Is 3000+ too much?

AnaFlviaDuarte

Hey, guys.
Long story short, I've struggled with disordered eating for sometime now, and I got to a low weight. I'm 5'6.5 and around 99lbs. I'm trying to get better, and put on like 4-5 pounds. But my question is: Is consuming 3000+ calories until I put on this weight too much? I've read on some sites that that's the minimum amount you need to repair the damage done to the body and stuff like that, but mfp tells me I can gain on 1870 calories, so?
Do you think it matters?
Should I really eat 3000+ or trusting the app is ok?

Thanks in advance!

AnaFlviaDuarte

amyrebeccah wrote: »

AnaFlviaDuarte wrote: »

Hey, guys.
Long story short, I've struggled with disordered eating for sometime now, and I got to a low weight. I'm 5'6.5 and around 99lbs. I'm trying to get better, and put on like 4-5 pounds. But my question is: Is consuming 3000+ calories until I put on this weight too much? I've read on some sites that that's the minimum amount you need to repair the damage done to the body and stuff like that, but mfp tells me I can gain on 1870 calories, so?
Do you think it matters?
Should I really eat 3000+ or trusting the app is ok?

Thanks in advance!

What does your team say?

That's the problem. I have no access to a team or any kind of professional help. I have to do this on my own, so I'm kinda lost.

AnaFlviaDuarte

amyrebeccah wrote: »

Without professional help, I'm afraid it's hard for us to be much help to you. There are simply too many variables to know whether what any of us would recommend would be helpful or harmful for you (eating too little can have negative effects on recovery, but too much too fast can lead to harmful impacts as well). I'm sure it's frustrating to hear this, and I am not trying to blow you off, but you are legitimately asking questions only professionals should answer. I don't know where you're located, but I urge you to seek professional help and advocate to receive it, even if expense and/or location are issues.

I see. I totally understand my question is kinda unreasonable. It's just that I had no idea on how to start, and the information I gathered was conflicting. I really don't believe I'll manage to talk to a professional, but I'll see what I can do about this whole thing.

Thank you for being so kind and taking your time to answer, though.

Owlfan88

I am no professional, but it sounds to me like you need more calories. You also really need to see if you can talk to a professional- maybe a walk in clinic at least. All I know is, I'm 5'7" and 50 yo and I'm eating 2200+ per day and not managing to gain any. I'm also trying to gain a few pounds, but I'm way heavier than you already, at about 133. I have heard that it can take a lot more calories to gain weight back when you are/have been anorexic. I would at a minimum suggest more than the 1870. Maybe try at least 2000 for a couple of weeks and see if your weight is trending up. If it is staying the same or trending down, add more calories.

tacobella1198

Hey! Just scrolling through and wanted to put my input! I too struggled with disordered eating for a long while and still do at some points. When I had to gain weight ((which I fully committed by myself)) I had no doctors and such to tell me what I should or shouldn't eat. I completely stopped counting calories because I felt that there was no need to anymore. However, referring to your question if 3000 is too much? Honestly 3000 is not that much! I would have days where I would eat way more than that and still have a tough time gaining weight. The MFP is only an estimate for people who do not have a past of eating disorders. 1800 seems a little too little because the RDA should be 2000 calories! If you need anything else, I'm open!

potbelliedboy

Eating 3,000+ calories per day is honestly pretty difficult. You'd definitely gain those 4-5 pounds quickly, though!

psuLemon

There are a lot of free online resources to where you can get help for eating disorders: https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources

If you struggle getting enough calories, you just need to refocus your efforts onto eating higher calorie food options: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read/p1

If you want some muscle gains, then you need to follow a progressive overload resistance routine (women tend to gravitate towards strongcurves or NROL4W: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1


But honestly, addressing the big issue is what is going to help you make the biggest progress.

LaMartian

potbelliedboy wrote: »

Eating 3,000+ calories per day is honestly pretty difficult. You'd definitely gain those 4-5 pounds quickly, though!

Depends on your current size and how much you lift... I lift heavy-*kitten* weight multiple times a week and am taking in a minimum of 3,030C a day. It's not the easiest thing in the world because eating 200+g of protein a day is pretty difficult, but it CAN be done.

_Waffle_

AnaFlviaDuarte wrote: »

Is consuming 3000+ calories until I put on this weight too much? I've read on some sites that that's the minimum amount you need to repair the damage done to the body and stuff like that, but mfp tells me I can gain on 1870 calories, so?
Do you think it matters?

You're eventually going to need to coast to a normal eating routine. I would say to eat a minimum of what MFP says and a maximum of 3000. Don't force yourself to eat 3000 if you don't feel like it that day but try to hit the minimum. Start lowering the ceiling from 3000 down to MFP's suggestion as you get closer so that you have a soft landing on what you should be eating.

Keep an accurate food log and weigh yourself every day. That's the best way to get a handle on what your needs are.

Confidence97

AnaFlviaDuarte wrote: »

Hey, guys.
Long story short, I've struggled with disordered eating for sometime now, and I got to a low weight. I'm 5'6.5 and around 99lbs. I'm trying to get better, and put on like 4-5 pounds. But my question is: Is consuming 3000+ calories until I put on this weight too much? I've read on some sites that that's the minimum amount you need to repair the damage done to the body and stuff like that, but mfp tells me I can gain on 1870 calories, so?
Do you think it matters?
Should I really eat 3000+ or trusting the app is ok?

Thanks in advance!

I think that 3000+ is little too much for you since you're 5'6 and 100 pounds. I'm 6'6 and around 200 pounds and i consume 3500 calories per day- i'm gaining about 0.5 pounds per week (mostly muscle mass).

You will be better with around 2500 in my opinion, but you have to be concistent with it, experiment a little bit, see what works best for your body

(Im not from u.s , so dont be too hard on my english )

Quasita

Research Refeeding Syndrome. I'm one of the few people on MFP that has actually written about this, and I'd be happy to talk to you about general standards... The go-to for rehabbing from Anorexia Nervosa eating patterns is generally speaking to add 100-200 calories at a time and adjust, usually over 1-3 days. Healthy, good foods, in small increments.

You will gain weight no matter what if you are eating a VLCD under a disordered pattern. That is, if you are eating the average intake of an anorexia patient, of 600-900 calories per day, adding any number of calories to this total will make you gain, and you should not be jumping to a goal that is 3x your current intake. You run the risk of getting very, very ill.

So let's run with the assumption that you are currently eating about 800 calories a day, and want to reach a healthy weight through healthy means. A reasonable plan, GENERICALLY SPEAKING, is this...

Day 1: 900 cal
Day 2: 900 cal
Day 3: 1000 cal
Day 4: 1000 cal
Day 5: 1100 cal
Day 6: 1100 cal
Day 7: 1200 cal
Day 8: 1200 cal
Day 9: 1200 cal
Day 10: 1300 cal
Day 11: 1300 cal
Day 12: 1400 cal
Day 13: 1400 cal
Day 14: 1500 cal
Day 15: 1500 cal
Day 16: 1600 cal
Day 17: 1600 cal
Day 18: 1600 cal
Day 19: 1700 cal
Day 20: 1700 cal
Day 21: 1800 cal

Because disordered eating patterns having long term and lasting effects on metabolic rates (this is a proven fact through many case studies) you may find that you need to eat a bit more than this. You may also find that as you increase your intake, that you become hungrier and can tolerate larger amounts, and can increase by 200 calories instead of 100 calorie increments. The point is that you have to take it slow and steady, and allow your body to adjust.

I'm speaking from experience as much as from a professional perspective, as well as being someone who was suffering from anorexia that mutated into binge eating and bulimia, whose metabolism was wrecked and whose doctors didn't understand that I was suffering from RFS. I got VERY sick trying to double my intake suddenly. I went from 900 to 1800 overnight and it caused me to have severe acid production problems.

Gaining weight for someone who has an eating disorder, whether one of the major manifestations or EDNOS, can be exceptionally more difficult than the average person, and it's vitally important to be careful when you do it. If you don't have access to physicians and psychologists to assist you with this process, it is very important to not take advice based on the average metabolism and body tolerance levels.

Watch out for RFS symptoms, such as acid reflux, vomiting, headaches, chest pains, muscle pain and weakness, fainting, "dumping syndrome," passing undigested food, etc. If you start having these problems, scale back your intake. If you cannot control them, go to the ER. RFS complications can be deadly, and if you're in a bad enough starting place, you're better off being placed for inpatient treatment than trying to navigate without help.

Edit: I realize this is a long post and may seen lacking in application, but if we're talking about a low body weight because of disordered eating, it's important to understand that binge eating to gain weight is NOT THE ANSWER. That's basically what the OP is asking for permission to do, and I couldn't in my right mind sit here and say, yeah, go ahead and binge for a bit... Because sure, you're going to put on those 5 lbs but it's not going to stick around unless you raise your normal eating habits to a reasonable level... and if you start this whole, I'll just eat because I need to gain, you end up like me, a very overweight complex anorexia-bulimia patient.

AnaFlviaDuarte

Quasita wrote: »

Research Refeeding Syndrome. I'm one of the few people on MFP that has actually written about this, and I'd be happy to talk to you about general standards... The go-to for rehabbing from Anorexia Nervosa eating patterns is generally speaking to add 100-200 calories at a time and adjust, usually over 1-3 days. Healthy, good foods, in small increments.

You will gain weight no matter what if you are eating a VLCD under a disordered pattern. That is, if you are eating the average intake of an anorexia patient, of 600-900 calories per day, adding any number of calories to this total will make you gain, and you should not be jumping to a goal that is 3x your current intake. You run the risk of getting very, very ill.

So let's run with the assumption that you are currently eating about 800 calories a day, and want to reach a healthy weight through healthy means. A reasonable plan, GENERICALLY SPEAKING, is this...

Day 1: 900 cal
Day 2: 900 cal
Day 3: 1000 cal
Day 4: 1000 cal
Day 5: 1100 cal
Day 6: 1100 cal
Day 7: 1200 cal
Day 8: 1200 cal
Day 9: 1200 cal
Day 10: 1300 cal
Day 11: 1300 cal
Day 12: 1400 cal
Day 13: 1400 cal
Day 14: 1500 cal
Day 15: 1500 cal
Day 16: 1600 cal
Day 17: 1600 cal
Day 18: 1600 cal
Day 19: 1700 cal
Day 20: 1700 cal
Day 21: 1800 cal

Because disordered eating patterns having long term and lasting effects on metabolic rates (this is a proven fact through many case studies) you may find that you need to eat a bit more than this. You may also find that as you increase your intake, that you become hungrier and can tolerate larger amounts, and can increase by 200 calories instead of 100 calorie increments. The point is that you have to take it slow and steady, and allow your body to adjust.

I'm speaking from experience as much as from a professional perspective, as well as being someone who was suffering from anorexia that mutated into binge eating and bulimia, whose metabolism was wrecked and whose doctors didn't understand that I was suffering from RFS. I got VERY sick trying to double my intake suddenly. I went from 900 to 1800 overnight and it caused me to have severe acid production problems.

Gaining weight for someone who has an eating disorder, whether one of the major manifestations or EDNOS, can be exceptionally more difficult than the average person, and it's vitally important to be careful when you do it. If you don't have access to physicians and psychologists to assist you with this process, it is very important to not take advice based on the average metabolism and body tolerance levels.

Watch out for RFS symptoms, such as acid reflux, vomiting, headaches, chest pains, muscle pain and weakness, fainting, "dumping syndrome," passing undigested food, etc. If you start having these problems, scale back your intake. If you cannot control them, go to the ER. RFS complications can be deadly, and if you're in a bad enough starting place, you're better off being placed for inpatient treatment than trying to navigate without help.

Edit: I realize this is a long post and may seen lacking in application, but if we're talking about a low body weight because of disordered eating, it's important to understand that binge eating to gain weight is NOT THE ANSWER. That's basically what the OP is asking for permission to do, and I couldn't in my right mind sit here and say, yeah, go ahead and binge for a bit... Because sure, you're going to put on those 5 lbs but it's not going to stick around unless you raise your normal eating habits to a reasonable level... and if you start this whole, I'll just eat because I need to gain, you end up like me, a very overweight complex anorexia-bulimia patient.

Hey, thank you for taking your time to explain that all to me, I really appreciate it. I did up my intake all of sudden even before asking this question, but luckly I have not experienced any side effects (Except maybe psychological ones, feeling I dont need to do this and blablabla). My intention wasn't really to "ask permission to binge", I actually asked this because of the discrepancy I found between some "recovery methods" who tell people to eat as much as 3000+, and the numbers MFP gave me, and I was kinda skeptical about it, and didn't really know what to do.

But your answer was really helpful, so thank you very much. I am really taking all that you wrote in consideration from now on.