I need to gain over 2st to get to healthy BMI!!

joankawozniak

I need some friends here... I'm trying to recover from a relapse into anorexia! I've been fully recovered for over 2 years and recently I relapsed to the point I've ended up in a hospital! I've left the hospital with the BMI of 13.3 and currently my BMI is around 13.7 and my weight is maintaining! I eat a lot! I'm qualified fitness instructor and I'm going back to do my personal training qualifications in June. By then I need to have my BMI over the mark of 16 or I may not even be allowed to go back

Also I'm vegan and have been for a while! Sorry if I don't make a sense, just wanted to vent!!

mixa4u

If you eat a lot and don't gaining weight, then you aren't eating enough..
Whats your macro nutrient intake? Eat calorie dense foods, more nuts/oils in your meals. If you really want to recover then you have to "stuff" yourself with food, at the first time, of course, because your body isn't adapted yet to eating like a normal people, I guess. Good luck.

DancingMoosie

Add fats to your diet, they contain more calories per gram. Vegan options: avocado, coconut butter and oil, any nut butters and nuts/seeds. Dried fruits are also more calorie dense.

Scamd83

It's always strange to people who don't have these problems when someone says they're struggling to eat enough, it's a totally unheard of concept for someone who has been at or above a healthy weight all of their lives. But you just have to remember when you're used to eating a lot your body adapts to that and eating lots of food is easy and normal. So equally the other way round if you're used to eating very little, then anything that's a few more bites over what you're used to is a struggle.

OP, I'll echo what the chap above said in regards to calorie dense food. Peanut butter (in my mind) goes with a lot, as does cheese. Fry food in some butter, drizzle olive oil on stuff, put some double cream in coffee or tea, etc.

hekla90

Sounds like a great question for your doctor!

Adriana_1226

I agree that you should talk to your doctor.

For me, I eat a lot of oats/oatmeal in the morning and fruits. Make sure you are getting fats in there like nuts and avocados. Potatoes, rice, pasta, beans, tofu, fruits, etc. There is vegan ice cream from Ben and Jerry's. There is vegan pizza, cheese, and butter that you can have too. You can check out some vegan athlete's on youtube to see what they eat.

You might want to see how many calories you are having now and just add fifty or one hundred calories every day or every other day until you get to the calorie intake that you need daily. Maybe space out meals to four or five a day so you don't feel too full at one time? I'd ask my doctor about this because they should be able to gauge what will work for you. Good luck!

LKArgh

Are you working with a medical team? If not, this is where you should start. With the BMI you describe, I hope you are not exercising at all right now!

joankawozniak

I am with the eating disorder team and community mental health team! I spent a month in a hospital and was on NG feeding and all but didn't gain any weight even on bedrest and 2300kcal, so they gave me an option of staying or going! I decided to go.

Since I left the hospital I gained 2kg and sort of got stuck again! I eat 5-6 times a day and quite good meals! For example today I had around 50g of cereal with soya milk, mixed fruit and banana in the morning, snack - fruit, vegan ice cream and soya whipped cream, lunch salad with soya cheese, vegan jerky, 3 slices of vegan ham, nutritional yeast, chia seeds, 2 spoons of hummus and a pack of lentil crisps; snack pack of marmite crisps, carrots and hummus; dinner- 2 scoops of mashed potatoes, 2 vegan quorn burgers, broccoli, beetroot, vegan mayo and hummus; supper a cup of raw cocoa with soya milk;

During the day I also had the supplement drink and 2 milky coffees.

I do exercise as its the only way I can keep sane in my current situation (I'm homeless living in a homeless hostel ) and I'm qualified fitness instructor but that's the way I recovered last time - through exercise! When I first left hospital I stopped eating again but then realised that I do want to get my life back on track etc and want to continue with my Personal Training qualifications... I'm planning to go back in June!!

P.S Ben and Jerry not in UK yet but we do have few vegan ice creams!!

LKArgh

joankawozniak wrote: »

I am with the eating disorder team and community mental health team! I spent a month in a hospital and was on NG feeding and all but didn't gain any weight even on bedrest and 2300kcal, so they gave me an option of staying or going! I decided to go.

Since I left the hospital I gained 2kg and sort of got stuck again! I eat 5-6 times a day and quite good meals! For example today I had around 50g of cereal with soya milk, mixed fruit and banana in the morning, snack - fruit, vegan ice cream and soya whipped cream, lunch salad with soya cheese, vegan jerky, 3 slices of vegan ham, nutritional yeast, chia seeds, 2 spoons of hummus and a pack of lentil crisps; snack pack of marmite crisps, carrots and hummus; dinner- 2 scoops of mashed potatoes, 2 vegan quorn burgers, broccoli, beetroot, vegan mayo and hummus; supper a cup of raw cocoa with soya milk;

During the day I also had the supplement drink and 2 milky coffees.

I do exercise as its the only way I can keep sane in my current situation (I'm homeless living in a homeless hostel ) and I'm qualified fitness instructor but that's the way I recovered last time - through exercise! When I first left hospital I stopped eating again but then realised that I do want to get my life back on track etc and want to continue with my Personal Training qualifications... I'm planning to go back in June!!

P.S Ben and Jerry not in UK yet but we do have few vegan ice creams!!

Honestly, I would go back to the hospital. And absolutely stop exercising with a BMI of 13.The situation you describe does not sound good. Good luck.