Nay, bruises!

[Naamah D.]

I recently started exercising and dieting.I barely snack anymore. I usually have one spoonful of hummus a day or no snacks at all. My mom made a cake for a family member and he let me have a small piece ( this is a teenager with a crazy fast metabolism) and that's the only junk food I have eaten recently.

 

I have a random pain on the side of my calf. On the other calf I have a bruise. I'm starting wonder if I injured myself working out or if I have a vitamin deficiency because I don't eat a lot anymore.

 

Thoughts?

[leverhelven]

Hmmm, I think it's more likely the bruise comes from some injury, because as far as I know it takes a severe vitamin deficiency in order to cause bruises. You would probably be having other symptoms from it!

[pulpfreeoj]

Are you speaking to a medical professional about the food you're eating? Especially if you have concerns like this, I'd say it's important.

 

Also, just so you know, snacking isn't your enemy. It's better to have six smaller "meals" (more like three reasonably-portioned meals and three "snacks") throughout your day than to have just three small meals. For one thing, having something in your stomach every few hours vastly helps to remove any temptation you might have (and on a diet, you WILL be tempted). Just make sure your snacks are reasonably healthy things like a serving of fruit or whole grains for carbs, or some lean protein like low-fat yogurt. Things like that. And make sure to stay hydrated, especially when you exercise! A lot of times people mistake thirst for hunger, and lots of water is good for you anyway. (Sorry about the unsolicited advice, you can definitely feel free to ignore it if you want. I just lost a lot of weight a couple years ago and I think a lot of the principles I learned when it comes to food are useful.)

 

And I hope your bruise feels better.

[Mouseykins]

If you're concerned about your food intake, I'd speak to a health professional or a dietician who can guide you a little better.

You can take a multivitamin everyday and that will help meet some of your nutritional needs. Also there's those nutritional shakes as well. My daughter scarcely eats anything during the day, my 9 month old eats more then she does, so I give her a bottle of Pediasure every morning plus her gummy vitamin. As long as what you're eating is healthy, then you should be alright. I would consult someone just to be sure though.

 

As for bruises, I'm an accident waiting to happen lol. My knees, thighs and calves frequently have bruises. I just found one on my knee when kneeling on a hard surface and felt a jolt of pain. No idea how or where I get the from, but there's always one hanging around.

[nomekopokemon]

It sounds like you might be dehydrated. If that's not the case, and you're drinking enough water (just when you're thirsty is enough), I'd try to eat more lean proteins. Like pulpfreeoj said, snacking isn't your enemy. Eating throughout the day is small amounts is actually the best thing for you--I'm not so sure if I agree with the fast metabolism boost it gives you, but I do know it keeps you from overeating during meals. Figure out how many calories you need to take in a day and make sure to count, count, count. Once you get the hang of how many calories everything is it'll be easier to make healthy choices.

 

Good luck, kiddo! :D

[patrickbailey]

Hello Naamah, I suggest you to concentrate more on your health and your diet. One should have a balanced diet, which includes all the required nutrients, have a peek here and get to know what your diet plan should be. I hope this will help you.