Soo confused! (long)

taiyola

This may end up being a bit long, as I have a tendency to ramble!

So to cut a looong story shorter, I am 21 next month. I have had a history with eating disorders from the age of 8, and during 2009-2010 I attended an out-patients unit twice a week. When I joined, I was on a cycle of starving/binging, was obsessed by food, calories and weighing and would be all over the place if I ate over 1000. The less, the better! And the main thrill I got in life was the buzz of losing weight, or at least not gaining! I left when I couldn't find it within myself to eat more than 1000-1300 calories a day. They wanted me to eat 2000, even though I am admittedly pretty lazy! :noway:

Since I left (just under a year ago) I have stayed eating about 1000, but I'm much more relaxed if I have a day where I eat say 1600. I also stopped weighing myself 4 times a day, and for about 4 months I didn't weigh myself at all. Until Summer '10 I weighed on average 9st 7 - 9st 10. I always wanted to be 9st (126). Since I stopped weighing myself and maybe 'letting myself off the hook' and eating more (still around 1000-ish most days) some days, my weight has crept up by around 10lb.

So basically, I am still eating 1000-ish most days. I can't figure out if I'm still in starvation mode as I was meant to have been when I first attended my E.D. classes. I read online it's only starvation mode IF you are eating 50% of your BMR. My BMR is 1,413 according to on here. I am 5'4" and 145lb. So, according to that, I am NOT in starvation mode, but still continuing to pile on the pounds (put on 2lb this week) at 1000-ish. I am not overweight, but if I gain another few pounds, I will be. I have little muscle definition and get that whole 'muffin top' flab hanging over my UK size 12 jeans. My goal is to be 126 (9st), and to be toned. Not some muscle-bound Goddess :laugh: , but not flabby and wobbly!
Exercise wise I have an active part-time job 2-3 nights a week, and apart from that I walk my dog the majority of days for around 40 minutes and do a bit of housework.

Could I still be in starvation mode? Should I be upping my calories, or just exercising more? What the heck will it take for me to get down to my goal weight?! Quite frustrating to be eating so little for so long, and not be thin! And if I DO need to eat more, I'm worried I'll gain even MORE weight, become depressed, and go back to starving... :frown:

taiyola

By the way, I have every intention of upping my exercise and did 15 minutes of interval training earlier, walk faster, and went on my cross-trainer the other day. Little bits, I know, but I'm pretty unfit!

sabichu

I personally think you need to start exercising more. The dog walking and your work is a part of your routine, again something your body is used to. If you start mixing it up with some pulse raising cardio it should do you some justice, along with some strength training. Muscle burns more calories than fat! So it'll be doing you a favour as long as you eat the right foods and work out more, you should start seeing some changes. Just be patient. It may initially take about a week or 2 till you see results, but by then you should get into the swing of your new routine. And regarding the cardio, start with 10-15 mins then build yourself up and keep up on the water intake too!

VialOfDreams

Your body needs at least 1200 calories to function. That's why MFP sets that as the calorie goal for the day. As for gaining weight, 1 lb = 3500 calories. So if you gained 2lb in a week, you would have had to eaten an additional 7000 calories. Drink plenty of water and don't have more than 2500mg of sodium a day to prevent water weight from building up. Watch your sugar intake and carbs. You may eat few calories, but if you eat too many carbs and sugars, especially in the evening, it can still be deposited as fat.

If you have an active job and you walk your dog every day, you will have to exercise in addition to these activities, because your body is already used to it. You will have to do cardio and regular strength training a few times a week. If you want to have toned muscles, remember to have protein shakes immediately after exercise, as protein builds muscle.

Please don't let the scale scare you. It's just a number. Knowing your body fat percentage and measuring yourself is more important than what the scale says for multiple reasons. 1 - body-weight fluctuates depending on the time of day; 2 - the scale doesn't distinguish between water weight and body fat; 3 - the number can be discouraging, and people can become trapped to this pesky machine. Weigh yourself once a week, and measure yourself (neck, biceps, waist, hip, thigh) every two-four weeks, and see if there's a way you can have someone at the gym give you an accurate body-fat percentage.

taiyola

I personally think you need to start exercising more. The dog walking and your work is a part of your routine, again something your body is used to. If you start mixing it up with some pulse raising cardio it should do you some justice, along with some strength training. Muscle burns more calories than fat! So it'll be doing you a favour as long as you eat the right foods and work out more, you should start seeing some changes. Just be patient. It may initially take about a week or 2 till you see results, but by then you should get into the swing of your new routine. And regarding the cardio, start with 10-15 mins then build yourself up and keep up on the water intake too!

I've always put it down to exercise - or lack of! But on here it says to eat 1200 and eat back your cals etc... Which would mean eating an extra 500 cals for me per day! What strength training can I do? o.O

fiercegoddess

I would encourage you to find a support group/doctor/nutritionist who can give you advice based on your specific needs. Having an E.D. or recovering from having an E.D. puts you in a slightly different boat. You have a different frame of mind and different risk factors. Be careful of the advice that you take as it may not pertain to your specific situation.

With that being said, it is quite possible that you (a) aren't eating enough or (b) are eating more than you think you are eating. Do you spread your meals out throughout the day or do you just have one large meal? I read (somewhere) that even though you may be eating within your calorie limits, it is still possible to eat too many calories at once. For example, if I eat nothing all day until 7 pm and then i go have a meal at burger king, I can still be within my cals for the day but be eating too much in one sitting. If you eat more than your body can handle at once, the food that can't be processed will be stored as fat.

Next question, are you recording everything you eat? Do you take bites of this or that and don't record it because you think it's insignificant? Those little bites here and there can add up. Do you measure your food and/or know what a correct portion looks like? Sometimes what you think might be one serving can be two.

What you eat can be just as important as how much you eat. Are you getting enough servings of fruits and vegetables? Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting too much fat or sodium? It's important to fuel your body properly in order for it to respond and let go of excess weight.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to eat. It may seem counter productive, but it really is a secret to weight loss. If you feel like you aren't getting enough food, then eat more. Your body knows what it needs and gives you cues (stomach grumbles). There are limitations to this (as with everything in life). For example if you just finished a decent sized meal and you are still hungry, wait 30 minutes to an hour and see if you still feel the same way. On the other hand if the last thing you ate was 3-4 hours ago or maybe even 2 hours ago and you feel extremely hungry, then eat something. Don't think every feeling of hunger is you being greedy.

Lastly, use the scale as one measure of feedback, not the sole one. If you step on the scale and the number is higher, yet your clothes fit better or are falling off you take that as a victory. If you step on the scale and the number is higher, yet you can exercise longer without feeling like you are going to die, take that aas a victory. A lot of times we get so wrapped up in the scale that we forget being fit is just as important as being a healthy weight. The exercising you're doing may not translate into pounds but if you are really exercising and eating better, you are improving your quality of life. I still strongly encourage you to find a support group/doctor/nutritionist to help guide you through the weight loss process so you don't take it to the extreme. Being overweight/obese is one problem and an eating disorder/depression is another. It is important to address both issued. Good Luck

sabichu

Check out my tumblr page. I have lists of exercise on there www.bingewinge.tumblr.com. And good old google!!

taiyola

Your body needs at least 1200 calories to function. That's why MFP sets that as the calorie goal for the day. As for gaining weight, 1 lb = 3500 calories. So if you gained 2lb in a week, you would have had to eaten an additional 7000 calories. Drink plenty of water and don't have more than 2500mg of sodium a day to prevent water weight from building up. Watch your sugar intake and carbs. You may eat few calories, but if you eat too many carbs and sugars, especially in the evening, it can still be deposited as fat.

If you have an active job and you walk your dog every day, you will have to exercise in addition to these activities, because your body is already used to it. You will have to do cardio and regular strength training a few times a week. If you want to have toned muscles, remember to have protein shakes immediately after exercise, as protein builds muscle.

Please don't let the scale scare you. It's just a number. Knowing your body fat percentage and measuring yourself is more important than what the scale says for multiple reasons. 1 - body-weight fluctuates depending on the time of day; 2 - the scale doesn't distinguish between water weight and body fat; 3 - the number can be discouraging, and people can become trapped to this pesky machine. Weigh yourself once a week, and measure yourself (neck, biceps, waist, hip, thigh) every two-four weeks, and see if there's a way you can have someone at the gym give you an accurate body-fat percentage.

I edited my goals to include sugar, and I'm over by a LOT. I haver constant sugar cravings too. I think you raise a valid point in, even though I eat few calories, what I do eat isn't that great maybe. I eat the same foods day in, day out. Also doing some extra exercise is what I plan to do, but I'm only used to sitting on my bum, so that's proving difficult! Maybe the key is just a little each day to start with.

I think I may try and concentrate more on my measurements then, as the scales tend to just drive me crazy! But I also need them to keep me on track and not eat the chocolate cakes... haha...

taiyola

I would encourage you to find a support group/doctor/nutritionist who can give you advice based on your specific needs. Having an E.D. or recovering from having an E.D. puts you in a slightly different boat. You have a different frame of mind and different risk factors. Be careful of the advice that you take as it may not pertain to your specific situation.

With that being said, it is quite possible that you (a) aren't eating enough or (b) are eating more than you think you are eating. Do you spread your meals out throughout the day or do you just have one large meal? I read (somewhere) that even though you may be eating within your calorie limits, it is still possible to eat too many calories at once. For example, if I eat nothing all day until 7 pm and then i go have a meal at burger king, I can still be within my cals for the day but be eating too much in one sitting. If you eat more than your body can handle at once, the food that can't be processed will be stored as fat.

Next question, are you recording everything you eat? Do you take bites of this or that and don't record it because you think it's insignificant? Those little bites here and there can add up. Do you measure your food and/or know what a correct portion looks like? Sometimes what you think might be one serving can be two.

What you eat can be just as important as how much you eat. Are you getting enough servings of fruits and vegetables? Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting too much fat or sodium? It's important to fuel your body properly in order for it to respond and let go of excess weight.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to eat. It may seem counter productive, but it really is a secret to weight loss. If you feel like you aren't getting enough food, then eat more. Your body knows what it needs and gives you cues (stomach grumbles). There are limitations to this (as with everything in life). For example if you just finished a decent sized meal and you are still hungry, wait 30 minutes to an hour and see if you still feel the same way. On the other hand if the last thing you ate was 3-4 hours ago or maybe even 2 hours ago and you feel extremely hungry, then eat something. Don't think every feeling of hunger is you being greedy.

Lastly, use the scale as one measure of feedback, not the sole one. If you step on the scale and the number is higher, yet your clothes fit better or are falling off you take that as a victory. If you step on the scale and the number is higher, yet you can exercise longer without feeling like you are going to die, take that aas a victory. A lot of times we get so wrapped up in the scale that we forget being fit is just as important as being a healthy weight. The exercising you're doing may not translate into pounds but if you are really exercising and eating better, you are improving your quality of life. I still strongly encourage you to find a support group/doctor/nutritionist to help guide you through the weight loss process so you don't take it to the extreme. Being overweight/obese is one problem and an eating disorder/depression is another. It is important to address both issued. Good Luck

I'm so glad I joined this site! Lots of good advice there. The thing with talking to professionals about my eating habits is that they aren't very patient. To go from having severe fears over food and having high levels of anxiety around food and in the supermarket etc... to going to eating a good amount in 20 weeks seemed a little strange to me. It definitely helped as I can go over 1000 and not cry about it and my anxiety around food is almost disappeared. I guess I do still have some kind of issues with food, but that's why I want to change and be healthy.

I have 3-5 meals a day. But I have a habit of not eating before I go out, and then eating high calorie things, and then restricting my evening meal. I did that today. Then it got to around 11PM and I was starving and ate 2 bowls of cereal and some pickles!
As far as I'm aware I'm recording everything properly. I record everything I eat and drink (minus sugar free squash which is less than 10 cals a day) to the best of my ability. I don't weigh my food out though, I just try and roughly work it out by the packet info.
I don't eat as much fruit, salad, and veg as I should, no. For years I was very fussy and selective, and from that I haven't tried a lot of foods, and so I tend to stick to the same foods week in, week out. Some times I eat the same meal for lunch every day for half of the week. I need new things to try, as I do actually like food :huh:

I have noticed that I will eat, and still feel 'hungry' afterwards. I often crave sugary stuff after a meal. I rarely eat more after my meal though, and just drink my sugar-free squash and wait until it's time for my next meal. I usually have a coffee, a hot chocolate and 1-2 litres of weak sugar-free squash a day.

I think the whole 'victory' thing is something I need to remind myself of too, I focus too much of the negatives. If I don't see results on the scales, I tend to fall off the wagon. This time I am determined to SOMEhow change my lifestyle.

millerll

A calorie is not just a calorie. It's WHAT you're eating that counts as well, As you already noted, you should probably improve your nutrition a bit. I'd recommend adding more fresh fruits and veggies. The fresh fruits are high in sugar, but they provide needed vitamins and fiber. And veggies are, of course, loaded with vital nutrients and you can eat a lot of them for just a few calories, so they're filling, too. A win-win all around!

I'd cut out the empty carbs and sugars (junk food, processed food) and eat clean for a while. Even if you eat more in calories this way, you'll likely start to lose body fat as long as you're hitting the MFP-recommended calorie goal for the day. And, of course, try to work in some exercise when you can. Good luck!

taiyola

A calorie is not just a calorie. It's WHAT you're eating that counts as well, As you already noted, you should probably improve your nutrition a bit. I'd recommend adding more fresh fruits and veggies. The fresh fruits are high in sugar, but they provide needed vitamins and fiber. And veggies are, of course, loaded with vital nutrients and you can eat a lot of them for just a few calories, so they're filling, too. A win-win all around!

I'd cut out the empty carbs and sugars (junk food, processed food) and eat clean for a while. Even if you eat more in calories this way, you'll likely start to lose body fat as long as you're hitting the MFP-recommended calorie goal for the day. And, of course, try to work in some exercise when you can. Good luck!

Thanks to everyone who's replied - I'm too heavily focused on the numbers, instead of what the actual food is! I'm going to have a rethink and stuff my face with cauliflower!

liv1980

i agree with millerll.

I had a quick look at your food diary and a McDonalds mcflurry and mccoy crisps for lunch wont help you get to your goal. You need to be filling your 1200 with healthy food, like fruit, veg, pasta, meat etc. AVOID binge eating or even thinking about it too much. Have a look at one of our food diaries and you will get ideas of what to eat.

drog2323

ditto what Liv1980 just said. took the words out of my mouth. and completely agree that a calorie isn't always a calorie. You can eat 1000 calorie pizza every day, but you aren't getting the nutrients, minerals and vitamins from things like fruits and veggies. Incorporate some healthy carbs, fruits, veggies and lean proteins. Stay away from the mcdonalds and other vices. maybe keep those for a cheat meal once a week or so.

There is some good advice here from people that I'm sure know a lot more than me!

katiemeridien

Interval training or circuit training, won't get you to where you want to be.
You should be upping both your caloric intake, but with fruits + veggies as others suggested.

I suggest you try a personal trainer. Learning calisthenics has really began to lean my body out without becoming too muscular or flabby.

Cardio and calisthenics and clean/healthy meals at least 3x a day!