i need to start eating more than my BMR but never can, help!

alishali

i use to have a eating disorder and use to consume 500-600 calories everyday but then realised what damage i've done to myself. i'm trying to eat 1500 calories or more to put on weight the healthy way and not gain as much fat but i never can. i always seem to eat 800-900 calories in a day! can anyone give me a days diet on what to eat and different types of food..

i want to have a normal/fast metabolism as i use to have before so i will be eating every 2-3 hours, will i be able to have the same metabolism as before if i start eating properly and i will be eating healthy while doing light exercise such as cardio to burn fat while eating. will i gain loads of weight because i use to eat so less before? and will i be able to lose all the weight after in a healthy way, or will it be there forever? i want to be thin but start eating normally and i want to lose all my fat, i will be lifting light weights for girls for muscles in arms..

i just need breakfast, lunch and dinner plus snacks that will be 1500 calories or higher.. but i want them to be suitable and no meat except for fish and chicken..

JesterMFP

Specific meal plans will depend on your own preferences. You don't have to eat every 2-3 hours for your metabolism, but it sounds like it might be a good way for you to get those extra calories in. Try to focus on foods that are high in calories. It might be hard to take on board, especially with a history of disordered eating, but foods that are high in fat are particularly useful here. Things like cheese, eggs, full fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, avocados, nut butters etc. You can also drink your calories if that helps, so things like milk, nut milks, smoothies and protein shakes. You can also sneakily add oil to things, like in a salad dressing or while you are cooking. That can easily add the calories.

You will probably gain a little bit of weight as you increase calories. If that's a big worry, then I would gradually increase by maybe 100 a week. Until you reach your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) anything you gain will be water retention, as well as just the weight of additional food, fluids and waste in your body, so don't panic.

SoDamnHungry

I question that you said "i will be eating healthy while doing light exercise such as cardio to burn fat while eating". You shouldn't be trying to burn fat when trying to get to a healthy weight.

As for meals, why not do an egg sandwich in the morning, a snack of fruit and some type of grain, a large sandwich with meat and cheese for lunch, a granola bar with fruit or vegetables for an afternoon snack, pasta with chicken or shrimp in it for dinner, and yogurt for a bedtime snack. Tuna and avocado are good meal/snack items as well. We can give you ideas, but you'll have to tally up the calories yourself.

ETA: And Jester's suggestion of nuts is really good, too.

JesterMFP

Ok, I misread at first and am now confused - are you trying to gain or lose? To be honest, re-reading your post, and reading your profile, it sounds like you're still very much in the midst of an eating disorder, rather than "used to have". Are you getting some professional help for this?

alishali

thank you very much, this really helped and i want to be at a normal weight at which i should be but i don't want to gain any fat as in flab or belly fat, or thigh fat.. i'm trying my best to recover at the moment and i just need that little bit of support which i wish people would give me.

another thing is that i use to calorie count and i am still doing it, i'm going to carry on doing it until i know for sure that i'm eating 1500 calories or more and when i get use to it i will stop calorie counting and just go back to normal eating:)

bathsheba_c

So, here is the thing about bodies. You can gain muscle and fat at the same time, or you can lose muscle and fat at the same time. You can't mix and match (well, with a few, very specific exceptions). That said, there are steps you can take to make sure that you gain mostly muscle instead of fat. The first is to make sure that you get enough protein in your diet. The second is to do weightlifting. I'm not sure why you think you need to be lifting light weights; you might be happier with your results if you do heavy lifting. I promise you won't "bulk up" if you lift heavy.

As part of your ED treatment, have you been working with a dietician? They might be able to go over what you are eating with you to give you more targeted advice. It might also help if you opened your diary so we could see what you are eating now. In general, the advice to add healthy fats from vegetable oils, nuts, and dairy will help you get a long way towards your goal.

alishali

i am eating more at the moment and today managed to eat 1,000 calories, i know its still less but its a big achievement for me.
i never know what to eat in a day to get upto 1500 calories and i don't know what time to eat because i can never fit it all in.

btw i have been eating more and my belly is getting really bloated and sticking out, is this because my body is getting use to eating more than usual and its expanding letting more food in?:/

jennfranklin

Try putting some good fats in there.. olive oil, avacado, coconut oil, nuts! you can get to your calorie requirements quickly by doing so. They are also super healthy!

Deedsie

I eat 1500 calories a day most days. You are welcome to look at my food journal. It's public but I get my meals through a food delivery company that gives me exactly what I should eat. I try to write what it is down in the notes section. I don't eat meat.

Today I had:

Breakfast- 1 cup Scrambled egg on a whole wheat biscuit and a slice of orange.
Snack- 2 mushroom, spinach and cheese quesadillas slices with 1 tbsp of guacamole.
Lunch- 1/2 cup Italian grilled tofu chicken, 1 tbsp marinara sauce on half of a whole wheat roll.
Snack- Protein enriched apple bread pudding (about 1/2 cup)
Dinner- Tofu chicken with Asian sauce and broccoli.

I also am going to have 1 dark chocolate square and a 6 oz cafe latte today since I'm going to run 2 miles tonight. Hope this helps!

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

If you add a half avocado in the morning or as your evening snack, and two tablespoons peanut butter, that adds 325 calories to your day. You would be at 1325 if you added that in first thing in the morning or right before you go to bed.

Also, try a protein shake. Add it to milk instead of water for added calories. You can put one in between meals for a calorie and nutrition punch.

I agree on adding protein in when you can.

Wishing you the best with everything. :flowerforyou:

felice03

I would suggest meeting with a doctor to guide you through this process.

heybales

i want to have a normal/fast metabolism as i use to have before so i will be eating every 2-3 hours, will i be able to have the same metabolism as before if i start eating properly and i will be eating healthy while doing light exercise such as cardio to burn fat while eating. will i gain loads of weight because i use to eat so less before? and will i be able to lose all the weight after in a healthy way, or will it be there forever? i want to be thin but start eating normally and i want to lose all my fat, i will be lifting light weights for girls for muscles in arms..

Forget the cardio, waste of time for you, actually for most who would be better served lifting weights.

Make it heavy for you, get that chicken and fish in is great for protein, eggs for breakfast if allowed.

Keep at that raising 100 cal a day for a week. Figure out where you can stick it.

No low or no-fat foods, full fat.

Then the next week, add another 100.

The only way you'll be able to increase metabolism decently, is to gain back some muscle that you burned off eating so little, and other LBM.
You will have to eat at surplus to accomplish this.

And while your metabolism is improving, even when you do gain weight from it, not really surplus, just water weight from good workouts.

You'll reach a level where you gain maybe 1 lb every 2 wks. At that point, take about 100 calories out of your day. Keep lifting heavy, keep gaining LBM and hopefully some muscle.

Oh, eating more frequent won't have anything to do with your metabolism at all. But you'll need to do it until your stomach gets bigger so you can have bigger meals.

alishali

thankyou everyone!
i will start doing this, i will be doing exercise too because i don't just want to eat and sit around all day, i don't want there to be any jiggly or wobbly fat on my body around my belly or thighs..

btw if i eat my BMR calories which is 1,500 calories and just sit down all day will i gain fat and get bigger thighs and arms or will they remain the same until i eat more than my BMR?

mockchoc

thankyou everyone!
i will start doing this, i will be doing exercise too because i don't just want to eat and sit around all day, i don't want there to be any jiggly or wobbly fat on my body around my belly or thighs..

btw if i eat my BMR calories which is 1,500 calories and just sit down all day will i gain fat and get bigger thighs and arms or will they remain the same until i eat more than my BMR?

The only exercise you really need right now is weights then you won't have to worry about the jiggly bits happening when you gain. Leave most of the cardio till you are a healthy weight.

heybales

thankyou everyone!
i will start doing this, i will be doing exercise too because i don't just want to eat and sit around all day, i don't want there to be any jiggly or wobbly fat on my body around my belly or thighs..

btw if i eat my BMR calories which is 1,500 calories and just sit down all day will i gain fat and get bigger thighs and arms or will they remain the same until i eat more than my BMR?

If you have been eating at 1000 say and not losing any weight, and instantly start eating 1500, you are eating in a surplus.

If you are doing nothing extra that those calories can be used for, like immediate energy needs, replenishing glucose stores, rebuilding muscle, growing skin, hair, ect - then it is surplus, it will be converted to fat.

As to where, who knows. But you will gain if you sat around all day and instantly started eating your BMR.

If your metabolism is untrusting of what you are doing and remains at 1000 for a week, and you eat at 1500, that's 1 lb gained a week.

Once you can eat at 1500 and not gain, start increasing to maintenance level. At least your metabolism reached up to 1500, now to let it know safer yet to increase.

RunDoozer

thankyou everyone!
i will start doing this, i will be doing exercise too because i don't just want to eat and sit around all day, i don't want there to be any jiggly or wobbly fat on my body around my belly or thighs..

btw if i eat my BMR calories which is 1,500 calories and just sit down all day will i gain fat and get bigger thighs and arms or will they remain the same until i eat more than my BMR?

Please goto the doctor the way you are viewing your body is still completely unhealthy and I personally think you need someone to help you walk through it. And in order for you to look healthy you are going to have to gain some fat. Muscle too which is why the weight training idea is a good one but you need to worry about how much you do exercise wise. To gain weight you probably need to be eating a lot more than 1500 calories a day. Which may seem impossible now but it may be reality depending on how active you are.

alishali

yes but how do i prevent my thighs from getting jiggly? i know your saying don't do cardio until i've started to eat the normal calorie amount but what type of exercises can i do for my thighs, belly and arms if i don't want to gain fat there when trying to up my calories?

Natihilator

btw i have been eating more and my belly is getting really bloated and sticking out, is this because my body is getting use to eating more than usual and its expanding letting more food in?:/

Yes, (in my experience, as I am not a medical professional) this is temporary bloating so don't worry too much about it. Have you ever spoken with a dietician about the proper nutrition for recovery? I would recommend it.

beachlover317

I really applaud you for trying to make changes to have a healthier body. As important as eating right and exercising are, the most important part of having a healthy body is how you view your body and your mindset about food. If you are just recovering from an eating disorder, you probably need the help of a doctor or dietician to help you navigate from where you are to where you want to be. Lifting weights is a good idea, but if you are not eating enough you could sustain injuries.

You are a beautiful young woman and I hope that you keep working to regain your health. You have your whole life ahead of you and contrary to what we all believe when we are young - there are so many more things that you will want than non-jiggly thighs. Focus on healing and I'm sure with the right support you will be very successful. Best of luck to you!

alishali

i want to have a normal/fast metabolism as i use to have before so i will be eating every 2-3 hours, will i be able to have the same metabolism as before if i start eating properly and i will be eating healthy while doing light exercise such as cardio to burn fat while eating. will i gain loads of weight because i use to eat so less before? and will i be able to lose all the weight after in a healthy way, or will it be there forever? i want to be thin but start eating normally and i want to lose all my fat, i will be lifting light weights for girls for muscles in arms..

Forget the cardio, waste of time for you, actually for most who would be better served lifting weights.

Make it heavy for you, get that chicken and fish in is great for protein, eggs for breakfast if allowed.

Keep at that raising 100 cal a day for a week. Figure out where you can stick it.

No low or no-fat foods, full fat.

Then the next week, add another 100.

The only way you'll be able to increase metabolism decently, is to gain back some muscle that you burned off eating so little, and other LBM.
You will have to eat at surplus to accomplish this.

And while your metabolism is improving, even when you do gain weight from it, not really surplus, just water weight from good workouts.

You'll reach a level where you gain maybe 1 lb every 2 wks. At that point, take about 100 calories out of your day. Keep lifting heavy, keep gaining LBM and hopefully some muscle.

Oh, eating more frequent won't have anything to do with your metabolism at all. But you'll need to do it until your stomach gets bigger so you can have bigger meals.

thanks, this helped very much! so is it full fat milk? and my mum always makes chapatti with curry and as you know curry has lots of unhealthy fats aswell as healthy, do you think i should be eating this once a day? she sometimes makes lentils and chapatti too, is this okay to eat once a day? also chapatti does have alot of carbs and these meals are high in calories which are good but they are also quite unhealthy, so should i eat this once a day like for lunch maybe?

YoderKatie

I agree with some of the above posts; I am still sensing some body dysmorphia and it is probably best to talk to a Registered Dietician to help you get back to a healthy body weight. As for the "jiggly parts" all of your body will jiggle including muscle unless it is flexed. Fat is a part of the human body and is necessary for life. I would not recommend any exercise until you are at a healthy body weight; the amount of calories you are eating is not enough to support regular exercise.

geekyjock76

I am a certified personal trainer who occasionally refers members with known or possible history of eating disorders to the appropriate health specialists. With that said, here is some info for you in regards to your questions.

There are two contributing factors determining the amount of fat gained during weight recovery: Initial body fat percentage and the adjusted value in one's Resting Metabolic Rate (degree of decline and the rate it takes to increase).

This may not be what you wish to hear but I am sorry to say the reality for persons such as yourself is that you will gain a disproportionate amount of fat during weight recovery relative to lean body mass. When one chronically restricts their calories to that severity, a significant amount of total weight lost is from fat-free mass, or lean body mass (muscle tissue, bone mass density, water, etc). However, only a fraction of that LBM is recovered during weight recovery. Thus, if one returns to their initial weight, prior to engaging in disordered eating, they will have a much higher body fat percentage as most of the weight gained is fat mass.

The only things that can up your Resting Metabolic Rate is: continuing to up calories until you reach your adjusted TDEE, and maintaining it, and increasing LBM. Usually, the time in which it takes for ones RMR to reach optimal levels is equal to the length of calorie restriction. However, the rate at which you gain LBM will shorten that time. This is where lifting weights will benefit tremendously as your RMR and adjusted TDEE increase.

I am not qualified to tell you what to do, but many treatments will either recommend a slow or rapid refeed depending on the severity of the ED and health consequences that result. If you do opt for a slower refeed (upping of calories), this will allow your RMR to catch up and increase slowly, thus minimizing [somewhat] the disproportionate gain in fat mass.

In the end, you should still speak to a health specialist dealing with EDs to get the proper plan implemented as well as education.

sara4159

Choose exercises that will work the big muscles in your thighs. Pick up something that feels heavy and do squats and lunges. Work all the muscles in your body, there are more than your biceps. If you work on building muscle, your body will put the calories towards the muscles and less towards fat. It will be ok- you have to work really long and hard and probably take steroids to get bodybuilder sized muscles!

cwolfman13

thankyou everyone!
i will start doing this, i will be doing exercise too because i don't just want to eat and sit around all day, i don't want there to be any jiggly or wobbly fat on my body around my belly or thighs..

btw if i eat my BMR calories which is 1,500 calories and just sit down all day will i gain fat and get bigger thighs and arms or will they remain the same until i eat more than my BMR?

Please goto the doctor the way you are viewing your body is still completely unhealthy and I personally think you need someone to help you walk through it. And in order for you to look healthy you are going to have to gain some fat. Muscle too which is why the weight training idea is a good one but you need to worry about how much you do exercise wise. To gain weight you probably need to be eating a lot more than 1500 calories a day. Which may seem impossible now but it may be reality depending on how active you are.

100% this

BTW OP, BMR is the bare minimum that your body needs to function properly...roll out of bed, take a deuce, and function in a sedentary manner for the day. Most people who diet to lose weight eat to their BMR. You need to eat to your TDEE just to maintain your current weight and get your metabolism going.

You really need to see a professional about this. I've known people just like this and it's one hell of an uphill battle and yes, there's some unpleasantries along the way. In many respects, it is worse than having to lose weight. You need to be doing this under professional supervision. As helpful as folks are here at MFP, most are not equipped to properly advise you here, particularly where the psychological issues are concerned...body image, etc.

Please, seek some help and do this the right way. You've taken a big first step in admiting you have a disorder and wanting to do something about it...now take the next step and seek out a professional. Your PCP would be a good place to start and I'm sure he/she could help guide you to a specialist.

danasings

I am a certified personal trainer who occasionally refers members with known or possible history of eating disorders to the appropriate health specialists. With that said, here is some info for you in regards to your questions.

There are two contributing factors determining the amount of fat gained during weight recovery: Initial body fat percentage and the adjusted value in one's Resting Metabolic Rate (degree of decline and the rate it takes to increase).

This may not be what you wish to hear but I am sorry to say the reality for persons such as yourself is that you will gain a disproportionate amount of fat during weight recovery relative to lean body mass. When one chronically restricts their calories to that severity, a significant amount of total weight lost is from fat-free mass, or lean body mass (muscle tissue, bone mass density, water, etc). However, only a fraction of that LBM is recovered during weight recovery. Thus, if one returns to their initial weight, prior to engaging in disordered eating, they will have a much higher body fat percentage as most of the weight gained is fat mass.

The only things that can up your Resting Metabolic Rate is: continuing to up calories until you reach your adjusted TDEE, and maintaining it, and increasing LBM. Usually, the time in which it takes for ones RMR to reach optimal levels is equal to the length of calorie restriction. However, the rate at which you gain LBM will shorten that time. This is where lifting weights will benefit tremendously as your RMR and adjusted TDEE increase. I am not qualified to tell you what to do, but many treatments will either recommend a slow or rapid refeed depending on the severity of the ED it and health consequences that result. If you do opt for a slower refeed (upping of calories), this will allow your RMR to catch up and increase slowly, thus minimizing [somewhat] the disproportionate gain in fat mass.

In the end, you should still speak to a health specialist dealing with EDs to get the proper plan implemented.

Everything geekyjock76 said, ESPECIALLY THE LAST LINE.

JesterMFP

Are you seeing any kind of health professional about all this?

alishali

okay thanks people and i do understand, ONE LAST THING THOUGH, my mum will be making chapatti and curry/lentils/daal everyday, as we all know it has lots of butter in and other fats in the currys and lots of carbs in chapatti's, so will this make me gain more fat if i eat it once everyday for lunch or will it be okay to up my calories?

sleibo87

Great for you for realizing that, as some people don't, and making healthy choices. I would say go for foods that are calorie dense foods like nuts! I love organic peanut butter sandwiches lol.

ordnaj3la1

If you are trying to gain healthy weight, you have to eat in a caloric surplus. Multiply your weight by 14, since you're a woman, and the number you get should be your maintenance calories. Now, add another 200-500 calories to that number. With 500 added calories, you can gain a pound per week. If you want it to be less, lower your surplus, but it shouldn't get any lower than 200.

Now, in order to get more calories in, try mixing your foods with healthy fats. Cook some eggs with extra-virgin olive oil, add some avocados to your dishes, eat some nuts, seeds, almonds. All these are great fats that can easily add calories to your diet. An example could be:

3 eggs cooked with extra-virgin olive oil, you could add some cheese to it, whole wheat bread, and a glass of whole milk.

You could snack on some Almonds, Peanuts, any type of nuts really. Protein bars are good as well. Or, I love having this, a peanut butter sandwich, make sure the peanut butter is all natural and use whole grain/wheat bread.

A turkey burger! Some lean turkey, make some fries with sweet potatoes, you could add some turkey bacon, cheese, it's really delicious!

Oatmeal with peanut/almond butter. That is way too good, you'll love it.

Chicken pizza. So so good. Use whole wheat pitas as the crust, add some sauce, I use tomato paste. Some cheese, chicken as a topping or anything else you'd like like turkey pepperoni or bacon, be creative with it. Good luck!

alishali

If you are trying to gain healthy weight, you have to eat in a caloric surplus. Multiply your weight by 14, since you're a woman, and the number you get should be your maintenance calories. Now, add another 200-500 calories to that number. With 500 added calories, you can gain a pound per week. If you want it to be less, lower your surplus, but it shouldn't get any lower than 200.

Now, in order to get more calories in, try mixing your foods with healthy fats. Cook some eggs with extra-virgin olive oil, add some avocados to your dishes, eat some nuts, seeds, almonds. All these are great fats that can easily add calories to your diet. An example could be:

3 eggs cooked with extra-virgin olive oil, you could add some cheese to it, whole wheat bread, and a glass of whole milk.

You could snack on some Almonds, Peanuts, any type of nuts really. Protein bars are good as well. Or, I love having this, a peanut butter sandwich, make sure the peanut butter is all natural and use whole grain/wheat bread.

A turkey burger! Some lean turkey, make some fries with sweet potatoes, you could add some turkey bacon, cheese, it's really delicious!

Oatmeal with peanut/almond butter. That is way too good, you'll love it.

Chicken pizza. So so good. Use whole wheat pitas as the crust, add some sauce, I use tomato paste. Some cheese, chicken as a topping or anything else you'd like like turkey pepperoni or bacon, be creative with it. Good luck!

thankyou, iwill be doing this and will it be okay if i eat a chapatti and curry/lentil/daal/ndian dish for lunch everyday as they are higher in calories but they are also high in fat..

should i be using wholewheat flour to make the flatbreads or normal white, because if i use the normal white flour then my insulin levels will shoot up but if not then they won't, i want to up my calories in the healthiest way possible and gain very little fat while doing so..
so will i gain little fat while eating one chapatti a day with a indian dish that my mum makes?

alishali

okay thanks people and i do understand, ONE LAST THING THOUGH, my mum will be making chapatti and curry/lentils/daal everyday, as we all know it has lots of butter in and other fats in the currys and lots of carbs in chapatti's, so will this make me gain more fat if i eat it once everyday for lunch or will it be okay to up my calories?