Am I in 'starvation mode'? Am I getting out of it?

Helloitsdan

At 5'4" your perfect weight is appx 120lbs.
What are you thinking?

Helloitsdan

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Use this to figure out what you should be eating.
Get TDEE and eat it for life.
Hell eat above it for a while so you can get healthy again.

auxiliaa

At 5'4" your perfect weight is appx 120lbs.
What are you thinking?

When I was restricting, I wasn't thinking. I know it sounds strange, but I've been unaware of how bad I've been. Depression and anxiety made me neglect my body and my health to the point where I can't remember what healthy is.

auxiliaa

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Use this to figure out what you should be eating.
Get TDEE and eat it for life.
Hell eat above it for a while so you can get healthy again.

I know what mine is and I'm working up to it. But without having reached it yet, I've gained 2kgs.

Helloitsdan

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Use this to figure out what you should be eating.
Get TDEE and eat it for life.
Hell eat above it for a while so you can get healthy again.

I know what mine is and I'm working up to it. But without having reached it yet, I've gained 2kgs.

Good!
Keep gaining.
Now if you can workout 3x a week youll dictate where those nutrients go.
If you do weight lifting or body weight work the nutrients will go to recovery for the muscles youve worked.
just sit around? ....who knows?
Probably fat.

Google Nerd fitness Batman and youll find a great resource for body weight work.
Or
Join a gym and start being productive with getting healthy.

Right now you arent very healthy.
winter is coming so its a good time to add lean muscle.
Find TDEE and add 20% to that and just eat and enjoy the food.
Workout 3x a week and youll enjoy the lean muscle built.

FelicityEliza36

you should probably see a doctor or nutritionist who can build a plan for you to get back to a healthy weight. i don't think the people of MFP are qualified to give this sort of advice.

^ THANK YOU.

I am going through all the comments, and well of course they are supportive - I am wondering to myself "HAVE YOU SEEN A DOCTOR????"

You really need to seek out help - physically as well as mentally. As I can only imagine that something like this weighs heavy on your brain and turns into a bad habit to get out of. Wish you the best my friend....

NewAngel35

I desperately need some advice. These are my stats - Female, 20 years old, 5' 4, 94 pounds (one pound gain from last week), 14.6% body fat.

I have been consciously restricting my diet since the beginning of the year. In January, I was 123 pounds. I started to get alot of bad reactions to foods (and have since been diagnosed with IBS) and cut alot of processed foods and switched to a non-diary and hardly any carbs "diet". When I started logging in MFP in June, I weighed 116 pounds. My calories were under 1000 per day, and I imagine they had been like this for months before I was logging in my calories. I exercised, doing my own hour sessions of cardio at home. I was eating two small meals a day and had barely any appetite. I developed anxiety and depression, and then had keyhole surgery for a diagnosis in July. By the time I was recovered from the surgery at the end of July, my weight had dropped to 99 pounds. I wasn't eating more than 500 calories per day. In August my calories decreased from about 150 - 300. My weight last Monday was at its lowest, 93 pounds. I was put on SSRI medication and decided to consciously increase my food intake because I have no energy, I'm always cold, and I'm looking slightly skeletal. I've read alot about the starvation mode theory - have I put my body into this mode?

Over the past week I've increased my calories to around 700 per day. I know this is still very low - I wanted small increases. I'm eating 3 meals a day, sometimes a snack. I have an appetite and hunger pains for the first time in months. I've done all the BMR calculations with my sedentary lifestyle, and I should be eating 1500ish calories to maintain this low weight (which I don't want to do). In the past week of only bumping up my calories by 200, I've gained a pound. Is this water weight? What will happen to my body in the following weeks? I'm bloated and full all the time (to the point of physically looking pregnant), I can't fathom eating 1500 calories, I don't think I've done that in ages.

Will my body put on weight very very fast? How/when does it stablise? I'm so scared to continue to increase ..

Hi there
First well done for asking the tough questions. You may find the eating more to loose weight group can help answer these questions. I asked a similar thing yesterday and got directed there.Its called resetting your metabolic rate.They also have a chanel on Youtube.It takes time from person to person.I think this will help you.Feel free to add me.I suffer from the same kind of dilemas.Hope this helps

Reesecup312

Oh and "starvation mode" is a phrase which is used a lot on MFP, but not so much in the real world. If you are taking less calories than you need for a significant period of time, then your metabolism will slow down, however you will continue to lose weight.

Do not get hung up on "starvation mode" as it is of little importance in your case. What is important is that you are underweight and need to gain it back. Given your history, I would see your doctor who will be able to advise you better than anyone here.

This ^^^^^^^^^^

auxiliaa

you should probably see a doctor or nutritionist who can build a plan for you to get back to a healthy weight. i don't think the people of MFP are qualified to give this sort of advice.

^ THANK YOU.

I am going through all the comments, and well of course they are supportive - I am wondering to myself "HAVE YOU SEEN A DOCTOR????"

You really need to seek out help - physically as well as mentally. As I can only imagine that something like this weighs heavy on your brain and turns into a bad habit to get out of. Wish you the best my friend....

I have seen a doctor...

jllove871

"I have no energy, I'm always cold"
I am a little concerned about this! Have your doctors checked your thyroid. I have Hypothyroidism which is opposite of what you are experiencing but still these two symptoms sound the same as what Finally led to my diagnosis. Thyroid is pretty important, maybe you should get that checked. As far for calories, you have shrunk your stomach so it isnt safe to increase calories so fast, you will need to ease back into calories gradually! Good Luck

punkerdoo3

As a person who has had eating disorder and all to well knows the anxiety one has about food I can tell you this. You need to seek medical help. Due to the surgery you may have underlying issues. I would not accept IBS as diagnosis but ask to be tested for Celiac. I know it sounds like everyone runs to that now for an excuse but it amazes me how much we do not know about the effects things have on our guts. Rather than have anxiety knowing that everything is going to make us sick, bloated etc. it is time to figure out what we are eating that is making us feel sick. Try eating clean. What does that mean? Try eating unprocessed foods, foods with no sugars, artificial sugars, preservatives and watch out for dyes and stay away from wheat and whole grains. I notice once i stopped eating these things if I go back and have some for a day even I will have same symptoms as before. Again, I would seek medical help and do lots of research.

TheDreadPirateRoberts

"I have no energy, I'm always cold"
I am a little concerned about this! Have your doctors checked your thyroid. I have Hypothyroidism which is opposite of what you are experiencing but still these two symptoms sound the same as what Finally led to my diagnosis. Thyroid is pretty important, maybe you should get that checked. As far for calories, you have shrunk your stomach so it isnt safe to increase calories so fast, you will need to ease back into calories gradually! Good Luck

I think we will confuse the hell out of the OP if we keep suggesting possible causes for her condition and possible solutions. Fact is, we dont know, we just think we might. I for instance would tend to attribute lack of energy and being cold due to the fact she has very low body fat and was eating 700 calories a day. However, I could be wrong, so I suggested she see her doctor.

She has been to her doctor and is going back again. We should support her in this and leave her doctor to treat her. As well meaning as we may be, her head will be reeling with all this.

auxiliaa

"I have no energy, I'm always cold"
I am a little concerned about this! Have your doctors checked your thyroid. I have Hypothyroidism which is opposite of what you are experiencing but still these two symptoms sound the same as what Finally led to my diagnosis. Thyroid is pretty important, maybe you should get that checked. As far for calories, you have shrunk your stomach so it isnt safe to increase calories so fast, you will need to ease back into calories gradually! Good Luck

I think we will confuse the hell out of the OP if we keep suggesting possible causes for her condition and possible solutions. Fact is, we dont know, we just think we might. I for instance would tend to attribute lack of energy and being cold due to the fact she has very low body fat and was eating 700 calories a day. However, I could be wrong, so I suggested she see her doctor.

She has been to her doctor and is going back again. We should support her in this and leave her doctor to treat her. As well meaning as we may be, her head will be reeling with all this.

Thank you

To clear everything up - I got back blood test results yesterday. My levels of everything are fine - except for low potassium. Gluten intolerance is ruled out, as is thyroid problems.