I'm a pro at unhealthy weight loss

needtoloseafewpounds

@hi_im_jess - Hello, thanks for the reply. My goal is definately not to lose 45 pounds. I plan on getting to 100-110 lbs. This is considered healthy weight.

@snejkaxo - I don't know if I could ever let go of the refined sugars, but I definately cut back on my fruit juices. Thanks for the reply

needtoloseafewpounds

@hottamolly00 - Thank you for switching to constructive criticism.

@vardaemi - Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to check on it before I go to bed.0

@DopeitUp - I may be in the gym for 3 hours but I don't necessarily exercise for 3 hours. I do rest quite a lot after cardio. My guess is that I don't burn anything over 400 calories. Even 400 calories would be much more. I do eat more than 600 calories and I was just trying to make a range so that I don't give any false number pertaining to what I'm eating.

mushroomcup

@Rhayahana - Thanks for the reply ^^ Yes, yes. I've heard about the "starvation mode" on the internet quite a lot. I've always learned to eat 500 less than your BMR and mine just happens to be at around 1450-1500. I need to recheck mine. It's been a long time since I last worked out like this so my cardio workouts are pretty lazy but consistent. I managed to do 5 days a week for 2 weeks and I have managed to do 1 hour and 30 minutes with the same intensity each time. Although I do say that I eat 600-800 calories, I do feed myself energy rich snacks such as bananas, nuts, cereal with milk, or assorted vegetables (it's different every day).

You've learned wrong. The general rule is TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) minus 500 calories. BMR, as someone mentioned previously, is what your body burns when you are in a coma/doing absolutely nothing.

TDEE - 500 calories will cause you to lose approximately one pound per week, which is a healthy and feasible amount. All you are doing with your severe restriction is causing stress on your body and messing up your metabolism. It isn't smart. I kind of hope you're trolling, because if you are being serious, you are really putting your health at risk for vanity and approval of those around you.

I hope you can take everybody's advice on this and reevaluate your plan.

hdtracy

Well, I'm sorry to hear that you still think it's ok to abuse yourself like this. Let me just say, without even knowing you, that I know you ARE a person of value. You are loved, and you deserve love. Most of all you deserve love from yourself. I hope you can learn how to love yourself.

Second, as the child of a person who suffers from anorexia, please consider seeking help. You mentioned how quickly it works, and then you stop and slowly gain weight, then you go back. My mom is currently in the 7th cycle of anorexia that I recall witnessing--there were several before I can remember. Each time she does this, she does more damage. She has lost almost 100 pounds in the last 6 months. Last time, she was hospitalized for kidney failure. This time, she is losing her hair, her teeth are starting to decay, and she may not survive this round because of the heart and kidney damage the previous rounds caused. But she won't listen to us. At 54 years old, my mom could die because she wants to be skinny. She will leave behind a husband of 34 years, 6 children, and 6 grandkids because she wants to fit in a size 2. She can't just love herself like we love her.

My sister recently confided in me that she's been throwing up after she eats because she "doesn't have the self-control to just not eat that our mom does". And so the disease has now spread to my gorgeous 19 year old sister who has her whole life ahead of her.

You may not have control over this. You may not be able to break this cycle you have started. Please consider talking to someone before you force your loved ones to stand by and witness you slowly killing yourself.

Thanks for posting this - this thread has made my heart hurt as well. My older sister was bulimic for 7 years. She was 8 years older than me, and I looked up to her all my life. It was absolutely heart-breaking to watch her look in the mirror and KNOW she was seeing something distorted.

To the OP - I'm so sorry that your culture is putting pressure on you to be slim. Especially if they are doing so in a way that encourages you to go about it in an unhealthy way. Do you have a good enough relationship with your boyfriend/parents that you could say to them, "You know my history, and I know you love me and don't want me to go down that road again. I want to lose weight too, but I want to do it the healthy way now. Please stop pressuring me because it puts me back in that dark place."

That need to please others at any cost or potential damage to your body is exactly what kept my sister trapped in her sickness, and sounds like it may still be something you struggle with.

There are levels of anorexia in the body. Though you've clearly had some healing (yay!), it may be time to consider that you still have some research to do and some more things to learn from and heal from before you're ready to make any huge changes to your lifestyle.

I remember you mentioned that you'd read you were supposed to eat your BMR - 500 calories, but I think you might have confused that with your TDEE - 500 calories. The TDEE is the number of calories that you normally burn just being alive AND walking around, exercising, eating, etc. So if you cut 500 from that, you'd still be above your BMR.

I'm glad to hear that you're feeding your body healthy fats and nutrients. Keep doing that! Just do it a bit more
I'll personally bet you $100 that if you up your calorie intake to 1200 a day and give it 6 weeks - you'll have lost weight and you'll still feel strong enough to continue. Doing it the way you are now will burn you out and you'll end up back where you started.

Please hear my words with the love behind them - I don't want to make you feel bad or as though I'm attacking you. I'm just telling you what I experienced, growing up and watching my sister's every move, and though she had a different eating disorder than yours, the mentality and motivation behind them are all evil, and all so terribly difficult to truly defeat.

avababy05

@sbarella - Thanks for the reply I just plan on cutting my calories to 600 until I lose about 10-20 lbs. From then on I plan on eating 1200 and adjusting my lifestyle. After I hit about 100 lbs I plan on eating 1500-1600 calories. ^^ I swear to myself that I will never gain it back because not being able to fit in your clothes is a big pain. I have at least 4 pairs of jeans with their buttons popped off. :blushing:
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And then you will gain weight because you're adding another 600 calories that your body isn't used to and then you'll have to lose weight.and on and on it goes.

Been there.Learned from it.

hottamolly00

What she said. ^

To the OP: I think you need to seek some mental help. I would like to be supportive on the weight loss front, but it sounds like you know what you're SUPPOSED to do, but you CHOOSE to continue your extreme dieting ways. I'm sorry, but this is something a mental health professional needs to handle. You really need someone to help you get over your obsession with eating so little. By the way, you're "whopping" 140 pounds is kind of offensive. There are people on here who are struggling with 400+ pounds to lose. Please get some help. Please.

Excuse me, but are you a doctor? A psychiatrist? I don't think so. Don't diagnose me with a mental illness if you are not a professional. I have never intended to offend others if that's what you're accusing me of. I was just making fun of my own weight the same way everyone makes fun of my weight right now. I don't think you know how many times I hear "lose weight" in a day. I live in Korea and if you lived here, you would know that I'm considered obiese here so you can take your unprofessional and far more offensive remarks and leave. Please.

@yellowsnowdro - How old are you? Please don't tell me that my family needs to be educated. One more thing, it's not "loose," it's "lose." I can tell the difference between destructive criticism and constructive criticism and you two posters are only using destructive criticism which is not only offensive but also very unprofessional. Thank you and good bye.

Look. I was not trying to offend you. I'm trying to help you. No, I'm not a professional, but you're sitting here going on about what your mom, brother, boyfriend, etc say. Are they professionals? Probably not. What I'm getting at is that you know what's right for you, so screw what everyone else says and do what most of us on here do. Throw away the stupid scale, because most of the time, it's wrong. Take pictures of your "before" and base all your progress on that picture. It's the only thing I go by these days. I hate weighing in. I only do it to be sure I'm not "letting myself go" again. A couple pounds gained is no big deal...it just keeps me in check so I'm not like 10 pounds gained.

prattiger65

You are in denial.

littlelouis

As a person who has dealt with many of the same things, I completely understand. However, you MUST eat more than 800 calories a day. At the very least, eat 1,200. I lost almost 20 pounds on under 800 calories, but the mental struggle of upping your calories just isn't worth it. Start now the healthy way so you don't have to deal with it in the future. 1,200 calories if that's all you can manage. Get some exercise daily. And then try experimenting with adding 50-200 calories a week to see where your body likes to be. Sure, you'll lose weight if you eat under 800. But you'll be miserable and I can absolutely guarantee that it will be harder than you think to start eating 1,200 again. Also, once you up to 1,200, there's a chance that you'll gain all the weight back anyway from such a prolonged deficiency. I completely understand how you feel, and I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but don't risk doing this the unhealthy way.

snejkaxo

**** To all of those that tell me that I'm a healthy weight and I need mental consultation, I felt that same way too but everyone else doesn't. Especially my mom, my dad, my sister, my cousins, my aunties, uncles, employers, and my boyfriend, ETC.. If you came here to Korea, you would understand my very situation. Here in Korea, underweight is healthy weight. Rather than feeling the need to starve myself again, I feel that I just want everyone to stop looking at me the way they do.

I totally get the cultural pressure. I didn't know you are from Korea. I am in the same boat with half of my Asian family. What is a healthy weight is a totally different story than with the other side of the family.
Just be careful sweetheart. Make sure that you have all food groups represented in your diet, even if you do it in smaller amounts. I know it is impossible to cut out all refined sugar. It's in everything! Every kimchi that they sell at the store has minimum 10g of sugar! Ever since I started weight loss journey, I am trying to make food from scratch. My favorite Jajangmyeon has 7 g of sugar. I don't know how to make this one from scratch though, so once a month or so I go to a store and buy it and indulge.

needtoloseafewpounds

@hdtracy - Thank you for the reply. You don't need to worry about me finding your post offensive because your personality is absolutely lovely. My boyfriend and I are actually very close and we're practically like family. It's just that the Korean standards are ridiculous and even I admit it. Maybe it's easier for me to see because I was born in Hawaii and came here when I was 13. I can see how he feels walking around with me when almost 90% of the girls on this country is model thin. He does make jokes about my weight and he does tell me I'm beautiful and cute but at the same time he always tells me I'd be so much prettier if I lost weight. After I mentioned my past and history with anorexia he has attempted to stop talking about it but after a while he started mentioning my weight again and told me I wasn't trying. He's also less educated about weight loss than I am (even though I'm pretty bad off myself). He also has one of those ridiculous metabolisms that never let him gain any weight so we've been eating the same things for 3 years and I was the only one gaining weight Also, it's harder to get a part time job to pay for my schooling because I have to compete with all of the skinnier girls and the employers do ask me to lose weight. My boyfriend's mother asked me to lose weight. It's been taking a toll on me and I went from "sick of dieting" to "have to diet again" and I guess I just wanted to take a shortcut. But you are right and I'm starting to see now that I should raise my caloric intake and take a little more time. You're right as well as many other here. I was being too hasty but it wasn't a mental issue. I just felt pressured and I wanted it over with as quick as possible.
I'm sorry about your sister's condition and I understand how hard of a time she must be having. I don't know if the same thing will work for her since I wasn't bulimic, but you could try giving her some of her favorite fruits a little at a time and increase the servings gradually. It helps even more if you're eating some and enjoying it by her side. I know tangerines helped me off of my starvation pretty well. It helps to show her not only how awesome and delicious food is but how awesome it is to be full and satisfied. I wish your sister will be up and healthy again soon... Good luck!

LisaDunn01

As a former anorexic/bulimic (and I too am 5'3"), I know a bit about this...

I had 6 years of eating disorders followed by years of unhealthy body image. I have been as low as 95 pounds and as high as 145 pounds. "They say" as you get older your metabolism slows down and you are supposed to weigh a bit more. Well, at 47 I am the healthiest I have ever been and easily and comfortably maintain a weight between 109 and 113 pounds.

You HAVE to change your mindset - PERIOD. For me, that meant not weighing myself several times a day, not over-exercising and allowing myself to go OVER my allotted food intake (which is 1,250 a day) on a regular basis (otherwise your body is in starvation mode). It's an attitude change and lifestyle change. I weigh myself 1-2 times a month. I exercise 2-3 times a week (30 minutes to one hour each time). I stay away from processed foods as much as humanly possible, eating whole (and organic) foods as much as I can, and I don't beat myself up anymore when I want something "bad". I just try to make good choices on a daily basis. By letting go, I have gained what I have searched for for years: self-acceptance, good health, happiness, a healthy relationship with food, a healthy body image, and an ideal body weight. It took me a year to drop 15 of the 20 pounds I had put on over the previous 2 years. Allowing myself to go slowly was the BEST thing I ever did and resulted in PERMANENT CHANGE.

Good luck.

PepePants

Thanks for your honesty. I suggest you seek out a trained therapist who specializes in eating disorders. You may not actively be anorexic, but you are setting yourself up for another disorder, if not body dysmorphia. Even if you weren't exercising at all, 6-800 calories is not enough to adequately nourish your body. If you've been eating like that for some time, it might explain your posts--your brain does not have enough fuel to function properly. I'm not being a smart alek--this is truly what happens. I urge you to find someone you trust who can help you with this. Do you trust your primary care physician? Also, if you've been anorexic in the past, your family has no business pressuring you to lose weight. That's not healthy support and you should, under no circumstances, listen to them about weight loss. I wish you the best.

LexiAtel

I don't want to sound like most people here, but you ARE saying you want to be more healthy about losing weight... With your current weight (142lb?) you should probably been eating more than you are, especially with your activity.

I am 177lbs, I eat 1200 cals a day (I am going to up it to 1400 soon), I weight lift 3 times a week for 20 mins and walk 2 hours a week for at least 20min each time. I am losing weight at 2-3lbs a week. This is a healthy weight loss.

So just so you have an idea... you CAN eat more, and lose the same amount as you are weighing now. Try it, you wont be displeased.

needtoloseafewpounds

Wow I didn't realize I'd have so many visitors and now I'm feeling a little bad for offending/hurting/concerning so many. I really didn't mean to. It's just that I thought that if I posted my progress I'd feel more motivated to carry on.

@avababy05 - Thank you for your input and I can't disagree with you on that. I should take better care of my metabolism.

@hottamolly00 - Your tone in your post was very rude to me but I'll accept that you were being concerned. Although I cannot remain my current weight due to many circumstances, I do agree with you that I should take things a bit slower.

@prattiger65 - Destructive criticism is not taken here.

@littlelouis - I'm glad to hear words from so many people that understand what I went through. I can relate to a lot of things that you mentioned such as "difficulty upping calories" because I've been there as well. Gaining weight at 1,200 calories does seem like a nightmare and I will ask a diet nutritionist on how I should go about with my current condition.

@snejkaxo - I'm also very glad to see another (half) asian that can see where I'm coming from. Yeah I do eat my kimchi and it does have quite a lot of sugar. I don't know if I can get myself off of refined sugar but I guess it's worth a try. Jjajangmyeon is difficult to make from scratch because the noodles take a lot of skill to make by hand

@LisaJames01 - It's refreshing to hear from a successful former anorexic/bulimic who has had the weight fluctuation similar to mine. I've tried to change my mindset and I think that this thread has given me a great wakeup call. I discussed my plan with everyone around me and they were all rooting for me and telling me that I'm doing a good job. However, after I posted on MFP I've been slapped on the wrist quite a lot. I hope I can be like you some day. You look beautiful in your profile picture!

@PepePants - Everyone around me will probably never understand me completely because they've never gone on a big diet. My mom just exercises a whole lot and eats a whole lot so her body is smoking and my sisters are kind of out of shape but slimmer than me but one is exercising with me at the moment while the other is busy with her child. Maybe you're right. Maybe my brain isn't functioning properly but my unproperly functioning brain wants to thank you for your post.

lporter229

@needtolosesafe- I am very glad to see that you have chosen to listen to the advice that has been given to you. Most people only take the time to post because they are hoping it will help you. The advice given to you in this thread, no matter how difficult to hear, is very solid. Too often, when people do not like to hear the advice they have been given, they become defensive. I am glad to see that you have approached this with an open mind. It shows a lot of maturity on your part. I also hope that you will consider having a talk with your mother about the dangerous position she may be forcing you into. Chances are, she does not realize that she is doing this to you. You seem like a lovely person. I wish you the best.

SashaMegan

It seems you still have learned a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.l.y n.o.t.h.i.n.g.....sorry.

also my opinion at first :blushing: :ohwell: but then I backed off.
If OP was once anorexic it's not that easy to eat a good amount that is considered healthy.
We should help her around here to better understand some nutrition/metabolism concepts instead of blindly criticizing :noway:

mommy3457

I was anorexic too when I was younger. I know you struggle with that "monster" which haunts us all who were anorexic at one point. I know what it is like. It's the "I can lose weight this fast, no prob...It won't take no time at all." I lost all my baby fat as a pre-teen within a few months of barely eating. I had a flat stomach within no time. I also passed out in a class after not eating. I was made fun of even when I lost a lot of weight. So, I understand how you feel. We need to push through those demons and chose to do it right this time. What you are doing now is a slightly improved version of what you did before. It's not healthy. I hope you see that you need to eat more.