to whom does 3000 calories apply to?

Thomasm198

Speak to a doctor. Do not ask for advice like this on an internet forum.

Speak to a doctor. Do not ask for advice like this on an internet forum.

Speak to a doctor. Do not ask for advice like this on an internet forum.

Speak to a doctor. Do not ask for advice like this on an internet forum.

Speak to a doctor. Do not ask for advice like this on an internet forum.

Speak to a doctor. Do not ask for advice like this on an internet forum.

Speak to a doctor. Do not ask for advice like this on an internet forum.

UsedToBeHusky

The gradually thing is nice in theory, the problem is that it still encourages restrictive intake. The best way to do it is to start out consuming most of your calories via liquids. Milk, creamer in coffee, sweet teas, juices, broths, etc.

This still could shock your system (so you'll definitely need to speak to a doctor and a nutritionist or dietician regardless, my biggest regret is that I didn't, but I couldn't afford to - as we are literally poverty level and no insurance has went through yet), but less so. It will be a lot less painful.

3,000 sounds about right for a recovering anorexic who is 95 lbs. You may even need about 3,500. My purpose telling you this is to let you know, so that if you ever eat around that much you don't panic. It's normal in the early stages to want to eat everything in sight. Trust your body. It knows what you need.

In the early stages of my own recovery, I listened to my cravings. I went through phases, too. The first was iron (I'm guessing I was almost anemic because I consumed a LOT of iron in the early weeks), then my body craved protein by the bundle (I ate a lot of fish, chicken, beef, and nuts in this stage), then sugar (mmm peeps...), and so on. It can be scary, because these cravings will hit you sporadically and may cause binges, but it's normal, and trust them. Your body knows what it's doing better than that ED voice does.

ETA: Also, recovery takes a while. When I first went in, I dreamt of it being done in a few months. i'm half a year in, and I'm still not fully recovered. Just remember that. Remember, especially, that even when you hit an ideal weight, you still might have some recovering to do.

Not that I know anything about this subject but...

You recommended that the OP not "gradually increase calories" and then suggested a liquid diet?! :noway:

brianpperkins

See a doctor is to general ... SEE A SPECIALIST IN EATING DISORDERS.

tayloryay

Just to reiterate, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE ON A DIETING WEBSITE!!! YourEatopia is backed by scientific studies, and she links to all of them within her articles. It's been proven again and again that those numbers are correct, and what normal non-disordered people eat and maintain their set-point weight. 3,000 is not just for those recovering from restrictive EDs, it's for EVERYBODY! The problem is that the average person underestimates their intake, and is sloppy about counting calories. Someone with an ED is typically very precise and actually tends to overestimate.
If you're currently eating under 1000 calories a day, you will need to slowly increase at first by 100 to 300 calories every couple of days. Once you get close to around 2000 calories, you should be safe to jump to your 3000 minimums. And yes, 3000 is the MINIMUM amount. It's ok and absolutely encouraged to go over!! Your body has a severe amount of damage to repair.
Please, don't take advice from people trying to lose weight themselves. Talk to your doctors, talk to other people on the YourEatopia forums who are doing MinnieMaud, and please take care of yourself! You can also message me if you want, I'm following MinnieMaud myself and could point you in the direction of a lot of other lovely folks who are as well.

maab_connor

MFP suggests 2010 while the blog says 3000 which one to follow?

speak to a doctor

I have and they said not to count but I'm worried then I won't eat enough to gain because of habits and sticking to the same routine

then tell your doctor this...

Yes. also, this is why doctors specialize. see if you can find a specialist who works w/ your insurance. some docs think that if you track your calories it can be triggering, and for some ppl who are recovering from ED that is true. but for others, they need the control of the numbers. you need to find a specialist and explain to them that you want to track the numbers. and then break down with them what those numbers should be (overall as well as macro) and a healthy way to do that.

also, please see a therapist who specializes in ED recovery as well. you need to nurture your mind as well as your body.

good luck. you are worth being healthy.

danasings

You really need to speak to a physician about this. People who have been starved/malnourished may experience refeeding syndrome, in which their BMR dramatically rises, which can alter macronutrient metabolism and cause all kinds of problems. People on a message board aren't qualified to help you with this.

I agree. There are dietitians that specialize in eating disorder recovery, and you should be working with one of them on your weight gain.

http://www.anad.org/get-information/recovery/

I wish you all the best, OP. :flowerforyou:

JoRocka

try this- forum- and you can read this- girl posted in a very similar situation.

The gaining section is full of awesome.

seriously

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1309580-has-anyone-experienced-this

firstsip

MFP suggests 2010 while the blog says 3000 which one to follow?

speak to a doctor

I have and they said not to count but I'm worried then I won't eat enough to gain because of habits and sticking to the same routine

Totally understandable. After I recovered to a healthy weight when I was younger (recovered being a loose term, as I gained weight from medication and no change in eating habits), I was the same way; not as bad as I had been, but eating much less than I should have been just because the habits were so ingrained.

I know you're working with a doctor, but are you working with a therapist or mental health professional? It's good to have a team when dealing with something long term, which ED recovery is. IF you are truly, honestly able to get yourself to eat more calories by using MFP, than it sounds like you should have everyone on your team know and monitor you as much as you monitor yourself. The "don't track" is generally the medical suggestion for ED recovery, as "control" is a big factor.

Ultimately, though, I'm so, so glad you're trying to get to a healthy weight. Your post yesterday was very concerning to me, and I'm so glad you are getting help! Good luck to you; it's a long road, but it's a road that can be managed as long as you keep giving your body some fuel.

As for:

Please, don't take advice from people trying to lose weight themselves.

Some of us are on here because we're TRYING to lose weight in a healthy manner, particularly when our metabolisms got wrecked from dealing with an ED for so long. Not sure why your advice should trump anyone else's on here?

stealthq

The gradually thing is nice in theory, the problem is that it still encourages restrictive intake. The best way to do it is to start out consuming most of your calories via liquids. Milk, creamer in coffee, sweet teas, juices, broths, etc.

This still could shock your system (so you'll definitely need to speak to a doctor and a nutritionist or dietician regardless, my biggest regret is that I didn't, but I couldn't afford to - as we are literally poverty level and no insurance has went through yet), but less so. It will be a lot less painful.

3,000 sounds about right for a recovering anorexic who is 95 lbs. You may even need about 3,500. My purpose telling you this is to let you know, so that if you ever eat around that much you don't panic. It's normal in the early stages to want to eat everything in sight. Trust your body. It knows what you need.

In the early stages of my own recovery, I listened to my cravings. I went through phases, too. The first was iron (I'm guessing I was almost anemic because I consumed a LOT of iron in the early weeks), then my body craved protein by the bundle (I ate a lot of fish, chicken, beef, and nuts in this stage), then sugar (mmm peeps...), and so on. It can be scary, because these cravings will hit you sporadically and may cause binges, but it's normal, and trust them. Your body knows what it's doing better than that ED voice does.

ETA: Also, recovery takes a while. When I first went in, I dreamt of it being done in a few months. i'm half a year in, and I'm still not fully recovered. Just remember that. Remember, especially, that even when you hit an ideal weight, you still might have some recovering to do.

Congrats on your recovery! you said it took longer than a few months, did you hit your ideal weight in a few months or is this including the emotional recovery too? Because right now the last couple of days I haven't been counting but I'm sure I have eaten more than 3000 because I'm on a road trip and have had a lot of shakes and fast food and diner foods. I put in weight gain on MFP and it says to only consume 2010 to gain, do you know why that is?

I do.

MFP calculates based on an assumption that you are a healthy 'average' individual looking to gain weight at whatever rate you put in (0.25 lb/wk, 0.5 lb/wk, etc).

MFP does not take into account that you have done yourself some significant physical damage that needs to be repaired. That repair will consume a significant number of calories. Think of it as if you're doing a bunch of exercise that MFP knows nothing about - it can't help but underestimate what you need. In addition, you don't need to be restricting your weight gain to a particular rate. Based on posts from others recovering from an ED, the physical state of your body and your emotional state will be more than enough of a brake in that regard.

justcat206

I am not a doctor, but I do know that while I was in recovery it took my digestive system a while to get accustomed to an increase in food. So be sure to ask a nutritionist what you'd need to eat in order to balance things so you don't wind up wildly constipated (or the opposite).

Good luck and WTG on taking the first steps to get well again!

tayloryay

Some of us are on here because we're TRYING to lose weight in a healthy manner, particularly when our metabolisms got wrecked from dealing with an ED for so long. Not sure why your advice should trump anyone else's on here?

There's pretty much no such thing as "healthy" weight loss for someone with a restrictive eating disorder. Especially if you follow the YourEatopia/MinnieMaud method and trust in set-point theory (and it's only a theory the way gravity is a theory, they know we have set-points they just aren't entirely sure how it works). Part of recovery is learning to love and trust your body, and allowing it to reach its set point by always eating at least your minimum calories. If you do that, your metabolism will restore itself and your body will settle at its healthy set-point weight. You may overshoot at first due to suppressed metabolism and other variables, but you will eventually taper down to your set point without the need to diet or restrict/control your intake in any way. That tapering can take up to a couple of years, but your body will reach its set point, whatever that is, and yes it may be higher than what some people (especially those with restrictive ED) find "acceptable". That's another part of the process, learning to love yourself regardless of size.
I'm not claiming to be an expert or anything, but people are recommending restrictive diets & exercise to someone trying to recover from an ED, and it happens pretty much every time this kind of thread pops up on MFP. What is ok for a non-disordered person is not necessarily the right course of action for someone with an ED.

firstsip

Some of us are on here because we're TRYING to lose weight in a healthy manner, particularly when our metabolisms got wrecked from dealing with an ED for so long. Not sure why your advice should trump anyone else's on here?

There's pretty much no such thing as "healthy" weight loss for someone with a restrictive eating disorder. Especially if you follow the YourEatopia/MinnieMaud method and trust in set-point theory (and it's only a theory the way gravity is a theory, they know we have set-points they just aren't entirely sure how it works). Part of recovery is learning to love and trust your body, and allowing it to reach its set point by always eating at least your minimum calories. If you do that, your metabolism will restore itself and your body will settle at its healthy set-point weight. You may overshoot at first due to suppressed metabolism and other variables, but you will eventually taper down to your set point without the need to diet or restrict/control your intake in any way. That tapering can take up to a couple of years, but your body will reach its set point, whatever that is, and yes it may be higher than what some people (especially those with restrictive ED) find "acceptable". That's another part of the process, learning to love yourself regardless of size.
I'm not claiming to be an expert or anything, but people are recommending restrictive diets & exercise to someone trying to recover from an ED, and it happens pretty much every time this kind of thread pops up on MFP. What is ok for a non-disordered person is not necessarily the right course of action for someone with an ED.

We must be reading very different ED recovery posts.

kemval74

See a doctor is to general ... SEE A SPECIALIST IN EATING DISORDERS.

You took the words right out of my mouth!!! there is a big difference between the two. She also needs to see a Registered Dieitian (not nutritionist) who specializes in eating disorder treatment.

Good luck, hun

tayloryay

We must be reading very different ED recovery posts.

There are 4 comments in this thread alone suggesting she use a TDEE calculator, rather than listening to the scientifically backed guidelines on YourEatopia for ED recovery. I've seen people recommend lifting weights or other exercise while recovering, which could very well kill someone with an ED. Yes a lot of people suggested she see a doctor (though even they can be clueless about EDs, sadly), but I bet those few comments telling her to continue restricting/controlling her diet are the ones that will stick. It only takes a tiny bit of doubt to let the ED continue to fester. MFP can be a very toxic place for those with EDs, I don't really think that's an unreasonable observation.

Edit: Just went through the comments here again, and someone suggested weight lifting!! In this very thread. Lifting weights during ED recovery will only do more harm than good. The body will rebuild the muscles on its own, while remaining sedentary. Lifting weights could kill her.

firstsip

We must be reading very different ED recovery posts.

There are 4 comments in this thread alone suggesting she use a TDEE calculator, rather than listening to the scientifically backed guidelines on YourEatopia for ED recovery. I've seen people recommend lifting weights or other exercise while recovering, which could very well kill someone with an ED. Yes a lot of people suggested she see a doctor (though even they can be clueless about EDs, sadly), but I bet those few comments telling her to continue restricting/controlling her diet are the ones that will stick. It only takes a tiny bit of doubt to let the ED continue to fester. MFP can be a very toxic place for those with EDs, I don't really think that's an unreasonable observation.

TDEE is certainly altered from someone with an ED, but no one is saying to her "Eat less than you are currently," which would be restrictive. People telling her to go to a doctor is perfectly acceptable, and being clueless about EDs is acceptable, too; it's good for people to be aware of conditions, especially on a fitness site that attracts people with EDs (and even helps facilitate the development of those who have the existing propensity to have one), but in general, an ED isn't something people should become experts on, in which case advising OP or others go to a professional is the best response for all involved. As for the weight lifting thing, that can go one of two ways when people are recovering, but either way should only ever be done and monitored with a doctor and therapist on board, which is still what the majority response was in this thread.

This site certainly can be toxic for people with EDs, but your initial argument was "Don't listen to anyone trying to lose weight themselves," which is a very unfair observation of people offering advice, none of which actively said "Keep eating low."

hookilau

OP: I recall someone mentioned in another one of your past threads that there are ED groups here on MFP. They may be better equipped to offer support, or at least that sounds logical to me.

You should be under a doctor's supervision as far as actual advice to follow though. Good luck.

tayloryay

TDEE is certainly altered from someone with an ED, but no one is saying to her "Eat less than you are currently," which would be restrictive. People telling her to go to a doctor is perfectly acceptable, and being clueless about EDs is acceptable, too; it's good for people to be aware of conditions, especially on a fitness site that attracts people with EDs (and even helps facilitate the development of those who have the existing propensity to have one), but in general, an ED isn't something people should become experts on, in which case advising OP or others go to a professional is the best response for all involved. As for the weight lifting thing, that can go one of two ways when people are recovering, but either way should only ever be done and monitored with a doctor and therapist on board, which is still what the majority response was in this thread.

This site certainly can be toxic for people with EDs, but your initial argument was "Don't listen to anyone trying to lose weight themselves," which is a very unfair observation of people offering advice, none of which actively said "Keep eating low."

Eating anything less than minimums is restrictive. 2000 calories is restrictive. She basically said she's still restricting, because she hasn't started really challenging the ED behaviors & thought patterns. I don't think it's acceptable for doctors to be clueless about EDs, especially considering they're on the rise and starting younger and younger. Obviously I don't expect the average person to be well-versed in them, why would they be, but that's why this forum isn't the best resource.
Several did say keep eating low by telling her to use TDEE or that 3000 sounded "excessive", because it's not. It's been proven that's what healthy young women eat.

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish

You already said your doctor told you to eat and not count so that you do not restrict yourself. Even though most have no degree in what they talk about, almost no information about you or understanding about your situation and little to no knowledge, everyone on the internet has an opinion and will freely give it to anyone who passes by. Who cares if the internet equivalent of people on the street corner picked up a calculator, punched in some random numbers and shouted to eat 2010 cals another shouted 3000 and a third 4000 and then an argument ensued, listen to your doctor, not the people on the street corner.

AliceDark

MFP suggests 2010 while the blog says 3000 which one to follow?

MFP isn't a great tool to use to calculate your caloric needs in recovery. You need more calories than someone who is "just" trying to gain weight because you're not just gaining fat and muscle. In recovery, you're trying to repair a lot of internal damage and rebuild your bones and organs, too, which takes calories. If the blog you're referencing is YourEatopia, I would listen to them over MFP. (Obviously, if you can go to a doctor, you should.)

sculli123

3K nope I'm over 200 lbs and don't even eat that much. I eat that much on a bulk weight gaining diet but most of the time I'm eating 2K. My TDEE is 2650 or so.

My suggestion if you're trying to gain weight is figure out your TDEE and add 500 calories to it and eat whatever calories that comes out to. Don't just eat a random 3K calories plucked out the air.