please help with food amounts...

fourteeners

It's been a long time since I used this site, but I come back to it with a request. I know a lot of people might react negatively to this post, but please be kind.

I have struggled on and off with an eating disorder. I have never gotten professional help for it, and I can't afford it right now. I know that help would be best. But please believe me when I say that it's not possible at the moment, due to several factors I'd rather not discuss on a forum.

Anyway, right now I've seen some stresses come back into my life, and am having the urge to restrict. I do feel that I need to lose weight, but I also don't trust myself at the moment. The last time I was restricting, I was down to anywhere from 300 to 800 calories a day.

I want to make sure that I don't let this part of my brain take over, so my thought is to plan my meal in detail so that I know that I am getting enough. How do I make the decision as to how many calories is enough for me to eat?

Thanks for you help. Please, be gentle with me in your responses!

fourteeners

sorry, that should be "plan my meals," I'm thinking for a month long period.

funchords

I see by your other posts that you're 27 and 5'11" and that you take this to extreme.

Let's put this on its head. On it's head: This is not a diet website. This is a lifetime website. This is not temporary, this is permanent. You are logging food for life.

Someone who is F/27 5'11" should eat between 1500 and 1600 calories, on the average. Since this is a lifetime website, don't be in a hurry. It's okay if you have a 1300 day, but only if you also have a 1800 day. It's not okay to always be below 1500 and it's not okay to always be above 1600. But if you average it out over the week and you're in that range, fine.

Assuming you are overweight, do this and you will gradually but definitely lose weight to your normal weight and then you will stay normal weight. You may do exercise, but don't log it and don't eat extra calories because of exercise.

Why this is different on it's head: You're going to put your focussed behavior into eating up to 1500 calories and below 1600. You're not to be a focussed weight loser, you're to behave like a normally weighted 5'11" female and you will become one. Your body will adjust and if you weigh yourself periodically during this plan, you'll see that it is happening. And since you are not on a timeline (this is forever), you don't care that it is slower. But you don't even need a bathroom scale -- this is physics. Unless you've got a rare thyroid problem, it'll happen.

christinaheinle

I just listened to a podcast where the guest has/had an eating disorder. You may want to check it out. she never says...just eat more and life will be rosy but that is often the "help" you get when struggling with a disorder. Here's the site for the podcast. http://jesslively.com/laurynlax/
Or you can head over to the gals website where she started her own business to help people like her. It can't hurt to check out the website. http://meanttothrive.com/

fourteeners

Thank you both for your reply and your kindness.

Funchords, it's helpful to have something to aim for. 1500-1600 calories. I'm going to try to be disciplined about getting enough calories, but not too much. It's hard, though, when that certain voice in my head takes over. In that way, it's a bit more complicated than physics!

Christinaheinle, thank you for the link, and for thinking of it for me. I'm listening to it in pieces, and noticed she is willing to talk over the phone. I'm going to try to talk with her, maybe it will be helpful to talk with someone who has experienced similar things.