Hey Ikk2162,
Thanks for your question, this actually requires quite an in-depth reply, it may sound like a plug but if you wish for specific guidance then please sign up to a custom nutrition plan where I can support you fully whilst ‘keeping you safe’, which means giving you the right support to manage weight loss (if appropriate) and keeping you healthy whilst optimising your training and performance. My concern is that you have already experienced RED-S / LEA and injuries and are still a young age, so there may be some specific factors we need to look at and determine how this came about (in addition to perhaps overly cutting calories, it may be there are some deficiencies in your nutrition intake, not through your own fault but perhaps you are not eating sufficient to match the demands of your training, we do not need to be underweight to experience RED-S).
I get asked quite a lot by custom uphill athletes for weight loss guidance in amongst nutrition to support training. In the first instance I would help improve or refine day to day eating, ensure enough of the right stuff is going in and enough at the right times (by adding more foods and changing the mind set of eating less) to support training, adaptations and recovery. Usually with these changes UA’s report a positive change in weight/body composition without necessarily restricting eating or ‘going on a diet’ thus supporting health, training and performance.
I would also be cautious unless you had a gold standard measure taken of interpreting your body fat percentage and using that as a weight loss guide.
Hope that is helpful in some way, please do get in touch if you wish for further guidance and follow the link to sign up.
Rebecca – Uphill Athlete Dietitian