Gaining weight? eating disorder recovery?
Replies
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Don't listen to the people on here about weight training and stuff like that. To recover from a restrictive disorder (AN, BN, Orthorexia, Purge, restrictive EDNOS etc.) you should be eating MINIMUM 2500 cals, 3000 if you're under 22 or so. Sugar doesn't matter. Without these amount of calories, your body will not heal itself. If you eat 2200 you will start to gain weight (if you're underweight, if not it's a maintenance amount), not heal. Your body will not have enough energy to make repairs, so it will store any excess to fat. In recovery case, eating more does NOT equal gaining more. The opposite is true. http://www.youreatopia.com/blog/2011/9/14/i-need-how-many-calories.html please read this and other articles on their sight. I'm recovering from anorexia if you need someone to talk to.
Weight training combined with a solid diet can help build muscle mass and bone density that are lost from an ED. It can also help by focusing energy on athletics rather than merely what is in the mirror.0 -
thanks everyone, anymore advice would be great0
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It looks like you're drinking coffee with semi-skimmed milk. Could you swap that out for half-and-half or even heavy cream? It's an easy way to sneak in some extra calories and fat, and coffee with heavy cream tastes really rich and indulgent.0
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Have you tried drinking some of your calories? There are plenty of "meal replacement" drinks that you can add to your diet as snacks to help you add more calories. I have CD and since many times I would not be able to hit my daily calories without some liquid help. You can also use it to lighten up your coffee instead of milk or cream. If you do not like the meal replacement ones, buy some weight gain powder and mix it with your milk to get more calories than just water. Best of luck to you.
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If you are on your feet all day working in a hospital then unless you simply enjoy the cardio it probably isn't necessary. What you are missing is some form of strength training. It doesn't have to be weight lifting, but that is a very effective form of exercise. If you have been suffering from an ED then you probably don't have much in the way of muscle mass and that needs to be corrected. Get plenty of protein and fats and lift (or do a body weight program) 3 days a week. You will see yourself get stronger and more fit. It has worked for friends and family.
^^^^ this0 -
Looking at your diary, if I had to guess, your sugar is probably a bit on the high side. Try to stay below 50 grams a day. But otherwise it doesn't look too bad.
Also, if you're underweight, try to go easy on your exercises. I know they probably make you feel good, but if you're having a hard time meeting your minimum caloric needs a day to gain weight, any added in cardio is only going to compound the problem.
If you must to do cardio, keep it light and under 30 minutes.
I'm currently working with someone else who has/had a eating disorder and the key that has helped her, is eating multiple, small meals throughout the day. If you're working a hectic job at a hospital, I'd pack yourself quick & easy healthy snacks to bring in with you and just constantly be snacking on something throughout the day.
Get a Pedometer as well. This will tell you exactly how many steps you're taking per day at your job and from there, you can more accurately calculate how many more calories, on top of your 1,647 caloric base, you need to be eating per day.
Good luck and don't give up!
OP.
Ignore this guy's advice on your diet and calorie information. Putting a number out there that is FAR below your TDEE is counter-productive and, frankly, useless information. You don't give a number that is 800 calories LESS than the target goal to someone who is struggling with an ED. It's ridiculous. Do you know nothing of triggers?
You don't need a pedometer to count your steps. Don't give yourself anything that could lead to any sort of obsession about hitting a steps per day goal. You should cut back on the biking because it will make it even harder for you to eat in a surplus. If there is any chance you can switch to a strength training program, it will help you. Take it from someone who is 5'7" and once struggled to get up to 48 kg (106 pounds, my mother rejoiced) before I beat this awful disease. Strength training and less cardio is a big step in changing the ED mindset.
You are absolutely allowed to eat sweets. You are absolutely allowed to eat carbs. 50 grams of sugar doesn't matter squat to you. I hit 73 grams the other day. I also was over 170 grams of protein. (I don't track my food as I am bulking as well. I track it occasionally to check in on my macros, my diet is pretty close to the same everyday, including the ice cream).0 -
Congratulations on recovering! Beating this disease is a long hard road! I started my recovery at age 26. At age 40 I still struggle with body image, but I would never trade the way I feel for skinny jeans again! Are you receiving any help from a therapist? I'm not pushing medications here, but I was diagnosed with OCD (apparently eating disorders fall under this category) . Starting on a low dose SSRI really changed my life. It has helped me to kill off that little nag in the back of my head that badgers me about how much I weigh. Before I tried medication I had relapse after relapse with bulimia and anorexia. Now I have the freedom of not falling apart at the first sign of loosing control over my weight. Control is what it is all about. You can take it back in other ways that won't damage you're organs, give you brittle bones, hair loss, etc etc... Best of luck!0
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Hey there
I am in the same boat as you! I know it can be really rough trying to gain weight. This is my first time logging back into myfitnesspal for quite some time.. and that is because I have decided I need to cut the habit of counting calories all together. My dietitian has put me on a meal plan that counts SERVINGS of food groups, not calories. I would highly recommend this! It can be super stressful at first with not knowing how many calories are in everything you ate at the end of the day, I just logged on here to see if anyone else had tips for gaining weight in recovery but I don't use my journal anymore. The servings counting method is much psychologically healthier I think... but also very freeing. If you want to know more about it message me 0 -
I feel like if youve had some type of eating disorder before - this is really something you should be discussing with your doctor, phsychologist and a nutritionist... not all of us.0
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Im aware of that, it says eating disorder recovery
i am getting help but any extra advice/support is helping me 0 -
Omg. The amount of dangerous advice on this topic being given out by people who have no experience with eating disorder recovery.... MFP is soo not the place to look for ED advice and I hope for the sake of your health you ignore a lot of the posts above.
Body building bulking and ED recovery ARE NOT THE SAME. STOP TRYING TO GIVE OUT THE SAME ADVICE, PEOPLE.
In ED recovery, you actually need a MINIMUM of 2,500 calories. You should try to aim for 3,000- an even more preferable amount! There;s literally no such thing as too much food in recovery. Your body has 2 jobs right now: restoring yourself of the damage you caused, as well as fueling your current endeavors. You also need to STOP exercising. Having a job as active as you do hinders the recovery process as it is (ideally, you should be COMPLETELY sedentary until weight restoration on the minimum cal amount.)
Eat regularly. Eat what you crave- there are NO BAD FOODS IN RECOVERY. THERE ARE NO SUCH THING AS "MACROS". ENERGY COMES BEFORE THE NUTRITIONAL PROFILE. A jar of frosting will benefit your body much more at this time than a salad. Go for energy dense, easily digestible foods.
And finally, make an appointment with your doctor and try to avoid the ill advice given out on MFP threads....0 -
thanks0
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Omg. The amount of dangerous advice on this topic being given out by people who have no experience with eating disorder recovery.... MFP is soo not the place to look for ED advice and I hope for the sake of your health you ignore a lot of the posts above.
Body building bulking and ED recovery ARE NOT THE SAME. STOP TRYING TO GIVE OUT THE SAME ADVICE, PEOPLE.
In ED recovery, you actually need a MINIMUM of 2,500 calories. You should try to aim for 3,000- an even more preferable amount! There;s literally no such thing as too much food in recovery. Your body has 2 jobs right now: restoring yourself of the damage you caused, as well as fueling your current endeavors. You also need to STOP exercising. Having a job as active as you do hinders the recovery process as it is (ideally, you should be COMPLETELY sedentary until weight restoration on the minimum cal amount.)
Eat regularly. Eat what you crave- there are NO BAD FOODS IN RECOVERY. THERE ARE NO SUCH THING AS "MACROS". ENERGY COMES BEFORE THE NUTRITIONAL PROFILE. A jar of frosting will benefit your body much more at this time than a salad. Go for energy dense, easily digestible foods.
And finally, make an appointment with your doctor and try to avoid the ill advice given out on MFP threads....
This.
The fact that moderators allow this potentially dangerous advice is beyond me.
To those who think lifting/gym work is a good idea for an ED sufferer, please remember that the heart is under immense strain in ED (a lady I was in treatment with dropped dead carrying her groceries into her house due to the strain it put on her heart).
Gaining weight in ED recovery is a completely different science to gaining in healthy individuals, and needs to be be monitored by trained professionals. At my worst, I was having *hourly* blood tests and obs and my starting calorie goal was quite small (not going to mention numbers for obvious reasons) and was slowly increased on a daily basis. Our bodies' chemistry is completely out of whack and one bad decision can cause anything from oedema, to more serious seizures and even death from heart failure.
OP: please go see your GP for a proper check up and a Referal to an ED specialist.
Wishing you all the best in your recovery - you can do it!0 -
if you are very active plus working out every day then yes 2200 sounds right. Most people need about 2000 to maintain their weight. Coming from someone recovered from an eating disorder I know how hard it is to eat more and to gan weight. However, like you said you are under weight and need to gain weight. Since you are all ready very active I would cut down on cardio and try weight training to build up muscle weight. Also if you are maintaing but are still having a hard time upping calories try to slowly increase between 5-200 each week or two until you are at a number that you can gain or at least maintain a steady weight at.
if you need any support you can add me. Like I said I know how the ED stuff goes<30 -
One thing I noticed in your diary was a lot of low fat foods. Fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbs, so an easy way to up your calories would be to eat full fat food.0
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First of all, I want to congratulate you on choosing recovery! I'm sure you've been through so much and I am SO proud of you! :flowerforyou:
That being said, it's time to eat a lot more than you're used to. More than you're eating now. This will cause some anxiety. Depending on your triggers, there are different ways to do this. Some ED sufferers have become so afraid of feeling full that eating an entire meal is frightening. If that's the case, then I suggest adding more fats to your meals to up your calories without adding volume - add oil, butter and cheese. Others would benefit from eating more of the foods they're comfortable with (for you this seems to be fruits and veggies, maybe nonfat dairy?) so eating more often/more snacks can be helpful.
It can also be empowering to eat foods you previously labeled as "bad" when you're ready for it. Don't be afraid to take that step.
I don't think this question has been asked but, do you ENJOY doing cardio? Because it is really unnecessary, especially considering you have such an active lifestyle, and can make it increasingly difficult to meet your calorie requirements. Others have suggested weight lifting, which I personally enjoy doing and recommend, but you honestly do not have to do any exercise at all. It might be best to keep your burns to a minimum so you're not overwhelmed.0 -
As others have mentioned, 2000 calories is nowhere near enough to recover weight and repair the physiological damage done. I suggest you read the link to Eatopia posted above to understand why recovered anorexics require so much energy. And as for as macros go, the main thing is to limit total calories from carbohydrates to 40% or less to reduce risk of Refeed Syndrome.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21670680
Regarding resistance training, you should be okay since you aren't significantly underweight. With that said, you may still want to get checked out by a doctor. If they give you the go ahead, then perhaps seek a referral to a personal trainer who specializes in training recovered ED patients.0 -
Omg. The amount of dangerous advice on this topic being given out by people who have no experience with eating disorder recovery.... MFP is soo not the place to look for ED advice and I hope for the sake of your health you ignore a lot of the posts above.
Body building bulking and ED recovery ARE NOT THE SAME. STOP TRYING TO GIVE OUT THE SAME ADVICE, PEOPLE.
In ED recovery, you actually need a MINIMUM of 2,500 calories. You should try to aim for 3,000- an even more preferable amount! There;s literally no such thing as too much food in recovery. Your body has 2 jobs right now: restoring yourself of the damage you caused, as well as fueling your current endeavors. You also need to STOP exercising. Having a job as active as you do hinders the recovery process as it is (ideally, you should be COMPLETELY sedentary until weight restoration on the minimum cal amount.)
Eat regularly. Eat what you crave- there are NO BAD FOODS IN RECOVERY. THERE ARE NO SUCH THING AS "MACROS". ENERGY COMES BEFORE THE NUTRITIONAL PROFILE. A jar of frosting will benefit your body much more at this time than a salad. Go for energy dense, easily digestible foods.
And finally, make an appointment with your doctor and try to avoid the ill advice given out on MFP threads....
This.
The fact that moderators allow this potentially dangerous advice is beyond me.
To those who think lifting/gym work is a good idea for an ED sufferer, please remember that the heart is under immense strain in ED (a lady I was in treatment with dropped dead carrying her groceries into her house due to the strain it put on her heart).
Gaining weight in ED recovery is a completely different science to gaining in healthy individuals, and needs to be be monitored by trained professionals. At my worst, I was having *hourly* blood tests and obs and my starting calorie goal was quite small (not going to mention numbers for obvious reasons) and was slowly increased on a daily basis. Our bodies' chemistry is completely out of whack and one bad decision can cause anything from oedema, to more serious seizures and even death from heart failure.
OP: please go see your GP for a proper check up and a Referal to an ED specialist.
Wishing you all the best in your recovery - you can do it!
I'm just quoting this so you hopefully read it a second time. What these two people have said is very true. And please ignore anyone telling you to restrict food groups or telling you to do more exercise. You need to nourish your body with lots and lots of delicious and fun food right now. Nourish your mind too, and keep seeing medical professionals. Wishing you so much luck. Recovery is a hard road but you will get there
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thanks for all the help everyone0
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I would suggest you discuss this with a psychologist, a doctor and a nutritionist.0
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I would suggest you discuss this with a psychologist, a doctor and a nutritionist.
The Op already stated she is receiving help and is simply seeking extra advice.
You do not need to repeat yourself. You already posted this once. It is not helpful to her.0 -
How does my diet look for the 28/02/2014, i decided to drink some milk to get my calories up at the end of the day, thanks0
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Just be mindful of how many calories you need to recover weight and repair physiological damage and work your way up to that number as detailed in the eatopia link.0
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Hi there! I'm 5'6" and trying to at least maintain, hopes to gain and my goals are set to 2400 calories. I try to eat clean the majority of the time and if you can eat whole foods and reach your calorie goal, that sounds great! I was trying to gain last year and ate butter on everything and drank whole milk and wasn't really paying attention and fat deposited in my abdomen.. I wasn't happy about that... so removed milk/butter from my diet and cleaned it up and it's gone now! Working on lean muscle gains Hope this helps! 0
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I have been trying to mainly eat clean foods when i can as well, not had the best day today 0
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Please please please dont get fixated on 'clean' and 'unclean' foods! You are recovering from an eating disorder-not trying to gain a little weight after a standard illness ect.
There are no 'right' or 'wrong' foods for you at the moment, you need to reaccept all types of food, that means a balance between ALL food types. You shouldnt feel guilty about eating typical treat foods-you need to eat for whats right for you right now.
There is nothing wrong with including fruit and veg and lean protein, but equally there is nothing wrong with foods like biscuits, ice-cream and fattier meats.
Eat for your recovery now-once you start to gain weight or fully recovered then you can re-assess how you can tweak your daily diet.
(I'm also in recovery as I've mentioned in previous posts-so I do understand how confusing it can be)0 -
I have been trying to mainly eat clean foods when i can as well, not had the best day today
Forget the clean eating. There is not such thing as 'dirty' eating, especially for someone recovering from an ED. This goes for the other poster who removed milk and butter from her diet, even though she is still trying to gain weight.0 -
Omg. The amount of dangerous advice on this topic being given out by people who have no experience with eating disorder recovery.... MFP is soo not the place to look for ED advice and I hope for the sake of your health you ignore a lot of the posts above.
Body building bulking and ED recovery ARE NOT THE SAME. STOP TRYING TO GIVE OUT THE SAME ADVICE, PEOPLE.
In ED recovery, you actually need a MINIMUM of 2,500 calories. You should try to aim for 3,000- an even more preferable amount! There;s literally no such thing as too much food in recovery. Your body has 2 jobs right now: restoring yourself of the damage you caused, as well as fueling your current endeavors. You also need to STOP exercising. Having a job as active as you do hinders the recovery process as it is (ideally, you should be COMPLETELY sedentary until weight restoration on the minimum cal amount.)
Eat regularly. Eat what you crave- there are NO BAD FOODS IN RECOVERY. THERE ARE NO SUCH THING AS "MACROS". ENERGY COMES BEFORE THE NUTRITIONAL PROFILE. A jar of frosting will benefit your body much more at this time than a salad. Go for energy dense, easily digestible foods.
And finally, make an appointment with your doctor and try to avoid the ill advice given out on MFP threads....
+10 -
EXACTLY. I'm sure people are meaning well but concentrating on 'clean' foods will just leave you confused and stressed. You know what you need to eat- its comforting to try and get validation from others from what your eating, but you dont need it.
Just like I've stopped reading trashy magazines that show bulls**t comparison pictures and diet plans to make myself feel better.
Keep going, your doing great and concentrate on your plan.0 -
Agreed^ Telling a recovering ED sufferer to restrict a food group/macro etc is well not the best advice and after going over OP's food diary I don't see an unreasonable or excessive amount of snacking or sugar or fats.Looking at your diary, if I had to guess, your sugar is probably a bit on the high side. Try to stay below 50 grams a day. But otherwise it doesn't look too bad.
Also, if you're underweight, try to go easy on your exercises. I know they probably make you feel good, but if you're having a hard time meeting your minimum caloric needs a day to gain weight, any added in cardio is only going to compound the problem.
If you must to do cardio, keep it light and under 30 minutes.
I'm currently working with someone else who has/had a eating disorder and the key that has helped her, is eating multiple, small meals throughout the day. If you're working a hectic job at a hospital, I'd pack yourself quick & easy healthy snacks to bring in with you and just constantly be snacking on something throughout the day.
Get a Pedometer as well. This will tell you exactly how many steps you're taking per day at your job and from there, you can more accurately calculate how many more calories, on top of your 1,647 caloric base needs, you need to be eating per day.
Good luck and don't give up!
Why would you tell someone who is trying to gain weight to cut back on sugar? Yes, she needs fats and protein, but I wouldn't suggest counting sugar to someone struggling to hit her calorie goals. The focus by even the American Heart Association on sugar is for reasons of getting too many calories.
Because she asked about how healthy she is eating. High amounts of sugar is NOT healthy for you and can contribute to all sorts of inflammatory diseases in the long term, including heart disease and diabetes.
There are plenty of other, easy ways to get your calories. Such as natural peanut butter, nuts & avocados and just eating regularly throughout the day.
OP - ignore this. It's pseudoscience and scare mongering.
You do need to get your fats up. A low fat diet is counterproductive, was abandoned in the 90s even for losing weight, and actually will endanger your health. The treats you're eating, not so much.
here are some links for you OP...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym
Listen to these guys, OP.
Agreed^^^0
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