How many calories? Recovering ED

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ms6serenity
ms6serenity Posts: 21
in Food and Nutrition
I am a restricive eater, have been eating (600-900) for probably the last year. I have not dropped below 118 and I am only 5'1. Recently I decided to do p90x. To tone, because after Christmas, I weighed myself and I was a shocking 126. So I've been exercising properly for a week now, I decided to up my calories because of exercise to about 1100 and I weigh myself today and 128..... How many calories should I eat? 600-900? I really don't want to gain, I want to become lean slender and strong. It's really upsetting. Is my metabolism shot?

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  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Firstly, before you get advice from all and sundry here, are you seeing a doctor about this? You are in danger of heart and organ problems if you exercise so much on a deficit.

    I estimate your calories needed to maintain your weight WITHOUT exercise to be about 1550. You'll probably burn 4-500 plus an hour doing these intense exercises and you need to eat those calories.

    That is irrelevant if you have truly been eating so little though, as recovering ED needs to eat 2-3 1000s of calories a day to repair organ damage.

    If you've gained that weight then you've probably been eating more than you think.

    It's also normal to gain water and glycogen weight when going back to normal eating. It's not body fat.
  • ms6serenity
    ms6serenity Posts: 21
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    No, have not seen a doctor because nobody really knows. If I don't look sick, or sickly slim, nobody knows and nobody really cares.
  • frostedpoptart
    frostedpoptart Posts: 15 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Your metabolism is not "shot". It's simply temporarily slowed down, due to you eating such a low amount for such a long time. What I recommend doing is stop exercising, period. While doing this, slowly increase your calories, by 100 per week until you get to at least 1600. Stay off the scale. If you weigh yourself while doing this, you will only get upset/panic/and stop. Because you WILL gain "weight" from this. I put weight in quotes, because it will not be real weight - as in fat - it will be from water weight and having more food in your system.

    To put it in comparison to how drastically little you are eating, I'm 4'11", 26 years old, and extremely sedentary (basically just sit all day). I eat around 1600 a day and maintain a BMI of 20. There was once a time though where I maintained this same weight with exercise & eating 700 calories a day. My metabolism slowed due to undereating. But I increased it doing exactly what I recommended to you.

    Also, yes you need to see a doctor. And you need to tell them the truth. "Nobody really cares", I sincerely doubt that. If they knew, they would care. It isn't just because you aren't sickly slim that they don't know. I was sickly slim once and still people didn't know. Sometimes people turn a blind eye to things because they don't want to face the reality that a loved one is hurting badly or doing bad things to themselves.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    ms6serenity wrote: »
    No, have not seen a doctor because nobody really knows. If I don't look sick, or sickly slim, nobody knows and nobody really cares.

    But YOU should care, and I care. This stuff isn't to be messed around with. You could be free, healthy and happy, and eating well.
    I've been where you are and miserable with my body. When I got into weight training and nutrition my whole outlook changed. I'll always have to watch my weight and count calories though. But at least I'm not putting myself in danger anymore.

    If you're not going to go to the doctors for for eating disorder try maintaining at your weight now and re assessing in a few weeks. Don't do more than gentle walking.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
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    If you're thinking you are or should eat 6-800 calories/day, you need to see an ED specialist. You're not eating that little, but that's secondary.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,013 Member
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    Your bingeing has helped keep your weight from falling, right?
  • ms6serenity
    ms6serenity Posts: 21
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    Over christmas,, with family is where I had to eat more and gained the weight. Otherwise, I still don't know how much I should be eating. My doctor isn't very good, sure I lost my period for like 8 months ( not pregnant ) and she thought nothing of it.
  • frostedpoptart
    frostedpoptart Posts: 15 Member
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    sheldonklein wrote: »
    If you're thinking you are or should eat 6-800 calories/day, you need to see an ED specialist. You're not eating that little, but that's secondary.

    wtf?
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I think you should see a professional. ED's are serious and recovering from one shouldn't be done alone. You need support, whether from family or a doctor.
  • ms6serenity
    ms6serenity Posts: 21
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    neanderthin wrote: »
    Your bingeing has helped keep your weight from falling, right?

    Right in a sense. Before, I could not drop past 118 eating 800 cal and regularly exercising. Then over Christmas had to eat as surrounded by family, stopped exercising for a few months, and gained. Now eating 1100 and doing a fairly intense workout program (p90x) and gaining????
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    I agree with everyone else, seek the help of a professional first.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,013 Member
    edited March 2015
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    ms6serenity wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    Your bingeing has helped keep your weight from falling, right?

    Right in a sense. Before, I could not drop past 118 eating 800 cal and regularly exercising. Then over Christmas had to eat as surrounded by family, stopped exercising for a few months, and gained. Now eating 1100 and doing a fairly intense workout program (p90x) and gaining????
    If in fact you were eating 600-900 or so calories a day you would lose weight, there are no exceptions to that rule. Concentration camp victims were fed 800-1500 calories a day depending on their work details, and we know what that effect had on them, right. You either need to tighten up your food journal or talk to a professional and Ideally, both.

  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
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    frostedpoptart wrote: »
    sheldonklein wrote: »
    If you're thinking you are or should eat 6-800 calories/day, you need to see an ED specialist. You're not eating that little, but that's secondary.

    wtf?

    If she's eating<1000 calories/day, she'd be losing weight. She isn't because she isn't. But the fact that she's trying to do so means her thinking is disordered and needs help.
  • 2chubbynow
    2chubbynow Posts: 9 Member
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    Seek the help of a professional. I have a niece that had an eating disorder. In order to recover, she received care from a gynecologist, a cardiologist (where the worst damage occurs), a nutritionist and a therapist. You will likely have fertility problems. Seriously, seek help.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    SEEK SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONAL HELP FROM THOSE THAT FOCUS ON EATING DISORDERS .... not your normal, everyday doctor.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1392905/updated-eating-disorder-resources#latest
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
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    frostedpoptart wrote: »
    Your metabolism is not "shot". It's simply temporarily slowed down, due to you eating such a low amount for such a long time. What I recommend doing is stop exercising, period. While doing this, slowly increase your calories, by 100 per week until you get to at least 1600. Stay off the scale. If you weigh yourself while doing this, you will only get upset/panic/and stop. Because you WILL gain "weight" from this. I put weight in quotes, because it will not be real weight - as in fat - it will be from water weight and having more food in your system.

    To put it in comparison to how drastically little you are eating, I'm 4'11", 26 years old, and extremely sedentary (basically just sit all day). I eat around 1600 a day and maintain a BMI of 20. There was once a time though where I maintained this same weight with exercise & eating 700 calories a day. My metabolism slowed due to undereating. But I increased it doing exactly what I recommended to you.

    Also, yes you need to see a doctor. And you need to tell them the truth. "Nobody really cares", I sincerely doubt that. If they knew, they would care. It isn't just because you aren't sickly slim that they don't know. I was sickly slim once and still people didn't know. Sometimes people turn a blind eye to things because they don't want to face the reality that a loved one is hurting badly or doing bad things to themselves.


    Please listen to this advice from @frostedpoptart. She has been there and she is trying to tell you something important --

    You matter. You are hurting and it matters. It seems like people around you don't care, but that's because you've hidden it well. Please, seek specialized ED treatment for the sake of body and your spirit.
  • My_Butt
    My_Butt Posts: 2,300 Member
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    I am actually recovering from an ED. My lowest was 115lbs at 5'7". I have been doing Insanity for awhile and weigh 148lbs now. Those programs will build muscle. Don't focus on the scale number anymore. Take progress photos or tape measurements. The beach body programs will build muscle, so even though you may weigh more, you will appear smaller because of the density of muscle.
    To be strong, you have to feed your body.
  • ellieco
    ellieco Posts: 18 Member
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    My_Butt wrote: »
    To be strong, you have to feed your body.
    Agree 100%. You will feel better, look better, be strong and sexy and all that stuff if you give your body the nutrition it needs. You need to seek professional help to reach a point where you can allow yourself to do that.

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