 3-5 times per week or when I’m eating tacos, burritos, queso, hamburgers, and fries and not working out. Some may call it a blessing, I guess. In my current world I call it a curse. I say a curse, because I find it extremely difficult to cram food into my day and don’t get me wrong here, I eat and I eat a lot; however, I’m definitely not putting in my body what I’m letting out… which is natural energy I’ve had since birth, chasing a tot, keeping up with the house, and doing side projects, like blogging :). I look up sometimes, it’s noon, and all I’ve ingested is my unsweetened green tea.

I was 140 lbs when I gave birth to Lincoln and at my 2 week post delivery check up I was already at 112 lbs. At my 6 week check up I was back to my normal and comfortable weight of 108 lbs {I’ve included pictures at the end of the blog}. Over the course of the last year and a half I have managed to lose close to 10 lbs and now weigh a whopping and scary 99 lbs. Now before you start thinking to yourself, “oh woe is Allison… poor thing… she weighs 99 lbs… she’s too skinny… wah wah wah” re-read what I’m saying here: I WEIGH LESS THAN 100 LBS and I am 5’4”!!! This is not normal, this is not okay, it’s just as bad as weighing too much, and I’m admitting that I have a problem; however, I repeat, I DO NOT have an eating disorder!!! The problem with weighing less than 100 lbs on my frame is that “being grossly underweight can result in amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), infertility and possible complications during pregnancy. It can also cause anemia and hair loss.” For those who may not know, I definitely want to grow my family in the children department so the above info is no good in my world.

So I’m sure you’re sitting back wondering why I’m sharing all of this information and what the point might be. Well, I reached out to Bangin’ Bod Brenda (a nickname I have for my dear friend from high school who now blogs for AMB) about what I could do to put on some good ole’ healthy weight. Sure it sounds like fun to sit around eating ding dongs, twinkies, and ice cream all day, but I’m a pretty healthy eater (when I do find time to eat) so I’d like to put on the “right” type of pounds. Brenda only agreed to help me out if I met a couple of conditions: 1.) that I’d actually follow through with the diet and 2.) that I would hold myself accountable by sharing my story with Austin Moms Blog. I was worried about #2 for fear that moms across Austin would be annoyed I was whining about being too skinny, but then I realized that being underweight is JUST as much of a problem as being overweight. People share their stories of losing the pounds so why shouldn’t I share my story of gaining some pounds?

Brenda put together a pretty easy diet for me so for those of you who are looking to gain clean weight (:)), here’s my new diet. And you could probably lose weight on this diet too… For me just getting the calories in my body will force me to gain “good” weight.

Breakfast:

3 egg whites with 1 yolk, 1/3 cup oatmeal or Ezekiel toast {this took me forever to find, but it’s in the frozen food aisle by the meatless substitutes if you go to the HEB in Lakeway), (oatmeal can be prepared with water or almond milk) w/ 1 spoon almond butter.

Snack:

1 serving Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup berries and 1 spoon natural granola, 10 almonds.

Lunch:

3oz white meat- fish, chicken or turkey, 3oz sweet potato or 1/2 cup brown rice or quinoa and 1 cup green veggies.

Snack:

1 serving fruit (apple, orange, pear or berries), 15 almonds or 1 spoon nut butter.

Dinner:

4 oz white fish/shrimp or Salmon or white meat. Red meat or bison of desired, 1/4 avacado and either 1 cup green veggies or large green salad.

Most of these food choices I already eat so for me the selection of food is extremely simple. The hard part is going to be carving out time to ensure that I actually eat; all in the name of having more little Lincoln’s.

So there you have it, my trials and tribulations of the “oh so dreaded”, weight blog. I hope no one is annoyed…

If you struggle with weight, too much or too little, don’t think you’re in it alone. And know that it’s just as mean to say “you’re so skinny” as it is to say “you’re so fat”. I’m working on it people, one sweet potato at a time!!!

Big THANK YOU to Bangin’ Bod Brenda for working with me on my diet… I’ll be updating everyone on my progress to get back to a healthy weight.

 

July 22, 2010: 7 days prior to Lincoln’s delivery at 140 lbs.

 

 

Halloween 2010 & 12 weeks post delivery: I was supposed to be Beyonce, but looking back I look like me just in a black leotard.

 

 

 

 

8 COMMENTS

  1. My takeaway from this blog is…how on earth did Allison think putting on a leotard turned her into Beyonce….

    Just kidding.  I know you’re been worried about your shrinking frame, so I’m glad to read this 🙂 

    • Haha! I did have a Beyonce glove too, but it was on the other hand. I’ve never been very good at Halloween costumes…it’s usually a day of thrown together outfit 🙂

      Thanks for the support! I just finished my breakfast and it was super tasty!

  2. Your “gain weight” diet is looking oddly similar to my “lose weight” diet! Uh oh! I think I may need to re-evaluate!  Ms. Alison, as a lady who sometimes gets “annoyed” by hearing women saying “Oh, I eat burritos all day and don’t exercise, and I just look like this”, I am NOT annoyed by this blog at all. You did a great job of making me understand that being too thin can actually be tough, too. I’m trying to get out of the habit of using those common compliments/comments about weight or fashion when first meeting people. Thanks for reminding me! Good luck on your journey!

    • If your lose weight meal plan looks like this then good for you!  In my comment above I note how gaining healthy weight or looking to lose body fat…your menu should look the same!  Your portions will likely be different dependent on current size and goals 🙂 But this is a ‘clean’ eating plan and the portions for Allisons small frame will allow her to achieve her goals in a healthy manner.  For me, the above plan would be weigth loss as I weight close to 30 lbs more than she does, so my portions are bigger!  I just wanted to make sure I noted that you are on the right track if eating close to the above! 🙂

  3. Allison- Glad you shared this, I can totally relate and I am glad you shared your story. Hearing you are “too skinny” is not a compliment. I would rather be fit and a healthy weight instead of underweight and suffering medically. This is something I have struggled with and wanting to grow our family has also caused some problems in doing so. So I hope your new diet works out for you, I will be curious to hear about it and see if it may be something I should do as well.

  4. Allison- I am SO proud of you for sharing your story!  I know many of your readers will be able to relate on their own level. **LADIES-  I want to point out that due to your small frame your nutrition would look considerably different than mine!  Meaning, I eat a little more with each meal as the extra 30 or so lbs I carry around requires a few more caloires!  Just because Allison is looking to gain weight, it does not mean she should be perscribe a lifestyle of sitting on the couch all day burning little energy and plowing through McDonalds Big Macs!  That, in my mind, is NOT HEALTHY!  She can gain weight but focusing on eating clean foods that will fuel her body and in turn create a nice healthy home for her next baby to grow!  SO if you are looking to gain OR lose weight, your meal plan will probably look much the same!  (at least the menu options!) 

  5. I would recommend trying the diet of my 19 year old little brother. We went on vaca for a week and came back to a pantry packed with everything little debbie makes for $3.99 or less!

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