Expert: Meg - 4/1/2007

Question
I am 6 feet tall. I currently weigh 134. My body fat percentage is 3%. I was 200 pounds at one point and I dropped to 160, where i stayed for a while. I was really strong, toned, and muscular at 160. I stopped lifting, started eating less, and i lost all my body fat and lean muscle mass. How do i get back up to my normal weight (160) but by regaining my lost muscle and little fat?I am currently eating around 3500 calories a day, I lift weights 4 days a week, and I'm very active. I also eat very healthy. I'm just wondering how i can be assured that what i gain back is lost muscle tissue and not all body fat? Will it happen naturally because of muscle memory and eating healthy?

Answer
Hi Justin,

Thanks for your question and its great that you are working on getting healthier.  

You sound pretty worried about gaining body fat, but in actuality your body fat is far too low at this point.  Here is a site with some information about this:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/ideal_body_weight.htm

They recommend that a male should have between be 10-14% body fat and for your height should weigh between 178 - 182 pounds.  So, I would recommend trying to gain weight without worrying AS MUCH about your body fat percentage.  

That said, I know that if you have been suffering from an eating disorder, you probably ARE going to worry somewhat about this.  There is no way to know for sure how you will gain your weight back, but my guess is that if you do eat healthyfully and are fit and active then you are not going to end up with too high a body fat percentage.  I would keep doing what you're doing and I think things will work out as far as your being okay with your weight gain.

Hope this helps and take care!
Meg