Gaining weight on a clean diet with cardio.

klwxx

Thank you everyone. I realise I sound like a silly little girl who has eating problems and doesn't wanna hear what is right and it's SUPER hard. I actually got discharged from hospitals and doctors for ED like a year ago, because I'm a lot better than I was.

I've reduced my weight loss to .5 per week just for the sake of peace of mind. I AM trying my absolute hardest to focus on body looks/fat loss/muscle gain and generally trying to forget the scale, but if you've never had a problem like it you just don't understand how incredibly difficult it is not recover completely and not get angry and upset and lash out at people when you do gain weight from no apparent cause.

Anyway, sometimes you just need to be reassured and I appreciate everyone's help very much :flowerforyou:

SezxyStef

Ok, Congrats on the exercise consistency that is a big part of a healthy life style. You are on the right track. If I were you I would set my loss to .5lb on MFP which will increase your caloric intake for the day. Eat your weight in protein or close to it. You have been at this for a month and although it feels like forever due to you recovering from this eating disorder your body is going to take time to accept your new way of eating. You can get discouraged but you need to get over it real quick if you want this to work. You are going to have to change your mind set to realize this is very beneficial to your life to continue working out and working on your food intake. You should make a goal to reach your net calories, do it slowly adding things like yogurt, peanut butter, nuts, eggs, etc.... Try to eat every three hours to help stabilize your metabolism and of course help with increasing your caloric intake. The machines at the gym aren't very accurate to rely on them so I would only eat 50-75% of your exercise calories back at first and then maybe readjust as needed after three to four weeks. You can do this, you have started the right way so you do have a good head on your shoulders. Now take a step back and realize you are the most important thing to focus on right now and do it the right way. Good Luck! Oh and about the weight gain, who knows could be your body is just gaining water weight from all the exercise but also could be your body is readjusting due to your metabolism being so out of whack. I'm no professional so talking to someone at the gym where you are could be a possibility. Just make sure they are qualified to understand your situation.

There is so much wrong in this statement...

A she is almost underweight now and you encourage more weight loss???

b meal frequency is irrelevant

c eat your weight in protien? I know you mean in grams but be more clear...

d get over it quick...this sort of thing could take years to get over...

e very doubtful anyone in that gym is qualified to help this young woman...

TheGirlsATimeBomb

Thank you everyone. I realise I sound like a silly little girl who has eating problems and doesn't wanna hear what is right and it's SUPER hard. I actually got discharged from hospitals and doctors for ED like a year ago, because I'm a lot better than I was.

I've reduced my weight loss to .5 per week just for the sake of peace of mind. I AM trying my absolute hardest to focus on body looks/fat loss/muscle gain and generally trying to forget the scale, but if you've never had a problem like it you just don't understand how incredibly difficult it is not recover completely and not get angry and upset and lash out at people when you do gain weight from no apparent cause.

Anyway, sometimes you just need to be reassured and I appreciate everyone's help very much :flowerforyou:

i dropped 100 pounds from my ED, and i gained it all back, and then some, going through recovery. your metabolism is confused. i'm sorry to tell you, there MAY be a good amount of weight gain in your recovery process.

2013sk

I used to be 12st 1lb but am now 9st 6lb after a successful Slimming World diet at age 14

This is on your front page - So doing this diet at the age of 14 has not done you any favours with your metabolism and being so young dieting.

Looking at you, you have an amazing figure, and many women out there and in your gym would dye to be your size. Sometimes you just need to look in the mirror and be happy with what you see. Your gaining weight on the scales because your not eating enough, compared to your workouts.

Bump up your calories, lift weights, up your protein, and change your body shape if anything!!

Kenazwa

I agree with cutting way back on cardio and introducing resistance training (lifting weights). But most importantly, keep working on the ED and self-image problem. Best wishes.

msf74

I realise I sound like a silly little girl who has eating problems

You don't sound silly at all. You sound like a young woman who is suffering with a serious condition caused or made immeasurably worse by the utterly idiotic dieting industry.

Good luck in your recovery. You can and you will recover

oldmanjonesy

When I change my diet / training program, it takes 4-6 weeks to START seeing results. When you make an adjustment, have patience. It takes time. Alot of time. Remember its a lifestyle, not an end result.

I think you should focus on building muscle. More muscle can be the answer to more than one of your problems. More muscle will aid in burning fat and make you look healthy and toned. I think it will help you with your diet struggle too, because it will give you an appetite to eat alot, and those calories will be used to repair muscle, and your metabolism will be boosted. I realize everyone is different, but I think the first thing on your agenda would be to lift weights and eat more (especially protein). Set your macros to like 45 carbs, 35 protein, and 20 fat, and start with your protein intake at like 120g/day. You've got to lose your fear of eating too much. Granted, I dont know what an eating disorder is like, but if you want to make progress, you need to eat. With a training program of weights and cardio 3-4 times a week, your daily calories should be well over 2000. Once you gain some muscle and boost your metabolism, it will be easier to burn fat if you need to do a cut phase.

Your other alternative is to let yourself go, get a tan, and move to the south. We love fat bottom girls!

extrafast

Saw your post.
Just wanted to say that I've kinda struggled a bit in the beginning to see results as you are.
We all go through the same. I hate technical mumbo-jumbo so here's my practical advice to you.

I'm not an expert in the subject but I've learnt a bit of the theory but mostly through practice. My goal is to go down to 15% body fat, I was 24% 8 months ago. So I am training specifically for that. I started with 2/3 session cardio and 1/3 session of weights, now i do 50-50 - but I'm a guy and I like a bit of muscle on top of the fitness.

If you want to be toned as in: 'lose body fat and get the pretty tummy look with all nice lines' you need to push your workout routines towards cardio. If you want the strong, hard and bulky look you need to adapt your routines more towards weights. Learn what you want first.

I have 3 rules for myself I'd like to share with you:
1. Any change to routines and intensity levels show after 4 weeks give it or take. Think 3 months for the kind of results that make you smile.
2. Have a vision. You wanna fit and look awesome in that amazing party dress? Visualize it when you are working hard.
3. Don't over do it. Patience and devotion are the virtues here. Over-exercising is another level entirely and can hurt you. Not over-doing it will help you remain determined and motivated, mostly because you don't get frustrated or bored. There is no cutting corners in this art.

Workouts:
Do you know what you want from your workout? Figure it out first. Working out 3 times a week 2h a session is going to deplete your body, as normal gym-goer. Go for a 2 time a week - 2h/session - regime for the first 3 months and see how you adapt. Give yourself, your mind and body time to rest. Think high intensity training: rather than the flat dull jog for 60min, try a 30 min jog - push hard in intervals, raise your heart beat, go nearly out of breath,... discover the 'supersets'. Train hard, better. Have a social life too.

Diet:
Avoid processed foods. Don't eat rubbish. Home cooked meal with plenty of protein after a work out. You don't want to starve your body out so it starts to eat your muscle away for energy. Don't make yourself too hungry, it will end in tears in the following meal. Hungry? drink water just before a meal, drink plenty of it during the whole day. Give time for your body to adapt to its new food regime, ease into it. Make yourself a lovely Sunday roast. Savour it.
Note: I have tried working-out 3-4-5 times a week, I starved my body to get faster results, it resulted in premature exhaustion. Be patient and honest when counting your calories. ;-)

Motivation:
Have a sporty outdoor activity on the side. Cycling, jogging, tennis? Anything. You will have fun and you will forget you are working out.
Read up a bit, a knowledgeable athlete is a better athlete.
We are all here to cheer you up too.

Push hard.
J

AliceDark

I realise I sound like a silly little girl who has eating problems and doesn't wanna hear what is right and it's SUPER hard. I actually got discharged from hospitals and doctors for ED like a year ago, because I'm a lot better than I was.

No, you don't. You sound like someone with a history of fighting a life-threatening disease, which may be whispering in your ear again. I think that's what most people are trying to say. Seeing someone with a history of ED talking about trying to lose weight is a little like seeing an alcoholic in a bar. It doesn't mean that their disease is necessarily active, but it's a warning sign. Please take care and be kind to yourself.

charlychops

I think you might benefit from having a look through this blog

http://fitspooration.myshowroom.se/

This girl had an ED and is now training for her first bikini fitness competition; I find her really inspiring and she has some stories you may be able to relate to. good luck x

amyx593

You know you're at a healthy weight for your height, but you're unhappy with your body. Here's what I'd do:

Eat 1500 calories/day (since you said that's all you can manage) and focus on strength training to change your body composition. Really! Focusing on cardio will not give you the changes you hope for. Do strength training most days (start with 2-3 days/week and work your way up) and do cardio most days too- but only for 20mins or so.

chrisdavey

Waldo is right.

Repairing metabolism and losing weight are mutually exclusive. You need to pick one. I'm fairly sure that the answer is the former not the latter.

jonnythan

I actually got discharged from hospitals and doctors for ED like a year ago, because I'm a lot better than I was.

You need to go back to a doctor because you're still struggling with this issue.

You need professional help, not MFP.

tracydr

At 5'10", you don't have anything else to lose. Please,stop!