Is it normal to maintain a bmi of 18

When my bmi gets above 20, i feel really fat and disgusting, so I've been limiting myself to between 500-800 calories a day to keep my weight down. I am 163cm / 5'4 and weigh about 48-49kg / 107lbs. I wear a size 6-8 in clothes.

I like the way i look when i'm skinny, but sometimes i feel weak or dizzy in the evenings, i also find it really hard to wake up as i don't have as much energy. is it okay to starve myself in this way?

Voting Results
6% Normal
Based on 16 votes (1 yes)
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Comments ( 12 )
  • CountessDouche

    Oh no, sweetie & my heart breaks for you, having to go through this. My brother suffered from bullimia.

    500-800 calories a day combined with your low bmi would class you as anorexic. This, unfortunately, is THE most deadly mental disorder, hands down. The mortality rate is incredibly high. This disease is evil & unfortunately it progresses (gets more severe the longer you have it). If you don't get some help, you will go further down the hole.

    The fact that you feel like shit already is your body telling you that something is very, very wrong. It is not normal to feel like shit & it will only get worse if you continue down this path.

    Here's some of the symptoms you have to look forward to: exhaustion, diziness, fainting, hair growth all over the body (due to low body temperature), premature aging of the skin, hair loss, loss of circulation, fingernail loss, bone loss, loss of fertility, insomnia due to pain while lying down, possible loss of digestive function (think feeding tubes & colostomy bags), brain shrinkage & loss of mental faculties, dimentia, organ failure & ultimately heart failure due to lack of potassium.

    I hope you are scared. You should be. You are on the path to a very painful & miserable & lonely death if you do not get help.

    The root of this disease is different for different people. It can be anything from an ashetic desire for thinness, to a desire for control, to a desire to punish yourself. No matter what it is for you, it us obviously a source of pain. It is not normal to live like this, in pain. It is not normal to trade your future for something that won't even fulfil you in the present or ever be enough.

    Please, please go get help.

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  • jethro

    At 5'4" and 107# I would imagine that you would be smaller than a 6 or 8 dress. Go figure.

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  • SwickDinging

    I used to do this. I noticed how damaging to my health it was when I tried to get into weight lifting and was simply too weak. It was hard to stop though because everyone was always falling over themselves to tell me how hot I looked. No one said I was too thin, except older people.

    Think health first! Women who combine a healthy body fat percentage with lifting heavy have knock out bodies. The kind that could model bikinis. Aim for this and fuel your body with healthy food rather than being skinny and frail. You don't want osteoporosis before you're old, that would be awful.

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  • McBean

    Okay, sweetie. Here's your plan.

    1. Get up to bmi 20.
    2. Get into a cardio class.
    3. Don't drop out. A healthy heart is the foundation for your future.
    It may take up to a year to get your heart in peak performance.
    4. After a year then start with crunches, shoulder presses, all the swimsuit model exercises. But this can wait.

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  • BleedingPain

    You answered your own question. You sould not be starving yourself to keep that bmi. Not only is your body not getting enough nutrients, by not exercising as well as eating a healthy amount, you are loosing muscle mass.

    I dont count my caloric intake but can guess its super low and I cant be bothered with eating. my body looks really good, but I am so out of shape. I get winded quickish, and I am weak as shit.

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  • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

    yall prompted me to look up the charts and see what bmi i was

    yall sounds bony and weak and riddled with insecurities about yalls body

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  • Ummitsstillme

    Muscle weighs more that fat, BMI is an antiquated measurement. If you feel dizzy from a lack of calories, you are doing it wrong.

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  • RoseIsabella

    You should workout, and build muscle. Muscle is denser than fat, and requires more calories to maintain.

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  • WeirdGuyFromTheSouth

    Keep it up. When I get overweight Ill not eat until 5pm everyday for a few weeks. Its called fasting. It works good. Also do cardio. Like jumping jacks, jogging, bouncing up and down, running in place, jump rope, anything to keep the heart beating fast for like 20-30 minutes straight

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  • palepunk

    There’s no way you wear a 6-8. I’m 5’4 and 125 and I wear a size 4.

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  • aspirin

    Please eat more and exercise.

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  • litelander8

    Normal? Sure. HEALTHY? NO.

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