How many calories should I be eating?

laurenjanco

I'm a recovered anorexic who developed a binge eating disorder, I gained alot of weight from it and am wanting to lose it. I have no idea how to eat normally though as I'm never full and think about food alot. I eat a fair bit and I try to stay at 1200-1300 call and when I log it's usually around there maybe a bit more, unless I binge it's alot higher.
I feel like I'm eating too much still if I go over my 1200-1300... I walk for about an hour a day, how much should I be eating? I'm scared I'm going to gain weight because I'm logging my calories too low or something.
I'm 17 nrly 18, I am around 63 Kg ( HAVNT weight myself lately) and 164cm tall
Thanks!

fatalis_vox

First of all, congratulations on your recovery. Eating disorders are a complex and difficult hurdle, and I can see how one could go from anorexia to binge eating. I hope you can keep the balance!

A big factor in how much you should be eating is how active your lifestyle is, as well as what your goals are. Can you provide some more information?

For the record, 1200 is the baseline calorie intake. As in do not eat below 1200 if you can avoid it; you want to make sure that your body gets the energy it needs to be healthy..

(Disclaimer: The site does say that you need to be 18 to join.)

EDIT: I did see that you walk for about an hour a day, and are interested in losing, I mean more details on your average life habits. Other than that one walk, do you mostly sit during the day, or are you on your feet moving? How much weight are you looking to lose, and in what time period? Etc.

laurenjanco

Thanks..
Yeh sure, well I don't sit too much I work as a cashier so I always stand or am walking around , I am always doing something reLlyC most of the time,
Yeh I know it says that but I find the app helpful so I use it
I want to lose 10kg at least. Maybe like a kg or half a kg a week. It doesn't bother me too much as long as I'm not gaining and that I'm losing something
Thanks

jacksonpt

Use any of the zillion calculators online to estimate both your BMR and your TDEE, then eat somewhere in between those 2 numbers.

darkon

You can even let MFP do that work for you

fatalis_vox

And ignore the myriad people on here who assume that everyone should be well informed as they are. He is right about the BMR and TDEE estimators, though. Look those up and it should give you a pretty good idea of what you should be eating.

Alright. I'm an American, so I had to do the conversion. I'd say half a kg is on the upward side of what you should be losing a week. You do that by eating at a 500 calorie deficit every day. For most people, that'e eating between 1200 and 1500 calories a day (Assuming that the average person eats 2000 calories a day, adjusted for calories burned.)

I've got a goal of losing one pound, about half a kilogram, a week as well. For the record, I'm five foot one inch tall, and I weigh a little under 140 pounds; I'm trying to get down to 130. I'm not great about keeping track of my calories, but I'm working on it. I walk a mile or two in the morning, and two at night, and I try to plan my meals out every day so I know how many calories I need to burn. You can "eat back" your workout calories as long as your total intake is around 500 less than your total burn at the end of the day.

Something else to keep in mind is that weight fluctuates A LOT. It fluctuates throughout the day, it fluctuates throughout the week, and it fluctuates throughout the month. If you weigh yourself at night, you'll probably weigh more than you did if you weighed yourself in the morning. The best suggestion I have to track your progress is to pick one day a week and weigh yourself at the same time--I like sunday mornings. I wake up, hit the bathroom, and step on the scale before I eat or drink anything. You'll see varied loss, and occasional gain or plateau. Don't get discouraged by that, there are so many factors involved. Water weight is a big one. Don't get hung up on the numbers, keep working to a healthy you. If you're being active and eating healthy, then you're doing the right thing.

psuLemon

Do you exercise? Your base calories should be around 1600, maybe slightly less as you are recovering from and eating disorder which probably lowered your RMR and depleted a good amount of lean body mass. I would recommend start around 1500 and macro's around 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fats. This will allow you to get adequate protein to sustain your current lean body mass. Also, if you exercise, I would make a large part of that weight training. This will also help with muscle retention and should allow you to become a bit more lean . More muscle = more lean + faster metabolism. And if you do exercise, i would add another 200-300 calories (especially protein based calories). If you think that is too high, see the second link below. You are young so you have a faster metabolic rate naturally.

Now if you ever want to fully repair your body, then you will probably want to do a few bulk/cut cycles to gain back all the muscle you lost with your ED. Again, as you gain muscle, you will increase the support for your body functions and increase your metabolic rate. Below is an extreme example but if you look at the difference between 120 - 130 you can see what happens when you gain muscle.


Also, 22lbs might be a bit aggressive, I would highly recommend just concentrating on fat loss and maintaining your muscle mass. That is critical, especially for you.



http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/



http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506349-women-who-eat-more-than-1800-calories-a-day

NonnyMary

I would try to eat a wide variety of foods. Since you are trying to get your appetite up, I think you could eat whatever you have a taste for if your goal is to increase your appetite after being anorexic. if you can, eat what you want but record it in the MFP food diary and see if you have room for it.. then that can work out for you.

I would try to include protein fruit and vegetables in your daily food choices.

fatalis_vox

I think you're all meaning well, but missing the part where she switched eating disorders--She started anorexic, then went to binge-eating and gained a lot of weight, which she's trying to lose now, so she can be healthy again.

psuLemon

I think you're all meaning well, but missing the part where she switched eating disorders--She started anorexic, then went to binge-eating and gained a lot of weight, which she's trying to lose now, so she can be healthy again.

You do realize she is 5'4.5 and 138 lbs (even looking at her photos, she looks pretty lean), which really isn't overweight right? Also, I did understand she is recovering which is why I suggesting lowering the number to start with. Regardless of the situation, maintain muscle is more important than losing weight. She has probably already lost a lot of muscle with her eating disorder.

Also, I am under the assumption she has her history under control. If she still has binge problems or ana problems, then that needs to be handled first.

janicelo1971

Please see a nutritionist...I myself was actively bulimic for 20 plus years. I have been in recovery since March of this year and it is difficult not to binge at times....certain foods and certain situations trigger it for us....anyway, as for the number of calories....with your past hx I really think you should see a specialist:flowerforyou: