** so... should I eat more? **

fruitninja93

Hi
Basically I was anorexic as a young teenager and have yo-yo'd around with my weight ever since, I've never been overweight but I've been a bit more curvy than I'd like (BMI about 22), and I've been intermittently VERY thin. Usually getting thin again after I've gained a bit is pretty easy for me, I have not really got a problem with restricted eating, but recently I've found that my body no longer responds to limited food. I put on about half a stone over last summer and I've been trying to get rid of it ever since! I don't want to be too thin (I don't have an eating disorder any more), I just want to lose about 4 kilos (which would leave me at a BMI of 18.6, which is healthy).
I have been eating about 600kcal a day for a good few months now, and I exercise pretty much every other day. I am not miss-calculating my calories, I have a lot of calorie counting experience from my ED days when I used to follow strict meal plans during recovery. I know that sounds like nothing caloriewise but for me it feels like plenty of food and I don't get hungry much, its because of my past and all the times when I would go an awful long time with no food at all. Please don't judge me for eating not too much - also I am short (5ft 2) and am quite a small build.

So basically my question is - has anyone else increased their calories from a low amount in order to get their metabolism in gear, did it work for you? How long did it take? I've decided that I don't want to go on like this, I'm not losing any weight, and if I go out for a meal or have some cake for a birthday or something I always gain, which is so depressing. I really want to get my metabolism back in gear but I don't want to gain weight!! I still really want to lose these 4 kilos! Any suggestions or success stories from people who have had similar experiences?
Thanks so much!

shadow2soul

To get your metabolism back up you should probably slowly raise your calorie intake to your maintenance level. (maybe add 100 calories to your goal each week) Then you will probably need to eat at maintenance for a few months to get your metabolism going again. I can't say that this won't make you gain weight, because you probably will gain a few pounds (if you jump straight to maintenance it will probably be more).

This is probably a good read for you:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/919536-get-your-metabolic-rate-tested-my-metabolic-reset-story?hl=get+your+metabolic+rate+tested

fruitninja93

Thanks, that's really helpful. I think I will have to increase the calories as that is what everyone seems to suggest on other forums - its just really scary!