Eating too few calories

Question
I'm growing concerned that I've been eating too few calories.  I've always been on the slim side and now that I've been watching what I eat, I've lost more weight.  I'm 23 years old, like 5'4" and weigh around 103 pounds.  I used to be known as the small girl who eats a lot but lately I've been taking lots of salads to work and only getting about 800-1000 calories a day. My body has shrank (which I've only noticed because my pants are a little loose) but I still have a tiny pooch which is the only thing I want to lose! It seems to me that I should start eating more calories per day but I'm also afraid that my metabolism has slowed down so much that when I do start eating as much as I used to a couple of months ago, that I'll gain a lot in the belly. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!

Answer
Hi Ana, the only way to prevent weight gain if you resume eating more calories, is to exercise, and eat the right kind of calories.   Your exercise should consist of cardiovascular (running, stepper, etc), as well as resistance training (weights, sports that involve a lot of muscular endurance ).  These activities will raise your metabolism considerably, and require your body to take in a good deal of calories to sustain your muscle mass.  It is the perfect antidote to a slow metabolism!   There is nothing wrong with eating salads--keep eating healthy!  But if you want to slowly increase your calories, make sure you add healthy foods, and only add 150 calories per day each week at a time.   If you exercise along with this increase, you should not gain any extra fat.    By the way, the resistance exercise will tone that "pooch", so make sure you do your ab crunches as well, but all-over resistance exercise will help to make sure your abs are lean and toned.    Go to www.oxygenmag.com for tips on female fitness==great site!

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