Minimizing fat gain without lifting during ED recovery

PikaKnight

So there's your answer hon Pilates is fantastic and is great for core strength and strength in general.

Your dietitian knows you - and your needs - best. Please trust her. When I was attending a dietitian, I was convinced she just wanted to make me fat (ED distorted thinking!), but of course that makes no sense, and would be completely unethical! She really just has your best interests at heart.

Keep fighting hon - you can do it, and it will be worth it xx

Thanks! :flowerforyou: I know I need to gain some fat back, particularly because I suffer with amenorrhea. I'm positive it's partially the ED that is worried that I will balloon up and gain too much fat. I guess I'm thinking ahead of how to gain back lean body mass as well.

When you gain weight you will gain some muscle as well. Talk to your dietitian, but maybe ask about strength/resistance training in the future as an option. But honestly, don't focus so much about gaining (whether it be muscle of fat). Just focus on recovering and getting things good with you medically and mentally first

SuperstarDJ

So there's your answer hon Pilates is fantastic and is great for core strength and strength in general.

Your dietitian knows you - and your needs - best. Please trust her. When I was attending a dietitian, I was convinced she just wanted to make me fat (ED distorted thinking!), but of course that makes no sense, and would be completely unethical! She really just has your best interests at heart.

Keep fighting hon - you can do it, and it will be worth it xx

Thanks! :flowerforyou: I know I need to gain some fat back, particularly because I suffer with amenorrhea. I'm positive it's partially the ED that is worried that I will balloon up and gain too much fat. I guess I'm thinking ahead of how to gain back lean body mass as well.

Ah, OK. As long as you're amenorrhoeic, they will be reluctant to allow you to exercise. While you aren't getting your period, you will be losing bone density (I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 19). You NEED fat to get your cycle back, and I know that prospect can be scary but it's SO important. I'm forever breaking bones - particularly my ribs - for stupid reasons (like sneezing!).

Try your best not to scare yourself by thinking ahead and imaging the worst case scenarios. Just concentrate on what you can do today to bring you to freedom. You deserve that!

Edited to add: your body just wants to be healthy. Being 'fat' isn't healthy, so your body doesn't want that - and neither do your team

em31200

Ah, OK. As long as you're amenorrhoeic, they will be reluctant to allow you to exercise. While you aren't getting your period, you will be losing bone density (I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 19). You NEED fat to get your cycle back, and I know that prospect can be scary but it's SO important. I'm forever breaking bones - particularly my ribs - for stupid reasons (like sneezing!).

Try your best not to scare yourself by thinking ahead and imaging the worst case scenarios. Just concentrate on what you can do today to bring you to freedom. You deserve that!

Edited to add: your body just wants to be healthy. Being 'fat' isn't healthy, so your body doesn't want that - and neither do your team

Your advice has been super helpful! I feel like I have already accomplished so much but I know I have a lot more work to do to bring my body back to optimal health. I know I need to put my trust in my treatment team but it is scary! Again, thank you! :flowerforyou:

amandakev88

Hi darling,
utmost congratulations on getting through your ED. ive seen how hard it can really be. sincerely, congratulations.

my biggest advice would be to think about STRENGTH as opposed to gaining, staying lean, building muscle, whatever your goal is. your body is still in recovery. getting your strength back is more important than gaining any muscle.

I second the advice about the dumbbells, BUT i would suggest you get little baby 1 or 2 pounders, and even then, just AFTER you have been given a go ahead.. i know you're worried about gaining fat rather than muscle, but TBH, you're probably not that much muscle right now as it is, recovering from your disorder. Gaining fat doesn't mean looking or even being fat. Its necessary [to an extent, obviously] and healthy to have.

I read what you said about a girl dropping dead from lifting groceries. However, you did ask how to get back some lean muscle. Unfortumately the answer as far as i know, is working your muscles and eating the right foods for recovery. Including lots of heart healthy foods, for obvious reasons.

Wait til you get a go ahead from your physician. Then i think it'd be best to do exercises that use your own body weight, like push ups, crunches, squats, lunges, but i wouldn't weight them for now, and would try to keep your heart rate quite low during all exercise. start small, like i said with the baby weights.

most importantly, with subjects like this, i wouldn't listen too seriously to advice from strangers. it might be dangerous. i know that sounds rich since i literally just weighed in, but its important you stay safe.

best of luck. be good to yourself.

SuperstarDJ

Hi darling,
utmost congratulations on getting through your ED. ive seen how hard it can really be. sincerely, congratulations.

my biggest advice would be to think about STRENGTH as opposed to gaining, staying lean, building muscle, whatever your goal is. your body is still in recovery. getting your strength back is more important than gaining any muscle.

I second the advice about the dumbbells, BUT i would suggest you get little baby 1 or 2 pounders, and even then, just AFTER you have been given a go ahead.. i know you're worried about gaining fat rather than muscle, but TBH, you're probably not that much muscle right now as it is, recovering from your disorder. Gaining fat doesn't mean looking or even being fat. Its necessary [to an extent, obviously] and healthy to have.

I read what you said about a girl dropping dead from lifting groceries. However, you did ask how to get back some lean muscle. Unfortumately the answer as far as i know, is working your muscles and eating the right foods for recovery. Including lots of heart healthy foods, for obvious reasons.

Wait til you get a go ahead from your physician. Then i think it'd be best to do exercises that use your own body weight, like push ups, crunches, squats, lunges, but i wouldn't weight them for now, and would try to keep your heart rate quite low during all exercise. start small, like i said with the baby weights.

most importantly, with subjects like this, i wouldn't listen too seriously to advice from strangers. it might be dangerous. i know that sounds rich since i literally just weighed in, but its important you stay safe.

best of luck. be good to yourself.

*face palm*
:noway::noway::noway::noway::noway::noway:

Lesa_Sass

Firstly, give yourself SO much credit for entering into a recovery programme!!! I'm also anorexic so know how challenging and downright scary that can be.

To be honest, this really isn't the place to be asking these questions - I've seen others ask similar questions here but get unhelpful, or even dangerous advice from people who mean well, but don't understand the physical recovery process from an ED. Is it possible you're asking us these questions because you know, deep down, that your team will say no? It's totally normal for that ED voice to catastrophise and have you believe that you're only going to gain fat. Please remember that every organ and system in your body will have been affected by restriction, so your body needs the nutrition to fix all the damage inside the body, as well as outside (e.g. We can lose 20% of our brain!). Your body has a LOT of things to do, other than make adipose tissue

Can you email your dietitian? Mine used to let me contact her - within reason - between sessions, if I was worried about anything. As you've only been in recovery since October, I honestly think it's too early to be using weights. Anorexia puts a huge strain on our hearts so lifting could be potentially very dangerous this early in your recovery, not to mention how easy it is for us to become obsessed with exercise.

I'd suggest working on mending yourself physically and emotionally before embarking on an exercise programme of any type. When you are ready for it, your team will let you know. Trust me!

Wishing you all the best in your recovery and, again, well done on making those positive steps towards a better - and happier - life!

x

Thanks for all the lovely advice! I know I'm not supposed to be exercising too much just yet. My dietitian told me that if I consistently gain weight for a few appointments that I will be allowed to include daily light exercise. So far I have only gained at my last appointment 2 weeks ago so I know it might be a little while before she gives me the green light to exercise daily. I'm currently only allowed to do the pilates once per week for 15 minutes as long as I eat at least 1800 calories that day instead of 1700.

So there's your answer hon Pilates is fantastic and is great for core strength and strength in general.

Your dietitian knows you - and your needs - best. Please trust her. When I was attending a dietitian, I was convinced she just wanted to make me fat (ED distorted thinking!), but of course that makes no sense, and would be completely unethical! She really just has your best interests at heart.

Keep fighting hon - you can do it, and it will be worth it xx

^Everything that Superstar has said.

Great job so far OP and keep going at it and talking with your team! :flowerforyou:

x1 :flowerforyou:

Love4fitnesslove4food2

Sorry to keep this brief but I've been where you are and felt the need to post (I'm on my iPad and its rather annoying to post from it but I'm doing it anyway)--the thing is that proper hormone regulation requires body fat...recovery REQUIRES it. I did the opposite while recovering--gaining 35 or more pounds predominantly in muscle, water, and glycogen which meant that once I reached a healthy weight I still wasn't healthy because my body fat was too low. I remained at that weight without menstruating for at least 4 more years and developed osteopenia because my estrogen levels were too low. I know fat gain is scary but it is absolutely critical. As hard as it is please just put the thought out of your mind or else you might find yourself in a similar predicament. Recovering fully for me meant gaining above and beyond any weight that I had ever seen because I was too afraid to gain body fat from the beginning.

SuperstarDJ

Ah, OK. As long as you're amenorrhoeic, they will be reluctant to allow you to exercise. While you aren't getting your period, you will be losing bone density (I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 19). You NEED fat to get your cycle back, and I know that prospect can be scary but it's SO important. I'm forever breaking bones - particularly my ribs - for stupid reasons (like sneezing!).

Try your best not to scare yourself by thinking ahead and imaging the worst case scenarios. Just concentrate on what you can do today to bring you to freedom. You deserve that!

Edited to add: your body just wants to be healthy. Being 'fat' isn't healthy, so your body doesn't want that - and neither do your team

Your advice has been super helpful! I feel like I have already accomplished so much but I know I have a lot more work to do to bring my body back to optimal health. I know I need to put my trust in my treatment team but it is scary! Again, thank you! :flowerforyou:

You're very welcome :flowerforyou:

I know I need to put my trust in my treatment team but it is scary!

Yes, it is scary, but that's completely normal! I suppose you need to ask yourself, what choice do you have really? We think we can trust ED, but in the end, all ED wants is for you to be in the grave Your team are experienced in helping people with ED and have your best interests at heart. Who do you think - logically - you should trust?

X