Should I Stop Exercising to Gain Weight as Advised by My Nutritionist?
#nutritionist #weightgain #exercise #health #advice
Recently, my nutritionist recommended that I gain weight, advising me to temporarily stop using weights and exercising. I currently weigh 56kg and stand at 186cm / 6ft 1. Despite enjoying working out, the nutritionist believes it’s not safe for me at the moment and suggests focusing on re-energizing myself.
Is it necessary to take a break from exercise until mid-June to reach my goal of gaining 2kg? Should I follow the nutritionist’s advice for my well-being and weight gain journey?
What weight gain? Your BMI is **dangerously** low. Please seek care from a medical doctor regarding your eating disorder. You really need to seek care here, as your situation is dangerous based on your stats. You need to see a doctor within 7 days.
Your nutritionist is correct. To gain you need to have more calories than you use. Your exercising is using too much for what you are taking in.
Your BMI is 16.2 kg/m2, which means you’re significantly underweight. You need to gain a lot more than 2kg to get to the point where you are safe for exercise. The biggest concerns I would have would be the risk of falls due to decreased muscle mass and/or orthostatic hypotension and the stress on your heart due to loss of muscle mass (among other concerns). Also, it’s hard to actively gain weight while burning the energy you’re taking in. It’s possible you will need significantly more energy than normal in order to gain weight, which I see often with people at a weight as low as yours due to being in a hypermetabolic state. It will simply be impossible to get enough nutrition while you’re also exercising. Further, please do not resume regular exercise without MD clearance first to make sure your heart can tolerate it.
This goes beyond just needing to “re-energize” yourself. Your nutritionist is right, you’re probably not medically clear to work out. You absolutely need to see your PCP about this.