Bouncing back from an eating disorder. *trigger warning*

squeezylemons

Hello.

I am currently in self-recovery from ED-NOS, a type of eating disorder. I would starve myself for a few weeks and then go through periods of binge eating and purging. During these 3- or 4-week-long periods my weight would fluctuate between 126lbs and 112lbs (I am 5ft 5in). I am aware that I have damaged my metabolism and my body, and I want to get my health back and be happy. However, I have a question - will I ever recover my metabolism? I have heard different stories about this.

Thanks

nacs246

Hi am the same weight as you only much much older.Please Read by blog on the same issue "Half a century old and taking control of my life" it may help you with lots positive thoughts.
Yes My metabolism is now doing great. I am real glad you are in recovery and wish a speedy recovery and a wonderful healthy life in the future.
You welcome to friend me if you need help.

Helenatrandom

What does your doctor say, hon? If your family doctor is at a loss to help you, maybe he could recommend an endocrinologist. I'm very hopeful for you that the right medical attention will help you. Good luck!

Hirundo

I don't have scientific reply to that but I think most people that end up here did damaged their metabolism by not listening to their body ... I have the feeling that the point here is to learn what is healthy and how your body react to it so we all can rely again on our body, it's metabolism and the signals that the body sends to us ...

TheAncientMariner

That's odd, as I have never heard that you could "lose" your metabolism. Metabolism is a chemical reaction at it's very core, so I don't think you can lose it. Sure, you can probably hurt the way your body handles certain functions, but I think your metabolism is okay. We don't lose that until we're dead. Granted, it can speed up and slow down based on factors outside of the scope of your question. Good luck!

Rachaelluvszipped

Yes, you can recover your metabolism...it will be a patience thing...and you actually have to stick to your guns...and say your going to move forward..it will be a rough uphill..as your mind is the one place that can help you get through this..just with any eating pattern..although this will be "you" dealing with it..but mind you, there is tons of support here...but you are your main source of reliability..from you great things can and will happen, trust in yourself..:flowerforyou:

momof3and3

my 2 cents: our bodies are made to repair themselves, so yes, your metabolism will recover, it just might take some time.

coyoteo

When I was 16 I was hospitilized for an eating disorder. I had a lot of issues with that for quite a few years and then was put on a birth control that caused me to very rapidly gain 75 pounds. And it just would not go away. It's not been over ten years and as I am doing things the right way and have my head in the right place, I seem to be metabolizing normally. If you want more of my opinion or thoughts, feel free to message me. I'm not comfortable sharing too much here.

lisakatelaunspach

Hay I'm in recovery 2 and I guess I'm classed as ednos now because my weight is in a healthy range. I know my metabolisim is 'broken' but I'm upping my cals slowly and in fact I'm now dropping body fat and becoming more toned than I was because I'm not burning muscle last time I recoverd I got huge because eating felt so good I just binged all the time ! This time I'm determined 2 be healthy and get my life back and in the process I'm getting an awesome toned bod !!! No more skinny fat ps feel free 2 add me if u want x

sarahkatara

You can. I'm in recovery from anorexia and have been for awhile now. It's wonderful that you're recovering on your own but it's ok to reach out for help. Your body can recover but you do need to be under a doctor's care. Consulting a nutritionist would help too. She can help you understand why your metabolism is the way it is, what you need to eat to maintain your weight (or gain if medically necessary), *what you need to do to return your metabolism to normal*, and even what foods you can eat that are tasty AND healthy.
Seeing a doctor is NECESSARY because of the pure fact that eating disorders can go a long time without being detected by others, but your body is feeling the abuse the whole time. They may do tests to check your bone density (to see if you have osteoporosis or osteopenia, which is the beginning stages of osteoporosis), the enamel on your teeth (since purging wears that away), levels of certain enzymes (potassium, iron, etc), and others that will check out how you're doing physically.
I hope that helps a little. I've sent you a friend request because I'd love to be able to support you in your recovery. it's a tough thing but it can be done and i'm so glad to see that you want it. that's the first hurdle. :flowerforyou:

sarahkatara

That's odd, as I have never heard that you could "lose" your metabolism. Metabolism is a chemical reaction at it's very core, so I don't think you can lose it. Sure, you can probably hurt the way your body handles certain functions, but I think your metabolism is okay. We don't lose that until we're dead. Granted, it can speed up and slow down based on factors outside of the scope of your question. Good luck!

Really? Raise your hand if you got what she was saying- ::raises hand::
Wait, even better, there was no mention of "losing" anything...

ivy2009

As Atticus Finch from "To Kill a Mockingbird" says, "It's not time to worry yet, Scout." So I would just focus on a healty recovery. Do that and I am certain all will fall into place over time. BTW, very exciting about your recovery. We all have issues we struggle with. The only thing that matters is how we address our issues. I know you can knock this out of the park. You go, girl! Just get healthy! :flowerforyou:

CMmrsfloyd

Dang, there is a particular user that has several times posted an article from a dr's perspective talking about a women who had really messed up her metabolism, and what a person needs to do to get their body functioning more normally again. The situation was a bit different - it was an overweight woman who had messed her self up so much that she couldn't *lose* weight, but the principle of 'fixing' metabolism was similar.

You can definitely work on it on your own, but I agree with previous posts that recommend seeing a dr/nutritionist/etc, first to check and see if there is any damage that has been done that you need to be particularly weary of, and second to help guide you in your quest for a healthier lifestyle. There is a lot you can do on your own, but doing it with guidance from someone who really knows their stuff might be helpful.

Kudos for working toward a healthier you, and good luck on your journey. :-)

squeezylemons

Thank you so much for all these responses everybody!! It's lovely to know there's so much support out there from people I've never even met who still want me to recover

I just wanted to add @Saffmeister - you can damage your metabolism a lot if you don't eat enough. Your body goes into "starvation mode" - i.e., instead of burning fat, you burn muscular tissue for energy, and as muscular tissue is what does the metabolising, your metabolism slows down. Plus your body hangs onto every single calorie you eat because it doesn't know where its next meal is coming from, so works harder to conserve energy.

Thanks guys xx